Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 79052 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79052 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
“We can drop her off. Her place is on the way to Deb’s,” Stewart offered. At my frown, he shrugged. “Deb told me where she lived. I thought the girls might want a little more visiting time.”
“I’ll take my date home, thanks.”
By home, I meant my place. We’d gone back to my apartment late Saturday night. There had been no Andy sightings all day or evening at her place—or since then.
He waved me off, not at all put out. “Right. Of course.”
We said our goodnights, and we were silent until I pulled away from the restaurant. My car had been delivered to me earlier, the new windshield in place, and it felt good to have it back. I felt Raven finally relax beside me.
“You don’t like him,” I stated.
“No, and I don’t know why. He’s a bit uptight and pretentious, but he obviously likes Deb. He was all over her tonight. Held her hand, kissed her. He listened when she spoke. He seems kind and certainly generous, but he makes me nervous.”
“I got the feeling he was trying to impress us. Or you, at least, given you are her friend. He was trying too hard.”
“Maybe that’s it. There were times he looked almost irritated. Then he would clear his expression.”
She was observant. I had noticed a few odd looks on his face but thought I’d imagined them.
“Maybe he had gas,” I teased.
She laughed. “Well, there you go.”
I took her hand. “We don’t have to do another dinner.”
“Deb will be so disappointed.” She sighed. “I am kinda glad he will be away for the zoo trip.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “I can’t picture him helping out with kids, to be honest.”
“Me either, but Deb said he told her he would have. He says he likes kids.”
“Well, time will tell. Deb seems a good judge of character, and she certainly seems to like him.”
She sighed and rested her head against the leather, looking at me. “You’re right. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.”
“I’ll be there if we do dinner again. I can always fake a sudden stomach ailment or something.”
She giggled. “I’ll tap my ear as a signal.”
I laughed at her teasing. “Noticed all the tapping did you?”
“It must be difficult not being able to hear in one ear.” She huffed. “Maybe you’re right. He might have been nervous.”
“I guess we’ll find out.” Then I snapped my fingers. “Damn, I used all the cream this morning.” I changed lanes and pulled into the grocery store. “God forbid I send you to work without coffee in your system.” I shook my head and looked sorrowful. “Poor little children. They’d be traumatized.” I was joking, but not really. Raven needed two cups of coffee to be human in the morning.
She laughed, knowing it was true. Once she got to school, she had another cup or two. She loved the stuff as much as I did, perhaps even more.
“Maybe we could get a snack,” she mused.
“You didn’t eat much dinner.”
“It’s a nice place, but the food wasn’t to my taste. Far too many ingredients I couldn’t pronounce.”
It had been as eclectic as the reviews stated. A little pretentious, much like the man who chose the restaurant and exclaimed the food perfection. I hooked my arm around her waist, and we headed inside. “Okay, let’s get some cream and a snack.”
Raven perused the deli counter, pursing her lips at the pile of chicken wings. I nudged her. “Go on, then. Get them.” As she spoke with the clerk, I heard my name being called, and I looked over, a smile breaking out on my face. I hurried toward the woman, laughing as she flung herself into my arms, hugging me tight.
“Hey, stranger,” she huffed out as I set her on her feet. “Come to my place, eat me out of house and home, fall asleep, then not call me for days? Weeks, even? Seriously,” Sofia admonished me.
I laughed. “You were away and, since coming back, working double shifts.” I cuffed her under the chin. “Troublemaker.”
“I heard there’s another reason,” she teased, looking over my shoulder. “And there she is, looking a little upset, I think.”
I turned, seeing Raven staring, looking confused. She was distraught, her tells working overtime. Her teeth were buried in her bottom lip. Her toes tapped an uneven rhythm in her sandals. She smoothed her hair away from her face, approaching slowly as I waved her over.
“Oh boy, you need to make an introduction and fast,” Sofia muttered.
I glanced between her and Raven, then I stepped away from Sofia, astonished.
Was Raven jealous? Thinking of what Sofia had said and how I had hugged her, I realized she was. I tried not to laugh.
She came close enough I could pull her to my side. She was tense. But before I could speak, she squared her shoulders. “Hi. I’m Raven. And you are…?” She let the question trail off, lifting one eyebrow. Her countenance was serious, and her tone held no friendliness.