Page 9

I smirk at her and we both laugh. It feels like the tension between us completely evaporates. “I should have called or visited. I should have reached out.”

She shakes her head adamantly. “I could’ve done the same. I almost did, right after the wedding that wasn’t.” She makes air quotes around the last part and rolls her eyes. She seems to be outwardly handling it well, but even after not seeing her for all these years, I know her well enough to pick up on the way the corners of her mouth tilt down. “I was about to call you.”

I wince. “I heard about that. I’m so sorry.”

She shrugs, displaying a sense of confidence I don’t remember from her childhood. “Thanks, but I’m okay. When Grace was here for the wedding, she couldn’t stop talking about her best friend, Josie, and how much we would get along.”

I smile half-heartedly. “Thanks for not blowing my cover with her. She doesn’t know my history with this place, so I appreciate that.”

“I figured as much. I almost didn’t believe it when I pieced it together. Who would’ve thought your friend would marry Sutton’s best friend and end up as a guest at my wedding?” She shakes her head in disbelief and sips her coffee before continuing. “I did consider trying to reach out. Grace and I have been texting a lot, and it reminded me that I kind of need a friend. I don’t really have anyone who knew me before the wedding and everything, someone whose last name isn’t Sterling, that is. I guess your van made that decision for us.”

The sound of footsteps approaching draws our attention to the tall brunette who can’t be more than a few years older than me, walking up to take our food order. Sisi already explained that she’s the new owner and moved to town earlier this year, but outside of that, it doesn’t look like the inside of the diner has changed at all.

I look at the menu again and laugh when I see they still serve sugary cereal, which confirms that some things are exactly the way they were. Of course, the diner would still have cereal for the Sterling boys. Maybe that will be their legacy. The motel and the garage are their only family businesses that remain since their family’s century-old mine closed.

After Riley takes our order, I notice that the diner isn’t filled with the old local men gossiping at the counter like it was when we were kids. That’s when it really dawns on me that it’s been ten years after all, and some of them are probably not even alive anymore.

In fact, the only person I even recognize here, outside of Sisi, is my former high school teacher and next-door neighbor, Mr. Stein. I think he recognizes me, but he hasn’t ventured from his spot at the end of the counter. I remember when he and his wife stopped talking to us after everything that happened with my parents. Fortunately, I’d graduated and didn’t have a reason to talk to him anymore. His wife, Anne, lost her job as an instructor at the ski resort after that. She was the one who taught my ski school when I was a kid, and I always looked up to her. That was until their shithead son, Brandon, left a flaming bag of dog crap on our porch, which I ended up stepping in, even though I think my parents were his intended targets.

Thankfully, Riley shows up to top off our drinks as I feel Mr. Stein’s eyes lingering on me. I look out the window, taking in Silver Street as I sip my coffee, almost wishing it were something stronger. I can just make out the sign for the garage a couple of blocks away, past the drugstore. “Speaking of my van, how did you know it broke down? Did Sly tell you?”

“Nope, I haven’t talked to him since lunch yesterday. I’m guessing you have? I bet that was… something.”

I nod and take another much-needed drink. “Yeah, something is one way to put it. So, who told you then?”

She obviously knew I was in town from the motel registration, but someone had to have told her that my van was at the garage.

Sisi starts to answer but stops when a deep, warm laugh from the entrance of the diner instantly answers that question for me. I would know that laugh anywhere. The Sterlings were the only people in town who were nice to me after my parents became pariahs and took my reputation down with them. Mr. Sterling—or Eddie as he always insisted we call him—was like a second father to me, given the amount of time I spent at their house growing up and later dating Sly.

He walks over with a wide grin on his face. He’s wearing the same trademark light blue short-sleeved button-down, with Eddie stitched into the white name patch on the chest, and a pair of Wranglers.

“I heard you had some van trouble, Josephine,” he says when he reaches the booth. He gives his daughter a little squeeze on the shoulder, and she smiles up at him.

“Oh. Sly told you then?” I ask.

His grin widens, showing off those famous Sterling dimples that all three of his sons lucked into. “Nope. I’m the one who took the roadside assistance dispatch call last night.”

My mind goes back to how flustered Sly looked last night. It was like he saw a ghost, one that he had no idea was coming and was certainly not expecting.

I look back at Eddie, thinking there’s no way he did what he might have. “Wait… You knew it was me coming last night, and you didn’t tell him?”

He winks the way only a shit-starting father would and taps his temple with one finger. “I like to screw with my kids.”

Sisi rolls her eyes and groans. “Yeah, we know, Dad.”

CHAPTER 5

SLY

Coffee

Coffee. I need coffee, sooner rather than later. That is the driving thought running through my mind and has been since I left my apartment this morning. I always like my cup of morning coffee—sometimes two or three of them—but I slept like shit last night. I need it more than ever today if I’m going to have a remotely productive morning at the garage.

Normally, I sleep great, especially on Fridays. I always stay up, have a beer or two, catch the new episode of HHR, and maybe watch Black Sheep Bunni’s latest video, if she’s posted one. Then I go to sleep without a care in the world because I just came hard enough to release enough endorphins to get me through the night.

That is not what happened.

I still can’t believe that Josie Hare was at my garage last night. Seeing the van in the storage lot reminded me it wasn’t a dream. As groggy and restless as I am this morning, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that I stayed up all night thinking about her. Even the brief glimpses of her under the shitty lights of the garage were all I needed to know that she is more beautiful than the version of her that’s still haunted me for years. Yes, the girl that I let go of is now a stunning woman. It shouldn’t really surprise me at all.