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Dakota turned down my offer to pick her up and texted me the time and location. Jerkers Soda Shoppe. Not the ideal spot for her diet, but I supposed she wanted to make an exception today.

When I got there, I spotted Dakota’s minivan already in the handicapped spot in front of the restaurant. I passed under the red-and-white awning overhanging the sidewalk. Stencil lettering on the plate-glass window read “MoonShakes! Corndogs! Harvest Fries!”

I stepped through the chrome door into a retro diner with cherry red stools lining the front counter and teal-colored tables scattered across a black-and-white checked floor.

The restaurant had a relatively open floor plan—with space for Dakota to navigate between tables. That wasn’t true of every place. Sauced Pizza Parlor was a no-go because of how crowded the tables and booths were. Not to mention the lack of an accessible bathroom.

Dakota waved from her spot at a table near the window. Joey sat across from her, wearing a navy blue button-down shirt and slacks. He looked as if he’d dressed for a job interview. His hair was gelled and styled more conservatively than I’d ever seen it.

Those cheekbones, though. Damn. He was gorgeous.

My heart jolted into my throat. Not the time to be thinking that.

I hurried over to join them. “Hey, guys. Been here long?”

“I just got here,” Dakota said with a tight smile. “Joey was the early bird.”

The tips of his ears grew pink. “I didn’t want to keep anyone waiting,” he mumbled to the tabletop.

Dakota tilted her head at me, as if to say, See? He’s just a puppy. Don’t kick him.

I pulled out the free chair on the nearest side of the table, which put my back to the rest of the room. Dakota slid me a small laminated menu. I skimmed it for something to do. I already knew what I liked here. It wasn’t a complicated menu: burgers, chicken sandwiches, fries, tots, fried okra. The MoonShake was calling my name, but I was going to resist.

“So, Joey, how are you liking the job at the pet store?” Dakota asked, her voice a little too bright to be natural. She was nervous and trying to hide it.

Joey cleared this throat. “Um, good. I’ve only worked two days so far, but Pauline seems nice.”

“She’s great,” Dakota agreed. “She rearranged some of the shelves just to meet my needs better. And she charges me only for one large bag, even if I buy smaller ones. I told her she didn’t have to do that, but…”

“It’s good that she does,” Joey agreed.

Damn, this was painful. Were we going to make strained small talk for the whole lunch?

Thankfully, the server—a young guy named Neal—approached with his order pad out. He looked at me and Joey, eyes skipping away from Dakota, like she was difficult to see. “You guys ready?”

“Yes. Dakota, do you want to order first?” I asked pointedly.

“Thank you, yes.” She smiled and waited until Neal glanced at her, a faint blush staining his cheeks. I wished his behavior was unusual, but it really wasn’t. “I’ll take the grilled chicken sandwich. Please put the sauce on the side. I’ll take apple wedges with that and a MoonShake with sprinkles.”

My gaze strayed to Joey. I was curious what he’d think of Neal’s aversion to seeing a person in a wheelchair. He was watching me, though. As soon as our eyes met, he ducked his head, his cheeks going pink.

Neal turned his attention to me with a sigh of relief. “And you?”

“Veggie burger. Fried okra. Water, to drink.”

“Wow,” Joey said with a chuckle. “You’re both making me feel like a glutton.” He glanced up at Neal. “Cowboy burger. Onion rings. Root beer float.”

Neal tucked away the order pad. “Great. I’ll have it out shortly.”

“Dakota is limited in what her diet can handle,” I said.

“Oh.” Joey seemed to shrink in his chair. “I’m sorry. I never considered that. Is this…place okay? We could go somewhere else.”

“It’s fine,” Dakota assured him.

“There are a lot of things people don’t consider when it comes to spinal cord injuries,” I continued. “It doesn’t just affect physical mobility. With a T10, Asia B level injury like Dakota’s⁠—”

“Kit,” Dakota cut in. “He doesn’t need a lesson in SCIs right now.”