Page 49 of Love Unexpected
So crowded. And not just with patrons. Fans had gotten word that Isaac ofRandom Iwas stopping by for lunch—an intentional move on the restaurant’s part—and the people had not disappointed. When we’d first driven past the restaurant and seen the crowds, I’d wondered if it was wise that Isaac was traveling without security. There were people everywhere. We couldn’t have found a parking spot in the restaurant lot if we’d wanted to. Fortunately, our instructions were to parkbehindthe restaurant and enter through the kitchen to avoid the crowds. They had a table set up for us on the outdoor patio—an area fans would not be able to access—and it would remain that way until we were finished with our meal.
Isaac and Tyler didn’t seem to mind the set-up, but I couldn’t stop glancing over my shoulder at the semi-circle of fans that was surrounding the patio, in some places two or three people deep. I wasn’t used to eating with an audience.
“The tacos are good,” Tyler said, scarfing down his fourth— fifth?—taco. “I like the sauce on this one.”
Isaac nodded. “We used to come here when I was a kid, too. Actually, it was on my list of places I thought I might want to visit on my—”
“Don’t,” I said, pointing my finger at him. “Don’t you dare.”
His eyes danced with laughter, but he didn’t say another word.
I had never been so mortified.Let’s do it?What had I been thinking?
In truth, I would have loved to honeymoon on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We’d only driven a short stretch before coming to lunch, but what I’d seen was gorgeous. We’d driven through a long tunnel that wound right through the mountainside and I’d made Isaac turn the car around so we could drive through it a second time. At the entrance, mountain laurel—according to Google and a useful plant identification tool—was in full bloom, growing up and around the arching roof of the tunnel then continuing up the mountain. Flower petals dotted the road leading into the tunnel, numerous enough to look like pale pink snow. It almost looked like a portal into a different world. Like we might drive through and come out in Narnia.
I’d been swept up in the beauty of it. And fine, yes, I’d let my mind consider the possibility of returning with Isaac without any secrets between us.
But I hadn’t thought I would actually say the wordsout loud.
Weirdly enough, it actually helped that Isaac was teasing me about it. Somehow, it dispelled the tension that might have sat between us otherwise.
“Hey, Isaac, I googled the little wedding dress boutique you told me about,” Tyler said, his expression serious. “It’s right on the way so we should be able to hit it on our way out of town so Rosie can pick out a dress.” His voice finally cracked at the end of his sentence before he and Isaac erupted into laughter.
I dropped my napkin onto my now empty plate. “I literally hate you both.” I stood up, unable to stop myself from smiling, despite being the butt of their joke. “I’m going to the bathroom. You’re welcome to just leave me here and I’ll hitchhike back to Charleston.”
“We love you, Rosie,” Tyler called as I walked away.
They werebothridiculous. Fun. But ridiculous.
The bathroom was crowded enough that I had to wait for a stall, though that was hardly a surprise with the number of people that were outside. Still, I didn’t like all the eyes that kept darting my direction. No one talked directly to me while I waited, but people were definitely watching. The line thinned as I waited, so by the time I came out of the stall, there were only a handful of people left—a group of preteen- looking girls who were clearly all together.
And it was obvious they were waiting for me.
I made it to the sink to wash my hands without making eye contact. Maybe if I ignored them, they would take the hint andnottry and talk to me. I forced a breath, in, then out, and willed my nerves to settle. This wasn’t a big deal. Still, sweat broke out across my lower back.
I took an extra-long time drying my hands, but it became glaringly obvious the girls weren’t leaving until I did. With a resigned sigh, I finally turned around.
“You’re here with Isaac,” the first girl said. She was the shortest of the group but had an air of authority about her that supported her being the first one to speak.
“Are you his girlfriend?” another girl asked.
The girl standing next to her elbowed the one who had asked the question. “It’s rude to ask that.”
“Shut up. It’s not like we don’t all want to know.”
“She can’t be his girlfriend because they’re on their way tomeetthe woman he’s in love with. Didn’t youwatchhis last video?” the leader-girl said.
I inched my way to the door, but the girls only stepped closer, completely blocking my path.
“We don’t know he’s in love with her. He just said she wasspecialto him. Your grandma can be special to you. It doesn’t mean anything,” a fourth girl said. She was the only one who hadn’t yet spoken.
The leader-girl rolled her eyes. “He is not driving all the way to Kansas to meet his grandma.” She looked to me for confirmation. “Right?”
I held my hands up. “I appreciate your interest, girls, but we’ve got to get back on the road.”
They parted enough for me to push my way through, but that didn’t stop one final volley of questions.
“Is he a good driver?”
