Page 84 of The Lost Book of First Loves

She should be at least a little tempted, shouldn’t she? Instead, all she wanted to do was go inside, take off her bra and relax.

“I’d better not. It’s already been a long day and I have to work tomorrow.”

“I could make you forget all the things you have to do tomorrow.” He gave her a smoldering look that, again, did nothing for her.

He really was gorgeous and she wanted to feel all tingly and alive. Maybe she was simply too tired.

Or maybe he wasn’t the right guy.

“I really do need to go. Thanks again for a great night, Clint.”

“Too bad,” he said with an expression of disappointment. “I understand, though. I’ll text you about next week.”

He gave her another quick, heated kiss then she opened the door and hurried inside before he walked down the porch steps toward his pickup truck.

She slipped into the house, where she was greeted by two of the cats. After following the sounds of the television, she found her grandmother asleep on the sofa, snoring softly with Chaucer stretched out next to her. One of the late-night talk shows was on with an actor she liked, pushing his latest movie.

She sat down and pulled a cat onto her lap while she watched the clip of the romantic comedy, making a mental note that she should arrange a girls’ night to go see it at the three-screen movie theater in town. She didn’t think she made any sound but after a few minutes, Loretta opened her eyes.

Her grandmother blinked and pushed up her glasses that had fallen down her nose. “Oh. You’re back. What time is it?”

“Nearly eleven,” she said, glancing at her watch.

“You’re earlier than I expected. I thought you and the Maclean boy would be partying the night away. How was it?”

“The band was great. I hadn’t heard them before. I guess they’re friends with Xander’s brother-in-law Jake and Jake’s brother Ty.”

“Oh? Were they there?”

“Yes. All three of them came together. They seemed to enjoy it.”

“That’s nice.” She sat up and gave Ali a careful look. “And what about you? Did you have fun with Clint? You evaded my question before.”

She was almost tempted to tell her grandmother that yes, she had enjoyed the date, but not as much as she might have expected. Oh, and also that Clint had wandering hands.

“I had fun.”

“Did he?”

“Well, he said he wants to go out again. So I guess.”

Loretta gave her a careful look. “Will you go out with him again?”

“We’re talking about dinner next week.”

“You’ve always had a bit of a crush on him, haven’t you?”

How had Loretta known that? Her grandmother’s perception and insight into Ali’s inner thoughts were often unsettling.

“No,” she protested. At her grandmother’s skeptical look, she sighed. “Okay. Yes. A little. But he had been with Angel Herrera since seventh grade. We were friends and I knew that was all it would ever be.”

Loretta opened her mouth, then closed it again.

“What?”

“Nothing. I’m glad you had fun.”

This time she was the skeptical one. “Grandma. You were about to say something and changed your mind. Do you know something about Clint that I should know?”

---