Page 14 of The Wedding Run
“You have to have pie. It’s the law here.”
“Then I think I might like Storybrook.”
He smiles and hands me a menu.
The clink of silverware and burble of conversation fill the diner again, and I begin to relax. My gaze drifts to the window as Luke orders.
“What kind of pies do you have today?” he asks the waitress.
She slides her pencil behind her ear. “There’s lemon meringue, strawberry cream, rhubarb, and chocolate or bust.”
I point to her at the mention of chocolate.
She grins. “That’s my favorite too, hon. And I’m betting you want the lemon.”
Luke nods. “Yes, please.”
We wait in silence. My thoughts ping-pong around, unable to land. Luke doesn’t ask questions or check his phone. Instead, he prepares the table with napkins—lots of napkins—and silverware. These mundane, ordinary actions make the situation feel almost normal.
The waitress arrives with a tray of food. She has kind eyes and a generous smile. She sets down two plates with gigantic burgers, steak fries, and a basket of condiments. “Anything else I can get y’all?”
I shake my head, my dress feeling tighter just looking at all that food.
“That’s all for now, Crystal,” Luke says. “Thanks.”
“No problem. Give a holler if you need something, Luke.”
I dig in like a voracious wolf that hasn’t eaten for weeks. I’m halfway through my burger before I ask, “She knows you?”
“I live here.”
“Right. Of course. I knew that. And that’s why the applause when we entered? They think we’re having a bite after our wedding—” I look at my no longer white dress— “in the swamp?”
He chuckles. “Doesn’t matter what they think.”
“I’m sorry about your truck and, well, everything.”
“It’s okay. I don’t mind.”
I remember Derek telling me that Luke isn’t married, but I’m not sure if he has someone significant in his life. “Will your girlfriend or partner or significant other be upset?”
“About what?”
“Driving Bridezilla around. People thinking we’re married.”
“I'm not worried about it.”
Which is not an answer to my question. I try to remember what Derek said about Luke, but my mind was always distracted with wedding details and, of course, all my lists. I’m curious now about Luke. For Elle and Charlie’s sake, of course. Earlier, when he played the chivalrous knight and carried me across the threshold to protect my toesies, I thought he’d make one of them a good boyfriend. I mean, what woman doesn’t want to be swept off her feet? But now that he’s gone way beyond the call of duty or even a good Samaritan, I’m sure he’d make one of them a great husband. I only have to convince them.
I chomp another couple of fries with gobs of ketchup dripping off them. I haven’t indulged in anything this greasy and yummy in months. After all, I wanted to fit into my dress. As it is, I should have been in training to run a marathon, which would have been more helpful. “How’d you know I was starving?”
He chuckles. “When my sister got married a few years ago, she didn’t eat all day. So I figured you might be hungry. Food is usually a good place to start. Then maybe a nap. It can make the world look right again.”
I swirl a fry in a sea of ketchup, then leave it to float. I wipe my mouth, suddenly feeling too full. The seams of my dress pinch my waist. I wonder if all that greasy, yummy food will back up on me.
Luke hands me another napkin and gestures to his mouth. I wipe a dollop of ketchup from the corner of mine.
“My mom,” he says, “always told us it’s easier to make a decision on a full stomach.”
