“Sounds good.”
I smiled and took off toward one of the few empty tables in the diner.I pulled the papers from my bag and placed them in piles, thinking back to the event yesterday.While it had gone wonderfully, I felt like I was losing my mind.I still hadn’t heard a word from Noah—my message had gone completely unread—but I could have sworn I saw him a few times yesterday in the crowd.Of course, each time I saw him, someone interrupted me and pulled my attention away.When I turned back around, he was gone.
I’d gone home last night, put Sarah to bed, and then pulled out all of his letters again, re-reading them, and then I went to the message I’d sent to see it was still unread, then I deleted it and focused on the paperwork in front of me, working until the wee hours of the morning, and now I needed to get through this menu and figure out what it was I was missing.
“More coffee?”
I only nodded, afraid that if I looked up from what I was working on, I’d lose my concentration.
“Ha, I told Tristan you’d want cinnamon rolls.”She smiled as she looked over the list I’d been working on.
“Of course I’d want those.”I giggled as Brooke filled my mug.“I’d have to be crazy not to have those on the menu.Not only were they the holiday winner, but they are a holiday favorite now.I think if you were to take them off the menu, the town would revolt.”
“I know.I might have started a small cinnamon roll cult.”
“Oh, I meant to ask, how is Sarah?”
“Good, really good.We are getting ready to decorate her room tonight; she’s really excited.I should have you put two cinnamon buns into a box for dessert tonight, along with those cookies.”
“Good to hear, and no problem.I’ll add them right away.”Brooke patted my shoulder and then turned to continue refilling other’s mugs when I heard her welcome someone.It was then I’d remembered one other thing I’d been missing and jotted it down, not paying attention to who she was speaking to.I let out a sigh and placed my pencil down on the table, picking up my coffee.I was about to take a sip when a familiar scent of cologne enveloped me.
Memories flooded my mind as I inhaled deeply.There was only one person I knew who wore that cologne, and there was no way he was here.It wasn’t possible… My mind was playing tricks on me again.It was only because I’d just spent the last few days looking over Noah’s letters that I would have even remembered that scent.Some letters, even though it was faint, still smelled exactly like him.It was the same as yesterday, his letters; that was the only reason I’d thought I’d seen him.
I shook my head and went to pick up my pencil and get back to working on the menu when I felt a warm hand on my shoulder.
I froze as my eyes fell to the hand that rested on my shoulder, and I slowly raised my head to see a pair of bluish-gray eyes staring back at me.With my heart in my throat, I focused on the person standing in front of me.It couldn’t be.
Surprise and shock filled my body as our eyes met.He looked different.He’d filled out, his body more muscular and inviting.His eyes, though, held a sorrow I’d never seen in them before.He definitely wasn’t the same boy who had left here all those years ago, eyes bright and excited.The military had changed him.
As we stood there looking into one another’s eyes, every feeling and emotion I’d suppressed over the years fought to come to the surface.I wanted to know everything that had happened in his life from the last time we talked until now; I wanted to share everything with him that had happened in mine, but I had to keep it under control.
It had been ten years since we’d stood in front of one another, but one look in his eyes and I could feel the same pull he’d had on me back then.
Noah
She studied me for what felt like forever.It was okay; I didn’t expect her to jump into my arms after all these years.She’d aged well, and if it was possible, she was even more beautiful than she’d been when we were younger.
I looked into her eyes, the same soft, loving eyes I’d remembered looking into the day I’d left on my first deployment.It felt like we’d been transported back in time.The only thing that had changed out of all this was that we’d gotten older.Otherwise, standing here, looking at her, everything felt the same.I could feel my feelings rise to the surface, but knew I’d never be able to stand to have my heart broken again.I didn’t know if the fact we never got closure had to do with my being single or not, but it was something I’d always wondered.
“Ugh, how rude of me,” she murmured before smiling.“Would you like to join me for a coffee?”she asked, her voice shaking.
Was she nervous?Was that what the shake in her voice was?
“I’d love to,” I said, still staring into those eyes.“I’ve grown very fond of this place again.”
“One moment.”
I watched as she made her way over to the counter, then leaned across it and whispered something to the dark-haired woman I knew as Melinda.She waited while Melinda poured a cup of coffee and then brought it over to the table.She placed it down on the opposite side and quickly began clearing the papers from the table.
“Thank you,” I said, clearing my throat as I sat down across from her.
She didn’t look at me.Instead, she fiddled with the papers that had been piled on the table and shoved them messily into a file folder and then slid the cup over to me, while reaching for the sugar and creamer that sat on the table, and placed them in the center before she sat down.
“So, how have you been, Mindi?”I questioned, wanting her to raise her beautiful eyes to me again.
“Okay,” she answered softly, “and you?”
“Doing well now,” I answered.“I moved back to Willow Valley a month ago.”
