“I have a million things to do before our date tonight. I really should get going. Go ahead and finish your sandwich.”
“You’re leaving?”
Zak paused. “I’m sorry. That was rude. I really do need to go. Tonight?”
“Listen , you obviously have a lot going on, so I’ll stop by to talk to Gage after I finish here.”
“Thanks .” Zak leaned down and kissed me. “I’ll pick you up at seven.”
“That was abrupt,” Ellie said as she slid into the booth across from me after Zak left. “What was that all about?”
“I think Zak is going to break up with me.”
“What? Why would you think that?”
“It’s the only thing that makes sense. I suggested a romantic evening of champagne and candlelight at his house , but he countered with dinner out at the Wharf. Then he got a text and left in the middle of lunch. And to top it off, he doesn’t believe that Blythe is in cahoots with Anthony Martucci.”
“Sweetie, no one but you believes that Blythe and Anthony Martucci are connected. I have to admit, though, that the rest seems odd. He does have that big project going on. Maybe he’s just distracted.”
“Maybe.”
“I talked to Jeremy earlier. He told me about the cats and dogs. That doesn’t seem like something a guy who was planning to break up with a girl would bother with.”
“Yeah, I guess. It just seems like something is going on. Maybe I just need to put it out of my mind. How was your date with Rob last night?”
“Confusing.”
“Confusing how?”
“I guess his babysitter canceled , so he asked Rick to stay with Hannah.”
I grimaced. I think I could see where th is conversation was going. Rick was Ellie’s ex. She hadn’t started dating his brother Rob until after they’d broke up, and I’d warned her at the time she started seeing Rob that there could be a conflict.
“I’d agreed to meet Rob at his house and Rick was there when I showed up. Rob was still in the shower , so Rick and I chatted. He said he missed me and was sorry we broke up. He wanted to know if we could try again.”
“What did you say?”
“I said that given the fact that Rob and I had been dating, it would be awkward at best. When I first started going out with Rob, I talked to Rick about it, and he said he was perfectly fine with the situation, but now I’m not so sure he is.”
“So what are you going to do?”
“Honestly, I have no idea. I really enjoy going out with Rob, but I also enjoy my friendship with Rick, although I’m pretty sure our romantic relationship had run its course by the time we broke up. If I choose one brother over the other, it’s only going to lead to trouble. I suppose it would be best not to date either of them, but I really like Rob, and I feel like there could be something more in our future if we give our relationship a chance.”
“Maybe you should have a heart-to-heart with Rick,” I suggested. “Explain your feelings for Rob and see what he says.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
“A word of warning, however,” I cautioned. “Rick is a fun sort of guy who doesn’t appear to be ready for anything serious, while Rob is older and has a child. Based on the few casual conversations I’ve had with him, I think there’s a very good possibility that Rob is ready to find someone to settle down with. The question is, are you ready for that sort of relationship?”
“Rob and I are really just friends,” Ellie countered. “I doubt he’s thinking about wedding bells right now.”
“ Maybe, but Rob has a child in need of a mother. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he didn’t choose the women he dates based on their potential to at least fulfill that role. I could be wrong, but it wouldn’t be bad to keep that in mind.”
“Yeah, okay , I will.”
“I need to get going .” I slid out of the booth. “I want to catch Gage Wheeler before he goes home for the day.”
“It’s early,” Ellie pointed out.
“Yeah, but Gage has a tendency to go in early and
“You’re leaving?”
Zak paused. “I’m sorry. That was rude. I really do need to go. Tonight?”
“Listen , you obviously have a lot going on, so I’ll stop by to talk to Gage after I finish here.”
“Thanks .” Zak leaned down and kissed me. “I’ll pick you up at seven.”
“That was abrupt,” Ellie said as she slid into the booth across from me after Zak left. “What was that all about?”
“I think Zak is going to break up with me.”
“What? Why would you think that?”
“It’s the only thing that makes sense. I suggested a romantic evening of champagne and candlelight at his house , but he countered with dinner out at the Wharf. Then he got a text and left in the middle of lunch. And to top it off, he doesn’t believe that Blythe is in cahoots with Anthony Martucci.”
“Sweetie, no one but you believes that Blythe and Anthony Martucci are connected. I have to admit, though, that the rest seems odd. He does have that big project going on. Maybe he’s just distracted.”
“Maybe.”
“I talked to Jeremy earlier. He told me about the cats and dogs. That doesn’t seem like something a guy who was planning to break up with a girl would bother with.”
“Yeah, I guess. It just seems like something is going on. Maybe I just need to put it out of my mind. How was your date with Rob last night?”
“Confusing.”
“Confusing how?”
“I guess his babysitter canceled , so he asked Rick to stay with Hannah.”
I grimaced. I think I could see where th is conversation was going. Rick was Ellie’s ex. She hadn’t started dating his brother Rob until after they’d broke up, and I’d warned her at the time she started seeing Rob that there could be a conflict.
“I’d agreed to meet Rob at his house and Rick was there when I showed up. Rob was still in the shower , so Rick and I chatted. He said he missed me and was sorry we broke up. He wanted to know if we could try again.”
“What did you say?”
“I said that given the fact that Rob and I had been dating, it would be awkward at best. When I first started going out with Rob, I talked to Rick about it, and he said he was perfectly fine with the situation, but now I’m not so sure he is.”
“So what are you going to do?”
“Honestly, I have no idea. I really enjoy going out with Rob, but I also enjoy my friendship with Rick, although I’m pretty sure our romantic relationship had run its course by the time we broke up. If I choose one brother over the other, it’s only going to lead to trouble. I suppose it would be best not to date either of them, but I really like Rob, and I feel like there could be something more in our future if we give our relationship a chance.”
“Maybe you should have a heart-to-heart with Rick,” I suggested. “Explain your feelings for Rob and see what he says.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
“A word of warning, however,” I cautioned. “Rick is a fun sort of guy who doesn’t appear to be ready for anything serious, while Rob is older and has a child. Based on the few casual conversations I’ve had with him, I think there’s a very good possibility that Rob is ready to find someone to settle down with. The question is, are you ready for that sort of relationship?”
“Rob and I are really just friends,” Ellie countered. “I doubt he’s thinking about wedding bells right now.”
“ Maybe, but Rob has a child in need of a mother. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he didn’t choose the women he dates based on their potential to at least fulfill that role. I could be wrong, but it wouldn’t be bad to keep that in mind.”
“Yeah, okay , I will.”
“I need to get going .” I slid out of the booth. “I want to catch Gage Wheeler before he goes home for the day.”
“It’s early,” Ellie pointed out.
“Yeah, but Gage has a tendency to go in early and
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