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MY THOUGHTS ABOUT my later return to the barrel were interrupted by Sonny, who was sitting on the bench outside the diner, watching my door as I came back out the space I’d gone through earlier.

“Hey.” He stood and smiled.

“Hey, Sonny.”

“Have you had dinner?”

I put my hands on my hips and looked at him. “I think you and I are going to need to have a talk.”

“So soon? We just met.” He smiled again, not oblivious to my unspoken message, but certainly trying to make me reconsider.

I opened my mouth to say something like “I’m not interested,” but he put his hand up and stopped me.

“Hang on,” he said. “It’s just dinner. I promise.”

“I … Why?”

He put his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “I’m not sure, except that I would like to get to know you better.”

“Dinner and that’s it.”

He huffed a laugh.

“Dutch.”

He smiled as if he’d won a prize and I fantasized about punching him in the nose and hopefully breaking his glasses—for just a second. Then I suddenly felt like I needed to fight off a smile of my own. He was undeniably a nerd, but cute, and had an attitude that was a bit too infectious. The opposite of mine.

“I actually have an idea for another location. Would you come with me?”

“I don’t want to go to Tucson.”

Sonny feigned shock. “Not on the first date!”

“Date?”

“I mean—you know what I mean.”

I did. I knew exactly what was going on here. I’d offered up rejection a time or two over the years. Not that I was immune from it myself, but I just hadn’t been able to find much interest in dating anyone. My life had been made of me figuring out how to take care of myself and immersing myself in my passions, things that included human remains—what was left of dead people. It simply didn’t occur to me to look for any sort of partnership.

I could have done the same with Sonny. I could have been blunt, and I would have if I really wanted to. There was suddenly … something about him. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings. Not yet.

“Yes, I accept—”

“Good—”

I lifted a hand. “Hang on though. I need to do something. Want to come with me?”

“Sure.”

“It involves getting dirty.”

“I sit behind a computer all the time. I’d love the chance to get a little dirty.” The double entendre was punctuated with lifted eyebrows.

I tried not to smile. “Wait here. I need to get some things.”

As Sonny waited out front, I gathered a box of gloves as well as a shovel. If anyone saw us, there would be questions, but I would think of answers if I had to.