“Call it off…”
“I can’t, brother,” his friend admitted, getting quiet and serious. “Becky Sue’s got no one on her side… and I don’t want to be another person who tells her to ‘get out’, you know?”
“No, I know,” Jack replied and then shook Everett’s hand. “You’re a good man.”
“I’m a fool, and we both know it.”
“No doubt about that, brother – but aren’t all good men complete fools when it comes to women?”
“Amen to that,” Everett sighed heavily and then nodded, waving at him. “C’mon and let’s take a look at what is still inthe barn. I’ve gotta get out of this sun anyhow. I’ve already had two moles cut off my back, and I’ve got no desire to have any more removed.”
“I hear that,” Jack admitted, nodding. “Too many summer days in the sun.”
“Baby oil was not sunblock, that’s for sure…”
Both men walked off, laughing and talking about the good ol’ times… and already, Jack was plotting his next few stops in his mind. They were bringing the Jamboree back to Fate.
Twelve
HEIDI
It had been almosta week of constant, self-inflicted torture. Every morning, Heidi woke at the crack of dawn, checked on Mimi, and then went to work. She scrubbed the entire café from top to bottom, side to side, and then began painting, staining, and sanding – which was stupid because sanding the old rough spots on the furniture meant that she had to wash everything again. There was the menu to create, setting up a bank account, the till, and trying to figure out how to advertise the café. She wasn’t a professional restaurateur, but even she knew you didn’t fling open the front door and hope to sell out on the first day.
“I wish,” she muttered, pushing her hair out of her face for the fifteenth time today as she finished touching up the paint on the bottom of the decorative crown molding that ran along the baseboards. A few moments later, the chime on the front door tinkled lightly, indicating someone had walked in. “We’re not open yet…” she hollered automatically and then paused, looking over her shoulder only to lock eyes with Jack. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, hello to you too…” he chuckled and then held up a bag – a McDonald’s bag – and shook it in a teasing manner. Her lips parted as she stared at him in shock.
“Did you bring me lunch?”
“I could try to eat both Big Macs, but I don’t think that…”
Heidi was already on her feet, reaching for the bag when he held it aloft immediately, playing keep-away.
“Let’s try this again,” he said playfully in a teasing manner, whispering to her. “It’s nice to see you,” he prompted.
“Hello – did you bring me lunch?”
“I did,” he smiled and then lowered his arm. “I thought I’d come by, see how things were going, and check on my favorite girl…”
“I thought that was Mimi,” she shot back, taking the bag from him, and he removed a few chairs from on top of a nearby table so they could sit down.
“Are you fishing for compliments?”
“Nope,” she replied curtly, shoving a French fry in her mouth. “So good. Where’s the nearest McDonald’s?”
“They opened one a few miles up the road in Yonder last year,” he began, handing her a burger as he looped a leg over the chair and then sat down beside her. “I’ve got about forty minutes for my lunch break and…”
“You’re good,” she interrupted, opening the wrapper. “I can shove this down in five minutes flat. I’m freakin’ starving and…”
“Heidi,” he stopped her, putting a hand over hers. It was enough to cause her to look up into his eyes and hesitate. Those hazel eyes were so warm, so full of kindness and emotion, that she swallowed audibly… and his smile widened. “I thought we could spend my lunch break together. While it’s not exactly romantic, I do have a surprise for you.”
“Besides the burger?”
“Yes.”
“Can I have my burger – because I don’t want to bite one of your fingers off and I’mthathungry,” she said bluntly, feeling a little nervous and unsure of what this was between them. He was so sweet, so polite, and thoughtful to do something like this, but after a week of not much communication or talking between them, she thought he’d changed his mind about dating. Except he leaned forward, his eyes molten.
“You can nibble on me anytime you feel like it,” he murmured, his lip curling slightly on one side. “But eat your burger while it’s hot, and then the surprise.”
