Oh, why did he have to go back to using my nickname?I couldn’t hold back the little smile that pulled at my lips. “Good morning.”
“Are you busy?”
“Not really. I usually take Monday mornings off.”
“I see.”
“See what?”
“Your lack of response means you were trying to think of a reason to say no to my lunch offer. Hence the reason I called, so I can convince you. “
We’d never spent time together without Iain. “You know Iain’s at school today, right?”
His sigh sounded frustrated. “And that means his mother and I can’t have lunch together?”
“No, but—”
“I thought if we had lunch together without him around, we could figure out a schedule or something so I could still spend time with him.”
“Oh.” That made sense. “I guess so, then.”
His chuckle sent another spark through me. Once upon a time, making him laugh had been a highlight of my days. “Don’t sound so enthusiastic.”
I added my laughter to his. “Sorry.”
“There’s another reason.”
There was?
“Told you a few nights ago, Iain isn’t the only one I want to spend time with. I missed both of you yesterday.”
Oh! “Iain asked where you were this morning.”
“Is he the only one who missed me? Even just a little?”
“Mama mentioned it,” I teased.
His soft chuckle came through the line. “And how about you?”
“I might have noticed you were gone.”
“It’s a start. So…lunch?”
“Okay.”
“There. That wasn’t so hard, was it? Simply Ruth’s? At noon?”
“Sounds good.”
He hung up, and I slowly put my phone back on my desk.
“What’s got you lookin’ so pleased?” Mama asked as she passed the reception desk where I was sitting.
There was no point in hiding where I was going. She’d find out anyway. “I’m meeting Zach at Ruth’s.”
“Oh?”
I shook my head at her interest. “We’re just going to figure out a plan for him to see Iain now that he’s not staying here.”
