She had chatted with me while I waited for Tom, and I enjoyed her low voice and sweet laughter. My usual shyness seemed
to disappear around her. I couldn’t keep my eyes off her, following her movements as she busied herself with a seemingly endless list of tasks. I drank an inordinate amount of coffee and ate two slices of pie, just to get her over to my table. She had a way of drawing me into her warmth, making me want more.
More of her time and beautiful smiles. More of her.
I realized Tom was staring at me, waiting for my answer. "Yes. I left my glasses."
"I can wait."
"I'm, ah, hungry. I'll eat and then grab a cab."
Tom chuckled. "This isn’t the big city, Evan. A cab will be hard to come by out here.”
"I'll grab a ride with someone."
He glanced toward the diner. "The food is good." Then he smirked. "So is the service—or should I say, the staff—one in particular."
I narrowed my eyes at him. He returned my gaze steadily. "Holly is a good friend of my wife, Leslie, and me. We’re both fond of her. Tread carefully."
"I just want a cheeseburger, Tom."
He laughed. "We have a Wendy's if that's all you're after."
"Um…”
"Carefully, Evan. Just saying." He paused. "I'll call your cell when I know what the problem is with your car."
Clutching my duffle bag and cell phone, I nodded as I got out of the cab of his truck.
“Thanks. Goodnight.”
I watched him drive away, wondering what the hell I was doing. Then I headed back into the diner.
2
Evan
A sweet smell hit me as I entered the diner, rich with cinnamon and sugar—it was obvious pies were being made for the next day. The scent was tantalizing. The diner was emptier than it had been earlier. I made my way to a table and sat down, placing my small bag on the chair beside me. Holly came out from the kitchen, her face breaking into a smile when she saw me. Once again, I was struck by how lovely she was as she walked toward me. She held up my glasses. "I was going to drop these off at the garage for you in the morning." Then she frowned as she glanced toward the window. "Why is Tom leaving? What is he doing? I told him you needed a ride to the motel!" She began to hurry toward the door before I stopped her.
"It's fine. I sent him back to town."
"Why? I'll get him back. You came for your glasses, and now you have them!"
I shook my head and drew in a deep breath. "I didn't come back only for my glasses. I wanted to spend more time with you."
Her light-blue eyes widened. "Oh."
I hesitated, worried about her reaction. "Is that okay?"
Pink tinged her cheeks. "Yeah, it is."
"Good."
"Can I get you something?"
I smiled. I hadn't totally lied to Tom—I was hungry. "May I have a cheeseburger? With fries?"
She laughed. "Yes."