Page 16 of Something Like That

Alex blinked a couple of times, tore her gaze away from his. She pulled the flyer with the pool info out of the cabinet, slid the drawer closed, and turned to her daughter. “What?”

“If Nick came to lunch with us.” Em’s face lit up like it was the best idea that had ever been hatched. She glanced from Alex to him and then back again.

“I’m sure Nick has better things to do then go to lunch with us.” She glanced over at him. His expression was neutral, but there was something in his eyes she couldn’t quite decipher. Was that a bit of challenge? Why would he feel the need to challenge her? Just because her answer had been quick and a little vehement.

She looked back at her daughter. Em’s face fell, making Alex’s heart wrench a little to the left. Meeting him was the most exciting thing that had happened to her daughter in a long time. The idea of spending time with him obviously made her happy. Just because Alex had inappropriate thoughts about him wasn’t Em’s fault. She shouldn’t be punished for Alex’s inability to be professional.

“Right.” Em said, and dropped her gaze to the ground. Alex’s chest gave a squeeze.

“Actually,” Nick said, pushing away from the doorframe. “I don’t have any plans this afternoon.”

The hope that lit Em’s face was so heartbreakingly beautiful it made Alex’s chest ache even more. “Really?”

“Yeah.” He gave her that lopsided smile, the one that always made Alex’s heart skip a couple dozen beats.

“Cool.” Em grabbed her backpack and slung it over her shoulder. She bounced on the balls of her feet, as if she couldn’t help but move, she was so excited. It was the sweetest thing Alex had seen in a long time.

Okay, they were doing this.

It was only one lunch. She could absolutely survive a single meal with Nick Sadler. Even if she had to wrestle her hormones under control a single cell at a time.

Nick pulled open the door to the restaurant and held it for his lunch companions. Emily smiled at him and slipped past. “Thank you.”

Alex kept her head down, her thank you more of the mumbled variety. It amused the hell out of him. He had absolutely no idea why.

Or why he’d gotten so defensive when she’d tried to blow him off for lunch. It was stupid, really. But then, what was the harm in having a meal with them? It wasn’t like he had anything else to do. He hadn’t been lying about that.

Besides, he really liked Em. And Alex. A lot.

Getting to know them a little better wouldn’t be a hardship. It actually might make everything easier. Especially acclimating to a new city, even though his stay was only for a little while. He just had to remember his training was the most important thing, and everything would be good.

The diner they’d picked—apparently, it was their go to place—had a homey, greasy spoon feel. Which was great, except there was probably nothing on the menu his nutritionist would approve of. It was okay, he could adapt.

Em hurried over to a booth in the far corner and slid onto the bench seat. Alex walked a little slower, kept her gaze locked straight ahead. She was such an intriguing puzzle. One he really wanted to unravel. What was with that?

She squeezed into the booth next to Em, leaving the opposite bench open for him. He sat down and scooted over so he was pressed into the corner. He stretched his arm along the top of the seat.

Em stared at him, a huge grin on her face. She was a lot like her mom. Her jaw was the same shape and they had the same nose. Em’s hair was a little darker, still blonde, but not the light blonde of Alex’s. Her eyes were a different shape, too. A little wider set, a little more upturned at the outer corners. They were a warm hazel, the opposite of Alex’s cool grey.

Alex had her face buried in the menu, although from what Em had said on their way over, they came here at least once a week. She probably knew the menu inside and out.

He picked up his own laminated menu. Yup, he was right. Everything looked delicious, especially after such an intense workout, but not all that health conscious.

His stomach gave a small rumble. He glanced up, but neither Em nor Alex seemed to hear it. Em was staring at him, her chin propped in her hand. Alex still hadn’t looked up from the menu. Apparently, it was really engrossing.

He looked back down at the choices. What he really wanted was a plate of fried dill pickles, followed by a cheeseburger and onion rings with a chocolate and peanut butter milkshake. His mouth actually watered.

But he was used to not getting what he wanted, so he skimmed the salad selection instead. Most of the salads were probably dripping with dressing. Maybe he could get the dressing on the side. The pasta selection was limited, although they did have a chicken carbonara that would probably do the trick.

“Hey, ladies.”

He put his menu down and looked up. A waitress, wearing a god-awful brown uniform, stopped at the end of their table. “Who’s your friend?”

Alex looked up, but Em was quicker.

“This is Nick Sadler. He plays hockey for the Providence Pirates.”

The waitress smiled, although he could tell she had no idea who either he or the team was. And that was okay. It just proved even more that this was not a hockey crazed city. At least not yet. The league had recently expanded here, but all the focus and hype was on the local team, not the rest of the league. He’d take the anonymity.