Page 45 of Overdue

I’m not sure I am. At least I don’t have to wear this gross sweater anymore. Mrs. Caraway helps me ease it over my head. Finally, I can eat in peace without lusting after the vixen sitting across from me.

sixteen

AUSTEN

“Maybe I should cancel.”

“You’re not canceling.” Eliot’s right, I don’t want to cancel our date. “Just try to keep your food to yourself, and you’ll be fine.”

I scowl at Eliot and she just shrugs. That’s the problem with older sisters: they don’t intimidate that well.

“How do I look?” I ask, changing the subject.

“As good as you did five dresses ago.”

“Eliot!”

“Fine. You look gorgeous, Austen. You always look gorgeous. Reed is so infatuated with you, you could wear a feed sack, and he’d still be enraptured. Now, put some shoes on those stupidly small feet. He’ll be here any minute.” Damn. Okay.

“I don’t have stupidly small feet,” I mumble. Digging through my closet, I find a pair of heels I haven’t worn since I moved home. They’re just a basic black with straps around the ankles, but I’ve been told they’re sexy. I’m aiming for sexy.

“Your complaints are falling on the deaf ears of your sister with the size tens.” She pushes off my bed. “Spin.” I comply so she can check my look. “Jewelry.” I cross to my dresser to look through my box. I add a simple necklace and some gold hoop earrings. Eliot sprays me with one of my perfumes.

“Damn, Eliot. Let’s not knock him out.” I wave my hand to dissipate the fumes. “We won’t have to worry about having some privacy at dinner. No one will be able to get within fifty feet of me.”

The doorbell rings, and my gaze finds hers. I guess I’m really going on a date with Reed Campbell. I hear the door downstairs open and my dad greeting him.

I pick my clutch up from the bed and head down the stairs. Reed is waiting at the bottom for me. He looks amazing in his deep-blue shirt. It makes his eyes seem bluer than normal. How’s that even possible? His hair is tamed into something less wild. He stops visiting with Dad mid-sentence to watch me as I descend.

“Wow,” he says. I wait for more, but nothing more is forthcoming.

“Is that it?”

“It seems safest to stop there.”

“See, he’s learning,” Eliot says behind me. Reed shrugs in agreement and holds his elbow out.

“Shall we?” he asks.

“We shall,” I agree, taking the proffered elbow.

It’s a short drive to Sam’s Steakshack. We get some grins from the blue jean-clad locals when we walk in. It’s not like Dansboro Crossing is inundated with Michelin-star restaurants. But, they make a decent chicken fried steak, so we can handle a little gawking on date night.

Reed shakes a couple of hands, and I wave at my old eighth-grade English teacher on the way to the table. Knowing everyone is just one of the hazards of living in such a small town.

“So,” Reed says when we’re seated.

“So,” I agree.

He laughs. You look amazing.”

“Thank you. You clean up pretty well yourself.”

“Have you heard from the insurance company about the library repairs yet?”

And just like that, we’re on our first date. I don’t want to bore you with the details. We eat, we talk, we share dessert. It’s all very typical. Reed, being a gentleman, walks me to the door afterward.

“Would you like to come in?” I ask.

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