They got to the restaurant, a small hole-in-the-wall Italian place with cloth napkins and a framed photo of the Pope on the wall. After a few moments of strained silence, Tobias set his water down on a spoon, and his utensils and the bread bowl went flying, which broke the tension. They managed to make it through the appetizers without any more mishaps, but the conversation stayed general, consisting mostly of small talk about construction and weather.
The server brought their entrées, and they spent the next few moments concentrating on their food, though Liddie sneaked glances at Tobias. To say he was different from Tally’s father would be a huge understatement. Richmond Douglas was lanky and blond and, despite being a career military man, had no tattoos. By contrast, Tobias’s burly frame seemed to be inked from neck to fingertips, at least that Liddie could see. Her face heated, thinking about all the tattooing she couldn’t see.
“This sauce has some heat, doesn’t it?” Tobias grinned at her.
Liddie cleared her throat. “Yes, it does.”
“You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m good.” She cleared her throat and set her fork and knife on the plate. “God, I’m sorry, Toby. I’m just . . . I don’t know.”
He reached for her hand, bumping his fingertips lightly against hers. “What’s going on? What don’t you know?” Tobias gave her hand a brief squeeze. He seemed surprised when she grabbed his hand and held on. “Liddie, talk to me.”
“This is . . . surreal, right? I mean, the two of us, having dinner, going a date, after all these years, after everything that’s happened.” She smoothed her hair back from her face with her free hand. “It’s just wild. Sometimes I don’t think it’s even real.”
Tobias brought her hand to his lips. Liddie ran her fingers through his beard before resting her hand on his cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into her hand, and Liddie thought she might cry because his expression was so sweet. Tobias took a deep breath and pressed another kiss into her palm before squeezing her hand.
“Holy crap.”
The two words that interrupted the tender moment were uttered by an older man who now loomed over their table. The man goggled at the couple, his eyes wide as he shook his head in disbelief.
“I know you don’t remember me—” the man began, only to be interrupted by Tobias holding up his hand.
Tobias squeezed Liddie’s hand and stood up to his full height, towering over the much smaller man. “The hell I don’t remember you. What do you want, Myrick?”
To his credit, Myrick didn’t show any signs that Tobias intimidated him, other than an initial wincing at the larger man’s harsh greeting. Instead, he gave the couple an embarrassed grin, took a deep breath, and launched into a speech.
“Actually, I wanted to apologize. Everything about that night was off, from the call that came into the station to the sheriff’s letting Miss Hopewell go with your father.” Liddie saw Myrick swallow hard. “It might not mean anything, since it’s been so long, but I’m sorry.” He looked from Liddie to Tobias and back. “Just goes to show that if two people are meant to be together, it’ll happen. Enjoy your dinner.” Myrick nodded at each of them and walked away.
Liddie tugged on Tobias’s hand. “Toby, come on. Sit back down. He’s gone.”
Tobias was breathing hard, almost like he’d been running a race, but he took his seat. Liddie stroked his head and ran her hand over his neck and down one broad shoulder. Tobias patted her hand and gave it a squeeze.
“I’m good, okay?” he said and then leaned over and pressed his lips to her cheek. “He was right, though. And I truly believe that.”
“You’re going to make me cry, Tobias Harper.” Liddie let out a little, shaky laugh. She leaned over and gave Tobias a kiss of her own and then sat back in her chair with a sigh. “I don’t know about you, but I think I need some tiramisu.”
“Sounds good, darlin’.”
´*•.¸(*•.¸ *¸.•*´)¸.•*´
They stayed until the restaurant closed and then ended up at a townie bar. They each got a cocktail, but both drinks sat untouched. Liddie was thinking about that night, long ago, as she watched Tobias approach from the other side of the bar. He slid back into the booth and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
“So what have you got going on this week, hmm? Any chance I can see you?” Tobias stroked Liddie’s cheek with the back of his fingers.
“Look at you, planning ahead when we haven’t even finished this date yet.” She didn’t even need to taste the drink to feel giddy and tipsy. Gary Myrick’s appearance during dinner seemed to have shattered some of the barricades between the two of them, and now, a few hours later, Tobias was giving her little touches and looks, and Liddie felt flirty, really flirty.
“So this is officially a date, then? Not just two old friends having dinner?” Tobias leaned over and ran his lips over her cheek.
“No, not just friends having dinner.” His hand, which had been resting lightly on Liddie’s knee, drifted up to her thigh.
“I’m glad to hear that, Liddie Hopewell Douglas,” Tobias murmured. He kissed her jaw. “Now, about this week: Do you have any plans? During the day or at night, either one?”
“Well, during the week, I have meetings three days. I’ve signed up to be a substitute teacher, and I have orientation. And then Tuesday night is curriculum night at the high school. We’re going to mortify Chloe and double-team her teachers.”
Tobias laughed. “Oh Lordy. Teacher’s pet gone bad.”
“I was not a teacher’s pet,” Liddie huffed. But when Tobias gave her a skeptical look, she giggled and admitted, “Okay, yes, I was.”
“I remember you wanted to be a teacher. That was one reason you didn’t come with me.” Tobias finally took a drink of his cocktail. “What became of that?”
Liddie nodded. “I eventually did get my teaching certificate, but not until Tally was five.”
“Why the delay?”
Liddie blew out a breath. “I went a little crazy when I got to California because of everything. I went from a man who would literally time me in the shower to having absolutely no supervision whatsoever. Because Micah never let me do anything, I didn’t have a lot of decision-making skills. I guess it wasn’t surprising that I ended up pregnant, considering. At least I was kind of a grown-up.”
