29
Dillon
“Hey, what’s up?” Reardon asked as Laurel and I walked into his office.
I’d called ahead to let him know we were en route, while Laurel was in her shop. Luckily, he’d just finished with a client and was available to speak with us right away. If he thought it strange that Laurel and I were there together, he hid it well.
“Can you look over some paperwork for Laurel? We’re pretty sure her parents turned the flower shop completely over to her, and therefore have no say in what she does with it, but we want to be sure.”
“Of course,” Reardon said, standing and reaching for the folder Laurel held.
She gave it to him and said, “Thank you so much, Rear. I really appreciate it.”
“No problem, do you need it back today?”
Laurel waved her hand slightly and said, “As soon as you can get to it. I don’t want you to rearrange your schedule or anything.”
Reardon placed the folder down on his mound of files and said, “Okay. I’ll let you know when it’s done.” Then he shifted to look at me and asked, “Want to grab lunch?”
We usually ate lunch together, and I know he probably expected me to say yes, but I shook my head and said, “Uh, we were actually on our way to lunch.”
“Oh,” Reardon said, his eyes shifting between Laurel and me, then he grinned. “Of course.”
“He can come with us,” Laurel told me, then turned toward him and repeated, “You can join us.”
“I wouldn’t want to be a third wheel.”
“You wouldn’t be,” she assured him. “It’s just lunch. Tell him, Dillon, he should come.”
“Yeah, man, why not? It’s just the diner,” I said, even though I’d kind of been looking forward to the alone time.
But, we had agreed to meet up tonight, so, silver lining.
“All right, if you guys are sure… I’m starved.”
“What’s wrong, Chris eating all of your Cap n Crunch?” I joked as we walked out.
Chris was Chloe’s teenaged son, and had been eating everything he could get his hands on. Reardon was constantly complaining about his favorite snacks being gone.
“No, but when I went looking for my Cool Ranch Doritos last night, they were gone,” Reardon said sulkily. “I’d hidden them in the bottom cupboard and everything. That boy’s got a sniffer better than a bloodhound. “
Laurel’s laughter followed us out onto the street as we began the short walk to the diner.
“Hello, Mrs. Dingle,” we said in unison, causing Laurel to laugh again, and Mrs. Dingle to blush happily.
“Well, if it isn’t the Lewis boys and the pretty Turner girl. Aren’t you a handsome lot.”
Mrs. Dingle was as much a part of Cherry Springs as the gazebo by the duck pond. A town treasure.
“Thank you, ma’am,” Reardon said jauntily, then asked, “What are you doing for lunch? Would you like to join us and be my date?”
“I already ate, but thanks for the invitation. I look forward to seeing the formal invitation for your wedding in my mailbox, young man.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Reardon promised.
As she walked past us I grinned at him and mouthed busted, and he punched me in the shoulder.
I opened the door to the diner and held it for Laurel and Reardon to walk through.