Maybe This Time(36)

“What about Caroline? Is she going to fire you? Really? Ask her who else she’s gonna get who she can order around like she does you.”

I sighed. “She doesn’t—”

“Don’t get your feathers ruffled. I’ll talk with her,” Mom said.

“No, don’t do that.”

“We’ll watch Gunnar, Ms. Evans. It’s fine,” Micah said, always the peacemaker.

“Thanks, Micah, sweetie. Maybe this daughter of mine could be a little more loyal occasionally.” Mom patted my cheek, and then left.





Who wants food?” Micah asked as soon as my mom was gone. “I do.”

“I want food,” Gunnar said. “I love Hank’s.”

“Yes, let’s go get food,” I said, a bit numb from humiliation.

“I want to see what the big deal about Hank’s Barbecue is,” Andrew said, for once not using this opportunity to say something rude. He walked alongside Micah and me toward the grill.

“It’s the best,” Gunnar said, skipping ahead of us in excitement.

“Oh, look,” Micah said under her breath, trying but failing to contain a smile.

“What?” I asked, but then saw what she was looking at. Kyle was in line for food, straight ahead of us.

“Time to eat your biscuit,” Micah said.

“What?” Andrew asked. “Is that some kind of Southern saying?”

“That’s what I call a Sophie saying,” Micah said.

“Don’t ask,” I said.

We joined the line.

I took a deep breath in through my nose. Did I even want to go out with Kyle still? I stared at the back of his head for a moment. He was cute in his cool I don’t care way, and he made me laugh. Yes, I was going to do this. I’d been wanting to do this and I didn’t give up on things I wanted.

“Hi, Kyle.”

He turned. “Oh, hey, Soph.”

“How come he gets to call you Soph?” Andrew asked from next to me, and I ignored him.

“How’s your summer going so far?” I asked Kyle.

“Uneventful. Yours?”

“Pretty good,” I returned.

Micah nudged me in the ribs, encouraging me to say more.

“Anything fun going on?” I asked.

“Not that I know of,” Kyle said with a lazy shrug.

Now or never.

“Maybe … we should do something, then,” I said.

“Well, I got that new job so I’m pretty busy, but … uh … okay.” Then he gave another shrug and turned back around to talk to Lincoln, who was standing by him.

I blinked once. That wasn’t the reaction I had anticipated. I’d thought I was the one holding up the progression of the relationship, not him. The rebuff stung. I tried to play it off like it was nothing.

“That was fun,” I said quietly to Micah. “You satisfied now?”

“No, I’m very unsatisfied,” she said. “I have a right mind to box him in the ears.”

I glanced at Andrew, who was silent. I was sure he understood what had just happened, but he had the decency to pretend he didn’t.

The line went fast and soon we each had a plateful of meat and a few sides. We found an open picnic table and sat. Gunnar watched Andrew intently as he took the first bite of ribs. I wasn’t sure if Andrew knew he had an audience or if he was being sincere in his reaction, but he said, “Mmmm. Wow. That’s good.”

“See,” Gunnar said. “I told you.”

“You know your food.”

Micah gave my arm a squeeze that let me know she felt bad about what had just happened with Kyle.

“I’m fine,” I said under my breath. And I was. Embarrassed, but fine, I assured myself.

“Are you going to be a cook when you grow up like your dad?” Gunnar continued the conversation with Andrew.

Andrew laughed. “No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I have no idea how to cook.”

“Your dad didn’t teach you?” Gunnar asked.

“My dad was a television chef. They provided him with top-of-the-line sous-chefs.” He paused, then added, “That means other chefs who help out the big chef. And then when my dad was finished with his show, he was helping other people with their food businesses.”

“Oh,” Gunnar said, nodding along.

“Sometimes these people really don’t know what they’re doing even though it’s their job, and he has to teach them from scratch.” Andrew circled his fork at Micah. “Not your dad. He’s good.”

“Aw, shucks. You probably say that to all the girls,” Micah said.

“I do,” he returned with a wink. And then to me he said, “I’m sure your dad’s a great chef too.”

“My dad is a two-bit loser,” Gunnar said, sounding exactly like our mother.

“Gunnar,” I said. “Not cool.”

Andrew began coughing, probably choking on his food. Micah patted his back until he stopped.

“You okay?” she asked.

“Yes.” He coughed a few more times then took a drink of water. “I’m good.”

“It’s okay,” Gunnar said. “Everyone knows it.”