Free Her Last Love (Small Town Hearts Trilogy #1) by H.C. Bentley

year." Carter swallowed, wiping his mouth with his napkin. "Even when I have the boys, I try to go. They run around and play with the other kids, so we all have a good time." He turned questioning eyes to her. "What about you?"
    "Oh, I'm expected to show." Lynn smiled, held up her glass. "Kari is turning part of it into a Lynn-got-a-job celebration." Setting her glass down again, she picked up another portion of her sandwich. "Even without that, I'd still go."   
    Carter polished off his burger, and with his plate now empty, pushed it off to the side as he checked the time.   
    "Crap, I gotta get going." He took a quick drink. "Before I do, can I ask you a question?"  
    "Fire away."   
    "If I wanted to see you before the bonfire, as in on a date, would you be okay with that?" 
    "A date?"   
    "Yeah. That thing where two people get together, eat, maybe do some sort of activity." He gestured between the two of them, at the table. "Kind of like this, only planned."   
    "Oh. Um. Sure, okay."   
    "Friday night? Dinner and a movie?"   
    "Sounds good."   
    "Great, I'll pick you up at six-thirty."   
    "Um, you'll need my address." She watched him glance up from reaching for his wallet. "I found a place, moved in over the weekend."   
    "You don't waste any time."    
    "No, not when it's important." She held out a hand, wiggling her fingers in a hand-it-over gesture. "Give me your phone. I'll put my number in so you can text me and I'll give you my new address."
    While Lynn put her number into Carter's phone, he checked the ticket for their lunch, calculated a tip, and pulled the appropriate amount of money from his wallet. As she handed him back his phone, he tucked the cash under his plate before sliding out of the booth.   
    "I have to run, before my boss has a fit." He leaned over to kiss her cheek. "I'll be in touch about Friday. Lunch is on me." With that, she watched him stride out the door. And through the window, continued to watch as he climbed into his work truck and drive away. Lynn's attention was pulled back inside when Kari bounced into Carter's now-empty seat.   
    "Tell me." Kari leaned forward, pressing her palms on the table. "Tell me everything."   
    "Anyone ever tell you you're nosy?"   
    "All the time. Never stops me though."   
    "I've noticed."   
    "So? C'mon, spill it. I'm dying here!” Kari did a little wiggle in her seat.   
    "Spill what?" Lynn picked at the bread on the last section of her sandwich. "We chatted about my new place, my interview. He told me about the boys and things with his wife."   
    "Yikes. Like what?"   
    "Like the fact he filed for divorce."   
    "Wow." Kari, somewhat surprised at the news, sat up straighter. "Not that I blame him, 'cause the chick he’s married to is nuts, but I figured him to be a stick-it-out kind of guy."   
    "He tried. For the boys, he said. And so he'd have no regrets about not giving his marriage his all."   
    "Admirable."   
    "Yeah."   
    "Anything else?"   
    "Why?" Lynn looked at Kari, who was the picture of curiosity.
    "Oh." Kari made a show of studying her nails. "I saw him kiss your cheek, is all." She smirked at Lynn, quirked an eyebrow. "What was that about?"   
    "He asked me out." Lynn blurted out, still stunned by this. "We have a date Friday night."  
    "I  knew  it!" Kari, triumphant, stabbed her finger into the air.  
    "We are supposed to be giving being friends a shot. Not going on a date." Lynn's eyes looked a little wild, a little panicked. "One minute we're talking about bonfires and the next I'm giving him my number so he can text me. How the hell did this happen? Is this crazy?"    
    "No, but you will be if you don't calm down." Kari laid her hands over Lynn's on the table. "It's not like he's asking you to run away with him. You're just going on a date. What's the plan for Friday night?"   
    "Dinner and a movie."   
    "Perfect. It's laid back, relaxed. You'll be fine."