Page 53 of Harmony Island Gazette
But I doubted she would oblige. They’d been so busy in California that all I’d gotten was random texts here and there. Some were to remind me of a delivery to the store. The others must have been butt-dials because they made no sense.
I was glad my parents were enjoying themselves, and I was grateful they’d been gone long enough for me to figure out what I wanted to do with Kevin. By the time Mom and Dad were back, my divorce would be well on its way, and I would be ready to start my new life as a single mom.
My hand pressed my stomach at that thought.Single mom.
Of all the ways I’d seen my life going, this possibility was not even a blip on my radar. Now, I had to think about that baby first and foremost. I had been bumped to second string.
“Hey, when were you wanting to take lunch?”
Boone’s voice startled me. I yelped and turned to see him standing right behind me with his eyebrows raised as if he hadn’t anticipated my reaction.
I swallowed, my mouth running dry as all thought left my mind. “I, um…er.”Speak, woman!I cleared my throat and grounded myself. “I can go now,” I finally managed out.
Boone looked confused, but I just stepped out of the register alcove and waved for him to enter. He glanced over at me but obeyed.
“I was getting nauseous from hunger, anyway,” I said as I shot him a big smile.
He nodded. “Okay.”
“Awesome,” I said as I snapped my fingers. “I’m just going to eat some food I have in the back.” I pinched my lips shut. I wanted to give Boone a reason why I wouldn’t be going through the checkout with my food. But my words just came out squeaky and desperate.
If I didn’t get out of here, I was going to find myself confessing that I was meeting Kevin at the diner without Boone even speaking a single word.
“I’m going to go,” I said, turning on my heel and hurrying away.
By the time I got to the back room, my heart was racing. Nerves from seeing Kevin mixed with lying to Boone came crashing together into a vortex, and I was shaking. I was sweating and shivering at the same time.
Maybe this was a strange pregnancy symptom. I entertained that thought for a moment before I shook my head. No. This was definitely a symptom of everything going on externally with me right now. I couldn’t blame the baby for this one.
I grabbed my purse from Mom’s office, pulled the strap up onto my shoulder, and headed out the back door. I was going to walk to the diner today. The fresh air and sunshine were going to help me prepare my mind for seeing Kevin and for what I was going to say.
The walk was uneventful. I waved to a few Harmony residents, and thankfully, they didn’t stop to talk to me. They seemed to be just as distracted as I was.
By the time I got to Harmony Island Diner, I was warm but not quite sweaty, which I was grateful for. I didn’t want to show up to see Kevin sweating like a stuck pig. I walked past the sign, but something caused me to pause. Where it used to say Harmony Island Diner, it now said Sunny Side-Up Diner. The sign was painted with bright oranges and blues, and it was adorable.
I pulled open the door and walked into the restaurant. The sign,Please Wait to be Seated, greeted me at the hostess stand. I paused and glanced around. I knew from the parking lot that Kevin wasn’t here yet, which filled me relief. I’d wanted to get here first so I could pick the table. Nothing worse than walking into a tricky situation without an escape plan.
Thankfully, I only had to wait a minute before a woman pushed through the kitchen doors. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun with wisps framing her face. Her gaze met mine and she quickly set down the tray of utensils she was carrying and hurried over to me, wiping her hands on her apron as she approached.
“I’m so sorry,” she said as she shot me an apologetic smile. “Were you waiting long?” She was at the hostess stand now, reaching down to grab a menu. I read her name tag,Willow.
I shook my head. “No. Not long.” She straightened, but I raised my hand. “There’ll be two of us.”
She nodded, reaching down to grab another menu. “Come with me,” she said as she turned and walked me through the restaurant.
We got to the far table, and she glanced over at me as if to ask if this was okay. I nodded, and she started laying the menus down as I took a seat. She asked me if she could get me something to drink, and I ordered waters for me and Kevin. I knew he would probably want something more, but I’d let him order that when he got here.
Willow dropped off the waters, and I spent what felt like an eternity sipping it and constantly glancing toward the front door. Kevin was officially ten minutes late, which wasn’t like him. I reached into my purse to pull out my phone and came up empty-handed.
I dumped the contents of my purse out onto the table in front of me as my stomach sank. Crap. I’d left it in the drawer at the register. Of course, I did. I’d been so distracted by Boone that I’d forgotten to grab it.
If Kevin had canceled on me, I wasn’t going to get the message.
My stomach growled as I glanced around. Five minutes later, Willow approached me with a cautious smile. She asked if I wanted to just go ahead and order. My first instinct was to say no, but I was hungry and my ice water was no longer keeping those pains at bay. So, I ordered chicken strips and French fries. She nodded as she tucked her pad into her apron and slipped her pen behind her ear. She told me she’d put that right in before she left to help an older couple who’d just come in.
They had to be in their seventies. He was holding her hand as they waited for Willow to grab their menus and lead them to their seats. I couldn’t help but watch as they shuffled to their table. He pulled out her chair for her to sit. She smiled up at him after she was settled. He made his way to his seat, and then they turned their attention to Willow.
There was a time in my life when I’d wanted the same for me. When I thought that was going to be Kevin and I. But that dream was buried six feet under and there was no way I was going to dig it up. I was here to put my marriage to rest, and I was excited and nervous for the prospects of the unknown. I was ready to walk into the future, alone.
