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“Wait,” I say, making her sit back down as I rise. “I’ll go. You watch the kids.”
Summer grins. “Oh, I will.”
I run a hand through my hair and straighten my shirt as I walk up to the counter. As I do, one of the other waitresses spots me first and elbows Lottie in the side. Lottie winces and starts to scold her before seeing me approach. Then she straightens up and pushes the other waitress away.
“Hi! How’s it going?” Lottie asks, then looks over my shoulder. “I didn’t forget the dressing on the side, did I?”
“No,” I answer. “You didn’t. Everything is fine.”
“Liam’s good? He can get kinda antsy sitting in a booth sometimes.”
“He’s great. We’re all fed and happy. I just came over to say hi and to see how you were doing.”
“Oh,” she says. “I’m okay.”
“I’m sorry to spring Summer on you,” I say. “I didn’t expect her to drive down here so quickly, but she had an opening in her schedule this morning and just kinda went for it.”
“No, it’s all right,” Lottie says, looking down. “She’s right. The faster we move, the safer Liam will be.”
“That’s true. Summer’s the best at what she does. You can trust her.”
Lottie nods with another glance over my shoulder. “So, she’s Sonya’s mother,” she says. “Your ex-wife?”
I nod. “Yeah.”
“She’s pretty.”
“Yeah, she’s a looker, as they say.”
Her mouth quirks. “As who says? World War II vets?” she jokes.
“She’s all the rave down at the sock hop.”
Lottie chuckles. “Well, she’s caught the eye of plenty here at the soda shoppe, too,” she adds, glancing around the tables.
“What are you doing tonight?” I ask.
She pauses. “Oh, tonight, I’m making muffins.”
I perk up. “Really?”
“I believe I owe you a batch.”
“Great. Maybe we can have them for dessert?”
“Dessert?”
“A treat usually consumed after dinner.”
“You… want to have dinner?” she asks slowly. “With me?”
“Well, with you and the kids,” I say, turning up my hands. “It’ll give us a chance to talk some more. Maybe about some less serious things.”
A bell dings behind her.
“Order up, Lottie!” Bruno barks from the window.
She nods at him, then turns back to me. “I gotta get back to work, but…” She smiles. “Sure. Dinner would be great.”
