Page 39 of Colton’s Inferno

“In the kitchen,” he yelled back.

Lucy found Grandpa Rusty sitting at the table. “You look pretty,” he said.

That’s when she noticed the plate of leftover spaghetti and meatballs in front of him. Guilt tugged at her chest. She shouldn’t leave her grandfather alone, especially after the fire.

“I’ll call Aiden. Tell him I can’t make it and fix you something to eat.”

“Go, Lucy. Have fun,” said her grandfather. “Besides, spaghetti is better the second night.”

“It might not be safe for me to leave you alone,” she said. “Nobody knows who started the fire, or why.”

“Are you ready to discuss whether or not we should stay at the ranch?”

She was definitely not ready to talk about that. “No.”

“Why are you making excuses, Luce?” Grandpa Rusty sighed. “I understand that you’re nervous. Trust me, everyone is anxious on a first date.”

Her heart started to race. What if she had another panic attack? She couldn’t do this. She had to find a way to stay home. “It’s rude of me to leave you alone all evening,” she said, as sweat dotted her upper lip. She wiped it away. “You worked hard doing all my chores.”

“I’ll be fine. In fact, I have my own plans.”

Who was the one making excuses now? “Oh yeah, what are they?”

“I’m having a video call with a friend of mine who just moved to Miami.” Was it her imagination, or did Rusty just sit up taller?

“Do you even know how to do a video call?”

Rusty’s phone sat next to him. He lifted it from the table. “I’ve done them before.”

She still wasn’t convinced. “Who’s your friend? What’s his name?”

“Luce, my friend isn’t a him. It’s a her.” He paused a beat. “Nancy Snowden. She went to high school with your grandma and me. Her husband died two years ago, and she just moved to Florida.”

That’s when she noticed that her grandfather was also freshly showered. His silvery hair was slicked back. He had shaved and put on a clean shirt. There was no way she could stay home now. The keys to the truck were always kept in a bowl on a counter. She picked them up.

“Alright, then,” she said, placing a kiss on his cheek. “You have a good evening. I’ll be back later.”

“Wait. You need these.” Her grandfather rose from his seat and pulled a set of car keys from his pocket. They were for his vintage car—the one he spent years rebuilding and rarely drove.

“I can’t take your car.”

“You’re my princess,” he said, pressing the keys into her palm. “And this is your carriage.”

Lucy laughed. “Since you came up with my version of a ball gown, I guess that makes you my fairy godmother.”

“Fairy grandfather,” said Rusty, correcting her.

She laughed, putting the truck keys back into the bowl. “Have a nice evening.”

“You, too.”

She walked down the hallway and opened the front door. The sky was starting to darken. Without the sun, the air had cooled. She walked over to where her grandfather parked his car and pulled off the cover. The green paint sparkled in the setting sun. She opened the door and slid behind the steering wheel. The seats were covered in buttery-soft leather. She slid the key into the ignition and started the engine. The motor purred to life. She put the gearshift into Drive and headed down the lane that connected the house to the main road. She stopped at the end of the road and gripped the steering wheel with both hands. Lucy sat for a moment and asked herself a single, important question.

Was she ready to go forward?

Prime was Red Grove’s newest restaurant. Located three blocks from Aiden’s apartment, it had an impressive list of bourbons and cuts of steak. It opened at the beginning of the summer and had been booked every night. Since the restaurant was owned by an old high school friend, Aiden was able to get a table.

Was it a lot for a first date? Maybe.