Page 52 of Almost True
But it’d been that long or more since he’d actually donned a costume outside of Halloween.
John nodded. “I was surprised when he accepted the suggestion, but I wasn’t about to say anything.”
I chuckled. “Oh, so it was your suggestion to attack me upon entry?”
He shrugged. “Of course. We had the element of surprise.”
I nodded. “Fair enough. Lucky for me I had the element of dinner.”
“Lucky is right,” Luca said, sliding back toward us, his socks gliding over the wood floor in a practiced movement.
“Well, if you’ll get it all set up, I’ll go get changed. I got a ton—you want to stay?” I asked John as he set the large bag onto the kitchen table.
Luca immediately started rooting around as John said, “Nah. I’ve got to go… You guys enjoy your night.”
Something stretched in that breath afterI’ve got to go, but he grinned and ruffled Luca’s hair, patted my shoulder as he passed, and made his way out the front door to his car.Huh.I’d been so wrapped up in all this Maddie stuff and the farm and managing in-laws, I’d been totally self-absorbed. It was the first real glimpse I’d gotten, but based on that moment, my gut told me something was up with John.
After quickly changing into comfy clothes while Luca unpacked the meal, we sat down to our feast. Total silence settled in as we ate for the first few minutes before he came up for air.
“So did Uncle John have a date?”
“Don’t think so, but he might just not want to say.” He’d been hurt before and hadn’t seemed to put a real emphasis on dating, but he’d also been in the thick of starting the brewery, and frankly, supporting me. Again, the selfishness of that hit me in the sternum.
“Is dating something people don’t talk about?” Luca followed this with a giant bite of shredded beef taco, the crunch sounding sharp and crisp between us.
I smiled at the question, so innocent of the baggage that easily builds up as a person accrues dating experience. “Not usually. But sometimes, a person might like someone a whole lot, but they aren’t sure it’ll work out. Sometimes, it feels easier for other people to not know just in case it doesn’t.”
He nodded as he chewed. “That makes sense. Is that why you haven’t told anyone about dating Maddie?”
That had me choking on the bite I was chewing. When I swallowed, I shook my head.
“No. I mean, I haven’t been dating Maddie.” But this felt disingenuous in light of my plan for tomorrow, and I wanted to be honest with him—as much as I could, anyway. “But we are going to Night in Bloom together tomorrow.”
He smiled with his mouth full, and I cringed away.
“I’m glad, Dad. She’s nice and super smart.”
I chuckled. “True.” And beautiful. And kind. And kissable. And funny. And…
“Are you gonna kiss her?”
Had I said that aloud?No. I hadn’t.Phew.
“Uh, I hope so,” I said, stifling the laugh. We’d done the basics of reproduction and a bit about other stuff, but he’d been flatly disinterested in romantic feelings of his own thus far.
He made a face but then shrugged.
I grappled with whether to give him the “no one will ever replace your mom” speech I’d cued up long ago but had never given, but he cut in with a story about camp and we moved on. He saved me from any more turmoil, though something heavy sat in my gut at the reality I couldn’t ignore. It didn’t make sense to take it deeper anyway, especially since whatever we might have would only last so long before she moved on.
CHAPTERTWENTY-EIGHT
Maddie
Ihadn’t seen him since our breakfast six days ago. That beautiful hour had flown, and before I was ready, he’d been kissing my cheek, sending butterflies exploding in my chest, and telling me he looked forward to our date.Sigh.
Well, no, actually I’dglimpsedhim but hadn’t gotten to talk to him in person. We’d texted back and forth a few times a day, and each time I got anything from him, I felt like high school Maddie with a crush who’d just noticed her.
I’d said as much to Juliet on a quick video call two days ago, and she’d giggled and clapped her hands with glee. “Finally! I’m so happy for you I could cry.”
