Mikayla snorted. “Old people are weird.”
“Mikayla! You don’t tell people they’re old.”
“Why not? Adults are old.”
I sighed heavily, but Landon chuckled.
“We are old compared to you. But there are still a few things we can teach you.”
“Like what?”
I unlocked my SUV, pointing it out to Landon. He opened the front door for Mikayla, making a show of helping her in. She laughed, her cheeks turning red as she relished his attention.
Landon sat behind Mikayla, his gaze locked on the side of my face.
I started the vehicle and turned to look at him. “Where are we going?”
“That’s up to you ladies. Burgers are quicker if there’s something you need to get home for, but I’m up for either. I have no plans for the rest of the night.”
“Italian?” Mikayla suggested.
“I thought you said you have homework.”
Her face scrunched up. “I was hoping you forgot about that.”
“We’ll do Italian next time. Will Work For Burgers is good. They have all kinds. There’s something like six different cheeses and a dozen toppings. They have stuffed burgers, standard burgers, double burgers, even a triple. How hungry are you, Mikayla?”
She giggled. “I’m pretty hungry.”
“Uh oh. I might have underestimated how much the two of you can eat. We might have to go back for more money,” Landon teased.
“Or you can do the dishes,” Mikayla joked.
I chuckled, wondering when I had last heard Mikayla like that. She was a good kid, kind and quiet at times. She never joked around with Kyle like she was with Landon. She did with me sometimes, and it was my favorite thing ever. To hear her have the same comfort with Landon made me appreciate him that much more.
The two of them bantered back and forth as I drove. It didn’t take long to get to Will Work For Burgers. The three of us walked in, and Landon asked for a table for three.
Mikayla wanted to sit next to Landon, so he ended up across from me at the table. The server took our drink orders, then left us to look over the menu. Every time I looked up, my gaze landed on him.
He looked way too handsome for a man who was supposed to be my friend and who wasn’t looking for the same things I was. His eyes crinkled at the edges when he laughed at something Mikayla said. His lips were constantly curled up in a smile. His hands held his menu carefully, like it was something precious instead of a menu that would be handled by a dozen more people before the end of the day.
The server came back and took our food orders, then left the three of us alone.
“How is rehearsal going?” Landon asked Mikayla.
“It’s so much fun.”
“Good. I was in a few school productions growing up.”
“You were?”
Landon nodded. “I was. I was the star of the chorus in my third grade musical, I was a monkey in fourth grade, and I was a tree in fifth grade.”
Mikayla snorted a laugh. “You know all about showbiz then.”
Landon kept his face neutral. “I do. It started to get to me. I was a terror going into sixth grade.” He shook his head sadly. “Fame was a real problem for me, and my parents said I needed to take a step back and remember who I was.”
“That was probably the right move. You can’t let it go to your head.”
