Page 21 of A Damaged Soul
"Trust is earned, Rhett. I swear you're more secretive now than when you were in the military."
"You're one to talk," I argued back. "Last time I checked, you didn't tell the family what you did for a living either."
Alexa had been a CIA agent, and none of us had known. We all thought she was just traveling the world finding herself until things blew up, and she got charged with murder. Since getting married, though, she had left the CIA and opted to become a prison guard like her husband. Although now that she was pregnant, I was sure Colt would want her to stop that as well.
"And look where it got me," she fired right back.
"Yeah, a husband, a daughter, and a baby on the way. Sounds like a good deal to me." The attitude that I was giving my sister wasn't necessary but I needed her to drop the subject. With a sigh, I added, "I don't want to fight about this anymore. Congrats, again. I'm really happy for you. Let me know when the baby is due, and I'll make sure I'm around. That's the best I can do."
I could hear Colt in the background telling her to drop it, so with her own sigh, Alexa answered, "We'll keep you posted."
"Love ya, sis. Give Makenna a kiss for me."
"Love ya too and I will."
By the time we hung up the phone, I was mentally exhausted from the verbal exchange that all I wanted to do was crack open a beer and chill on the couch with some mindless TV.
A quick glance at the clock was all it took for me to realize that wasn't an option. Not if I wanted to make it to dinner on time.
Elle had sent me the location and time while I was on the phone with Alexa, and according to the map app on my phone, it would take me a good hour with city traffic. That didn't leave me much time to shower and get ready.
The beer and mindless TV would have to wait for another time, and with any luck, the dinner conversation would go better than the one with my sister.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Elle
I decided for dinner that I would wait outside the restaurant rather that inside like I had done at the coffee shop just in case Rhett stood me up again. I didn't want to look like a loser twice in one week.
Thankfully I had nothing to worry about because he showed up a solid ten minutes before my proposed five-thirty meetup time.
How did I know he was ten minutes early?
Because my overly anxious self was fifteen minutes early just as I had to be for everything in my life.
"Hey!" Rhett walked straight up to me, and with one hand on my hip, he placed a kiss on my cheek. "You're early."
"Hey yourself, and so are you." My cheeks heated up right where his lips had brushed, but there was no way for me to hide it. Not when the sun was still shining. Damn springtime. At least in the winter, the early setting of the sun would've helped.
"It's a force of habit." He shrugged. "Shall we go in?"
All I could do was manage to nod my head when he was this close. I needed to get my shit together and remember we were just friends, and for the sake of my heart, it had to stay that way.
With one hand on my lower back, Rhett guided me into the small restaurant.
"Table for two?" the hostess asked as we walked up to the little desk just inside the place.
"Yes, please." Rhett smiled at the older woman who had stars in her eyes when she looked at him. "A booth if you have one available."
"Of course." She gathered the menus and two rolls of silverware from a basket. "Right this way."
We maneuvered our way through the half-empty dining room. Mondays didn't appear to be typically busy, which was good, considering I hadn't even thought to make a reservation.
The booth the hostess brought us to was across the restaurant and situated between two other empty booths. I was barely able to focus on the older woman as she told us about the drink and dinner specials for the night. My mind was too focused on the gentlemanly qualities Rhett possessed. From him allowing me to walk ahead of him to the way he helped me into the booth before sliding into his own side. Everything about his actions was a huge contradiction to the man he tried to sell me the first night we met.
It wasn't until the hostess walked away that I managed to find my voice again. "I hope you don't mind Italian. This was the first restaurant that popped into my head when you agreed." I fiddled with opening my roll of silverware. "And it also might be my favorite." I didn't know why I was so nervous. I had gone out on dozens of dates in the past, and never had they made me so anxious. Not that what we were doing could be qualified as a date.
Just friends,I reminded myself.
