Page 82 of All I Want Is Love
Further in the distance, I can spot Robin clinging to a road sign.
Barkley finds a piece of the road with crispy, icy snow on it. It’s still slippery, but his nails easily dig into it, making it possible for him to walk. “Come.” Soren wraps an arm around my middle and has us follow my pup. “Trust a dog’s instinct. Besides, Bernese Mountain Dogs look clumsy and sometimes are, but they are outdoor dogs.”
“Yeah, that part is way sturdier!” I say. “What a way to start the day.”
Everywhere around us, people are slipping around, but some of the neighbors have already started pouring grit onto the road.
“It was too warm yesterday,” Soren says. “But then freezing cold at night, especially in the early morning hours.”
In the distance, I spot a huge tractor driving down the road, pouring something onto the road. “Salt?” I ask.
“Salt and sand,” Soren explains. “When we get back, we’ll probably be able to walk normally.”
“What about Barkley?” I ask in worry. “Isn’t the salt going to be bad for him?”
“He should be fine as long as we wipe his paws once we are off the road,” he reassures me.
We have almost reached Robin by now, who waves at us. He clings to me once we are close enough. “This would be fun if I hadn’t dropped onto my ass four times,” he complains.
“Let’s grab something to eat,” Soren tells us.
“Nah, I am not going to ruin your date,” Robin says.
Soren and I exchange a quick gaze, nod firmly at each other, before turning to Robin. “You are not ruining anything,” I say, dragging him along.
“We love to have you around,” Soren agrees. “Just join us.”
Robin looks visibly happy immediately. He gestures at a restaurant close to us. “Since we can’t go far anyway, how about that one? It’s a Thai restaurant.”
“Pretty cool that you have a Thai place here,” I say.
“Yeah, it popped up last year,” Soren explains. “We have a few Chinese and Japanese places around, but it was quite the big news when this one settled here.”
“It’s the only thing I kind of miss about the bigger city,” I admit. “The many food places.” I nudge Soren. “But it’s not enough to make me want to return.”
“I know,” Soren says, looking a tad flustered. “This will haunt me for a while, huh?”
“Yeah,” Robin snorts.
I nod my agreement. “Definitely!”
“But we can travel,” Soren tells me. “If you truly miss your food choices. Let’s plan a couple of trips.”
“It’s funny how fast you can redeem yourself,” Robin mutters. “It must be a talent.”
Soren ignores him and opens the door to the restaurant for the both of us. It’s pretty crowded, but we manage to grab a table, and luck out on the waitress immediately taking our order. All three of us settle for Pad Thai, something I haven’t had in ages.
“Where is Aspen?” I ask.
“Working,” Robin explains. “His bakery is crowded, too. Everyone seems to want to be inside now, instead of being on the icy street. Though some kids have started to take out their ice-skates.”
“Of course they did,” Soren snorts. “Our local doctor will have a field day today.”
“Ah, but I get it,” I say. “It must be fun.”
Aspen and I were barely allowed to do anything even remotely reckless. I hardly even know what it feels like to be a kid, and just be allowed to run and jump and play. Not wanting to linger on these depressing thoughts, I try to focus fully on Soren and Robin.
“Did Michael drive home already?” I ask.
