Page 36 of Suits and Spark Plugs

“Sorry, that’s not on the menu today.” I smiled sweetly down at him and walked away.

After that the diner got slammed. It was always that way on snowy mornings. It seemed counterintuitive to me. If I’d been able to, I’d have chosen to stay home, but it’s like the snow brought everyone out in search of warmth and camaraderie.

I distractedly waited Connor’s booth until he left, but we didn’t talk any more, which was more than fine with me. Before I knew it my shift was over and I couldn’t wait to get off my feet.

“Oh, I almost forgot, Liv,” Kelly called to me as I opened the front door. “There’s a note for you.” She was waving a napkin at me.

I walked back to the counter to get it from her. “From who?”

“Connor asked me to give it to you.”

I unfolded it.Stop pouting and come back,it read. His handwriting was terrible, the words only half formed as though he couldn’t be bothered to finish it properly. I actually laughed out loud. Kelly leaned across the counter to read it.

“What does that mean?” she asked.

“It means that Connor Hunt is living in a dream world,” I replied.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

There comes a time in everyone’s life when they can’t stare at the pages of a book, or the booths of a diner, or the bathroom in a mechanic shop one more time without going insane. When that day arrives, some drastic, out-of-the-ordinary action must be taken.

For me, that was snow tubing with my sister. Even though lately I only liked her about 25 percent of the time. Sadie gave me other reasons this was a terrible idea, including but not limited to: We were too old, we didn’t have decent snow clothes, what about her street cred, and my personal favorite, hat hair wasn’t a good look for either of us.

After what an outsider would call a full brouhaha, Sadie and I stood with hats, coats, and mittens at the bottom of the local sledding hill. Because it was a weekend, the place was packed. Snow flew, voices squealed, and the line to take your ride was longer than I’d have hoped. Despite all that, I clung tightly to my pink tube. I wasn’t going to be scared away. I hadn’t done this in years, and I really needed something outside the box to reset my overloaded brain.

“We are the only people here over the age of ten,” Sadie moaned as I plopped her tube on the snow in front of her.

“Not true. There’s a whole group of older people over there.” I pointed with my gloved hand as we headed to the line at the bottom of the hill, trying to pretend I wasn’t a little embarrassed. I mean, it wasn’t like I’d invited Kelly or Blaine to go tubing with me. I knew it was a kid activity.

“Those are the parents.”

“Or, as I prefer to call them, sticks-in-the-mud.” I grinned.

“This is a terrible idea. Why are you suddenly wanting sister bonding time?”

“To deepen our connection,” I replied. I tried to keep a straight face but blew it at the end. Sadie’s lips relaxed into a small smile as well, which made me happy.

“We can deepen our connection on the couch.”

“We needed to see some sunshine and blue skies, and let the sun warm our faces,” I defended. “We need to be somewhere where the scent of nail polish isn’t clogging our lungs.”

“There has to be a better way to do that.”

“I’m sure there is.” I nodded cheerfully.

“You owe me dinner for this,” Sadie whined.

“I make you dinner every night.”

“Dessert too, then.”

“We could have a race down the hill to see who has to make dinner,” I suggested. “Make things interesting.”

“No thanks. I don’t cook.”

“I could teach you,” I offered. I tried to be all cool and casual about it, fully prepared for her to scoff. Instead she looked at me with wide hazel eyes, and a small smile lifted one side of her mouth. It gave me the courage to press on. “I know Mom’s busy and Dad’s...” I waved my hands, unable to think of the right words. “But you’ve still got me. It could be fun.”

She looked away but nodded. “Maybe.”

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