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Kayla laughed and poked me in the ribs. “What? Is this prom?”
“Just trying to give you the courtesy you deserve, all dressed up like that.” Her rejection stung. Maybe best friends having dinner was the better frame of mind after all.
We made it down the hall to the stairwell and out to my car with very little conversation. I cast around for ideas of what to talk about. Something that would get things back on even footing between us after…whatever it was that happened last week at school.
Maybe, instead of avoiding it, I ought to bring it up?
I clicked the Unlock button on my car’s key fob as we approached. I didn’t have to hurry to beat her to the handle. Part of me wondered if I ought to just stop. But this habit was one my grandmother had always insisted on, so I opened the door and waited.
“Thanks.” Kayla slid into the passenger seat and reached for the door to close it.
I went around to my side. She was already fastening her seatbelt when I climbed behind the wheel. “I’d like to apologize for giving you the impression that I saw you as a nagging wife. I don’t. I never could. You don’t nag.”
Kayla’s eyebrows lifted. “I nag a little.”
I shook my head.
She lifted a hand with thumb and forefinger a half-inch apart. “About this much. And you’re right to call me on it. I shouldn’t push on the Mexico thing. I know it’s not everyone’s idea of how to spend spring break. It’s not even what God expects everyone to do. Luke spent a lot of our lunch reminding me that our daily lives are us being missionaries because of the Great Commission. So I really do know better than to go off on you because you’re not excited about chaperoning teens on your week off from teens.”
My lips twitched and I started the car. “How about we call it bygones? I’ll forgive you. You forgive me. And I’ll toss in that I’m praying about the Mexico trip, okay?”
“You are? Really?” Kayla bounced in her seat. “It’d be so cool to have you along.”
I grinned. It was nice to see a little of the bouncy Kayla back—even if she was going on about the Mexico trip again. I didn’t mind—it did sound like a worthwhile thing for the people who ended up going. I just wondered how many students Luke was going to be able to convince to go. Families often took vacations together for spring break. If the kids wanted to go somewhere, it was the beach. There was nothing wrong with either of those things.
The way I saw it? Luke wasn’t likely to need a ton of chaperones to volunteer, because he was going to be lucky to get ten kids who wanted to go.
But I kept those thoughts to myself. I could learn. And Kayla was gung-ho about this trip. About Luke, too? That remained to be seen.
For now, I was going to focus on my time with her and not worry about anything else.
It was a short drive to Ada’s. I was excited to see a street spot right near the restaurant. I’d been fully prepared to end up in one of the garages with a short walk. But this was practically crossing the street. In better weather, I would have suggested walking from Kayla’s, but the warmish temperature of this afternoon was already dipping into decidedly cool.
“Ready?” I shut off the engine and glanced over.
“Yep.” Kayla rubbed her hands together. “Crab cake, here I come.”
I laughed and pushed open my door. I walked around and met her by the hood of the car and clicked the key fob to lock the doors. There wasn’t heavy traffic, so we hurried across without bothering to go up to the corner and the crosswalk. A strong breeze whipped up off the water and sent Kayla’s hair blowing around her head like a halo.
Why had I never noticed she was beautiful?
I opened the restaurant door and briefly touched the small of her back as she passed me on her way through.
“Good evening. Welcome to Ada’s on the River.” The hostess smiled as we approached.
“Hi. Thanks. We have a reservation under Campbell.”
She looked down at the reservation book, tapped on one of the lines, and collected menus. “Follow me.”
We walked behind her through the tables and their funky, geometrically patterned upholstered chairs. The restaurant wasn’t crowded, but it wasn’t empty, either. I glanced to the left where glass separated the inside seating from the dockside seating. Maybe Kayla and I could come back in the summer and sit out there. It’d be a lovely place to watch the sun go down.
Romantic.
And I was getting way ahead of myself.
“Your server will be right with you. Have a pleasant meal.” The hostess set the leather encased menus at our spots and seemed to fade away.
I waited for Kayla to sit before taking the seat across from her. “I’m glad you were free tonight.”
