She also realized she was hungry. She’d shopped for their special, romantic meal and hadn’t bought much in the way of groceries. Having no real food in the house, she decided to head into town and grab a bite to eat at one of the diners.
Not having heard from Mike, and assuming he was hanging out with his family, she didn’t want to go to the diner on Main Street. That was too close to his place and if she happened to end up at the same restaurant, it might seem too much like she was spying. Or merely desperate.
When she pulled into the parking lot of the diner just south of town a half hour later, she realized it was a good thing she’d come so early. She had heard stories about how the summer tourists filled every corner of the island from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Now she had proof. The roads were busy, the parking lots full. Tourists streamed into and out of the shops and several groups were awaiting tables in the diner.
Deciding to just order something to go, she walked up to the counter. But before she even caught a waitress’s attention, she heard her name.
“Lindsey!”
Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Mike waving from across the crowded eatery. He sat with two extremely good-looking, dark-haired men, and two very pretty brunettes.
Mike got up and came over to her, maneuvering his way through the crowd. She noted how relaxed and happy he looked. Having his family visit had done him a lot of good. If she’d had any family she wanted to claim, she supposed she would feel the same way.
“Hi,” she said when he reached her.
“Hi. I tried to call you at the cottage a few minutes ago.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. My cousins and their wives have been harassing me and calling me the worst guy in the world for not inviting you to join us for dinner. They’re heading back on the seven o’clock ferry and really wanted to meet you.” He leaned closer, lowering his voice. “I couldn’t really explain...”
That they were secret lovers? That this was supposed to be a short-term fling, and she and Mike might not see each other again once she left the island in another week?
Oh, God, the very thought of that stabbed her in the heart. She was shocked to find moisture in her eyes, and blinked rapidly to keep him from noticing it.
What was happening to her? If just the idea of losing Mike was enough to make her tear up—yes, she, Lindsey, who never cried—what on earth was going to happen when she actually had to leave here? When reality came knocking and she stopped having the luxury of a secret affair with the man of her dreams, and instead had to return to her competitive job and her high-stress life. How would she possibly survive? Most of all, how would she survive without him?
“Hey, are you okay?” He took her arm, obviously concerned. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she insisted, not wanting to reveal how fragile she was feeling. “I’m fine.”
Across the restaurant, she noticed four faces watching them avidly. Their heads came together to whisper, and they all offered her welcoming smiles and gestures. It appeared they really did want her to join them.
And suddenly, she wanted to. She was so tired of sneaking around, never being able to risk a smile at him for fear it would be correctly interpreted. Never able to show that she and Mike had more than a passing acquaintance, though she knew him more intimately than she’d ever known anyone in her life. She was sick of all of it.
“Yes, Mike, I’d love to join you,” she said, making her decision. Then, just as quickly, she backpedaled a little. “I mean, as long as it’s okay with you.”
“Are you kidding?” he asked, giving her a disbelieving look. “I’d love it. And for what it’s worth, nearly all the people in this restaurant are outsiders. Other than the waitresses, I don’t recognize any locals.”
Oh. So he was still worried about that.
She sighed inwardly, knowing it wasn’t fair to be bothered by it. Mike was just playing by the rules she, herself, had laid down. Perhaps as the end of his six-month probationary period drew closer, he was becoming more concerned about keeping his job. He wouldn’t want any kind of scandal or gossip to interfere with that, especially since he’d already made an enemy of Mrs. Franklin over her book.
“Come on, we have an extra chair already.”
With his hand on the small of her back, he led her through the crowded place. Lindsey’s steps slowed the closer they got.
The whole family thing had sounded fine a minute ago. Now, though, she had begun to feel like an inmate walking toward an execution.
This was so far out of her realm of experience. She had never once been introduced to the family of someone she was dating. And of course she’d never introduced hers to anyone.