Page 32 of Rebel Secrets
Her eyes widened even more.“I don’t feel that way about you.”
“Good.”
“Good.”
And then we sat there and stared at each other for a few seconds.
“Hey, Reb.Nice to have you back.Andy’ll wanna know when you’re coming over for beers.What can I get you guys to drink?Erin, you want a Cherry Coke?”
One of Mike and Rosie’s granddaughters, Luna, stood by the tableside, pad in hand ready to take our order.She and her husband, Andy, and I had graduated high school together.We’d been pretty close back then.Easy-going Andy had smoothed over my rough spots in our friends’ group.He and I had played on the same high school team.I’d majored in hockey in high school.Andy had gone to tech school and majored in cars.
He’d been a damn good hockey player back then.Probably could’ve made a career of it.Instead, he’d gotten married and went to work in a relative’s garage.
“Thanks, Luna, sounds good,” Erin said, her tone subdued, which got a side-eye from Luna.
“Your brother still mixing the sangria?”
Luna’s dark eyes flashed, and her mouth quirked up on one side.My mom always said Luna was her grandmother’s doppelganger.To which I always replied, “Mike did good.”Luna was a beauty.
“Frankie doesn’t let anyone else mess with the sangria, you know that.”
“Then I’ll have a glass of that.”
“You got it.Be right back.”
Luna walked out, dark hair swinging down her back, making me remember when I had the biggest crush on her.
“Did you used to date?”
My attention snapped back to Erin.
“What?”
“You and Luna?Did you date in high school?
I huffed out a laugh.“Mike would’ve broken my arms and legs.Maybe my hands, too.No, we were good friends in high school.I don’t get to see them much now that we’re old.”
Erin snorted, her eyes rolling.“You’re not exactly ancient.”
True, but… “Sometimes I feel like it.”
“Since you’re only a year older than me, I’m going to ignore that.If I don’t, that makes me old, too.And I refuse to consider myself old at twenty-nine.”
We sat for a second in silence, gazes locked, while I told myself she looked a hell of a lot younger than twenty-nine.
Then she cleared her throat, looked down at the table, then her gaze lifted to somewhere over my shoulder.
“So, what are we doing here, Rebel?”
Good question.Right now, I didn’t have an answer, except the one I’d given her before.
“I think if we get to know each other a little better…”
“You wouldn’t think I was so annoying.”
My lips twitched, wanting to smile at her sass.“I don’t think you’re annoying.”
She hmphed, arms crossing over her chest.“Oh, please.You practically run in the other direction when you see me coming.”
