Friday afternoon, she left for the bank, returning faster than I expected.
“No sodas on the porch with my dad?” I teased when she brought me the bank deposit book to look over.
“Um, Daddy Mack was too busy today. Lyle was behind the counter.” He was the same young man who had waved at Kelly the first day she went to the store. She had asked, and I’d told her that he’d been working with my dad since I had started at the garage.
“He’s trying to get my dad into the twenty-first century. Not sure it’ll ever happen, but he works hard, and my dad likes him. He’s young, newly married, and he’s a nice guy. Lives in Littleburn and likes working there, so it’s all good,” I had told her. “I think he hopes to buy the place from my dad when he retires.”
“How do you feel about that?”
I shrugged. “I have no interest in it, so I’m fine. The town needs it, and I think with Lyle’s more forward-thinking, he can make a go of it.”
“Pops was busy?” I asked. “Doing what? Is there a run on canned goods? A sale on bulk nails?”
“No, he was washing his car.” She paused. “For his date tonight.”
I blinked. “What?”
She grinned, her light-blue eyes dancing brightly under the lights. “His date—with Rosa.”
I blinked again.
“He bought a new shirt and tie for the occasion.”
“Does Stefano—” I was interrupted when the man himself walked in.
“Brett, your father—”
“I know. With your mother.”
Kelly looked between us, trying not to laugh.
“It’s just dinner, boys. No one is breaking any laws.”
I shook my head. “You don’t understand, Kelly. My father never goes into Toronto. I can’t remember the last time he drove in by himself.”
“And my mother goes to dinner with us. Not a man,” Stefano grumbled.
“Well, tonight, your father—” she pointed at me “—is driving into Toronto in his new shirt and tie to pick up your mother—” her finger moved in Stefano’s direction “—and she is going to eat dinner with another grown-up. A lovely man and a sweet woman are going to enjoy themselves.” Then she waved her finger at us both. “And you two idiots are going to let them.”
I frowned, and Stefano glowered at her. She rolled her eyes.
“They aren’t going to elope or anything. You two need to relax. Good God, Daddy Mack and Mama Rosa are lonely. Don’t you get it?” She threw up her hands. “Your dad sits in an empty apartment night after night. Your mom rattles around her house, waiting for someone to come by and visit. Both of you are living your lives, but they are alone. Tonight, they don’t have to be. They can sit and talk. Laugh. Share their life experiences—some of which you cannot even comprehend. They’re on an equal playing field because they have lived it.” She shook her head. “Loneliness is a horrible thing. Don’t ruin this for them.”
She walked out, leaving Stefano and me staring at each other.
“Wow, she’s pretty damn good at this guilt stuff.”
“She’s been taking lessons from Charly,” he muttered.
I sighed. “She’s right. Two people having dinner. We need to relax.”
Stefano huffed a long sigh. “So, I should cancel the table I had booked beside them so we could chaperone?”
I met his gaze, and we began to laugh.
“Ah, fuck. Your dad is a great guy, and my mom thinks he’s a gentleman. She is thrilled to be going out. Kelly’s right.”
“Yeah, she is.” I shook my head. “It frightens me how often she is right these days. She sees things others miss. I never realized how intuitive she was before.”
“Maybe you weren’t looking.”
I nodded grudgingly. “Maybe you’re right.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Brett
I knocked on her door around seven. She opened it, leaning on the frame. “This is becoming a habit.”
“A good one?” I asked with a smile.
“Depends what you have in that bag.”
“Noodles. Spicy chicken.”
Her eyes lit up. “Spring rolls?”
“With extra spicy plum sauce.”
“Then definitely good.”
I grinned. I knew she wasn’t eating at Charly’s tonight. I also knew she liked to eat later, so I had taken the chance she hadn’t had her evening meal. I followed her inside and unpacked the bag as she grabbed plates and utensils.
She sat down, almost bouncing in excitement. “I was craving Chinese all day. How did you know?”
I shrugged, smiling in satisfaction at the amount she put on her plate. “I know you.”
She paused then reached for a spring roll, dipping it in the spicy plum sauce and crunching into it with a satisfied sigh.
“I don’t know what that means.”
I chuckled. “I heard you telling Chase how much you’d missed China Palace.”
“Oh, I have. No one makes noodles like these.”
We ate for a few moments in silence.
“I went and saw Pops.”
“Oh?” She frowned. “You didn’t give him a hard time, did you?”
“No. I checked out the car, making sure it ran okay. It’s been a while since it was on the highway. Pops walks most places. It was a little rough, but I gave it a few tweaks, and it was good. He’s going to bring it in next week, and we’ll give it a good once-over.”