“Yes please, and I definitely need the sprinkles.”
“Rough day, huh? Well ice cream makes it all better, in my opinion. Am I right or am I right?” he chuckles.
“You’re always right,” she answers. “How’s Max?”
“Maxinne is great. She’s coming home in a few weeks for the holidays, and we’re looking forward to her visit,” Walter replies.
The two of them continue to chat while he scoops her ice cream, mixes in fresh strawberries and gummy bears, then packs it into a chocolate-dipped cone with sprinkles. He turns the cone upside down and deposits it in a cup.
“Just the way you like it.” He hands it across the counter. “What can I get for your friend here?”
She turns to me. “Any ice cream and mix-ins. What’s your favorite?”
“Uh…” I stammer. “This is much fancier ice cream than I’m used to.” My eyes catch the sugary creation in my girl’s hands, and I say, “Hers looks good. I’ll have the same.”
Walter shakes his head, and Vivienne hides a laugh with her hand. “Amaretto ice cream with gummy bears and strawberries is a very sophisticated palate choice. I hope you can handle it.”
“Oh I think I can handle it just fine.” My cocky grin spreads across my face as she begins breaking her cone off into a few smaller pieces before taking the first bite.
“Mmmmm,” she moans. “I needed this more than I realized. Delicious as always.”
She didn’t just need ice cream. The relief she’s feeling is also from knowing Jackson can’t hurt her anymore.
“Thank you, Ms. Vivienne,” he replies politely. “And for the gentleman, am I giving your cone the same upside-down treatment?”
“You might as well, so I get the full experience,” I answer.
Walter flips my cone, hands it to me, and chuckles. “You kids have a great rest of your day and come back to see me soon.”
“You know I will,” Vivienne says, waving goodbye.
We will,I think, emphasizing the we.
We walk outside, and Vivienne leads me down a winding sidewalk to a small hidden lake sprinkled with wooden benches, tall trees, and gorgeous views. “Wow.” I whistle in awe of the simple beauty.
“Is that wow this ice cream is amazing, or wow the lake is so pretty?” she teases.
“Both,” I confess. “Who knew gummy bears and ice cream would taste so good?”
“Right!” She beams with pride.
“It’s also, wow, where has this girl been hiding?” I flash her a flirty smirk.
She blushes. “I’ve been right here in Colorado the whole time.”
I steal a glance at her. She’s looking out over the lake, despite the closure Jackson’s death is bringing, she still looks sad. “It’s going to be okay,” I offer in cryptic reassurance.
She nods with the same glazed-over expression. “I hope so.”
“What you need is to get away and take your mind off things for a little while.” I place my hand on her thigh, leaning into the softness of her body. “Come with me.”
Vivienne tenses. “Cas, I—“ Her voice trails off.
“It’s okay. I know it’s a lot to think about. Just consider it. You can answer me later.” I stand and offer to take her empty ice cream cup. There’s a trash can a few feet away. I toss them both. “Are you ready to go back?”
She swallows hard, doing her best to stay calm. “Yeah. Let’s get it over with.”
In the car, I keep my hand on her leg, trying to keep her grounded in the silence between us. She was right about traffic on the way back. When we pull into her neighborhood, there are flashing lights everywhere. There’s still no power, and men in hard hats and trucks are walking around. The closer we get to her street, the more lights there are. Even though we are on the opposite end of the road, the police still have it blocked off.
