Page 20 of Hooked on Lane (Hooked #1)

Chapter Twenty

Jennifer

I reclined on the bed, immersed in Amy Stephens' novel, when my phone vibrated against the nightstand. Startled out of my trance, I saw that two hours had passed since I began reading. With a sigh, I picked up the phone and unlocked it.

Lane: Mom and I are going to the diner for dinner. Wanna come? No pressure.

I laid on my stomach, feet crossed at the ankles. There were apparently only two places to eat an actual meal in this town.

Me: My stomach says yes, but my brain wants to finish this book I grabbed at the café today.

The meet-cute was always the part I needed to read before committing to buying a book.

Amy was a professional at nailing the best of them.

I picked up the book and read another couple pages before my phone vibrated again.

No matter what, I needed to finish this by tomorrow midmorning so I could pick up another one from the café.

Lane: So you checked it out? Amazing, right? It reminds me of Coffee Chaos in a way. A small part of the city in this small town.

I smiled and bit my lip. The café might be my favorite spot because of the coffee and books. Being a small town, I thought it would be a tiny selection, but it was quite extensive.

Me: The coffee was delish!!!!! Guess I know where I’ll be going every morning. The guy that works there was kinda off-putting, though.

Lane: If he was wearing flannel, then it must be Cole. He and his brother own the place. He’s a good guy, just got a lot on his plate. Cut him some slack.

Once again, it slipped my mind that this was his hometown. He knew everyone. Heck, he and Cole probably played together when they were still in diapers.

Lane: If you want to join us, we will leave in five.

I put the phone down on my bed, grabbing my brush to get out any tangles, and then threw my hair up in a ponytail. There was no sense in changing since he already saw me in this. I threw on my winter coat, slipped my room key into my back pocket, and headed to the lobby.

As I rounded the corner, Lane and his mother were waiting.

“Mom, this is my friend Jennifer.” His mom gave me a once-over.

“Nice to meet you. Glad you could join us.”

We walked slowly down Main Street while his mother recounted stories about how the Hideout Diner used to be the place to be after every football game.

Lane heaved the weathered door open and ushered us inside.

The small booth seats were tucked in by the smudged windows, which looked out onto Main Street.

“I’m loving the checkered floors. So on par with a small town diner, right?” I picked up the menu and once I saw breakfast, my decision was made.

A young woman approached our table. “What can I get for you guys tonight?”

We all ordered the breakfast sampler, and then the conversation began. Leanne seemed very interested in me, and Lane looked scared.

“So, tell me about yourself, young lady. My son said you are the best assistant he's ever had…”

“I’m the only assistant he's ever had… but I'll take it as a compliment, anyway. There’s not much to tell. I live in the city, work my tail off, and love to read.”

Gosh, my life sounded so boring. No wonder I was still single. Leanne probably thought the same thing.

“Well, my son here needs to settle down. Find himself a good woman, so be sure to keep an eye out for him. I'm not getting any younger.”

“Mom, Jennifer doesn't need to know all about my personal life. Some things I'd like to keep private.”

The dynamic between Lane and his mom was amazing.

They had a strong and healthy relationship, and I was jealous.

A smile emerged. Didn’t they say you can tell how a man is going to treat you by how he treated his mother?

Well, if that was the case, whoever ended up with Lane was going to be a lucky lady.

“Don't worry, Leanne. Lane has a trove of women in New York City to pick from…” I looked right at Lane and winked. He shook his head.

Not once did I show his mother my feelings for him. We both needed to be careful around her, especially when she was this adamant about him finding someone, but what mother wouldn't?

The waitress brought us our food, and I took a sip of my Dr. Pepper. “So, Leanne, what is one thing I absolutely need to do while I'm here?”

She smiled. “The square on Christmas. You think it's gorgeous now, but when the whole town gathers around and sings Christmas music, it's a sight for wonder. You won't find something like this in your big city.”

I forgot she was a small-town girl through and through. “Alright, it's on my list. Once Lane described the town a bit to me, I've been doing research. I don’t want to miss a single experience.”

A tall woman with dark hair glided up behind Lane. I raised my chin and tapped the table twice with my index finger to get his attention. Who was this woman?