Page 62 of Love in Riverbend
“Already done,” she says.
Looking at the kitchen table, my stomach sinks. “Dining room?” We rarely use the dining room.
“Dining room.”
With a shake of my head, I go to find Molly and Dad.
Molly is sitting with her grandpa watching Jeopardy and trying to guess answers.
Upstairs, I’m changing from my work clothes and eyeing the dresses in my closet. Shaking my head, I decide on jean capris and a casual shirt. This isn’t a date, I tell myself, when my phone rings. Chloe is on the screen.
“Hi,” I answer.
“Two days of togetherness. Give me all the details. Every one of them even if they make me blush.”
“There weren’t any blushing moments.” My lips curl into a grin. “I mean other than one kiss. But it was only one.”
This is another time I have to pull the phone away as my best friend screams. Once she’s done, I say, “He’s leaving tomorrow for Chicago.”
“I’m sorry, Kandi.”
I shrug as I sit and lie back on my bed. “He has a life there. I know that.”
“Yeah, but Mick told me that Dax is buying Ruth’s house. That means he’ll be back.”
“Unless he isn’t.”
“Stop thinking that way,” Chloe says. “He wants to be here for Molly.”
I nod. “And I like that. I guess it would have been nice if he wanted to be here for me.”
“Come on, superwoman, one day at a time.”
“He’s on his way here. Mom invited him to dinner—in the dining room.”
“Oh,” she says with a singsong to her voice. “Dining room.”
Chloe makes me chuckle.
“I want details after he’s gone,” she says.
“For starters, Justin is here.”
“Mick said he punched?—”
“I know,” I interrupt. “Justin promised Molly no more hitting.”
“Glad she’s in charge.”
“Always.”
My phone pings. Pulling it away from my ear, I see I have a text message from Dax. Pushing the icon, I see the message.
* * *
“Almost there. Can you assure me that your brother doesn’t have firearms available?”
* * *
