“I don’t,” she said. “They’re not prescription. They just have a blue-light filter.”
“A what?”
She adjusted the glasses. “Electronic devices emit blue light, and some people say it’s bad for us to be exposed to so much. Someone in Blue Moon told Quincy and Henna, and they insisted I get some special glasses. The ones they suggested looked more like safety goggles so I found these as a compromise. I figure they might help me look different, since I won’t be wearing sunglasses in the dark. It worked for Superman, right?”
“Huh.”
“You don’t like them?”
There was a hint of a smile on her lips and I had a feeling that if I said no, I hated them, she’d just smile that big pretty smile of hers and go on wearing them. But I didn’t hate them. They looked adorable on her.
“They’re fine.”
“Okay, good. Are we ready?” she asked. “How do I look?”
She did a little twirl and I swallowed hard. She looked sexy as hell. Like the sort of girl I’d have been proud to introduce to my mom. And the sort I’d hope I’d get to bring home with me after a night out.
But she wasn’t. She was Callie, and this wasn’t a real date. But damn it, she looked amazing.
“You look all right,” I lied.
“I guess that’s good enough.” She grabbed her giant handbag and slung it over her shoulder.
“Do you really need all that? What do you even keep in there?”
She glanced down at her bag. “No, probably not. I’m just used to carrying it around.”
“Looks like you could live out of that thing.”
“I have lived out of it.” She patted the bag. “More than once.”
“Fine. Let’s just go.” I turned for the door.
“We don’t have to go out if you don’t want to,” she said.
I paused with my hand on the doorknob. “What makes you think I don’t want to?”
“I don’t know. You just seem kinda grouchy tonight.”
She wasn’t wrong. I was wound up so tight I felt like I might snap. Flexing my fist, I took a deep breath. I needed to calm my ass down. I didn’t even know what had me so fucking irritable.
“I don’t mind,” I said without turning to look at her. “Dinner at Moonshine sounds good.”
“Okay, if you’re sure. Because dinner at Moonshine sounds amazing. I haven’t eaten there in so long.”
I cracked a smile and glanced over my shoulder. “It’s the best.”
She smiled again, so pretty it almost hurt to look at her. The scar on her face made her lip curl at an odd angle, but it was cute. Distinctive.
And right there was a part of what had me so edgy. Looking at her sent my emotions spinning out of control. She was beautiful in ways I’d never expected. But that scar on her face was a constant reminder of what her father had done to her. The mix of desire and anger was potent, almost intoxicating.
I didn’t have an outlet for any of it. And it was making me a grumpy bastard. Grumpier than normal, anyway. But none of that was her fault.
“You don’t look all right, you look beautiful,” I grumbled. “The dress is nice.”
“Thank you, Gibs.” She stuck her hands in little openings in the dress and twisted back and forth a few times. “It has pockets.”
I chuckled. She really needed to stop being so goddamn adorable. She was killing me.
We went out to my truck and I opened the door for her. Figured I could drum up some manners. I drove us into town and parked outside Moonshine. She waited while I got the door for her again. Took her hand to help her out. There was that smile again, making my insides feel all twisted.
Without really thinking about it, I clasped her hand while we walked. It was small and soft against my calloused palm.
It felt good.
Moonshine Diner had been a staple in Bootleg Springs for as long as I could remember. Hadn’t changed much, either, which I appreciated. Still filled the block around it with the scent of good cooking.
Most of the tables were full tonight, but there was an open one near the back. The din of conversation hushed for a few seconds when we walked in. Heads turned. People watched. Some whispered to each other.
I held Callie’s hand and ignored them. It only took a few seconds for people to go back to their dinners, the noise level rising again.