A caustic laugh slipped from her cherry lips. “Um. . . no.”
“No?”
“Yeah.No.”
“So, yes?”Isaid, scratching the back of my head.
Aurora huffed. “No.”
“But you just said ‘yeah.’”
“No,” she growled. “Iwas agreeing with you thatIwas not going out with you.”
“So, you agree with me?”Isaid in the most neutral voiceIcould.Messingwith her was quickly becoming my favorite pastime.
“No!”Aurorashouted. “Now, get out of my house.Itsmells bad enough.Idon’t need your sweat adding to it.”
I had one more trick up my sleeve.Diabolical?Maybe.Butthere was one thingIcould offer thatIknew any reasonable woman would never turn down.
“How do homemade potato chips sound?”
Aurora paused, andIknewIhad her.
“There’s this spot not too far up the road.Ernieshaves down the potatoes fresh and fries them.Youget a big basket for three bucks, and it comes with homemade ranch.”
Fifteen minutes later,Iheld the door open whileAurorabegrudgingly slid into the passenger’s seat of my pickup.
“So,”Isaid asIhopped in, clicked my seatbelt, and draped my arm across the back of the bench seat soIcould back out. “Haveyou been toCedarIslandbefore?”
I grazed the shoulders of the tanktopAurorahad thrown on over her sports bra.Shehad traded the work boots for flip-flops and let down her hair.Thepink flush across her cheeks from the heat softened the hard edge of her clenched jaw.
“I’ve been here before, butIwas too young to really remember much.Justfor quick vacations whenIwas little.”
“Well, you’re in luck.Notmuch has changed since then.”Ipointed out her window. “That’sthe fire andEMSstation.Nottoo far from our street, so if you ever need anything whileI’mon duty, you know where to find me.”
She lifted an eyebrow. “Areyou my self-appointed tour guide or were you assigned by some backwoods welcoming committee?”
I chuckled. “Neighborliness.Remember?”
“Right . . .”
Aurora settled in for the drive whileIpointed out the necessities.Ourone gas station, a small grocery store, the good beaches and the ones to avoid, the oyster farming operation, and the ferry terminal.
I pulled into the lot at theFish‘nFueland cut the engine.Aurorarested her head against the back of the seat, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. “Hotfood,” she whimpered. “HowI’vemissed you.”
I chuckled. “Wereyou planning to survive on cold sandwiches for the entire summer?”
She shrugged as she unbuckled.Ibeat her to the door, opening it for her before she could. “I’ma homebody.Exploringwasn’t on my agenda.”
“Nothing wrong with that,”Isaid as we walked to the double-wide.Islid my hand onto the small of her back, holding the door to the diner open for her. “Butif you want something other thanPB&Js, this is the place to be.”
The lunch crowd was just starting to disappear, which meant thatAuroraandIwere able to snag two barstools along the front line.
“Wharton,”Erniehollered with his back to me as he flipped burger patties. “Thatyou?”
“Yes, sir.”
“How’sJune’sgreat-niece doing?”
