Lawton grinned. "You could say that." With a shrug, he put down his hand. "Just part-time though. You know how it is."
"No," she said with a little sniff. "I'm afraid I don't." She glanced again toward the driveway. "I assume you're also providing our Chloe with a ride home?"
Lawton grinned. "Definitely."
Loretta consulted her watch. "Fine. But don't be later than two o'clock." She turned to me. "Will you be waiting for him in the driveway? Or shall he knock on the door?"
"Actually," I said, "he's my guest. You said I could bring one?"
Just then, Lauren Jane's face appeared behind Loretta's shoulder. "Oh my God," she said. "Is that–? Are you?" She turned toward me. "Is that Lawton Rastor?"
Loretta whirled around to face her daughter. Standing outside, I heard her voice, hushed and urgent as she asked, "Who's Lawton Rastor?"
Chapter 59
Ten minutes later, we were all settled around the long, oval table, with my dad at the head and Loretta at the foot.
With a smooth, practiced move, Loretta settled the cloth napkin onto her lap and gave me her sweetest smile. "We're allsoglad you could make it, Chloe."
With a tittering laugh, she looked around the table and added, "We were just about to send out the cavalry." She gave my dad a significant look. "Weren't we, Dick?"
Nodding, my dad pulled out the booming voice he used only in front of company. "Anything for our little Chloe," he said. "It sure wouldn't be a family dinner without her."
Resisting an eye-roll of epic proportions, I glanced at Lawton across the table. Either he had one heck of a poker face, or he didn't see the humor.
He'd been seated between Josh and Lauren Jane. Josh was looking at Lawton with undisguised awe. Lauren Jane was all teeth and eyes, studying Lawton like a wolf studies a mutton chop.
Lauren Jane reached over and ran a finger along Lawton's forearm. "I like your tattoos," she said. "Do you have more?"
I wasn't sure whether to laugh or rip Lauren Jane's arm off and beat her over the head with it.
So instead, I stood. "Who's ready for salad?"
At Loretta's insistence, we were eating the meal in courses. Salad first. And the way it looked, it was time to get the show on the road.
My heart racing, I stood and retrieved my salad from the sideboard. The salad plates were already on the table, so all I had to do was pass the bowl around and pray that no one noticed it was already half empty. With a shaky smile, I handed the bowl first to Loretta.
Her brow wrinkled. "Where's the rest of it?" she asked.
I bit my lip. "Well, you see, on the way here—"
"I ate it," Lawton said.
She turned toward him. "Pardon?"
"I thought it was a snack." He shrugged. "Sorry."
Loretta's gaze narrowed. I was still holding the bowl. She looked up at me. "Is that true?"
"Oh Mom," Lauren Jane said, "of course it's true." She licked her lips. "I mean, just look at this guy." She gave Lawton a long, appreciative look. "You don't get a body like that on cheeseburgers."
I stifled a laugh.
"Is something funny?" Loretta said.
I shook my head. "Nope. Sorry."
With a little sniff, Loretta started serving herself some salad. She nodded toward my chair. "Sit. Please." She gave me a stiff-looking smile. "We'll just pass the courses around, family style." She looked around. "Now, isn't this nice?"
