“So,” Remington said, crossing his legs over one another. He leaned back in the outdoor dining chair, dramatically fanning himself with a rolled magazine. “Tell me all about how life has been in Eagle River.”
I chuckled at him, reaching for my iced tea to take a drink. It was a relatively warm evening in our little town, the perfect day to have my best friend take a trip down for a Saturday dinner. Korbin was working, a common occurrence that I was still trying to get used to, but at least it allowed me to see my old friends. I’d been officially moved into the high rise for two weeks, and I’d already started my work back up at the PT clinic in town. My car was finally fixed, too, though the cops still had no leads on the perpetrator.
“Life has been good,” I told him honestly. “I love my job still, and the flat is so wonderful.”
“Yes, yes,” Rem said, waving his hand airily. “But what about the sex?”
A few heads from neighboring tables turned in our direction, and I flushed, sinking down a bit in my seat. Rem laughed, reaching for his lemonade to take a sip, flashing his most dazzling smile to each elderly woman who was now glaring at him.
“You’re not in Denver anymore,” I hissed. “This is small-town living here, Remington.”
“It’s quite charming,” he said, eyes scanning over the little boutique shops that lined the sidewalks. “How’s the nightlife?”
“Don’t kid yourself. ESU students crash in the city for the weekend just to findanynightlife. It’s non-existent here.”
“And you don’t mind?” Rem asked. I shook my head.
“No, actually—I kind of love it.”
“You only love it because you’re finally with your soulmate, you know,” he said with a huff. “A person can learn to love anything under the right circumstances. But again, I ask of you—how is the sex? How is Korbin anyway?”
“Korbin is good,” I hissed, dropping my tone another couple of inches. A relentless rush of heat burned my skin, and I took another tea drink before whispering the following comment. “Don’t get me started on the sex.”
Remington squealed, clapping his hands together like a high school cheerleader. “My little girl is growing up,” he said, placing one hand over his heart. “How Marilyn Monroe of you.”
“I don’t know what that means.”
“It’s fine,” he said, waving me off. “I didn’t expect you to.”
“I sure miss you, Rem,” I said with a sigh, reaching across the table to squeeze his hand.
“I miss you too, sugar,” he said, pressing his lips against the back of my hand. “But I also see how happy you are now, and I can see it. I can see the difference.”
I flushed again, taking a moment to compose myself as the server delivered our breakfast. “Dig in,” I told Rem. “It’s my treat.”
The sun stayed out while we ate as if providing a day better than what I could have expected. We ate and talked for a while, Rem telling me about the current struggles with his boyfriend and me telling him about the possible arson case at the department. As our meal ended and the server dropped the bill on the table, I scooped it up as Remington scouted the dining area—charmed by the people and the small-town vibe.
“Hey,” he said, leaning forward and lowering his voice as I stuck cash in the billfold and set it aside. “Promise me that no matter how often we do or do not see each other, you will never be as sad and lonely as the girl behind you looks eating brunch alone.”
“Rem,” I muttered. “Knock it off.”
“Just look at her,” he whispered. “She has a literal scorned puppy dog look on her face. I don’t think I’ve seen it on a human before.”
More out of morbid curiosity than anything else, I peeked over my shoulder to catch sight of the lonely woman Rem was pointing out. The young woman took off her wooly hat and set it on the table, brushing her blond hair behind her shoulders.
“Holy shit,” I said loudly, then turned back to look at Rem. “That’s Amanda.”
“Who is Amanda?”
“Don’t you remember me telling you about her? You even saw her once, I think. My mom’s nurse and Korbin’s—like, stalker, I guess.”
“Ooooh.” Rem looked back at Amanda, lifting his sunglasses from his eyes to get a brighter look. “Your fiancé has a stalker?”
“Kind of. I guess. She’s harmless, though.”
“How do you know?”
Frowning, I peeked back over at Amanda. She didn’t seem to notice I was there. “Just look at her,” I told him. “What kind of damage could a woman with her stature cause?”
