A Penny For Your Truth

Chapter 6 - Spaghetti (Dallas POV)

I think Mrs. Harper, I mean Emily, said something about dinner, I'm not really sure. All my thoughts are swirling around in my head so fast I'm not even sure I can process what I'm seeing. No. This isn't possible. Maybe he doesn't live here. I mean, he did say that he lives on the same street but for all I know it could be a hallucination. It's been a long week, so anything is possible.

"Did you have a nice time at the park? I hope those dogs weren't too much trouble." Emily says, as she slightly motioned me to come in past the doorway, snapping me back into reality.

Of course as soon as she said that, Duke and Leon started nipping at each other over a rope toy. Mr. Harper, I mean Daniel, gives them a look to knock it off and Leon struts back to his dog bed by the fireplace with the toy in his mouth. Of course the little dog is the leader around here.

A few seconds of silence must have gone by. By the way she was looking at me, I'm guessing she was waiting for a response from me. "They were great. I had fun. You guys have a very nice neighborhood." I manage to get out.

I glanced over at Jonah, who hasn't moved or said a word since I came in. He looks almost as confused as I'm feeling right now. Nice to know we're on the same page. By his expression right now, I don't think when he said he'd see me around, he meant thirty minutes later. At the house we're both now living in. I can't believe I accidentally snooped through his room. But can I really say I snooped? I mean I didn't really go through anything. Only looked at his pictures. Oh no, I hope they don't have cameras anywhere in their house. It seems pretty high tech. The last thing I need is for him to think I don't respect people's privacy. I mean, I've never had any. Sharing a room with three other girls and a house full of little kids meant that everything was shared whether you liked it or not. So I haven't experienced that luxury of privacy, but I know others care about that. Great, now I'm rambling and I haven't even opened my mouth yet. I'm going to make a fool of myself, and I can't even get away afterwards.

"You didn't have to do all of this for me." I say, somewhat trying to regain my manners now that my thoughts aren't so all over the place.

"It was no trouble at all. We wanted to give you a proper welcome. You picked an easy dinner anyways." Daniel says with a smile.

"Now, let's eat while everything is still warm. The dining room's right over there." Emily gestures in Jonah's direction. He hasn't moved. I wouldn't have either.

The silence seems to get a bit awkward, and Emily must notice because she turns to her son and says, "Jonah, do you want to say something?" with a glance my way.

He looks hesitant for a second, then with a smirk and a hint of amusement he says, "Hi Dallas. It's nice to meet you." I can hear a small amount of sarcasm behind his words, but thankfully I'm the only one that notices. "Welcome to our family." he finishes.

With an approving nod in his direction, Emily walks over to the table with Daniel trailing close behind and pulling out a chair for her. With them taking both ends of the table, that leaves Jonah and I quickly glancing at each other in an attempt to figure out this seating arrangement before things get more awkward than they already are. He slides out the closest chair with a glance at me, even though I'm still standing by the kitchen island, then he walks to the other side. Well, I guess that answers that question. I sit down, scooting myself forward, and do a quick glance around the table at everyone. Of course, when I look across the table, Jonah is looking back at me. I can't read his expression. Startled by the sudden eye contact, I clear my throat and look down. This is my chance to start over, a new family and all that jazz. The girls might actually be right about something. I've had many first meetings with families, but this is an actual second chance. I need to get a grip.