Read Evie's Knight for Free Online

home.
    “We grew up in this house, right?”
    She nodded.
    “I mean, it was a really great house. And we’d lived there our whole lives. Well when I was ten years old, my mother died.”
    Evie sucked in a quick breath. “I’m so sorry.”
    “They tried a million times over to transfer my dad to another base, but he always refused. He didn’t want to leave it–that home where we’d all lived together, you know? None of us did, really.” His eyes became fixed on something at the table. “I actually considered buying the place and staying behind. I mean, I was already looking to move out. But I couldn’t have done that to my father. I didn’t want him losing me and Parker too.” He looked back up to her. “And that’s the thing. Even though Parker didn’t want to leave, I knew he wouldn’t stay in Colorado without me. So that meant my choice, whatever it was, would be for the both of us.”
    “You guys are close?”
    “I wouldn’t put it that way. Parker gets into trouble a lot. He counts on me to bail him out.”
    Evie took a sip of her iced water, set the glass next to a stack of plates and crumpled napkins. She couldn’t help but feel closer to him in that moment, knowing they’d both lived half their lives without a mom. “So leaving that house, it must have been like saying goodbye to her all over again.”
    He rubbed his thumb along the edge of the table. “It was. Back at the house, I could visualize her walking down the hall in her yellow robe. Or look at the kitchen cupboards and remember the way she had to hop up onto the counter to reach the top shelf. She was short, like you,” he said, thrusting his chin toward her. 
    Yellowed light reflected in his brown eyes, adding a copper glow of warmth. She tried not to get lost in them as she realized something. Calvin was opening up to her–sharing a part of himself–inviting her in. She liked being there, close to his heart. Close to him. She wanted to reach out, take hold of his hand and close the distance between them.
    “Now it’s back on you,” he said, straightening up in his chair. “You’ve lived here your whole life?”
    She nodded, eyeing the waitress as she approached. “Here’s your check, you two.” She set the scribbled bill on the table and gave Evie a grin. “Be sure to tell your dad hello, Kiddo.”
    “I will. Thanks, Jane.” She watched the waitress disappear around the corner. “That woman’s been working here forever.” When she looked back to Calvin, Evie caught him gazing at her, the look of contemplation on his face. She looked down at her hands, spun the silver ring on her thumb around and around.
    Calvin slid his chair away from the table. “You’re off the hook until we get in the car,” he said, grabbing the bill. He came up behind Evie, resting his hand on her back as they headed up front.
    While Calvin paid, Evie wandered over to the fountain, reaching into her bag for some coins.
    “You ready to make a wish?” she asked once he joined her.
    He held out his hand, and she placed the rusted penny in the warm fold of his palm, wondering what it would be like to hold his strong hand in her own.
    She set her gaze back on the fountain streaming from the lion’s mouth. “Now if your coin lands in the top tier, it’s a guaranteed wish grant. If it lands in the next one down, we’re talking fifty-fifty chance of your wish coming true. If you miss the tiers completely, and it falls straight to the pool below, you’ll be granted good luck–but not the wish.”
    He jiggled the coin within his loose fist. “Guess I better get it in that top tier then.” He arched his hand over his head as if he were about to shoot at the hoop and tossed the copper coin over the pointed spokes of the iron fence. Drops of water splashed as the penny bounced from the top tier. It fell into the one below with a plunk. “Fifty-fifty chance, huh?”
    Evie nodded. “Not bad. Here I go.” She clasped the penny between her