Page 55 of The Good Guy on My Porch

“There’s a strong half-moon and it’s a short hike. I promise the destination will be worth the effort.”

“Okay.” She put her trust in me so easily I wanted to hug her. “What do I need to bring?”

“A water bottle, a few snacks, a few blankets. Whatever you can fit in that pack I lent you.”

“Give me a few minutes and I’ll meet you back out here.”

She took Buddy in with her and I resisted the urge to do a few fist pumps. I hadn’t expected her to agree to this night hike, and I’d at least expected her to ask more questions. I quickly packed a bag and hurried back out to the porch, but Dilly wasn’t there. Her voice floated out the window she’d opened, probably to let in the cool spring air for Buddy.

“I’m fine,” she said. “Everything is fine. I’m exhausted and I’m going straight to bed…Yes, I swear. You’ve got nothing to worry about…I didn’t cook tonight, so I never turned the stove on…I didn’t get food poisoning, Momma. I love you, but I’ve really got to go.”

Just when I was ready to hate her boyfriend even more than I already did, I heard enough to know she was talking to her mother. And her mother sounded like a worrier of the first class.

Dilly’s door opened, and she stepped out. “Oscar,” she said, starting a bit when the light she’d left on inside illuminated me. “I’m sorry I took so long. I just called Jerome real quick to say good night.”

She’d lied to me. Why not just tell me she was talking to her mother? I was intrigued more than hurt that she’d lied. Even so, I couldn’t resist pushing. “How is Jerome?”

“Um, busy, you know. He’s got to get ready for his speech thing on Sunday.”

“Sermon,” I said as I opened the passenger door of my car and she slid in.

“Oh, right. That’s what I meant, sermon.”

I closed her door, feeling oddly happy that she didn’t seem to have any real idea of what Jerome’s job entailed. Before I made it around the car though, my mood was punctured by the thought that she didn’t know because they didn’t do much talking. The pictures that idea put in my head may have made me a little grumpy, and I might have slammed my door harder than necessary.

“Everything okay?” she asked.

“Everything’s great. You ready?”

“Nope.”

I drove the short distance to the mountain and managed to push all images of Dilly and the face-less Jerome naked and together out of my mind, before I parked. “Isn’t this where we parked for the waterfall hike?” she asked. “Are we going there again?”

“I’ve got a better view in mind this time.”

Instead of going toward the dirt trail we’d taken up to the waterfall, I led her to a paved trail with hardly any incline. “Wow, this is definitely more my speed,” she said. She may have claimed to be exhausted, but her voice was light and happy.

When the path opened up before us so that we could see the large dome-shaped building, she gasped in surprise. “What is this?”

“It’s an observatory,” I said. “It’s owned by the university.”

“I didn’t even know this was here. How did I not know this was here?” I couldn’t make out her expression because the dim light from the moon was blocked by the trees, but her voice was nothing but excited.

“Tonight, they’re looking at Jupiter and Saturn.”

“Why did you have me bring blankets if we’re going to be in there?”

“A short walk from the observatory, there’s a great spot to view the stars, but it can be chilly. I wanted you to be prepared in case you decide you want to check it out.”

She hurried past me to the observatory. “This is so cool. I’ve never been to one of these before.”

I followed her. It was good to be back on solid ground with her. Maybe I could be okay with her never wanting more than friendship, because this moment, her happiness, it was everything.

Inside, there were a few other people, but not a big crowd. A grad student talked to us about what we were going to see and then we got to take turns looking through the telescope at the planets. I’d been to the observatory a few times, but it never got old.

Once we were back outside, Dilly was bouncing with excitement. “I always thought astronomy was boring, but that was so cool. I felt like I could reach out and touch those planets.” She stilled and faced me. Dim light from the observatory lit her face. “Thank you, Oscar. That has to be one of the coolest dates I’ve ever had.”

“Date?” I asked, hope flooding me.

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