looked like himself.
As if he knew something was up, and he probably did, he asked, “How did last night go?”
“What?” My face flushed red. “Oh, it was fun. It was fine.”
“Did you have anything to drink?”
“Umm...”
He laughed and shook his head.
“Are you mad?”
“No, I’m not mad. You didn’t drive, and you know better than to get in the car with someone who’s been drinking. I’m not worried about you. You’re a smart girl.” He gestured at me with his fork. “Don’t make a habit of it, or I will get concerned.”
Smart girl. Was I? I didn’t feel like it right now. My dad’s lack of concern about the situation was based on the fact that I had always made smart choices. He knew I had removed myself from my social group when they started getting into that stuff, and that I wasn’t the type of daughter that needed to be worried about. It made my heart hurt a little to imagine his reaction if he knew the truth. If he knew that I had drunk too much liquor, had sex with someone I hardly knew and woken up in bed with a different guy. Not just any guy, either, but my best friend’s boyfriend.
Actually, he was a big fan of Aiden’s, so that probably wouldn’t be the worst part of it.
Marcy, our favorite waitress, came over with our refills. “Here you go, guys. How’s that patty melt?”
“It is possibly the greatest thing I have ever consumed in the history of my life.”
“Marcy, you’ll never guess what little Natalie did last night.”
“Ooh, what?” She tightened her shoulders excitedly, and sat down on the bench next to my dad.
“She went to a party.”
Marcy gave a small squeal, knowing exactly how much of a shock this was. “Well, little miss Natalie. Are we going to have to check you into rehab? Don’t tell me you’re going down the path of Lindsay Lohan.”
I rolled my eyes good-naturedly. “Yeah, yeah, yeah...”
“Did you want any coffee or anything tonight?” Marcy asked my dad. The way she looked at him was so cute that it got me to smile and stop obsessing about last night for a second. It was so obvious she was crushing on him.
“Yeah, sure. And—”
“And one big slice of coconut cream pie. I know, John.”
She gave him a wink and turned to go back to the kitchen.
“Would you ask her out already?”
“Cool your arrows there, Cupid, Valentine’s Day is over.”
I was letting out an exasperated sigh when my phone rang.
Aiden.
My stomach did about nine somersaults. It wasn’t hugely out of the ordinary for him to give me a call. Usually he was looking for Brooke, or asking a question about school. But I had a feeling this was about yesterday.
“I’ll...be right back.” I scurried outside and answered. “Hello?”
“Hey, Nattie.”
“Hey. Uh, what’s up?”
“Are you at the diner with your dad?”
I gave a small laugh at the predictability of my routine and Aiden’s awareness of it. “Yeah, why?”
He hesitated. “Do you mind if I stop by for a sec?”
“Um, no, that’s fine.”
That was out of the ordinary.
“Okay, I’ll be there in, like, five minutes.”
CHAPTER FIVE
I WENT BACK in, appreciating the warm gusts of heated air that beat down on our table. I cleared my throat and tried not to make eye contact with either my dad or Marcy. Which was difficult, since they were both staring at me.
“Was that a boy, Miss Natalie?”
“No...I mean, yeah, but it’s Brooke’s boyfriend.” I avoided my dad’s gaze.
“Ooh, that tall one? She showed me a picture of him a long time ago when she first met him. He is cute. They’re still together? That’s so sweet.”
“Yeah, they’re pretty cute. Um. Daddy, he’s going to stop by here for a minute if that’s okay.”
He studied me, probably trying to figure out what was really going on—he didn’t stand a chance, since even I didn’t know—and Marcy elbowed him.
“That’s fine, sweetie, I’ll keep your dad company.”
I spent the remaining few minutes trying to calm my unnecessarily wrought nerves and to not watch every set of headlights. I failed, though, and finally one of the sets of headlights was his. He pulled into the lot and parked right outside. I looked down at my Sprite, but found myself watching him step out of his Jeep, lock it and make his way inside.
He looked particularly good, wearing a pair of dark jeans he’d had forever, a gray T-shirt and a black zip-up that was not zipped up. I really wished it was, since I realized my gaze had dropped to his abdomen. I had a flash of what it would be like to race my hand up under the cotton and feel his warm skin.
Whoa. That thought was super not okay. Get ahold of yourself, Shepherds.
He walked over to our table, and I could smell his body wash. I had always liked it, but it seemed like an odd thing to notice, much less to compliment.
“Hey, all,” he said. “Mr. Shepherds, how you been? He held out his hand and gave my dad a firm handshake.
“Hey, guy, good, good, how are you?”
I blushed a little at my dad’s enthusiastic greeting.
“And you’re...Marcy, is it?” Aiden shook her hand, too, and I noticed that his grip was considerably softer.
“Yes, it is,” she said, blushing a little.
“Natalie says you’re their favorite waitress, and she’ll accept diner fare from no one else, so I figured it must be you.”
“Oh.” Marcy waved a hand at me, blushing even more than I was.
“Do you all mind if I steal Natalie away for a few?”
“Of course!” responded Marcy, not my dad. “Here, why don’t you two settle up here at the counter, and I’ll grab you a nice piece of coconut cream pie. Natalie and John get it every time they come in, and I know you’ll love it.”
“Sounds awesome,”
