Page 27 of Recipe for Rivals
Desi looked up and noticed me. She lifted her hand in a wave.
No choice but to speak to them now.
“Come on,” I said to Alice, weaving our way through the people.
“Hey,” Dusty said, pressing lightly on my arm. He immediately removed his hand. “Do y’all need a place to sit?”
“Maybe. We were going to say hi to Alice’s friend first.”
He pointed to the booth he and Brody had with another couple I had seen at the practice. “We can fit two more. I’ll save you seats.”
“Thank you.”
“Not a problem, ma’am.”
His slight Texas twang with those southern manners were going to give me weird cowboy dreams tonight. I could feel it in my blood.
“Sit with us!” Kendall said when Alice and I approached their table.
I glanced up to see Officer Partridge sitting with them, the one I’d met with the red hair. I hadn’t realized Desi was married to him. Now that I thought about it, I don’t think she ever provided her last name.
“We have a seat already,” I told them, not in the mood to eat with their perfect little family. “We just wanted to say hi first.”
“That’s sweet of you,” Desi said, leaning close to her husband. “I’ve heard y’all met already.”
“We have.” I smiled at him.
“Listen,” Desi said. “We’re having a little dinner at our house tomorrow night. Why don’t you come? Bring the kids.”
“I don’t want to impose.” Especially since we were clearly an afterthought. She’d said nothing about this the other day at the park.
“Nonsense. It’s just a casual group of friends. Bring a side or a dessert and we’ll throw it in.”
Every part of my being wanted to turn down the invitation, but the pleading way Alice looked at me clinched it. “We’d love to,” I said.
“Great.” Desi flashed her perfect teeth. “I’ll text you the details.”
“Well, we’d better sit, Alice.”
The noise was growing, energy in the room buzzing. Ben was sitting with his friends, beaming, which gave my heart a little shot of joy. We slid onto the bench beside Dusty, a little more relaxed.
He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back, cushioning himself in the corner of the seat to face me. “Are we scaring you away with our Texas customs, or are you buying into our southern charms?”
Despite the overwhelming nature of the crowd, the fact that Gigi was so caught up talking to people she hadn’t greeted us yet and the unending smell of diner grease that seemed to live on my skin, I couldn’t deny the way this place was starting to grow on me. A little.
“Jury’s still out,” I told him.
His laugh was dynamic. It slipped under my skin, making me feel warm and glowy. He introduced me to the other parents at the table. I admired the easy way he had about him, like he wasn’t conscious of his attraction or size or accent. He just occupied his space with nothing but the easy confidence of a man content with himself.
Brody folded his napkin into a triangle and tried to flick it into a goal post made from Dusty’s fingers.
Alice watched them eagerly, but she was too shy to ask if she could join them.
I was about to ask on her behalf when Dusty seemed to notice. He reached over me to put the paper football in front of her on the table, narrowly missing a drop of chocolate milkshake. He angled the goal posts her way. “Get it in one,” he challenged.
Alice took some coaching and about forty flicks, but she finally made it. The way Dusty and Brody cheered, you’d think she’d gotten it on her first try.
I didn’t think I could smile any wider after watching her succeed.