Page 58 of Love Deep

“Pancakes,” Riley corrects her.

“And what about you?” she asks me.

Marge has always been nosey, but I’m not sure why she wants to know my Galaxy Grill order. “Oh, I think I’ll probably get eggs.”

Marge laughs. “And how about that nice young gentleman who’s friends with Byron? You seen him recently?”

“She means Fisher, Mom.”

“Thanks, Riley. I know she means Fisher.” I nod. “Oh he’s fine, I think,” I say.

“I just saw him. Came in for some hiking boots. Didn’t even ask me the price before he said yes. And I upsold him three pairs of our best hiking socks.”

I try to tamp down my smile.

“Mom, that means he’s in town. Please call him and ask him to the diner.”

“Sounds like he’s preparing for a hike.”

“Mom.Please?I really want to have pancakes with him, and I know he’s going back to New York but he’s not inNew Yorknow, so I don’t see why we can’t have pancakes with him.”

The fact that Riley’s so invested in Fisher coming to the diner with us is terrifying. She’s started to get attached to this man. The man who is afling. Who lives in New York. Who hasn’t got any intention of sticking around. With her dad moving to Orlando, the last thing I wanted was for her to form a relationship with another man who just ups and leaves. It’s not fair to her.

“She’s making some really good points,” Marge says. “I have to say, I can’t disagree with any of them.”

If I hadn’t lived in Star Falls my entire life and known Marge for as long, I might be irritated by someone having any commentary on who I have brunch with. But I learned long ago that if you’re going to get irritated by the people of Star Falls having something to say about your private, personal business, this isn’t the town for you.

“Thank you, Marge. We’re going to give Marv his privacy while he gets his rubdown. See you later.”

“Please, Mom!” Riley says, pulling on my arm. “He’s funny. And I like him.”

Isn’t that a reasonnotto call him. But she’s right. He is funny, and I like him too. “Riley, he’s probably doing something else. We can’t expect that he wants to hang out with us.”

“If you don’t try, we’ll never know. Isn’t that what you always say, Mommy? You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don’t take.”

I groan because I know when I’m out-negotiated.

I pull out my phone. “I’ll call him,” I say. “But don’t get your hopes up.”

“My hopes are down. Way down on the floor.” She grins up at me. “But put it on speaker so I canhear.”

I laugh and press call on Fisher’s number. He answers right away.

“Hi, you’re probably busy, but Riley and I are headed to the Galaxy Grill if you wanted to join us?”

“Love to,” he says, without missing a beat. “I just came from town and I’m headed back to the Club, so I’ll be five minutes. See you there.”

I don’t know if I’ve done the right thing. She’s already had one man in her life abandon her for a new life in Florida. I don’t want her to think she’s not worth sticking around for. But she’s excited to see him, and honestly, so am I.

Fisher arrives just as Donna gives us our menus.

For a split second, I worry he’ll kiss me in front of Riley and Donna, and I wonder if I can send him a sign. I didn’t have to worry. He just slides into the booth, opposite me and Riley, and picks up the menu.

“Hi, you two. Thanks for inviting me. I could eat a cow.”

“A cow?” Riley says. “Like really? Are you going to order a cow? I don’t even know if they have it on the menu.”

“He’s not eating a whole cow,” I say.