and Mallory split up.” She had been, too. That was, of course, before she’d gotten him to herself for a few minutes.
He shrugged. “Wanted different things.”
It was a lot worse than that, from what Rose had told her. Mallory kept putting off starting a family until Drew finally dug in his heels and told her he didn’t want to wait anymore. She’d finally confessed she’d never planned to have kids and didn’t tell him because she was afraid of losing him. He tried for a while after that, but besides the fact he still wanted kids, he couldn’t get over the fact Mallory had started lying to him before they were even married and never stopped.
“Better cheeseburgers than alcohol,” she told him, trying to lighten the mood again.
He chuckled. “Yeah, until you can’t strap on your gun belt and live in fear of having to chase somebody down.”
She handed his order slip to Gavin, who’d replaced Carl and was preparing for dinner. The special was a steamed haddock with a sauce in a language Liz didn’t understand, so she suspected Ava wouldn’t be putting many checkmarks on the specials sheet during the dinner hour.
Paige had disappeared into the office and they’d pretty much finished the prep work, so Liz poured herself an ice water and went back to talk to Drew. “So, based on customer comments today, we’re quite the Facebook sensation.”
“I swear there are people inventing reasons to talk to me just so they can ask about it.”
“Does it bother you?”
He scoffed. “Of course not. This isn’t the first time the good folks of Whitford have speculated about my personal life.”
“It’s something I’ll have to get used to again, I guess. I was a little more anonymous in New Mexico. In some ways it’s freeing to live someplace where people haven’t known you since you were born. But in other ways, it’s lonely. It’s nice having a shared history with people. Stories, you know?”
“Like the time I put the plastic wrap over the toilet bowl in the bathroom your brothers always used, but Rosie was cleaning the other one, so you used that one and peed all over yourself?”
She’d screamed so loud Rose had come running, with her father close on his heels. Drew had been sent home, which meant calling his father and asking him to pick him up out on the road, since Andy wasn’t allowed on the Northern Star property. “I still haven’t forgiven you for that. Someday there will be payback.”
He grinned and butterflies started dancing around in the pit of her stomach. He’d always been handsome, but a little more serious than her brothers, so when he flashed that boyish grin, it really hit hard. “Your old man made me split a cord of hardwood for that. I paid my dues.”
“Not to me.”
Gavin called out her name, so she went to the window and grabbed Drew’s salad. He didn’t want any dressing, which she thought was weird and said so.
“My dad doesn’t like dressing, either. I’m not sure we ever had any in the house, so I’m used to it plain.”
“Salads are made to be covered with cheese, bacon bits and ranch dressing.”
He shook his head, sprinkling salt and pepper over the plate, which she thought was even more weird. “Pretty sure a cheeseburger would be better for you.”
Paige emerged from the office, and Liz could tell by the rosy glow she’d been on the phone with Mitch. “Sorry to disappear, Liz. Everything going okay out here?”
“Except for the part where she harasses customers about their food choices,” Drew said in a dry tone.
Paige’s eyes got big for a few seconds before she relaxed with a shaky laugh. “It’s funny, but because I only met you at our wedding and you just moved back, sometimes I forget everybody knows you. Here I am worried about how you’re treating our police chief, when you guys already have this whole history together.”
Drew choked and ended up downing half his soda before he could talk again. “Sorry, went down the wrong
He shrugged. “Wanted different things.”
It was a lot worse than that, from what Rose had told her. Mallory kept putting off starting a family until Drew finally dug in his heels and told her he didn’t want to wait anymore. She’d finally confessed she’d never planned to have kids and didn’t tell him because she was afraid of losing him. He tried for a while after that, but besides the fact he still wanted kids, he couldn’t get over the fact Mallory had started lying to him before they were even married and never stopped.
“Better cheeseburgers than alcohol,” she told him, trying to lighten the mood again.
He chuckled. “Yeah, until you can’t strap on your gun belt and live in fear of having to chase somebody down.”
She handed his order slip to Gavin, who’d replaced Carl and was preparing for dinner. The special was a steamed haddock with a sauce in a language Liz didn’t understand, so she suspected Ava wouldn’t be putting many checkmarks on the specials sheet during the dinner hour.
Paige had disappeared into the office and they’d pretty much finished the prep work, so Liz poured herself an ice water and went back to talk to Drew. “So, based on customer comments today, we’re quite the Facebook sensation.”
“I swear there are people inventing reasons to talk to me just so they can ask about it.”
“Does it bother you?”
He scoffed. “Of course not. This isn’t the first time the good folks of Whitford have speculated about my personal life.”
“It’s something I’ll have to get used to again, I guess. I was a little more anonymous in New Mexico. In some ways it’s freeing to live someplace where people haven’t known you since you were born. But in other ways, it’s lonely. It’s nice having a shared history with people. Stories, you know?”
“Like the time I put the plastic wrap over the toilet bowl in the bathroom your brothers always used, but Rosie was cleaning the other one, so you used that one and peed all over yourself?”
She’d screamed so loud Rose had come running, with her father close on his heels. Drew had been sent home, which meant calling his father and asking him to pick him up out on the road, since Andy wasn’t allowed on the Northern Star property. “I still haven’t forgiven you for that. Someday there will be payback.”
He grinned and butterflies started dancing around in the pit of her stomach. He’d always been handsome, but a little more serious than her brothers, so when he flashed that boyish grin, it really hit hard. “Your old man made me split a cord of hardwood for that. I paid my dues.”
“Not to me.”
Gavin called out her name, so she went to the window and grabbed Drew’s salad. He didn’t want any dressing, which she thought was weird and said so.
“My dad doesn’t like dressing, either. I’m not sure we ever had any in the house, so I’m used to it plain.”
“Salads are made to be covered with cheese, bacon bits and ranch dressing.”
He shook his head, sprinkling salt and pepper over the plate, which she thought was even more weird. “Pretty sure a cheeseburger would be better for you.”
Paige emerged from the office, and Liz could tell by the rosy glow she’d been on the phone with Mitch. “Sorry to disappear, Liz. Everything going okay out here?”
“Except for the part where she harasses customers about their food choices,” Drew said in a dry tone.
Paige’s eyes got big for a few seconds before she relaxed with a shaky laugh. “It’s funny, but because I only met you at our wedding and you just moved back, sometimes I forget everybody knows you. Here I am worried about how you’re treating our police chief, when you guys already have this whole history together.”
Drew choked and ended up downing half his soda before he could talk again. “Sorry, went down the wrong
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