Page 47 of Suits and Spark Plugs

I told Kelly all of it. She listened quietly while we prepped menus and started setup, occasionally making noises of understanding, until it was time to flip on the open sign and get the day going.

“Do you think he’s right, that I should move now?” I finally asked.

“First of all, he only knows the present, not the history. Your family wasn’t always struggling. They’re your people and you can’t run away from them.”

“True. He’s right, though. I’m not planning on staying in Oak Hills forever.”

“I know. You’ve been saying that for the past few years.” Kelly smiled.

“I don’t know why it sounded so terrible to hear him tell me to just move now. I mean, if it’s inevitable?”

“Nothing in this life is inevitable. You’ve got to follow your gut, and your gut screamed at you that now is not the time to make the move. Who knows what will happen in the next couple of years while you go to school? Take it one day, week, or month at a time. Your path will open up soon enough.”

“You sound very guru-ish this morning.” I grinned.

“You can thank Scott. He’s got me centered.” She winked and did a little dance while walking to unlock the door.

“One last serious question, oh wise one. Do you think Blaine is my path?”

“I don’t know. What I do know is that you’ve been dating the man for a while. It shouldn’t take that long to figure out if he’s worth continuing to see or not.”

I pulled a face and leaned against the counter, watching an older couple make their way to the door. “He said he loves me.”

“That’s big. Do you feel the same?”

“It’s just, he’s my first actual boyfriend.” I forced out the word, testing how it felt. “How do I know?”

“I’m pretty sure I’m going to be marrying Scott, and we just met.” Kelly laughed and pushed the start button on the coffee.

I turned to her with big eyes. “Are you serious?”

“Totally. That man is so deep under my skin that I can hardly think about anything else. I’m counting down the hours until I get off work and we can be together again. He’s like the sweetest chocolate bunny I’ve ever tasted.”

Kelly left to seat the couple, and I smiled as I watched her walk away. I was happy for her, if Scott did turn out to be her true love. She’d spent a lot of time chasing that idea and had the scars on her heart to prove it.

I busied myself with an older single gentleman sitting at the counter and thought about what Kelly had said. I had been dating Blaine for a while, although I wouldn’t describe him as the sweetest candy I’d ever tasted. I wouldn’t describe anyone that way, even if I did understand the sentiment.

“Hey,” Connor’s voice interrupted my musings as he sat on a stool directly across from me. His eyes were bright and I smiled back without thinking about it as warmth started in my chest and heated my face. “I need food.” He pulled off the ball cap he’d been wearing and ran his hands through his hair to tame it a little.

“You’ve come to the right place.” I handed him a menu and looked down at my ordering pad, trying hard to hide the reaction as I scolded myself for it. “What do you want to drink?”

“Is there any way you can ruin orange juice?”

I glanced up. “Probably. Do you want me to try? I have some toothpaste in my purse that I could stir in.”

He took a deep breath and shook his head while mumbling loudly enough for me to hear. “Sit at the counter, I said to myself, it’ll be fine.”

“You got cocky.”

“Something I struggle with daily. I’ll take an orange juice, hold the toothpaste.”

“Coming right up.” I turned away and filled a cup from the chilled carafe.

After putting it in front of Connor, I slid down the line to help two teenagers who were after a warm breakfast before school. I’d have chosen sleep over the breakfast, but to each their own. After taking their drink orders I made my way back to Connor.

“You ready?”

“Yeah. Pancakes, bacon, and some berries.”

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