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I gave her my best, most earnest smile, and shucked off my jacket, placing it around Nora’s shoulders. “I appreciate it. We just adopted him, and he’s got a bit of attachment anxiety.”
“I’ll get the thing a bowl of water.” Gloria waved her hand dismissively and shuffled back inside the diner.
“I think she likes you,” Nora said, a gleam in her eye.
“No, she likes you. She was ready to kick me out.”
Nora had gone through her course syllabuses while I worked my way through the stack of papers left at work. We returned to Franklin Notch by early evening, exhausted. Despite Nora offering to make dinner, I drove us straight to the diner instead.
Gloria returned with drinks and a bowl of water for Trashcan, who happily lapped it up before laying across Nora’s feet for a nap.
“You think he’s going to remember me when I come back?”
She laughed. “Probably. He’s going to be disappointed when he finds out I don’t go for runs.”
“Don’t worry. He wasn’t exactly a runner. He sprinted for the first few minutes and then wanted to sniff everything.”
“Think he’ll get along with Mags?”
I shrugged. “I don’t see why not.”
Trashcan’s ability to get along with the local dogs was the last thing on my mind. All day, my mind had been firmly stuck on the memory of Nora in my arms, the feeling of her body beneath mine, and the sound of her soft whimpers as she came. Trashcan might as well not have existed.
But Nora didn’t have that same focus. She hadn’t exactly shied away from my touch, but she hadn’t been eager to reciprocate either. This left me in a strange limbo, wavering between friendship and relationship.
“What’s good here?” I asked, eliciting a shocked, bubbly laugh.
“Please tell me you’ve eaten at the diner before.”
I had not. I spent most of my time in Pierce, opting to grab dinner there since the restaurants stayed open later. Besides, my mom had stayed far away from the diner, equating its rundown facade with inedible food, however wrong that might be.
“I don’t want to answer that. How about you just make me a recommendation instead?”
Nora rolled her eyes, skimming the menu. “Are you splurging because we’re eating out or staying on your normal diet?”
“Splurging. I don’t come here often.”
She grinned. “Okay. Then the bacon cheeseburger. It’s amazing, probably because it’s mostly fat. And get it with the steak fries. They’re bought prepared, but Gloria uses this insanely good seasoning, something with thyme. I’ve never had anything like them, and they’re always super crunchy with the perfect amount of salt.”
I set down the menu without a second glance. “Alright, how do I want my burger?”
“Medium rare. She’ll overcook it.”
“What are you having?”
“Well, I always eat here, so I’m not splurging. Grilled chicken sandwich, half fries, and a side salad.”
“And for Trashcan?”
“He’ll share my fries, and maybe, if you’re feeling generous, he’ll get a bite of cheeseburger.”
“You’ve got it all figured out.”
The smile faded slightly from her brown eyes. “Not entirely. But I’m trying.”
Gloria returned, taking our order and complaining more about the dog, even as she dipped to pet him.
Nora’s phone buzzed in her pocket. She took it out, immediately frowning at the screen.
