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“I thought y’all were adding a small restaurant?”

“We want to, but it hasn’t happened yet. We’re in talks with someone. In the meantime we either scrounge, bring something from home, or come into town.”

The waitress came by and Nate told her he had a takeout order. “I’ll go get it,” she said. “It’s so good to see you, Nate.”

He simply smiled and turned back to Damaris. “Travis and I have a flight this afternoon but it’s a short one. Will you be around tonight?”

“Yes, it’s my night to take care of things.”

“Okay. I’ll come see you later.” He kissed her and got up. “Good to see you, Hazel.”

“Bye, Nate.”

It was ridiculous but at the thought of seeing Nate that night Damaris’s heart gave a happy little skip. “What?” she asked, seeing Hazel staring at her.

Hazel shook her head. “I don’t know exactly what you two have going on but I can guaran-damn-tee you it’s not fake.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yes, you do. You two are totally besotted with each other.”

Damaris laughed. “That’s an exaggeration.”

“Is it?”

“Yes,” Damaris said firmly. But she was very much afraid Hazel was right.

*

Several days after they returned from San Diego, Nate picked up food from the Diner and took it to his grandma’s house. She let him in and sat at the kitchen table while he set it the way she liked it. He sat down and started to eat.

“Damaris couldn’t come?”

He noticed that, as usual, she was picking at her food. Sure, she was small and elderly, but everyone had to eat more than two bites, right? “No, she’s working. Since the trip to San Diego she’s been working a lot.”

“Tell her hello and that we missed her.”

“I will.”

“I talked to your mother today.”

He looked up from his plate. “Good. I know she’s been worried about you.”

“No need to worry about me. But I can’t say the same about you. Why doesn’t your mama know anything about you and Damaris?”

Because he didn’t want to answer forty questions. And now he’d have to because Grandma had undoubtedly told her all about them. “Because I don’t tell her about every woman I date.”

“But Damaris isn’t just any woman, is she? You’re in love with her.”

He set his fork down. “What are you getting at, Grandma?”

“You and Damaris are serious about each other.”

“Uh, yeah, I guess so.” He wouldn’t mind being serious, but Damaris was a whole ‘nuther matter.

“You guess so or you are?”

“We are.” Possibly. If he could talk her into it.