Jo paused, tempted. She glanced outside at the intersection of Orange Avenue and Summer Street. Blue’s house was at the other end of Summer Street. She hadn’t been there in weeks.
“What time?” she asked.
“Seven?”
“I’ll be there.”
She wasn’t sure if she was doing the right thing. Yesterday, she’d had such a nice dinner with Rocky. He was smart and supportive, and they’d laughed over all sorts of things as the evening wore on.
It was late afternoon, so Jo checked her personal phone for messages. There was one from Maileah.
How was dinner? Rocky is a great guy.
Jo sucked in a breath. She trusted Maileah, but there were other Cuppa Jo customers she’d seen at the Rockin’ Roll. This kind of news could spread across the island.
She tapped a reply. He’s helping me with a project.
Sure he is. Let me know if you want to talk;)
Jo pressed a hand to her forehead. Before she got herself into an uncomfortable situation, she had to give Blue one more chance.
She had to be sure.
Candy breezed into the diner from the back entry, pinning her name tag on her red striped shirt. “Hi, Jo,” she said brightly. “I’m ready for a spectacular evening. How was business today?”
Jo smiled at Candy’s enthusiasm for her new assistant manager position. “It’s been busy. Very steady.”
“That’s great. I woke in the middle of the night with some new ideas for you. Do you want to hear them now or…” She paused, peering at Jo, who seemed distracted. “Are you okay?”
“I have a lot on my mind. Can we talk tomorrow? I want to hear your ideas, but I must leave early,” Jo said, taking off her apron. “If there’s anything you need, you know where to reach me.” She held up her phone.
“Don’t worry about us,” Candy said, playfully flicking a dishtowel in her direction. “We’ll keep the party going.”
Jo went home and plucked a fresh towel from the dryer. Hugo had washed and dried towels before he left. Her baby brother was growing up.
After showering, she stood in front of her closet, staring at her options. Her first instinct was jeans and a T-shirt. Nothing that might suggest she’d tried to impress him.
She recalled how much care Blue took with the outdoor grill and how he always made sure her steak or fish was cooked to perfection.
Could they make it back to where they were, hit the restart button, and move ahead? Maybe. They sure weren’t moving ahead from where they were right now.
They needed a truce first, then she could reconsider.
She reached past the jeans and pulled out a pink sundress he’d given her. He’d told her he liked her in pink with her dark curly hair.
One more chance.
She opened her jewelry box and lifted a delicate gold necklace with a small heart pendant from the black velvet interior. He’d given this necklace to her last year for her birthday. She’d worn it every day for months but took it off when he canceled their trip, left for Chicago, and ceased communication.
She had to put that thought aside, if only for tonight. She fastened the glittering chain around her neck and looked in the mirror.
She’d once been happy in this outfit. She still loved Blue, despite his silences and disappearing act. Maybe they could clear the air and find that happiness again.
Was love enough to go forward? She honestly didn’t know. It depended on him tonight. On whether the man who showed up at that door was the Blue she’d fallen for, or the one who’d spent two weeks in Chicago without picking up the phone.
That was snarky, she told herself, even though it was true.
She drew a deep breath and exhaled, calming her nervous system.
