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“Yeah, sure, we can do that,” he says lazily, like he doesn’t really care, but I can see the spark in his eye. He’s interested but doesn’t want to make like he is.
Mia turns back around and sits back in her seat with a small smile in place. I take a chance, reach over, and grab her hand. She doesn’t object when I lace our fingers together, just looks down at them with concentration on her face. When she looks up at me, the look disappears and is replaced with raised brows. I giveher a shrug and smile before looking back to the road. Her car is a stick shift, so when I need to change gears I take her hand and place it on my thigh until I can pick it back up. She lets me do this, and I can’t help but want to jump for joy. I’m not under the illusion that this means anything, but it still feels really nice to touch her again, even if it is something so mundane as holding hands.
None of us talk the rest of the way to Maggie’s. T plays his game and Mia stares out the window while I concentrate on driving.
A few minutes later, we step through the doors and take a seat in a booth. T on one side, Mia and me on the other. Mia tries sitting by herself, but I slide in beside her before she can protest. Nitra walks up to our table, and the surprise is evident on her face at seeing the three of us sitting together, but she doesn’t say anything. I’m sure we’ll get that a lot.
“Hey, guys, how are y’all this morning?” she asks.
“We’re good, Nitra, thank you. How have you been?” I ask, with a smile.
She smacks the gum in her mouth before replying, “I’m great.”
Her eyes are darting between the three of us. I can see she wants to ask what’s going on, but she holds her tongue. Mia doesn’t, though.
“It’s just lunch, Nitra, nothing more. No sense starting rumors,” Mia says.
Nitra bristles as if she’s offended, but we all know that her next move will be to pick up the phone that will eventually lead to every person in a five-mile radius knowing we are having lunch together.
“What? I wouldn’t—” she starts, but Mia doesn’t let her finish.
“Ha! Yes, you would. I see the wheels turning in your head. You can’t wait to get on the phone.”
She barks out a laugh and says, “Well, it is a surprise to see the two of you sitting together. You normally bite each other’s heads off if you’re in the same room.”
Mia repeats herself. “It’s just lunch, Nitra.”
She smirks at her and turns her attention to T. “Hi, T. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen you.”
Trent smiles big at Nitra and says, “Hey, Nitra.”
Trent has a crush on her. It’s funny to watch his boyish attempts to flirt with her. He has good taste. Nitra is a very pretty woman with strawberry-blonde hair that she currently has pulled back into a high ponytail. She has warm brown eyes and wears minimal makeup. Even at work, she’s always wearing classy clothes. Today, she’s wearing a turquoise button-up blouse paired with black skinny jeans. Even her shoes are a classy pair of black strappy sandals.
“How have you been, handsome?” she asks, with a wink at him.
“Really good. Will you be working tomorrow?”
“Actually, I’ll be here tomorrow evening. I’ll save you a piece of the house pie if you’re here for dinner.”
He turns his head toward me and asks enthusiastically, “Can we, Dad?”
No way can I tell him no when he’s this excited. Lately, it’s not often that I see him truly happy. “Sure, T, we can eat here tomorrow evening.”
He beams his smile back at Nitra. “We’ll be here. Can you save me two pieces?”
She ruffles his hair and replies, “Yep, I can do that. So, what would y’all like to drink?”
She takes our drink orders and goes back behind the counter. I look at Mia, who has a grin on her face as she watches T watch Nitra. I reach under the table and grab her hand again. The move surprises her, and she looks at me. I ignore her look and pick up the menu, even though I don’t need it. I really like this. It’s almost like we’re a family out for lunch. I know I shouldn’t think this, but I can’t help the thought from popping in my head. What I wouldn’t give for this to be reality.
A few minutes later, Nitra brings our drinks and takes our order.
“So, Mac, I meant to ask you the other day. Do you still have Marabelle?” Mia asks, before taking a sip of her drink.
I look over at her and squeeze her hand. “No, she passed away a few years ago during childbirth. I have her foal though. Her name is Pepper.”
Sadness enters Mia’s face. She always loved Marabelle, who was her favorite out of all the horses my family had. Marabelle was the one she learned how to ride a horse on. From that first day, Mia refused to ride any other horse. When she passed away, my thoughts went automatically to Mia, wishing she was there with me.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I’ve missed her. I wish I knew,” she says quietly.
