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“You okay with this?” I ask.
“Yeah, I’ve ridden before with my dad. Some of my family members don’t like them, but I think it’s different for me. I never knew my grandparents, so I don’t have vivid memories of losing them to a snowmobile accident.” She gets into the passenger seat of the truck.
We drive to Winterberry Falls because someone at the bar last week told me about an amazing breakfast and lunch diner that just opened up there.
“Wildberry,” Brinley says, reading the sign outside.
We walk in and the atmosphere is cute and relaxed with a French café vibe. We see pancakes, waffles, and French toast being served with whipped cream and a lot of berries. Even one with chocolate sauce.
“Oh, man.” She points at one. “Oh, but…” She points at another one a waitress carries past us.
We’re seated in a booth and even though I want to sit next to her, I slide in across from her. The waitress comes over and we both order coffee. She asks if we’ve ever been there before and tells us the story of the two sisters with sweet tooths who own the place. They believe breakfast is supposed to be sugary, but they do savory as well.
Instead of looking at the menu, Brinley seems to be deciding what she’ll have by looking at people’s plates as they come out of the kitchen. She points at a huge Belgium waffle with whipped cream on top. “That’s the one.”
“Perfect,” the waitress says.
We talk about our week thus far without mention of the other night. Our relationship is like a game of red light, green light. Brinley gives the green, and we go, but as soon as she says red, we stall for a while. But I don’t want to rush her or make her feel as if I’m pressuring her. And I have to say, getting to know her better, while kind of foreign for me, is actually really nice.
“Tell me what we’re doing today.” She sips her coffee, her eyes on me over the rim of her mug that says, “Blow me I’m hot.”
“Well, you know we’re going snowmobiling, but I’m not telling you anything else.” I put a packet of sugar in my cup and stir it.
Brinley points at the cup and laughs. I twist it around and see that it says, “Coffee because it’s too early for whiskey.”
We both look around and sure enough, there are white mugs with black writing on every table, each one with a unique saying.
“I want to order another cup just to see what she’ll give me,” Brinley says with a smile.
This is definitely going to be a go-to place for us… then I remember I’ll be gone in a few weeks. I make a mental note to bring her here one more time before I leave and swallow down the lump in my throat.
We eat our breakfast, which she only finishes half of because she gets a stomachache. I finish all my eggs and bacon and toast and make fun of her because she should’ve gone with my breakfast.
Thanking our waitress, I pay the bill even though Brinley argues with me about paying half, and we walk out of the café, seeing the crazy display of cakes and pies in the retro spinning display.
“We should get a cake from here sometime,” she says.
“When’s your birthday?” I ask, wishing I could take the question back because, in all likelihood, I won’t be here for it.
“Oh, um… it’s not until next year now. It’s a ways off.” She waves it off as if it doesn’t matter. “Along with Easton and Lance. Did I ever tell you the reason we’re so close is that we’re known as the Bailey Triplets, all born within a day of each other?” She rolls her eyes. I can’t even imagine what it must be like to know someone from day one of your life. “When is yours?”
And there it is. I could easily lie. “Um… we have to get going.”
Can’t there be something to distract us right now? Her phone ringing, my phone ringing? But there’s nothing, and even after getting into the truck, she doesn’t fasten her seat belt but stares at me, waiting for the answer.
I blow out a breath. “If I tell you and am honest because I don’t want to lie, you can’t do anything.”
Her face slowly transforms, her lips turning up in a big smile. “It’s soon?”
“Next Friday.”
Her eyes widen and she claps. “We have to do something.”
“Not necessary.” I shake my head.
“Not even just one of those cakes and me?”
I wrap my hand around the back of her head and pull her toward my lips, sliding my tongue into her mouth because the thought of her naked and me smearing chocolate frosting and licking it off her body makes me want her so badly. I close the kiss but keep our heads together. “I’ll take that.”
