“You two look like you’re having fun.” Alex wiggled his eyebrows at his dad.
His father rose from his chair. “Excuse us, Francesca.” He walked over to his son. “What was that about?”
“You tell me, Dad.”
His father sighed. They walked further into the street. Between the other laughter and voices around them, no one paid attention to their father and son moment. “It’s new.”
“What’s new?” Alex asked.
His father’s eyes softened. “She’s an amazing woman. We’re getting to know each other.”
“You’re dating?”
His father nodded.
Alex’s shoulders drooped. “Are you sure about this?”
His father folded his arms over his chest. “Yes. Why wouldn’t I be?”
Alex pinched the skin at his throat. His father’s eyes shined. There was no way he could fake the joy that was apparently bubbling inside him. Alex wanted him to be happy, but at what cost? “I just don’t... want you to get hurt.”
His father then rested his hands on his son’s shoulders. “I know. You have a good heart, son. I know what you’re thinking, but it’s going to work out. Trust me.”
“How do you know?” He’d been wanting to know the answer to that question for years. His father already been through the side effects of love. His father had been broken, though he proved to love Alex’s mother. She still left them, and they hadn’t heard from her since.
Why would his father take another chance? How did he know Noelle’s aunt, Francesca, wouldn’t drag his father into the ground? What did they have in common, anyway? He was a mechanic, and she was a lawyer.
“Son, when the right woman comes along, a man always knows,” his father said. He then patted his son’s back. “You get something to eat. I’ll see you later.” His father walked away, back to his date.
Alex released a cleansing breath. His eyes scanned the crowd once more, but despite the number of people gathered for the cook off, he spotted Zoe. She held a hand to her mouth as if stifling a giggle.
She stood in a group with Tommy, Noelle, and Bailey. Where was Jackson? Alex shook the thought. The man was probably keeping an eye on him out of sight.
Alex walked over to a nearby table. Townspeople brought casserole dishes and crock pot meals to go along with the steaks. He wondered if Ms. Edna from the floral shop cooked her famous garlic potatoes. Alex’s mouth watered at the sight of them, next to the roast chicken.
He grabbed a paper plate and reached for the spoon, only to brush fingers with another hand. He looked up. Zoe.
“Sorry,” she said. “Go ahead.”
Alex shook his head. “No, ladies first. Please.”
“Thank you.” She served her plate and then handed the spoon to him. “This tastes amazing.”
“Ms. Edna can cook. She claims this is her last year.”
Zoe raised an eyebrow. “Why? Her food is amazing.”
Alex chuckled. “She claims she’s getting too old to be cooking like this.”
Zoe grinned. “I can understand.” She gestured around them. “This is a huge event. Is it always like this in Bridge Point? Is there a festival for everything?”
“Well... we have our Christmas parade. We just had the winter ball. Now we have our steak cook off. There’s also our July 4th barbecue—”
“Wow, anything else?”
“We’d be here all night if I told you all of Bridge Point’s traditions.” His heartbeat quickened. Why did spending more time with Zoe excite him? In the past, he would get complacent spending time with one woman. Not Zoe.
“I like it.” Her tone of voice was softer compared to her reaction to him as he helped her parallel park. “I guess living in the city, there’re not too many events like this.”