Dani scoffed. “As if you even need it, Kace.”
“You look great,” Drew agreed with Dani, but he kept the rest of his thoughts to himself.
Kacey blushed. “Thanks.” She set her purse on a chair and then pulled on her coat over her blue T-shirt featuring the bakery’s logo. “I’ll see you all later.” She looked up at Drew. “Will you drop me off on your way home?”
“Nah. You can walk,” he teased with a wink.
She laughed.
He’d missed that sweet lilt!
“Good seeing you,” Drew told Kacey’s mother and sister.
They both grinned and waved.
“Have fun,” Dani sang, and he noticed a look pass between the sisters.
He pushed open the door and held it for Kacey as she slipped through. “Would you like to eat here in town or go somewhere else?”
“Why would we go anywhere else when we’re here?” Kacey spun on the sidewalk with her arms outstretched. “Let’s eat at the Splendid Kitchen.” She pointed to the family restaurant halfway down the block and across the street. “They have the best fried chicken.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Drew felt as if he’d stepped back in time as they walked together down the street. He breathed in the cool November air and glanced around at couples and families also enjoying the evening.
Above them, the sun had begun to set, bringing with it its daily explosion of colors. He glanced over at his beautiful date, and a warm glow moved through him. He’d never expected to have Kacey back in his life. This time he hoped he could find a way to keep her there.
“So, tell me everything that’s happened to you since high school graduation. Go!” Kacey said after they’d ordered dinner.
She and Drew sat in a corner booth at the busy restaurant. Servers dressed in jeans and Splendid Kitchen T-shirts wove through the tables and booths while murmurs of conversations floated around them. The delicious smells of homecooked meat loaf, chicken, and beef, mixed with pies, wafted over Kacey.
The family-owned restaurant had been in business for as long as Kacey could remember and it was a favorite among locals and visitors.
Drew lifted a dark eyebrow. “Everythingsince high school graduation?”
“Yup.”
“Huh.” He rubbed his angular jaw. “You know I went to Appalachian State and studied music. And I earned my teaching certificate.”
She picked up her glass of Diet Coke and took a long drink.
“Then I came back home and started teaching. That’s pretty much it.”
She traced the condensation on her glass and studied him. He was handsome, but it wasn’t just his rugged good looks. There was something about him tonight.
“You’re staring at me.” He leaned forward. “What are you thinking about?”
Uh-oh!Heat crawled up her neck. “What do you mean?”
“You have this strange look on your face.”
“I was just thinking about middle school,” she said quickly. “Remember that Halloween when we had a party in your parents’ enormous basement?”
“Eighth grade.”
“Right! I dressed up like Wilma Flintstone, and you were Fred.”
He chuckled. “Yes. And then those popular kids crashed our little party, and the food fight started.”
