She? His father used the word “urgent,” but something in his aunt’s face told him Michael wouldn’t necessarily see this situation in the same light. “Zia…” Michael slapped a hand on the door and pushed it closed where she had it cracked open. “I’m not doing anything until someone explains to me what exactly is going on. Where’s the danger?”
“Your father didn’t tell you?” Zia Rose may widen her eyes and look innocent, but that didn’t mean anything.
Michael leaned against the door and blocked her escape. “Spill it, Auntie.”
She threw her hands up. “Aye, aye, you’re worse than the girls, just get dressed and get ready for your date!”
“What date?”
“The date your father set up for you. A new nurse from the clinic will be here any second. You don’t want to be rude and keep her waiting. And we all know how you feel about being late.”
“Why in the world is Pops setting me up on a blind date?”
Now it was Zia Rose’s turn to drill him with a stare. “Seven children. He has seven children, including you as the oldest at almost thirty years old, yet not a single one of you is married or even in a serious relationship.” She threw her hands up in the air. “The man has to take drastic measures if any of you are going to move out and start your own families. He wants grandchildren! Can you blame him?”
“This is because he wants me to move out?” Michael had only moved back in after Mom died to help. There was no way Pops could’ve handled it all. “He could’ve just said something.”
Rose’s stare melted into one of pity. She laid warm, motherly hands on both his cheeks. “It’s not about moving out. It’s about moving on.”
Ah. This again. Why couldn’t Pops understand? How was he supposed to simply “move on” from his mother’s murder? She deserved justice. She deserved answers. They all did. Whoever was responsible for her death was still out there. In his city. That wasn’t something Michael could ignore or forget.
Zia Rose stepped back and gestured to his clothes and shoes on the chairs. “Now, let’s not keep Sage waiting, huh?”
“Sage?”
“The nurse.”
Before Michael could say anything else, she was gone. With a long sigh, he pulled out his phone and texted Finn that he could leave. The last thing Michael wanted was his partner witnessing an awkward emergency-slash-blind date. He’d never hear the end of it.
The thought of some poor woman walking into all this was the only reason Michael followed his aunt’s instructions and was soon sitting in a corner booth, dressed in street clothes. He could at least treat his date to the best Italian food in Renegade before he set the record straight that he was not looking to resuscitate his long-departed love life. He’d done the whole dating thing with Sierra, even tried to be a father figure for her son, Huck. He’d done all the right things and still ended up nowhere. Why put himself through more heartache?
The window on his right had a clear view of the downtown street, not to mention sight lines to the entrance of the restaurant and a broad scope of the room. The dim light was meant to set a romantic mood, but all he could see was how it created shadows and blind spots.
Outside the city, the Renegade Mountains loomed tall and proud. Already, the autumn sun dipped lower, washing the peaks in bright, golden light against the blue sky. St. George’s across the street, with its bell tower and antique stained-glass windows, stood guard as it had for the last hundred years. A sign out front advertised that they were halfway to their fundraising goal to fix the belfry structure.
On the street, a woman in a soft sweater-like dress and tall boots jogged up to the restaurant entrance. Her dark skin glowed, set off by the beige scarf around her neck.
Michael straightened his spine as the hostess led the woman to his table. He stood to meet her.
“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry.” Her dainty brows furrowed with worry. “I abhor tardiness, and here I am, two minutes late. You must be Michael.”
He held out his hand. It might not be his choice to be here, but like Zia Rose had said, it was no excuse to be rude. “I know what you mean. It’s nice to meet you, Sage.”
She blew out a sigh of relief and shook his hand. Her slender fingers were strong, her grip confident. “That’s kind of you to say.” She settled into the booth, and he took his seat. “But really, I should’ve accounted for the possible heavy traffic and trying to find a place to park when I’m not familiar with the city. There’s no excuse.” She smoothed out the skirt of her dress and seemed to catch her breath.
“You’re new to Renegade?”
She nodded. “Just moved here from the Chicago area. I’ve always wanted to live near the mountains.” She straightened the napkin so it was exactly perpendicular to the edge of the table. “I can’t wait to go hiking. I’ve already listed the top five trails and mapped out the routes.”
“I hope Bagg Trail is one of your top five. It’s my favorite.”
Her grin brightened. “That’s my first choice.”
Hmmm. A planner. Pays attention to details. Takes responsibility for her actions. Maybe Pops is on to som?—
No! Wait. This was just a courtesy dinner. There was no room in his world for a relationship right now. His family came first. Once the boys graduated and his mother’s reputation was set straight, then maybe.
But despite Michael’s reluctance to pursue anything romantic, the conversation flowed easily over their calamari appetizer and salad course. His cousin Arianna brought out the margherita pizza they’d ordered and refilled their glasses. The other voices in the room created a pleasant hum around them. As Michael served Sage, he glanced around.
