Page 70 of Omega’s Fold

“Wyatt.”

I look at Matthew. He has his thumb on the menu where it says blueberry pancakes. He has said barely three words to me all morning.

“Can I have the pancakes?”

“You can have whatever you want, bud.”

He nods once. He closes the menu and pushes it across the table toward Caleb, who does not look at it.

The bell over the diner door rings.

I don’t look up. The bell rings every two minutes in here. People come in for coffee and a slice of pie.

Caleb’s head moves about an inch. That is what makes me look.

A man has come through the door and stopped one step inside. He is in a dark jacket and dark jeans and his hair is shorter than the last time I saw it. He has not seen me yet. He is looking at the chalkboard above the till where Mr. Follett writes the specials.

It hits me low in the chest, before my brain has caught up.

I feel myself go completely still.

Caleb says, low, “Wy.”

“I see him.”

Matthew looks up. He turns his head and he sees what we are seeing and he goes still. He looks at me. He looks at Julian. He looks at me.

Julian turns from the chalkboard and sees me.

I watch it land. The half-smile goes. Then it comes back, smaller. He starts walking. He is across the room in an instant.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

He looks at the boys. His face changes for them. It softens at Matthew, who is sitting bolt upright with his mouth open. Caleb pushes his hood back.

“Caleb. Matthew.”

“Hi,” Matthew says. His voice has come out higher than he meant it to. “Hi, hi.”

“Hi, bud.”

“Are you back?”

“Matthew,” I say.

“Sorry.”

Julian glances down at me. He does not answer Matthew. He is reading my face. I don’t know what he finds in it.

“I came in for a coffee,” he says, to me. “I didn’t know you were here. I’m not — “ He stops. He starts again. “I was on my way out to the ranch. I was going to call from the road. I stopped here for the coffee first. I didn’t know you were here. Could I — could we talk for a minute?”

I look at the boys. Matthew looks thrilled. Caleb’s face is closed, the way it goes.

“Okay.”

Mr. Follett comes back with the coffees and the cocoa. He sets them down and looks at Julian. His bushy eyebrows raise an inch.