“Anything I can help you find?” I asked, desperate for any interaction with this woman to silence the pummeling thoughts in my head.
She smirked at me over her shoulder. “Do you secretly work here or something?” Elsie gave me a once-over, studying me from head to toe, and I couldn’t help standing a little straighter, hoping I appeared confident and unaffected by her stare.
Blast it all. Iwasa confident guy, but something about not knowing what Elsie was thinking had me second guessing everything.
“You don’t strike me as a grocer,” she remarked as she finished perusing me. Something akin to approval flashed in her eyes.
I chuckled. “Not quite a grocer, no, but I know my way around Wally’s Market.”
Her eyebrows rose, and any playfulness disappeared from her countenance. “Is this where you bring all your dates?”
I scoffed. “If by dates you mean where I get food to feed me and my dog, then yes.”
Her eyes widened, her mouth opening in anoof surprise. “Really?”
“Is that so hard to believe?”
Elsie hesitated, grabbing a jar of peanut butter off the shelf, though I didn’t think she even paid attention to what she put in her basket. “You seem like the kind of guy to have a wealth of women wanting to date you, so yes, it’s surprising.”
Now it was my turn to gape. “I’m not some kind of a player, Elsie. I don’t date around, and I don’t mess around. Things have been…” I trailed off, not wanting to get into my past in the middle of a grocery store.
“Things have been what?”
I swallowed hard as I scratched at the back of my head.
“Difficult,” I said through a sigh, looking over her shoulder instead of in her eyes.
I was not ashamed of the past ten years in any way. My mom had been my priority over everything. It was unfortunate that the girl I was dating back then couldn’t handle that. It was her issue, not mine, but it still put a bad taste in my mouth about dating, even after everything had settled and I had the time and desire to try again.
At least until I met Elsie. Now, all I thought about was her.
“Difficult how?” The basket swung from her hand next to her.
I smirked. “Is this really a conversation you want to havehere?”
She glanced around. “I suppose not.” Elsie turned on her heel and marched toward the checkout. “So then let’s go somewhere and talk.”
My stomach squeezed in delight. I gave a mock gasp, and she stopped dead in her tracks to look at me.
“Elsie Feran, did you just ask me on a date?”
Her cheeks turned bright red. “I—what? No—” she stuttered.
I laughed, closing the distance between us, and took a chance by swinging my arm around her shoulders as we made for the cashier. “Don’t worry, Elsie. I’m teasing. I’d love to go somewhere and talk.”
Jameson
Thirty minutes later, after driving home to put her food away, Elsie met me at Dina’s, a popular little diner in town. Dina herself sat us at a two-person table near the front window, and I couldn’t help but wonder if that was her way of meddling—getting us front and center for everyone who passed by to see. The diner was packed, and I didn’t miss the way everyone kept looking at us. Meridel was small enough for people to be in everyone else’s business.
I secretly loved that these people felt like family. That’s one reason why I never felt compelled to leave, even after my mom moved out of my house. Meridel was home.
“What are you getting?” Elsie asked, peering over the top of her menu. My stomach did somersaults under the scrutiny of her brown eyes.
“I think I’m going to get the chili and cornbread.” It was a crowd favorite at Dina’s, and with the late autumn heat finally fading, leaving a brisk chill behind, I was ready for some hot soup.
Alhough, Elsie set me constantly aflame, so that might have been a bad call.
She nodded, returning her eyes to her menu.
