Page 22 of Defending A Promise
Since Nicholas, apparently, had no intention of going back down for the rest of his nap after Bella’s butt stunk up his bedroom, we decided to go back to her parent’s house to get some more of their things since they will be staying with me for the foreseeable future.
Yesterday, all she grabbed were a few things but now that she’s agreed to stay with me, they’ll need more than an outfit or two and all of Nicholas’ toy trucks.
Understandably, Riley didn’t want her son to see the note that is still on the door inside his grandparents’ home, so I took him to the backyard to ‘help grandma with her vegetable garden’. He was all too happy to help pick some of the vegetables that were clearly not ripe enough to harvest yet, but at least he was distracted.
Riley packed a few bags for both of them and grabbed any mail that was in the mailbox. I told her not to open any of it until we got back to my place in case there was something in there from the asshole stalking them. If there is, I want to make sure we handle it with care to get any kind of evidence he may have left behind. It’s the cop in me.
She also grabbed her computer and what looks like a day planner, her phone and tablet chargers, and a video game console with some games, presumably they belong to Nicholas – but then again, she is my little geek; maybe they are hers.
Wait – when did she becomemygeek?Who are you kidding, Hayes? She’s always been yours.
“Ready?” Riley asks as she climbs into my truck. We moved Nicholas’ car seat into my truck because I don’t want her driving her own car. We’ll switch vehicles for a while – until this is all over. This stalker obviously knows what she drives and the fact that she still has Georgia plates makes her car easy to find in a small town like Hibiscus Harbor.
“Ready. Who’s hungry?” I ask as I start the truck.
“Me! I want chicken fingers,” Nicholas calls from the back.
“I could eat,” Riley agrees.
“Great. I’ve got just the place.”
Maneuvering through easy Sunday evening traffic, we arrive at Hoopla’s quickly. The parking lot is semi-packed, but I’m ableto park my big truck in the lot next to the bar since we own that lot, too. “We’re here. Let’s eat.”
Once Steph takes our order, Nicholas gets busy coloring the placemat with the crayons Steph brought over. He’s such a great kid.
“I had no idea you guys wanted to own a restaurant.” Riley looks around admiring our handiwork.
“Bar and grille.” I correct her.
She places her hand on her chest, “My apologies – bar and grille.” She laughs.
I’m pretty proud of all five of us for bringing this place from an idea to a successful business. It’s helped not only for the five of us to stay together, but it’s turning into a place where the community can come together as well. Someplace where everybody knows your name – like that television show from the eighties.
“To tell you the truth, we’ve been talking about it since we were kids. Reid had just graduated medical school and realized that he didn’t want to be only a doctor and that he missed the camaraderie of his classmates from school. Then he had this idea for the five of us to actually go ahead with our childhood idea and create Hooplas.”
“What do you mean he didn’t want toonlybe a doctor? Isn’t that a great job?”
Steph brings our burgers and chicken fingers and refills our sodas.
“Thanks, Steph.”
“Let me know if you need anything else.” She goes back to the bar.
“Reid is an odd duck. I think he was lonely when he came back to Hibiscus Harbor. You know he has no family – just his friends. Like zero family. Both his parents passed away before he graduated med school and he has no cousins, siblings, or anyother family. I think he was looking to stay connected with what he knows.”
“Wow. I knew his parents were older than ours when we were kids, but I didn’t even think about the fact that they would pass away sooner than ours. Of course, they would – but still – you get so wrapped up in your own world, you forget about anyone else’s. God, he graduated med school, and no one got to see it.” She sounds melancholy for Reid as she pops a French fry in her mouth.
“Oh, we all went to his graduation. Surprised the shi…” I manage to stop myself from cursing, remembering there are little ears sitting with us. “irt, the shirt off him.”
Riley laughs, “Good catch.”
“Yeah. That was a close one.” I take a mammoth bite of my burger. Damn they’re good here. We’ve got the best kitchen staff.
“So, you guys all piled into the car and drove to Duke University just to see your friend graduate from medical school?”
“Don’t be silly. We flew, but yes. Why do you sound so surprised?”
She smiles softly at me, “Not surprised – more like jealous.”
