Chapter Five
Throughout the week, Nathan looked forward to the small moments when he visited with Lynn at the daycare center. By the time Saturday morning came around, they’d decided to meet at seven at one of the waffle houses in town. When he told Chess about it, Chess and Brooke immediately offered to take Mia in a little earlier so that Nathan could meet Lynn without the baby. Chess couldn’t do it without a great deal of ribbing, but Nathan ignored it.
Honestly, it felt weird not to have Mia in his arms as he got out of his Jeep and walked to the front of the waffle house. Lynn must have thought so, too, because she looked at him quizzically when he found her waiting for him inside.
“You forget someone?” The teasing expression on her face brought out a smile of his own.
Nathan took in her cotton pants and comfortable-looking shirt. He hoped this meant she might try out a class, but thought he’d hold off mentioning anything for now. “I went ahead and took Mia by Chess’s place. I guess Brooke’s making muffins or something. I’m sure Mia will enjoy it. She likes to ‘help’ Brooke bake. I’m quite certain it makes the whole process about four times harder, but Brooke doesn’t seem to mind.” Nathan escorted her to an empty table. “Have you eaten here before?”
“A time or two. Their blueberry waffles are to die for.” Lynn shook out a napkin and placed it in her lap. She glanced around the dining area several times before looking at him again.
“Those are good, though I’m partial to the cream cheese stuffed French toast.” A waitress stopped by their table and took their drink orders.
Lynn asked for a glass of orange juice. When they were alone again, she smiled. “It’s nice that Brooke enjoys baking.”
“I think we all enjoy it, too.” Nathan laughed, remembering all of the desserts and other goodies Brooke had shared with him in the last six months. “Do you like to bake?”
Lynn had just taken a sip of her water and had to put her napkin in front of her mouth to keep from spitting it out. Once she’d swallowed she laughed. “Oh, no. Me and baking don’t get along. In fact, I avoid it at all costs. As you could tell by my incredibly fancy brownies that I brought by last weekend.”
Nathan just assumed she’d been in a hurry and hadn’t thought much of it. “Brownies are good no matter where they come from. So what are your hobbies? What do you like to do when you aren’t taking care of kids?”
She hesitated a moment, which seemed a little odd. Most people had no problem talking about their hobbies. She glanced around them as though looking for someone before answering. “I like music.”
“Listening or playing? What type?”
“I’ll listen to just about anything. I’ve got pretty eclectic tastes. I prefer to play pop or rock.”
That surprised him. “You play an instrument?”
Lynn pulled her cell phone out and checked the screen. With her eyes on it, she nodded. “Piano. But it’s been a little while.” She slipped it back into her pocket. “What about you? What are your hobbies?”
“I guess martial arts qualifies as both that and my job. I teach at the academy six days a week, mostly for the extra money, but partly because I like helping people see the strength they didn’t know they had. When I’m not working, I spend most of my time with Mia and our family.” He shrugged. “Now that I’m saying it, maybe it’s pathetic I don’t really have other things I focus on.”
“I don’t think so.” Lynn looked up as the waiter arrived with their juices. She took a tentative sip of hers and nodded appreciatively. “Outside of music, I don’t have a whole lot, either. I just got a cat. Or rather, he found me. But I don’t think that really counts.”
Nathan had always admired people who played an instrument—especially those who played one well. He wanted to ask her more about it, but the moment had passed. Instead, he asked her about the cat and then couldn’t stop laughing after she shared how she met the cat in the first place. Just when he got control of his amusement, he tried to picture her sneaking through the kitchen with a rolling pin in her hand, and he was laughing again.
Lynn’s eyes sparkled. “Oh, I know. Seriously, it’s too bad I didn’t have a video of it. I could probably win some money somewhere.” She shrugged. “I’m not kidding, though. That rolling pin is heavy enough to knock out a horse.”
He cleared his throat and took a drink of water. “See, there’s another reason why you should come by for a free class later this morning. Then you’ll be able to protect yourself and your new cat without the use of a rolling pin.”
Their food arrived at that moment, interrupting any reply Lynn might have given him. He accepted his plate of stuffed French toast. “And it’s a good thing I have nearly two hours before my first class or those students will have to teach themselves after I eat this.” There was way more food on his plate than he was going to be able to eat. But then again, that was the case no matter what you ordered at this restaurant.
Lynn’s platter of waffles looked like enough for two adults. She didn’t waste any time adding blueberry syrup to the blueberry-topped waffles. “Now that looks amazing. You know, this is the only place I can find now that has blueberry syrup. I remember pancake houses had it all the time when I was a kid.”
When he was young, Nathan never ate at restaurants that served breakfast unless it was a convenience store. His parents were big on cooking at home over fast food. Which was funny since they spent the meal time arguing. Just thinking about it brought a frown to his face that he quickly replaced with a smile. “Well, they have some amazing food here.”
They ate in comfortable silence for a while before Lynn set her fork down and leaned back in her seat. She held her arms out to her sides. “Okay, I dressed for a class just in case, but I’m not sure I should take one. Martial arts of any kind aren’t exactly something I can picture myself doing.”
His French toast forgotten, Nathan leaned forward a little. “Jiu-jitsu is fun, great exercise, and a way to help build self-esteem. Besides, it’s more fun if you’re taking classes with a friend—even if that friend is teaching them.”
“You don’t give up easily, do you?”
“I do not.”
“Then I guess I’ll have to try one of these classes you’ve raved about. See if the instructor is all he’s cracked up to be.” She quirked an eyebrow before going back to her breakfast.
Nathan tried to focus on his food again, but all he could think about was how easy it was to talk to Lynn. Their banter was natural, and he was pretty sure he could visit with her for hours and not grow tired of it.
