A Summer to Remember by Marilyn Pappano

Author:Marilyn Pappano
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 2016-06-28T04:00:00+00:00

After finishing the outstanding meal by sharing a bowl of warm cherry cobbler with sweet vanilla ice cream, Elliot reached for the ticket, but Fia picked it up first. When he opened his mouth to speak, she silenced him with one warning finger. “You’ve paid the tab for every meal we’ve had. I appreciate it, but I get to contribute, too. I can afford it, and I like to do it.”

He waited until she nodded emphatically, then he said, “I was about to tell you thank you.”

An abashed look came across her face. “Oh. Good. You’re welcome.”

It was a fib on his part. He knew it was old-fashioned, but a lot about him was. He’d just been raised that on dates, guys paid. It was something he’d always done. But he liked the idea of being able to let her do it. It meant that this wasn’t just a date. It wasn’t a passing fling. They were sharing: time, meals, company, expenses. It was a step into a level of emotional commitment that he’d never taken before.

“We pay at the register on the way out.” Fia stood, holding on to the back of her chair, stretching a moment and heaving a satisfied sigh. He followed her through the now-full dining room, weaving around tables and guests, to the register near the door, saying hello to a few familiar faces along the way.

“Who is that?” she asked curiously.

“Miz Watkins is a retired schoolteacher who meets with her friends every other day at Prairie Harts for coffee and Danishes. Miz Dauterive used to work at the bank. She was Jessy’s boss, and I suspect she lit Jessy’s hair on fire so many times it just turned red. She has a totally unhealthy love for Lucy’s two-bite cupcakes.”

“Oh, I’ve heard of her. The old hag.”

He gave her a chastening look. “That’s not nice.” Then, after a beat…“But I’d have to agree.” He’d rarely met a woman he couldn’t charm, but Mrs. Dauterive was one.

When it was their turn at the register, Fia swiped her card, then added a generous tip. “I waited tables for a while. You get some good customers, but there are others…”

“You want to snatch their hair out?”

She smiled sweetly.

“I never had that problem when I waited tables.” He held the door for a family coming in, then walked out with Fia, automatically reaching for her hand. “I usually got good tips, too.”

“How many of those tips included phone numbers?”

He shrugged innocently. “A few.”

“How many times did you call those numbers?”

A repeat of the shrug. “A few.”

“You’re a wicked man, Elliot.”

“Nah, remember, I’m an angel.” He breathed deeply as they crossed the parking lot. The sun had disappeared while they were inside, and the air smelled heavy and damp. The temperature had dropped a couple of degrees, and the wind was blowing in fits and starts. “Looks like we’re gonna get some rain.”

Fia glanced up at the sky. “The weather people predicted it for some time this weekend, but honestly, their educated predictions aren’t usually any more accurate than my uneducated guesses.

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