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“He’s never a bother,” she said, rolling her eyes. “But I’ll take you up on that.”
“Welcome in,” Tammy said as the door jingled closed. “I’d say this is a surprise, but with all the rumors flying around, I’m surprised I didn’t see you in here sooner.”
“It took him having a burger in Nashville to tell me how good the ones here were,” Mollie replied.
“Nashville?” Tammy’s eyebrows rose and she looked at me expectantly.
I froze. Most people didn’t even try to talk to me these days.
“Yeah,” I replied. “Mollie needs to see the way a real burger’s cooked.”
“You’re a little early, but I can make something happen.”
Tammy smiled at Mollie, but the expression carried over to me.
I didn’t know what to do. Was Tammy finally warming up tome?
“Glad you tried something new. A change of pace is good for you, right, Cain?”
I blinked. “Yeah. I guess it is.”
Tammy grabbed three menus. Mollie elbowed me.
“Did you see that?” she asked. “It’s working!”
I waved for her to walk in front of me, but I was as excited as she was. I didn’t think it would ever be possible for the town to see me as anything other than the punk kid who’d gone at Donny.
But maybe I was wrong.
“I’m guessing a coffee, a water, and an orange juice for Eric,” Tammy said as we sat.
“You would guess right,” Mollie replied.
“I always do. Be right back.”
“Everyone seems to be in a good mood today,” Eric noticed.
“As they should,” Mollie said. “Things are looking up.”
I usually didn’t agree with that sentiment, but Tammy warming up to me meant something. Someone who might be willing to say Eric was better off with me than Waldren. One more person on my side.
“So, do I get to hear why you two were in Nashville, or is that a secret?” Tammy asked as she put the drinks down.
“Jackie said it was adate,”Eric said.
“That wasn’t the intent,” I said. “And Mollie gets to decide if it’s a secret or not.”
She obviously didn’t like to tell people about her past, and I’d keep it quiet if she wanted me to.
Mollie dumped creamer into her coffee. “I have this ex in Nashville. Cain knew I was gonna be seeing him at my mom’s birthday party and drove up just in case I needed him ... which I did.”
“You drove three hoursjust in caseshe needed you?” Tammy set her hands on her hips.
“I-it was nothing.”
“You and I have a very different definition of nothing.”
“He’s not a man of many words,” Mollie said, smiling over at me. “But his actions count.”