“You are breathtaking,” he said, with a sense of awe in his voice.
“Thank you,” I replied, not sure what else to say. Then I stepped back so he could come inside and once inside I informed him. “Momma is coming. She’s getting my younger sister’s started on making dinner. Then she’ll be in here.”
He was still looking at me. “I’m in no rush.”
I kept waiting on him to hand me the roses. Was I supposed to offer to take them and put them in water? Perhaps I should yank them away? I’ve seen this happen in movies, though I wasn’t sure what I should do. I thought the man handed the woman the flowers and then commented on her looks.
Momma walked into the room before I could decide and her attention went directly to Hale. He immediately responded, shifting his body, giving momma a respectful distance.
“Good evening, Marjaline Knox,” she said, holding out her hand.
Hale took it in the hand that was free: “Hale Jude, ma’am.” Then he handed the roses to her. “These are for you. A way to thank you for trusting me with your daughter this evening. It’s obvious where she gets her looks from.”
He was good at this. As cliché as that had sounded I think my mother blushed. Jude’s attractiveness was hard to ignore. Even for a woman my mother’s age. You simply had to look at the man.
“Thank you. I expect her home by eleven thirty. She’s a good girl, Hale Jude. I want her to return that way.”
He nodded. “Of course.”
I, on the other hand, wanted to crawl under the table and hide. This sounded like a talk a mother would give a high school prom date. Not a grown man. I wasn’t a child anymore.
“Well then, it’s good to meet you,” she said, then turned her attention to me. “Have a good time.”
That was code for don’t do anything stupid and be home when I said.
“Yes ma’am,” I replied.
“Momma, Bessy won’t let me eat a cookie!” Henry cried as he ran into the room. He saw Hale and froze, his eyes growing large, unaccustomed to a man being present.
“That’s because it’s almost dinner time. Get back in that kitchen and set the table like I told you.”
Henry responded “okay,” his eyes never leaving Hale’s. My brother backed away as if he alone knew something we didn’t beforehand. Henry then turned to run. I would remember this happened later. Then it all went back to normal. “Gwirls! There’s a man in yonder!”
I grinned and looked at Hale. He seemed rather amused. “That was Henry my little brother. He’s cherished the cupcakes you bought.”
Hale chuckled. “I’ll have to remember to stop by the bakery more often.”
Momma frowned at that. I wasn’t sure if it was because the idea of Henry eating more sugar was a bad one, or that Hale smothering me was a bother. Either way I decided we needed to get out of there before Bessy made up a reason to come in the room or Milly got home from work.
“I’ll see you tonight momma.” I then turned to cue the leaving.
Hale followed and opened the door for me to go through first.
“Again, it was a pleasure meeting you,” he told momma. She shook her head in response and then left.
Once we were safely outside I exhaled.
“You sound relieved.” His tone was amused.
“Trust me. The worst part of the evening is over. With that I have abundant experience. We were lucky, fortunate and blessed.”
He laughed. Thought it was funny. He didn’t know I’d defused a bomb. Or how badly that could’ve gone.
Chapter Sixteen
I’m not sure exactly what I expected. But this wasn’t it. A burger joint on the Alabama-Tennessee line was definitely not what I had in mind when I thought about where Hale Christopher Jude III would take me on a date. The good thing was I wasn’t over dressed. However, I guess maybe I thought a nice steak place would be his choice. Like, perhaps, All Steak in Cullman. I’d always heard how good it was and some of my friends had gone on dates there. When I was dressing this evening All Steak had been my hope, where I thought Hale would take me.
This place was not All Steak.