Free About the Boy by Sharon De Vita

planted her hands on her hips and looked from one to the other. “Now, are we settled here?” Patience knocked a bejeweled fist to the table to get Katie’s attention. “Really, Katherine, I wouldn’t want to have to tell your mama you were being rude now—”
    “No. No of course not,” Katie said with a shake of her head and a weak smile. She looked at Lucas, saw the mischief dancing in his eyes and had to hang onto her laughter. “And you’re right, Patience,” she said solemnly. “I’ll apologize.”
    “See that you do, sugar. Now, is there anything else?” Her sharp gaze went from Katie to Lucas and back again as Katie and Lucas looked at one another, twin grins trying to sneak free.
    “Well, Patience, just one more thing. Are you going to be in the diner tomorrow?” Lucas asked, making Katie frown and wonder what he was up to now.
    Patience snorted out a laugh. “Every day of my life, sugar. Some say the diner is my life.”
    “I know,” Lucas said with a smile. “But you’ve been so helpful, I was wondering if you’d mind if I dropped off a little thank-you gift?”
    “Thank-you gift?” Patience beamed. “My, my, my, my, my, chief, that’s hardly necessary, but more than welcome.” She batted her eyelashes at him again. “And I’ll look forward to my present and to seeing you again.”
    “Good. I’ll stop in sometime tomorrow.”
    “And you know, chief, you got any problems, any problems at all, I’m always happy to help out.” Patience leaned down to speak directly into Lucas’s ear. “Don’t take it too personally, chief, but I just don’t think Katie’s all that interested in you. Sorry.” She gave him a whack on his shoulder that could have felled an oak. “But I’m always available. And you can buy me a pizza or anything else, anytime,” she finished with another wiggle of her brows. “Anytime at all, sugar.”
    “Uh…I’ll keep that in mind, Patience,” Lucas said with a nod.
    “Do that. And I’ll see you tomorrow.” Patience spotted the mayor across the room and waved her hand in the air. “Yoo-hoo, Mayor, there’s something we need to talk about.” Patience moved across the pizza parlor, then came to an abrupt halt and turned back toward Katie. “By the way, Katherine, what’s this I’m hearing about your mama running for mayor?”
    “It’s not true,” Katie assured her hurriedly. “Mama made a joke about it and someone took it seriously, but it’s not true.” Katie smiled and held up her hand. “Honest.” She hoped.
    Patience nodded. “Well then, as long as you’re sure…”
    “Oh, I am, Patience,” Katie said, realizing she was going to have to have that talk with her mother sooner rather than later.
    “Okay, then, I’ll make sure everyone knows it’s not true.” Patience nodded and headed off to the mayor’s table to harass him.
    The moment she was gone, both Katie and Lucas burst out laughing.
    “That’s the second time today you’ve managed to save my reputation,” Katie said with a grin. “But you realize that by morning everyone in town will think that I was downright rude to the new police chief.” Katie rolled her eyes. “No doubt we’ll both be getting phone calls from my mother. Yours to apologize for her rude daughter, and mine to tell me she taught me better manners than to be rude to anyone in front of the whole town.”
    Lucas chuckled and shook his head. “Hey, better that than have them talking about us having a romance.”
    “True,” Katie said with another laugh. “Absolutely true.”
    “I’m a firm believer in keeping your private life private,” Lucas said, watching Patience to make sure she didn’t round back on them.
    Katie looked at Lucas curiously. “And what’s this about a thank-you present?”
    Now Lucas grinned and leaned across the table so he wouldn’t be overheard. “I’ve got to get rid of that litter of puppies some way, don’t I?”
    Katie laughed, but she couldn’t think of anyone