Read Online Love a Little Sideways by Shannon Stacey - Free Book Online
Authors: Shannon Stacey
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pipe.”
Liz left Paige to fuss over him, but she gave him an eye roll behind her sister-in-law’s back. Hopefully Paige would never know just how much of a shared history they had.
Chapter Five
Business meetings at the Trailside Diner were the norm for Drew. At least a few times per month, somebody would suggest they talk over lunch to save time.
Today he was sharing a booth with Dave Camden, who served as the school resource officer, as well as the school principal. With another academic year behind them, Drew liked to look back at the department’s relationship with the school to see what they’d done right and what they could do better in the fall. Since Dave was fairly young and it had been his first year as SRO, it was even more important than usual.
He managed to keep his mind on topic when the topic was school safety, but as the others digressed, so did his thoughts.
Liz had greeted them all warmly when they’d sat down, setting them up with menus and drinks, but he thought there had been a little extra warmth in the smile she gave him. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but he didn’t think so.
She looked totally natural in the diner, he thought as he watched her work. It was only her third day, but she was obviously comfortable with the work and the customers. And she looked like she enjoyed it, too. With one ear on the conversation, in case it turned back to something important, he watched her clean up as most of the customers left and then turn to prep for dinner.
When his meeting finally broke up, he shook hands with the principal and told Dave he’d meet him back at the station in a while. Then he took what was left of his soda and moved to a seat at the counter. Liz was in the process of restocking the salt and pepper shakers and the sugar bowls, but she stopped when she got to him.
“I saw you walk in with that woman and thought maybe you were on a date,” she said with a small smile that looked a little tight.
“I haven’t dated anybody since my divorce. Except, you know. Not that that was a date, I guess.” Rather than keep shoving his foot in his mouth, he shut up.
“Really? I’m surprised the single women in Whitford didn’t jump all over you.”
“We get a lot more baked goods dropped off at the station than we used to.” Since she’d brought up dating, he figured it was a good time to ask the question he’d been wondering about. “So everybody in Whitford knows why Mallory and I split. What happened with you and...what was his name? Darren?”
She shrugged. “Nothing happened, which was a big part of the problem, I guess. I told him we were done and he said, ‘Bummer.’”
“If that was his reaction to losing you, he didn’t deserve you.” It wasn’t an empty platitude. He meant it and he hoped she could hear the sincerity in his voice.
“He was a good guy, really. We were friends, if nothing else, and he had a hard time taking care of himself. I believed in his art, so I did what I could to support him. He ended up with some minor success and I ended up...tired.”
“What made you tell him it was over?”
She smiled, fiddling with a sugar packet. “I blame Sean and Mitch.”
“I know Mitch never liked him, but I also know you spent fifteen years ignoring his opinion. What changed?”
“I talked to Rose on the phone a lot. We’ve always been close, even if I was too stubborn to give up on Darren and come home. She’d tell me stories about how Sean and Emma fell in love, with the whole fake fiancé thing, and then about Mitch and Paige. I wanted that. I wanted to turn a guy inside out. I didn’t know at the time I was going to come back to Maine, but I knew I wasn’t settling for just friendship anymore.”
He nudged her arm with his elbow. “For the record, I’m glad you came back to Maine.”
“I am, too.”
She was smiling when she said it, but he thought he saw some reservation on her face. “Are you, really?”
“I am.”
“I guess it’s
Liz left Paige to fuss over him, but she gave him an eye roll behind her sister-in-law’s back. Hopefully Paige would never know just how much of a shared history they had.
Chapter Five
Business meetings at the Trailside Diner were the norm for Drew. At least a few times per month, somebody would suggest they talk over lunch to save time.
Today he was sharing a booth with Dave Camden, who served as the school resource officer, as well as the school principal. With another academic year behind them, Drew liked to look back at the department’s relationship with the school to see what they’d done right and what they could do better in the fall. Since Dave was fairly young and it had been his first year as SRO, it was even more important than usual.
He managed to keep his mind on topic when the topic was school safety, but as the others digressed, so did his thoughts.
Liz had greeted them all warmly when they’d sat down, setting them up with menus and drinks, but he thought there had been a little extra warmth in the smile she gave him. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but he didn’t think so.
She looked totally natural in the diner, he thought as he watched her work. It was only her third day, but she was obviously comfortable with the work and the customers. And she looked like she enjoyed it, too. With one ear on the conversation, in case it turned back to something important, he watched her clean up as most of the customers left and then turn to prep for dinner.
When his meeting finally broke up, he shook hands with the principal and told Dave he’d meet him back at the station in a while. Then he took what was left of his soda and moved to a seat at the counter. Liz was in the process of restocking the salt and pepper shakers and the sugar bowls, but she stopped when she got to him.
“I saw you walk in with that woman and thought maybe you were on a date,” she said with a small smile that looked a little tight.
“I haven’t dated anybody since my divorce. Except, you know. Not that that was a date, I guess.” Rather than keep shoving his foot in his mouth, he shut up.
“Really? I’m surprised the single women in Whitford didn’t jump all over you.”
“We get a lot more baked goods dropped off at the station than we used to.” Since she’d brought up dating, he figured it was a good time to ask the question he’d been wondering about. “So everybody in Whitford knows why Mallory and I split. What happened with you and...what was his name? Darren?”
She shrugged. “Nothing happened, which was a big part of the problem, I guess. I told him we were done and he said, ‘Bummer.’”
“If that was his reaction to losing you, he didn’t deserve you.” It wasn’t an empty platitude. He meant it and he hoped she could hear the sincerity in his voice.
“He was a good guy, really. We were friends, if nothing else, and he had a hard time taking care of himself. I believed in his art, so I did what I could to support him. He ended up with some minor success and I ended up...tired.”
“What made you tell him it was over?”
She smiled, fiddling with a sugar packet. “I blame Sean and Mitch.”
“I know Mitch never liked him, but I also know you spent fifteen years ignoring his opinion. What changed?”
“I talked to Rose on the phone a lot. We’ve always been close, even if I was too stubborn to give up on Darren and come home. She’d tell me stories about how Sean and Emma fell in love, with the whole fake fiancé thing, and then about Mitch and Paige. I wanted that. I wanted to turn a guy inside out. I didn’t know at the time I was going to come back to Maine, but I knew I wasn’t settling for just friendship anymore.”
He nudged her arm with his elbow. “For the record, I’m glad you came back to Maine.”
“I am, too.”
She was smiling when she said it, but he thought he saw some reservation on her face. “Are you, really?”
“I am.”
“I guess it’s
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