“Yeah, he left his wallet at the diner and came back to grab it, and we spoke briefly,” I say quickly. I stop myself before I blurt out anything more.
Likehe asked me to go somewhere.
LikeI said yes.
I run a hand through my hair, trying to sort through the noise in my head.
Besides, he was probably nice since I returned his money to his wallet without stealing his credit cards and his identity. So many people would love to get their hands on Bill’s wallet.
That’s all.
He won’t text.
Noah tilts his head. “You look worried. Is everything okay?”
“I’m fine.” I force a smile. “I’m excited about your tryout, and I’m really proud of you.”
His eyes soften. “Thanks, Mom.”
“Say, you never said how the meeting with your math teacher went today.”
“It was cringe.” He sighs as he dramatically drops his back against his headboard. “But he said I can take a retest exam on Monday. He said he can’t drop my first grade, but we can average them together, and that should help bring my grade back over failing.”
“Wonderful.” I raise an eyebrow. “Shouldn’t you be studying for that, then?”
He grins, sheepish as he drops his phone next to him on the bedspread. “I guess.”
I step back toward the hall. “I’ll leave you to it, then. Try not to spendallnight watching highlight reels.”
“Can’t make any promises.”
I shake my head, smiling as I turn and call back, “Love you, and I’m headed for bed. I have to be back at the diner to open it.”
“Love you too,” he calls back.
And as I stroll toward my room, I can’t help but think about my date with Bill.
It’s not a date!But that doesn’t stop the flutter in my chest.
nine
Bill
Ruth is outside waiting when I pull up to the curb in front of the diner. The moment I see her, something tugs in my gut. I still as she strides forward. She’s wearing her pink coat, cinched tight ather waist, and a few wisps of hair blow freely from underneath her white beanie. They frame her face in a way that makes it hard to look away. She steps into my SUV without hesitation, the scent of her, something faintly sweet, curls into the warm air between us.
“So,” she says, closing the door with a solid click. Her eyes are bright as she takes a moment to buckle her seat belt. “This is exciting. It’s been a while since I’ve been down that highway. I’m assuming you checked the road report?”
I clear my throat and force myself to focus on operating my car and not staring at her. “I just looked.” My voice is rougher than I expected. “Everything should be fine.”
“I’m happy to see it again, and a little sad to know it’s the last time,” she says softly. “It was thoughtful of you to ask me to come with you.”
I exhale as I ease my SUV out of the parking lot. “I’m glad you said that. At first, I thought I was being silly to care so much about an old bridge, but when I couldn’t stop thinking about it, I figured I’d reach out. I was also sort of wondering if the deer are still over there. I remember this time of year they take cover in those thick trees. I thought it would be neat to see.”
“Oh, there are definitely deer,” she says with a nod. “I saw a coyote once too. It’ll be interesting to see if they stick around after they start all the construction.”
I grow quiet as I take the exit leading out of town. The road is clear, but the patches of ground are snow-banked. After a moment, she looks at me. “So how was your morning? Pretty busy, I’m guessing with the team and all.”
Before I over think it, I say, “You know, I’m going to offer Noah a spot on the team.”
