“Yeah?” I nod, thinking about it as I go past her exit and continue down the highway.
“Yeah. We balance each other. You’re spontaneous, I’m planned. You’re scattered, I’m organized. You bring adventure, I bring steadiness.”
“We make sense,” I say softly.
“We really do.”
I pull into a familiar parking lot.
Her eyebrows lift in surprise at our location. “All Ears Diner?”
“Being spontaneous makes me think of randomly stoppingfor French fries and milkshakes.” And here we are, full circle, because I don’t want today to end.
The diner is a classic truck stop with its chrome fixtures, red vinyl booths, and the smell of coffee and grease, but there is also a dog run because travelers passing through need a place for their animals togo—and the owners didn’t want it to be on the sidewalk out front. It’s exactly what we both need after all the travel. We let the dogs go wild and then load them back into the Jeep with water and treats before heading inside, and choose a table where I keep an eye on them with the windows half down. Thankfully, it’s not warm out.
The waitress brings us menus and we don’t even bother to look. “What can I get you two?” she asks.
“Fries and a peanut butter banana milkshake,” I say.
“Same, but vanilla,” April adds.
The server winks. “Coming right up, lovebirds.”
April giggles, then turns to me. “Wait. You said peanut butter.”
I rake my hand through my hair. “Yeah. Being back here, I can’t deny that I’m stressed.”
She nods, rightly assuming playoffs are coming up and I still have to resolve the situation with Whitaker even though we spoke briefly. He and I smoothed things over, but I’m not sure where my career is headed. Except out of town. I have a quick turnaround with a flight leaving early tomorrow morning for Oklahoma. It’s a gimme game, but we can’t get too cocky. Yet, the unsettling feeling pooling inside of me has me tense.
But I direct our conversation away from my problems. April and I talk about her meeting to see the commercial space for the Barkery. April pulls out her phone and reveals the latest updates to the business plan. She shows me a few digital images of the interior layout and adds a couple of items to the list of equipment needed.
“Walk me through it again,” I say, even though I’ve heard this pitch a dozen times. I never get tired of watching her face light up when she talks about her dream … and she’s so close to seeing it come true.
She does, explaining the bakery side with the industrial mixer and the dog-shaped cookie cutters, the training area with agility equipment, and the color scheme that’s both professional and welcoming.
“The location is perfect,” she says, her voice full of longing. “Right between the Busy Bee and Once Upon a Romance. High foot traffic and good visibility, plus parking in the back with that big field adjacent to the area by the Barn—it would involve a bit of legwork, but maybe someday it could be Cobbiton’s very own official dog park.”
“You’ve thought of everything.”
“I’ve had years to think about it.” She bites her lip. “Thursday feels huge. Like everything could change.”
“It will change. For the better.”
“But what if Sophia?—?”
I roll my eyes. “Sophia would be crazy not to want you in that space. Plus, ultimately, I don’t think it’s strictly up to her.”
April’s chest rises and falls on a stilted breath, nervous and uncertain. Behind that, I imagine for all of the support I offer—and my family too—part of her wants her parents to back her, to believe in her. I’m afraid that’ll never happen.
I reach across the table and take both her hands. “You’ve got this and I’ve got you.”
Her smile teases her dimple from hiding. “Promise?”
“Promise.”
Our food arrives, and we dig into our fries and milkshakes. April steals some of mine even though they’re identical to hers, and I steal sips of her vanilla shake.
We’re laughing about something my cousin Bart said when I hear the telltale high-pitched squeal that signals female fans.
