Part 2 (1/2)

”Just sitting in there, talking to yourself, thought I'd make sure,” the man said, as if I'd answered.

”I'm fine,” I said, giving him a smile. ”Smells good already.”

I made to walk around him, but he turned and fell into step with me so I slowed down.

”Air's thick,” he said, his scratchy voice giving in to just air at the end. ”Sparkly.”

I laughed. ”Sparkly?”

”You know,” he said, nodding toward where the darkness sat up ahead. ”That there's an electric storm, for sure. Don't you feel it?”

He was right, and that was the difference I'd sensed. Like all my hairs wanted to sit up just a little.

”Weird, coming from inland like that,” I said, letting him shuffle up the old wooden steps before me. ”Usually have storms like that coming off the Gulf.”

”That where you're coming from?”

”Yes sir,” I said. ”Baytown.”

”I'm Jarvis,” he said as I stepped around an old wrought-iron bench to hold open the door. ”My wife, May, sent me out here to stare at the weather. Like I can do something about it. But,” he continued, scratching his head, ”today's a different kind of day. I feel it.”

I chuckled at his eccentricity. ”You come here often?”

”Oh, most days,” he said with an enthusiastic nod. ”Love the smell of breakfast in the morning,” he said on a husky laugh. ”Nothing like it. Especially at this place.”

The mixed aromas of the aforementioned bacon and syrup and doughy bready things filled my senses, and I marveled at how rebellious I felt. Over food. I chose not to dwell too much on how pathetic that might be.

An elderly woman with a sweet smile waved from a table to the left, her white hair neatly arranged with barrettes on the sides. I smiled as Jarvis headed her way, and I scanned the room for an obscure spot to blend into.

”Come join us,” he said, turning back around. ”It's no fun to eat by yourself. Makes you think too much.”

I started to protest, thinking that's exactly what I needed, to melt into my decadence and ponder my life. But his sweet saggy eyes were just too much, and reluctantly I followed him, taking in the room as I went. It was old, but quaint and clean, scrubbed s.h.i.+ny with vinyl booths and bright chrome chairs. Black-and-white framed photos hung at random, sharing s.p.a.ce with odd metal advertis.e.m.e.nts that appeared to be the real deal and not there for decor. Like they hadn't been moved in fifty years, and once upon a time there really was a nickel plate dinner. A ma.s.sive bar filled the s.p.a.ce to my right, with stools that appeared to grow right out of the floor.

”Thank you, Jarvis,” I said, sliding into a booth across from his wife. I caught the surprised glance she gave him, which he winked away. ”I'm Andie.”

She flashed a brilliant smile that for a second belied the soft wrinkles of her face and showed a glimpse of what was likely once stunning beauty. ”Nice to meet you, Andie,” she said. ”I'm May.”

”I apologize for interrupting your breakfast,” I said as Jarvis slid in next to her and she scooted sideways. ”Your husband told me I might think too much if I sat alone.”

”It's true,” he said, setting to work on doctoring up a cup of coffee already in front of him. ”Festering is what you get, eating alone. Just makes you want to eat more.”

May laughed and lifted a hand to tap on his temple. ”He has his own drummer in there.”

They were adorable. My thoughts took off on their own, picturing me and Brad sitting like that in thirty years. Not that we'd be in a diner. Or having breakfast anywhere. More like a sus.h.i.+ bar at night. In formal wear. Would I still have to wear heels at that age?

A blonde girl with braces set a gla.s.s of water in front of me. ”Coffee?” she asked.

”Please,” I said. ”Two creams.”

”Do you-need a menu?” she asked.

The look on her face and the way she said the word menu told me that most of their clientele had never used one and she wasn't quite sure where they were located.

”What are you in the mood for?” Jarvis asked, his blue eyes looking amused.

I licked my lips. ”Waffles with lots of b.u.t.ter. Blueberry topping. Bacon and fried eggs.”

The girl's eyebrows raised as she scribbled it on her pad. ”Got it.”

May laughed as the waitress walked away. I smiled at her, knowing I probably wouldn't finish it but I had to taste it all. Who knew when I'd get another opportunity? Then, I noticed they hadn't ordered anything.

”You aren't ordering?”

May waved a hand at me. ”Oh, we've already eaten,” she said. ”You're fine.”

I didn't care if they all thought I was a loony out-of-towner with a trucker's appet.i.te. I might even finish it just on princ.i.p.al. No big plans later other than lying around reading a book in a hotel room somewhere, so if gluttony was the call of the day-so d.a.m.n be it. It was my day. Twenty-four hours. I looked at my watch and felt the inner grimace. Almost ten o'clock, already. Only twenty-one left.

There was something cathartic about the clink of the silverware on the heavy plates. The smell of the syrup, the steaming coffee and the muted chatter of the few other patrons in the diner. It made me want to curl up with it all and take a nap. Brad would blame that on the heavy food.

”I wonder if Jesse is around today?” Jarvis asked his wife. ”Seen him?”

May shook her head. ”Probably upstairs. He was pretty cranky yesterday.”

”That d.a.m.n land deal,” Jarvis said under his breath to her. ”I hate banks.”

”I know, hon,” she said.

”He gets yanked around at every curve.”

”It'll work out,” May said, patting his hand. I noticed she wore a simple wedding band. Lucky her. ”Jesse is smart and savvy. He'll pull it through.”

I felt like I was eavesdropping, and didn't want to inquire on something that wasn't my business. But then again, they had invited me to the table.

”So I'm guessing Jesse is the owner?” I asked, sipping at my water.

May nodded. ”Such a nice man, too.”

”Good guy. Lost his wife several years back, and he just buried himself in the business ever since,” Jarvis added.

”Trying to buy up some of the adjoining land here,” May said, their sentences pinging off each other like a tennis match. ”And everything seems to be a ha.s.sle.”

”Well, they just don't get it up in big business,” Jarvis said, taking a generous swallow of his coffee. ”They don't understand expanding little places like this, or wanting to keep the view around here pure.”

”Keep it pure?” I asked. Blondie came back laden with the largest plate I'd ever seen, and set it in front of me. ”Holy cow,” I whispered.

Huge waffles slathered in b.u.t.ter and blueberries sat fat and happy next to two over-easy eggs and thick slabbed bacon. I hadn't even told them how I wanted my eggs and they'd managed perfection. Oh, how my arteries were probably calling Brad to tattle on me. And I was going to enjoy every last bite.

”So tell us, Andie, where are you headed this morning?” May asked.