“It appears that Emily is your biggest fan. She told me to go out with you.”
“I knew I liked that girl.”He grinned at her.
She looked over at him, pausing for a moment, wondering if she should continue.What the heck.“I’m glad I asked you out too. You’re easy to talk to. I have fun when we’re together.”
“Glad to hear that because I really enjoy spending time with you, too.”
Warmth spread through her at his admission.
Before she could say anything else the Jenkins twins walked by their table and stopped. Both had wide, knowing smiles on their faces.“So, here you two are again.”
“They’re having dinner together again. That’s a date, right, Jillian?”
“Ah, ladies. Good to see you. Yes, this is actually a date.”Austin looked over at her and grinned.
Livy kicked him under the table.
“Of course it is. I’m so glad to see you two getting along. Livy is such a sweet girl.”Jackie bobbed her head vigorously.“She needs to date more. And to take some time for herself, away from Parker’s Cafe.”
“Sea Glass Cafe,”she corrected, but she was beginning to think it was hopeless.
They both ignored the correction.“We’ll leave you two lovebirds to your dinner.”The two women walked away to a table at the far end of the seating area.
“You’re impossible.”She turned to Austin.“You like to encourage them.”
“I do kind of like it.”His mouth spread into a wide, teasing smile.“What’s a little town gossip, anyway?”
“It won’t be alittlegossip now. They’ll announce to every single person they see.”She tried to look annoyed. And failed.“At least until some bigger gossip comes along.”
“So you don’t really mind?”
“Might have been a better thing to ask me before you stirred things up.”She tried to look stern.
“I’ll be better next time. I promise.”But she didn’t really buy his innocent expression.
“So, there’ll be a next time?”Her eyebrow raised with the question.
“Another date, for sure. And maybe we’ll choose a place where we don’t run into the twins.”
Olivia laughed.“But they are everywhere.”
“Seems like it.”He grinned at her again.
She was totally enjoying herself and his company and their teasing. They finished their meal, and she led him out of the restaurant, careful to choose a route that didn’t take them past the twins.
He took her hand in his and they headed down the walkway. She tried to concentrate on every little detail. The warmth of his hand, the twinkle of the lights strung above them, the tone of his voice as he chatted with her as they walked along.
“Livy, Austin.”She paused at the sound of Heather calling their names. Heather and Evelyn came walking up.
“Hey, did you guys have dinner on the wharf, too?”she asked.
“We did. At Portside Grill.”Heather darted her eyes at Austin holding her hand and a small smile crept across her cousin’s face.
She rolled her eyes at Heather.
“It was wonderful,”Evelyn added, unaware of the unspoken cousin-speak going on between them.
“And guess who we ran into?”Heather’s eyes narrowed for a moment.“Father and his new girlfriend, Lacey.”
