The Hot New Single Dad Next Door (Welcome to Kiss County #2)

Chapter 8

8

SCOTT

“ S o, that’s your new neighbor?”

I hear it in Summer’s tone. That urge for information. That hint for gossip. “Yes,” I answer as I chew on a fry. “That’s my new neighbor.”

Summer eyes me across the table while the children munch on their little sandwiches. When I say nothing more, her brows arch upward, urging me to keep talking.

I pop another fry into my mouth instead.

“Oh, come on,” Summer says, disappointed.

“What?” I ask, playing dumb.

“You know what.”

“No, I don’t.”

Summer takes a quick stab at her salad, her motherly eyes checking in on Sonya for a brief second before hopping right back to me.

We sit for another minute, silently eating our lunches.

“She’s pretty,” Summer says.

I exhale. “Summer.”

“Do you like her?”

I don’t answer, but that’s just gas on the flame.

Summer chuckles. “Uh-huh.”

“Stop,” I say.

“Kiss County strikes again.”

“No, it hasn’t.”

“You ask her out yet?”

“Of course not.”

“Why not?”

“We just met,” I say.

“So?”

“So… it’s complicated.”

Summer pops a crouton into her mouth. “Well, if you won’t go for it, I might,” she says, her sharp eyes finding Lottie across the diner. “She’s cute.”

I don’t reply.

Summer softens. “Oh, come on,” she says. “We can joke about it, can’t we? Can we please get to the part where we can joke about it, Scott?”

“You can joke about it,” I say with a nod. “I’ll... catch up eventually.”

Summer bows her head, accepting that. “So, what makes it complicated?” she asks. “Other than the obvious, of course,” she adds, giving Liam a warm smile, but he’s too busy peeling the crust off his bread to care.

I glance across the diner, feeling my eyes pulled toward Lottie’s natural gravity. She’s standing at the register, chatting with a customer on their way out. She laughs with a genuine smile that I feel deep in my chest.

Cute doesn’t even begin to describe her.

“She hates me,” I say.

Summer snorts. “No, she doesn’t.”

“I bought her bakery.”

“You bought a bakery?”

“The space for my shop,” I explain. “She wants it. Been saving for years to open up a bakery in town, but I bought it before she could.”

“Darn,” she says teasingly. “What a jerk.”

“Kind of feel like one, not gonna lie.”

“She’ll get over it.” Summer takes a sip from her coffee. “It’s not like you slighted her on purpose.”

“I know. But I feel conflicted about it.”

“That’s because you’re a good guy. Not an A-S-S-H-O-L-E bone in your body,” she spells out for the kids’ sake.

“It’s business,” I muse. “It’s not personal. But still.”

“Well, in my business, no mother trusts her child with a man she hates. Just putting that out there.”

I shake my head, giving Lottie another glance. This time, we make eye contact and she smiles, waving at the table from the register.

“Go talk to her,” Summer says.

“Why?” I ask.

“Because you want to. Because she wants you to.”

“No, she doesn’t.”

Summer raises that knowing brow again.

“She’s working,” I say.

I jolt as the toe of her shoe collides with my ankle under the table.

“Ow!” I hiss.

“Go talk to her,” she says again.

“Why are you pushing this, Summer?”

“Because I love you, you’re my best friend, and I’m firmly invested in your personal happiness and well-being. Now, go talk to the pretty lady or I will.”

I glare at her as I rub my ankle beneath the table.

Summer moves to stand up.

“Wait,” I say, making her sit back down as I rise. “I’ll go. You watch the kids.”

Summer grins. “Oh, I will.”

I run a hand through my hair and straighten my shirt as I walk up to the counter. As I do, one of the other waitresses spots me first and elbows Lottie in the side. Lottie winces and starts to scold her before seeing me approach. Then she straightens up and pushes the other waitress away.

“Hi! How’s it going?” Lottie asks, then looks over my shoulder. “I didn’t forget the dressing on the side, did I?”

“No,” I answer. “You didn’t. Everything is fine.”

“Liam’s good? He can get kinda antsy sitting in a booth sometimes.”

“He’s great. We’re all fed and happy. I just came over to say hi and to see how you were doing.”

“Oh,” she says. “I’m okay.”

“I’m sorry to spring Summer on you,” I say. “I didn’t expect her to drive down here so quickly, but she had an opening in her schedule this morning and just kinda went for it.”

“No, it’s all right,” Lottie says, looking down. “She’s right. The faster we move, the safer Liam will be.”

“That’s true. Summer’s the best at what she does. You can trust her.”

Lottie nods with another glance over my shoulder. “So, she’s Sonya’s mother,” she says. “Your ex-wife?”

I nod. “Yeah.”

“She’s pretty.”

“Yeah, she’s a looker, as they say.”

Her mouth quirks. “As who says? World War II vets?” she jokes.

“She’s all the rave down at the sock hop.”

Lottie chuckles. “Well, she’s caught the eye of plenty here at the soda shoppe, too,” she adds, glancing around the tables.

“What are you doing tonight?” I ask.

She pauses. “Oh, tonight, I’m making muffins.”

I perk up. “Really?”

“I believe I owe you a batch.”

“Great. Maybe we can have them for dessert?”

“Dessert?”

“A treat usually consumed after dinner.”

“You… want to have dinner?” she asks slowly. “With me?”

“Well, with you and the kids,” I say, turning up my hands. “It’ll give us a chance to talk some more. Maybe about some less serious things.”

A bell dings behind her.

“Order up, Lottie!” Bruno barks from the window.

She nods at him, then turns back to me. “I gotta get back to work, but…” She smiles. “Sure. Dinner would be great.”

“All right.” I step back, satisfied. “I’ll see you after your shift.”

Lottie nods as she turns away.

“Oh—” I say, stopping her. “Liam’s been asking for his Bernie?”

“That’s his bunny,” she says. “It’s a plush rabbit he’s had since he was born. It’s in his room.”

I tap the counter as I step back. “All right. I’ll swing by and grab it after lunch.”

With a nod, she walks away to grab the plates waiting to be delivered to the other tables.

I leave her to her work and return to our booth, purposefully ignoring Summer’s smug grin as I sit down.

“What?” I say as I take a sip from my soda.

“Nothing,” Summer says, sitting back. “Small Town looks good on you, that’s all.”

I don’t reply.

But I don’t think she’s wrong, either.

Summer makes a face. “So serious,” she says with a funny voice that makes Sonya laugh. Her laugh makes Liam laugh and suddenly they’re all giggling as Summer tickles Sonya.

I smile as I peek over my shoulder at Lottie again.

And she looks back.