Page 56 of Callahan

“Because I always get the kung pao chicken, and Lainey gets the sesame chicken with vegetarian spring rolls. And I know they know this because when I called to place the order, the girl on the phone said, ‘Oh, you must be having dinner with Lainey, tonight’.”

Yeah, there was no way I could get with Lainey without the whole town knowing.

As we stood waiting, I said to Brian, “Everyone at the diner this morning was really nice. Except there was a guy who sat in the corner and gave me the stink eye the whole time I was there. I wouldn’t have thought much of it, but he had a cut on his face, and he was moving like his ribs hurt.”

“White guy with small, beady eyes? Bad combover?”

“Yeah, that’s him.”

“Freddy Farnsworth. He owns a dairy farm outside of town. He was in a maternity pen with a cow and her newborn calf a couple of days ago, and the cow kicked the shit out of him. He’s lucky he didn’t end up in the hospital.”

“Okay, so what the hell didIdo to him?”

“Honestly, I doubt it was you. He can’t see past the end of his nose but refuses to get glasses. It’s probably how the mama cow got the jump on him.”

I muttered, “What the fuck kind of town am I moving to?”

The woman returned with a big paper bag. “I threw in some extra spring rolls because I know Lainey won’t share, and I really think you should try them, Adam. And there’s extra fortune cookies, too. In case you don’t like your first fortune.”

Brian turned to me with a grin as he pulled his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans and motioned with his head to the woman behind the counter.

“That kind.”

I had to admit, the people in town were already making me feel at home.

However, I wasn’t confident that feeling was going to last once we got to Lainey’s apartment.

****

Lainey

Conor was fed, bathed, and all smiles when there was a knock at my door at six twenty-nine.

With the baby on my hip, I opened the door excited for my sesame chicken and spring rolls, but nervous about seeing Adam.

“You just open the door without asking who it is?” Brian groused from my welcome mat.

“You said you’d be here at six-thirty. It’s six-thirty. Who else would it be?”

“I dunno, the person who put the letter under your door?”

“Well, if they brought Golden Dragon, they might have a better chance of being let in than you do.” I gestured to the box in his hands. “That does not look like Chinese food. I was promised sesame chicken and spring rolls.”

“I have it,” a deep voice said from behind Brian.

I raised my eyebrows at Brian. “You’re lucky. Next time, have the guy holding the food knock.”

“I figured I should go first, since there seems to be a problem between you two.”

I felt a sense of panic creep up my body from my toes. Did that fucker dime me out to Brian?

I tried to sound calm and cool when I said, “Oh? What problem is that?”

“I don’t know.” Brian set the box he was holding inside my entryway then took the baby from me and grumbled, “You tell me, since he won’t,” before walking further inside.

I shot Adam a look that basically said, “What the fuck did you say?” He shook his head slightly then followed Brian inside.

“Probably because there’s nothing to tell,” I called sweetly while I shut the door and locked it. The smell of the food in the bag in Adam’s hand made my mouth water.

---