Dateline Matrimony (Hot off the Press! 3)

“Yes.” She picked up a black leather purse. “Mark and Maggie, you behave yourselves tonight. Do what Jenny says, you hear?”

“Yes, ma’am,” they chorused dutifully.

“Jenny, you have my cell phone number. I’ll have the phone on all evening if you need me.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll be fine. You and Riley just go have a good time.”

Teresa hesitated for a moment, then moved to Riley’s side. He might have wished she looked a bit more enthusiastic about the outing, but maybe she was a little nervous about leaving the kids with Jenny for the evening. He held the door for her, and she stepped past without meeting his eyes.

She was definitely having second thoughts, he decided, closing the door behind them. He supposed he couldn’t blame her.

She waited until they were in his car before breaking the silence between them. “I forgot to ask where we’re going tonight.”

He chuckled. “There aren’t a whole lot of choices unless we leave town. Have you ever been to Gaylord’s?”

“The Cajun place on the outskirts of town? I’ve heard of it, but I’ve never been there.”

“I think you’ll like it—unless you’d rather go somewhere else?”

“No. I want to get to know my new hometown, and Gaylord’s is certainly a local landmark.”

“I don’t think you’ll regret it. The service is lousy, but the music’s good and the food is great.”

“That sounds promising. I only had a salad for lunch, and now I’m hungry.”

“Do you like spicy food?”

“Yes.”

“Wait until you try Gaylord’s gumbo. It’s the best I’ve ever had. And the jambalaya—oh, man, that’s good.”

“Now you’re really making me hungry.”

He was pleased that she seemed to be relaxing a bit. Maybe they could have fun tonight, after all. And maybe by the time the evening ended, they would be friends again, those increasing moments of awkwardness put firmly behind them. He’d always found that the more time he spent with a woman, the more the initial attraction faded, and the easier it was for them to be friends.

He was sure that would be especially true with Teresa. Since they were such a mismatch, anyway, the differences between them would probably be magnified during the next few hours. So dating her tonight was a very clever way of getting past this awkward obsession he’d had about her lately.

At least it sounded good in theory. He knew full well that what he was really doing was clutching at any rationalization he could find to spend more time with her.

Gaylord’s was noisy, crowded and smoky, and so familiar to Riley it was almost like a second home. It had been several weeks since he’d dropped in, and he realized now that he’d missed it. He was greeted by nearly everyone there, including barrel-chested Chuck, the owner who did double duty as bartender. Intimate conversation wasn’t an option because of the loud zydeco music pouring out of numerous overhead speakers. The patrons didn’t seem to mind. They didn’t come here to talk; they came to relax and party.

There weren’t many open tables, but Riley found a tiny booth in a relatively secluded corner. It was so cramped their knees touched beneath the table, but at least they could converse without risking permanent vocal cord damage. Because he knew it would be a while before one of the servers made it to them, he went to the bar to place their orders, knowing Chuck would make sure the food would get to them eventually.

“Who’s the lady friend, Riley?” Chuck asked in his booming drawl. “Don’t think I’ve seen her before.”

“Her name is Teresa. She’s only been in town a couple of months.”

“And you moved in fast, hey? I can see why. She’s pretty. You know who she looks like?”

“I know. Princess Grace.”

Chuck frowned and shook his head. “She looks like Margaret St. John.”

“Who?”

“My seventh grade English teacher.” Chuck sighed nostalgically. “Oh, she was fine, you bet. All us boys were in love with her.”

Riley laughed, then said, “You want to take our orders?”