Tell him, her little voice told her. Not now. We’re having a nice time, she retorted.
“You were in college.”
“Yep. Second-semester freshman. It was rough, but it wasn’t the end of the world. Rich seemed to be a good guy, and there was no doubt that he was going to marry me. But if he hadn’t, I would have been a single mom and it would have worked out, because it always does.”
“You said that Tally had a baby when she was in high school.” When Liddie sighed, Tobias held up his hands and said, “Not judging.”
“Well, I probably judged myself enough for both of us.” She laughed. “I played the blame game for a long time: ‘We should have been stricter. We should have been less strict. I shouldn’t have gone back to school. I should have gone to work earlier.’ All sorts of stuff that probably wouldn’t have made a lick of difference. But everyone survived. Tally actually graduated high school right on time and went to community college and got her transcription certificate. She makes good money transcribing legal documents. I keep telling her she should become a paralegal.”
“Candy tried the medical transcription thing. Lasted two whole days until she figured out that she’d have to cut her nails.”
“Seriously?” Liddie’s jaw dropped, but she quickly recovered. “No, of course you’re serious. That sounds just like Candy. Can I ask you a nosy question?”
Tobias chuckled. “I bet I can guess what you’re going to ask me, judging from the topics we just covered.”
“Ha! Okay, guess.”
“You’re going to ask me if I have any children, period, and if I have any children with Candy, right?”
“Yeah, you got it,” Liddie said with a little giggle.
Tobias winked at her. “See, this ninth-grade dropout isn’t too dumb after all.”
Liddie’s smile instantly disappeared. “There’s one thing you definitely were not, Toby, and that was dumb. It makes my blood boil that you even said that jokingly.”
Tobias stared at her, eyes blazing, and then he leaned into her and kissed her. The kiss didn’t last long, but it was so intense that it took her breath away.
“Oh.” The kiss rendered her speechless, stunning her a bit, but when she recovered, Liddie grinned at Tobias.
“Was it okay for me to do that?” Tobias, now sitting with his back against the booth, was shredding a napkin and looking worried.
In answer, Liddie grinned at him and pounced, grabbing his collar and returning that kiss. When she’d finished, she grinned again and simply said, “Yes.”
“No.”
Liddie blinked. “N-no?” she stammered.
“No, I don’t have any children, with Candy or otherwise.” He shifted in the seat. “That’s actually how I found out she was being unfaithful and whom she was being unfaithful with.” Liddie cocked her head at him in question. “I thought we were trying to have a baby. She made a big deal about showing me that she’d finished her pill pack and said she wasn’t going to keep using them. One day, I was getting jumper cables out of her trunk because I’d left the interior light on in my car and the battery was dead, and I found a giant pack of lambskin condoms.” Tobias sucked in a deep breath through his teeth. “My old man was the only person I knew who still used lambskin condoms. I mean, I will say, that’s one of the only things he was adamant about. ‘Always use a rubber—you don’t want no squalling brat and some bitch taking all your money.’ ”
“Oh God, Toby. That’s horrible. How long had you been married?”
“Eighteen years. But when I served her with divorce papers, she took great glee in telling me she’d been screwing Chet since before we got married.” He clucked his tongue. “She’d essentially been fucking that old goat for thirty years, and she still didn’t get a damn dime. Sometimes there is a bit of justice.”
A bleat of laughter escaped from Liddie. “Oh my Lord, that’s awful. I mean, it’s fantastic, but it’s so awful.” She tried to school her face into something somber, but when Tobias’s lip twitched and he snorted, she couldn’t do it, and they both ended up laughing so hard they were in tears.
Liddie wiped her eyes and said, while still chortling, “I hate to say it, but I need to get home. I have that orientation meeting tomorrow. I probably need to pay at least a little attention to it.”
Tobias nodded. He went to the bar and took care of the bill, and then they headed out. They didn’t talk a lot on the way home, but Tobias held Liddie’s hand the entire time. Once again, she was reminded of that last day. But this day? This day was going to have a happy ending.
They got to the house, and Tobias walked her up to the door. He held the screen while she unlocked the heavy, carved door. He leaned into her space when she turned to say good night.
“Oh!”
“Good night, Liddie.”
“Good night, Toby.” Liddie stretched up onto her toes to give him a kiss, and he surprised her by wrapping one arm around her waist and giving her butt a little squeeze. She whooped even as she continued kissing him, soon dissolving into giggles.
“I’ll call you tomorrow or the next day, and we’ll make some plans. Okay?”
“Sounds good.” Liddie grinned at him again, and just as she stretched up for one last kiss, the porch light started flashing off and on.
“Looks like it’s getting ready to burn out,” Tobias remarked.
“No, more like some smart-ass is paying me back for all the times I did the same thing to her.”
“Tally’s spying?”
“Most likely.” Liddie shook her head. “Silly woman.”
“Well then, let’s give her an eyeful.” Tobias dramatically dipped Liddie, holding on to her hip, with his hand squeezing her ass, and kissed her until she was breathless.
“Oh!”
“That’s right, girl. You just remember that.” He stood her upright and pushed open the door. “Night, Liddie. I’ll talk to you soon.”
Liddie, still stunned by the display, wiggled her fingers in a wave before touching her mouth and walked dazedly inside the house.
“Lock the door, Liddie. I’m waiting until you do.”
Tobias heard the lock snick, and then he turned and jogged down the stairs to his car with a spring in his step and a brand-new melody in his head.