He nods. “Yeah, when you slide along the ground to get to home base safely.”
“They call it a dirt dive,” the older gentleman at the counter says, and I look at him, forgetting momentarily he was there.
“A dirt dive?” I ask with curiosity.
He wipes his mouth with his napkin. “The kids dive into the dirt and slide all the way to home base to prevent from getting out.”
“A dirt dive…” I nod, already thinking about how I’m going to have to do some heavy-duty washing of his clothes to get dirt stains out.
“Thank you, my dear, for the pie.” The older guys stands with a kind smile, throwing a few bills onto the counter.
“You’re very welcome. Enjoy the whiskey,” I tell him as he steps out of the diner.
“Who was that?” James asks as I clean up the counter, thankful for the small tip.
“Oh, just a tourist. Seemed like a nice guy.” I shrug as Rochelle comes out.
“Did I hear that you played baseball today?” She beams at James, who’s back to grinning so wide it almost splits his face. He replays his day to Rochelle, who looks just as excited as we are about it all.
“You know, I’m sure the sheriff has some old balls, bats, and gloves lying around in the shed at home, gathering dust. I’ll bring them in. Can’t have our newest baseball player without some gear!” she says, walking around the diner like a proud parent herself. My chest warms at her generosity.
Then she calls out over her shoulder, “And have another cupcake, honey. You need to build your strength.” She sends my brother a wink, and James dives for another cupcake as I chuckle, loving this small town even more.
14
Sutton
Sitting in my booth, I sip my coffee as the chime on the door rings out. I look at my watch, noting he’s right on time. James walks in with his backpack full, but today instead of going to the counter like he usually does, he comes to my booth.
“Hey, Sutton, are you any good at math?” He gives me a look of hope, and I grimace.
“I’m shit at math. But take a seat, and we’ll work it out together.” I shuffle over, and he sits beside me, opening his bag and grabbing his books. I try to tame my grin. The kid is coming around to me… Now I just need his mom to do the same.
James opens his books in front of us both, having complete tunnel vision on his studies.
“James, honey. I think you should come up to the counter.” Nikki’s voice has me looking up. She sounds hesitant.
I give her a shake of my head. “He’s fine.” And damn, so is she. Her uniform fits her small frame just right. Her hair is tied back up today, her bee clip long gone, and I wonder why she doesn’t wear it anymore.
“But you’re in the middle of…”
“I got math homework,” James tells her.
“He’s got math homework,” I repeat, and she gives me an unsure look. Grinning, I wait for her to melt for me, just a little.
“It’s fine, I promise. I got it.” I scruff James’ hair, making him laugh.
“Okay.” She smiles softly, and I almost fucking beam at her. She’s giving me an inch. Bit by bit, she’s opening up a little, and I sit up taller, taking her trust seriously. I’ve never worked this hard for someone before. Usually, people gravitate toward me naturally; I’ve never had to put in effort. It’s new and exciting as hell.
As she walks away, I watch her for a moment, getting busy, doing all the daily tasks I notice she does before closing time. Cleaning the counters, rubbish removal. She always sorts the recyclables into separate bins, taking great care and attention to put the glass and plastics aside from the general waste. The diner is the place to be and is open late, but every day before she ends her shift, she makes the whole place a little cleaner than how she found it. I like that about her. She takes pride in her environment, looks after people, including Rochelle, ensuring things are done for her so that she doesn't have to worry about it later at lockup time.
The few conversations we’ve had, it’s clear that she’s intelligent. Her voice, her mannerisms, the way she holds herself. She isn’t a country girl. She’s worldly, and I have a feeling she’s all city. How she ended up here, where she knows no one, with a little boy who looks just as smart as she is, I have no idea.
Bringing my attention back to James, I ask, “Sooo, how are the bikes?”
“They’re so cool, and we get around so much quicker. They only had pink ones, though…” His face scrunches up. I noticed both bikes out back when I pulled up today.
“They didn’t have any boys' bikes?”
