Page 52 of Whispers and Wildfire
“See?” Mom nudged me and lifted her eyebrows a few times. “Theater.”
“Mom, I don’t think Nathan has had the pickle pizza yet.” Yes, I was throwing my brother under the bus. But I was sure he’d done something mean when we were kids and totally deserved it. “You better make sure he tries it and doesn’t give his piece to Sharla.”
Mom looked around, her face lighting up when she spotted him. “Oh, Nathan!”
I let out a breath as she wove her way through the crowd to accost my brother with pickle pizza.
“Sorry,” I said. “My mother is excellent at making things awkward.”
“Not a big deal. So, voice acting? How did you get into that?”
“I did a lot of live theater when I was younger. But I sort of moved on from that.” I kept it vague. I didn’t like talking about that period in my life. “I tried some voice-over stuff, and it was a lot of fun. I guess the rest is history.”
His lips turned up in a grin, and he took a small step closer. “That’s great.”
I felt a little flutter in my stomach, but it wasn’t a pleasant one. Or was it? Maybe it had been so long since a man had seemed interested in me that I didn’t remember what it felt like.
“So, your mom tells me you just moved back to Tilikum,” he said.
“How do you know my mom?”
He blinked as if surprised by my question. Of course, Ihadn’t answered his. “I did a community workshop on Shakespeare’s comedies last summer. She was in the class.”
“Oh, I see. And yes, I just moved back. Divorced.” I shrugged. “My ex was a jerk, so we didn’t visit very often. Makes it feel like I’ve been gone for a hundred years, and half the town is exactly the same, while the other half is unrecognizable. Where are you from?”
He hesitated again. Not everyone had an easy time keeping up with me. “I grew up in Oregon, just south of Portland. But I went to college in Boston.”
“And here you are in funny little Tilikum.”
“It’s a great place to live.”
“Even with all the squirrels?”
He laughed a little. “Yes, even with all the squirrels.”
“Sorry to interrupt.” Mom sidled up next to me. “Have you tried all the flavors?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“Well, don’t let me get in your way.” She tried to push me closer to Hank. “You two keep getting to know each other. But also try the pizza.”
She disappeared again into the crowd.
I gestured to the table. “I should try the other flavors.”
“She seems very serious about that.”
“Apparently, the annual pizza tasting is a big deal.”
He smiled. “I won’t keep you from the experimental pizza. But would you like to go out sometime?”
My heart seemed to stop for a second. Did I want to go out with Hank? Why not? He was attractive and well-spoken. My mother hadn’t scared him off. Of course, my mother had clearly invited him to introduce us, which meant if I said yes, I was trusting her judgment, and that was slightly terrifying. But still, just one date?
“Sorry,” he said. “If it’s too soon for you, I totally understand.”
“No, it’s not really. My ex and I split up over a year ago. I’m just… Sorry, I haven’t… This is the first time that…”
He nodded along as I babbled, then hesitated, like he was waiting to see if I was finished. “The first time after divorce is probably difficult. I’ve never been married, but I’d imagine it’s tough.”
