Page 334 of Saving Forever with the Hockey Captain

"I was."

She shrugs.

"But now I’m visiting my best friend."

I laugh. "You flew halfway across the country just to visit?"

"Of course I did."

She shrugs. “You finally stopped living out of a suitcase. I wanted to see where life found you." She looks around Briar Cove before smiling at me. "Now I understand."

I shake my head, still smiling too hard to form coherent sentences.

"You didn't tell me you were coming."

"That would have ruined the surprise."

"It absolutely would have."

She studies me for a long moment before her grin softens. "I came because I missed you."

Emotion catches me completely off guard.

Keisha squeezes my shoulders.

"I wouldn't have missed seeing you for the world."

Mrs. Donnelly watches us from the porch with an approving smile.

"I'll assume this young lady is staying for lunch."

Keisha turns immediately. "If there's pie involved, absolutely."

Mrs. Donnelly laughs. "I like her already."

***

After lunch with plenty of pie, we're sitting outside one of my favorite little coffee shop overlooking the lake, steaming mugs between us.

Keisha leans back in her chair.

"So..."

She folds her arms. "Tell me everything."

I laugh. "I have absolutely no idea where to start."

"Good."

"That usually means life has been interesting."

It has. Only not in the ways I expected. We spend the next half hour catching up on everything except the biggest parts.

She tells me about the hospital where she's working now.

I tell her stories from Idaho.

She complains about impossible parking.