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I shook my head.

“You’re in for a treat.” His soft brown eyes radiated amusement.

“Okay, Sarabeth. Blueberry milkshake, cheeseburger, and extra fries.”

“Brilliant. We’re busy, but I’ll see if the chef can make yours with theirs.” She pointed between Arnav and Foster.

“No rush. I’m not in a hurry. In fact, I’ve got all day.” I glanced around. “But I won’t hold up the table.”

She smiled. “I think I like you.” Then she was gone.

“Okay.” I gazed back and forth between Arnav and Foster. “You just randomly invite strangers to your table?”

Foster giggled.

Yes, giggled.

So at odds with the forty-something man before me.

Arnav wagged his finger. But his grin was just as wide.

“We had our second date here. And we’ve run into friends over the months we’ve been coming here.”

“Not to be too bold…” Foster ducked his head for a moment, then met my gaze. “You seemed like a nice person.”

“Uh…”

“Your smile.” Arnav shrugged. “We had a ten-second silent conversation and then we invited you. Perhaps impetuous.”

“Except our friend Ravi invited a stranger to join him along with his husband. And they wound up helping that stranger find a place to live with another friend of theirs—who wound marrying the stranger. By then, voilà, they all became friends, and then we met them, and they became our friends…” Foster shrugged.

“So, lots of friendly people in this small town?”

“Yep.” He beamed.

“Apparently lots of friendly gay guys.” My head spun at his explanation, but I’d sort of figured out two gay couples.

For just a moment, Foster stilled.

I added, “I’m bi.” Because that seemed like the right thing to say and because I probably wouldn’t have sat here if I was homophobic or going to throw shade on gay people.

“Okay.” Foster ducked his head again. “Ravi and Maddox are married. That stranger, Dean, is married to Adam. Our friends Everett and Rayne just got married.”

“Rayne being a guy.” Arnav grinned. “And a bit of a…”

“Friendly.” Foster supplied that quickly.

I was supercurious what Arnav had been about to say.

“One blueberry milkshake.” Delivered with a grin, a straw, and a long spoon. Sarabeth nodded, then headed down toward the back of the diner.

“Is it always this busy?” I removed the wrapper from the straw.

“Saturdays generally are.” Arnav wrinkled his nose. “But with Canada Day tomorrow, there are likely tourists in town.”

“Mission City doesn’t have a huge tourism industry.” Foster nodded toward my milkshake as if to encourage me. “I work in construction. Always need more houses. We’re at the end of the commuter railway line, and although prices are expensive, they’re the cheapest around.”

“I don’t know much about real estate. I have a condo in Vancouver. Tight quarters with a teen and a pre-teen.”