I pulled into the parking lot. The restaurant was nearly empty, so they seated us immediately. Christy slid into the booth next to Danny and bounced like a kid on Christmas.
“It’s so great to see you!”
“Great to see you too, kiddo,” he said.
The waitress arrived to take our drink orders.
“May I have a glass of wine?” Christy asked. “White.”
“Beer for me,” Danny said. “Draft. Michelob or Miller.”
“I’ll have a Coke,” I said.
“Coca-Cola? Dr. Pepper? Sprite? Orange?”
“Coca-Cola, please.”
She wrote it down. “Be right back.”
“Sorry we were late,” I said to Danny after she’d gone.
“That’s okay.” He laughed. “I know how Birdy is about time. I asked at the duty desk, and they said UT is about thirty minutes up the road. So I hadn’t been waiting long.”
“Birdy?” I said.
“Short for Tweety Bird. Harry started it when she was little, and the name kinda stuck.”
“It’s ’cause I’m so cute.”
“I see the resemblance.” I grinned at her. “I’m learning all kinds of nicknames for you today.” I turned to Danny. “The guys in the art department call her Little B.”
“B for Birdy?”
“Bernini.”
“Don’t know him.”
“Famous sculptor. Baroque. Incredibly talented.”
“That’s our Birdy,” Danny said. “Started drawing almost before she could walk.”
She blushed at the praise.
We fell silent for a moment, until Danny gave me a piercing look.
“So, you’re Paul.”
“That’s the rumor.”
He glanced at Christy. “Mom said you started dating again.”
I shot her a look, which she avoided.
The waitress saved her. She delivered the drinks and pulled out her order pad. “You know what you want to eat?”
Danny smiled at her, and I studied him as he did. He was impossibly good-looking, with short blond hair, straight white teeth, and eyes the color of sapphires instead of Christy’s baby blue. He was taller than me and slimmer, with a swimmer’s build compared to my wrestler’s physique.
“We don’t have much time,” he told the waitress. “Is the special any good?”
“Filet of sole.” She nodded. “Pretty good, yeah.”
“I’ll have that with rice and vegetables,” he said.
“Same for me, please,” Christy said.
“Make it three, I guess.”
“Okay. I’ll put your order in.”
Danny took a sip of beer and leaned back in the booth.
I returned his look without challenge, but without backing down either.
“Birdy says you’re going to be an architect.”
“That’s the plan.”
He regarded me with a friendly smile. “You’re a cool one. I’ll give you that.”
“I wasn’t sure what to expect tonight.”
“So you’re on your guard? Not a bad idea. But I’m not the one you have to watch out for.” He grinned at Christy. “Dad and Rich are.”
“Oh my gosh. Don’t remind me.”
“Our dad isn’t the protective type,” he said to me, “but she’s his only daughter. Not to mention his favorite. And Rich…? Well, Rich doesn’t like anyone. He’s just mean.”
“He is not!” Christy said. “Don’t say that.”
“Yeah, I know. I just like teasing you.” He gave me a conspiratorial wink.
“But you have to admit, Birdy… Rich hasn’t liked a single guy you’ve ever dated.”
“He’s just protective. He loves me.”
“Yeah, I know. But he doesn’t think you know how to use the brains God gave you.”
“What do you think?” I asked coolly.
“I think she has a good head on her shoulders. She doesn’t have a clue about time or money, but that isn’t really her fault. The rest of us always took care of her. I guess that’s what you get when five older brothers raise you.”
He abruptly fell silent. Then he clenched his jaw and fiddled with the salt shaker.
I took a sudden interest in a ring of water on the table.
“I know,” Christy said softly. “Me too.”
He put his arm around her and squeezed. She hugged him back, and they sat in silence for a moment. Then he cleared his throat.
“So,” he said, in control once more, “Birdy says you’re a pilot.”
“Yeah. Civil. Obviously.”
“Obviously.” He grinned. “How come you didn’t go military, like your dad?”
“You know about my dad?”
“Oh, we know all about you,” he said with a friendly laugh. “The Carmichael grapevine has been on fire since Birdy started telling us about you.”
I shot her another look, which she also avoided.
“I wanted the pleasure of meeting you first, before the others scare you off.”
“I don’t scare very easily.”
He laughed again. “You haven’t met Dad. Or Rich.”
“Daddy will love him.”
“Rich won’t.” He grinned at me. “Rich is the family Mikey. He hates everything.”
“He does not! He’s just…”
“Disagreeable. So,” Danny repeated, “how come you didn’t join the military? I’m just curious, mind. But you’d better come up with a good answer before you meet Dad. He’s serious about it.”
“I never really thought about it,” I admitted. “I mean, I
seriously. I guess I always wanted to build things.”
Danny grinned. “Targets, you mean.”
“No, buil— Ah, I get it. Funny.”
“You’re right,” he said to Christy. “He’s a sharp one.”
“Leave him alone. You’re talking like we’re already married. We just started… um…” She looked down and finished in a small voice, “Dating.”
My eyebrows flew up in amusement. “I’m sorry, what was that?”
She gave me a pleading look.
