One Day in Apple Grove(2)

Jack hesitated, wondering if he should leave now, before they picked his brain clean, or if he should stick around for a slice of heaven on a plate.

“What?” Kate frowned, reaching for the coffeepot and turning back around. “How many women have you heard make that offer while waiting for our hometown hero to return?”

Jack raised his eyes to the ceiling and fought his embarrassment. He should come back later, when it was busy and he could be ignored.

Peggy’s question interrupted that thought. “How ’bout a piece of our grandma’s buttermilk pie to go with your coffee?”

Kate motioned for him to sit down while Peggy sliced a piece of pie for him. A stronger man than him could forgo the flaky confection calling his name. Where pie was concerned, especially from the Apple Grove Diner, he had no choice. He gave in, had to have that pie.

“Thanks.” Taking a seat at the counter, he shifted on the vinyl stool until he was comfortable—his leg ached—they’d be getting rain by nightfall. Doing his best to ignore the pain, he looked up when a fragrant cup of coffee and a megaslice of pie appeared like magic.

“Did you know one of the hardest parts of leaving town was missing Grandma McCormack’s pies? You can’t get service or baked goods like this where I’ve been.” He took a bite and sighed in pleasure.

“It’s been a while in between your visits home,” Kate said while he ate. “Peggy and I were trying to remember how long but can’t.”

With his mouth filled with the decadent combination of lemony-flavored custard and delectable meringue topping, he couldn’t answer right away, so he chewed, swallowed, and said, “A while.”

Forking up another bite, he gave in and let himself enjoy the flavors dancing on his tongue. It had been quiet for a few minutes before he realized the sisters were watching him closely. He lifted a forkful of pie and said, “Delicious.”

“Thanks,” Peggy said. “So, how many years were you in the navy?”

Blowing across the surface to cool his coffee, he paused and glanced up. “Almost ten.”

“And then you went to school,” Peggy added.

He took a sip of his coffee and said, “I had earned plenty of college credits, so finishing up and going to med school didn’t take as long as I’d thought it would.”

“Do you miss it?” Kate asked.

“The navy or med school?” he asked.

“The navy,” Kate said.

“Why couldn’t you spend the last two years doing rehab here?” Peggy wanted to know. “Couldn’t your dad have taken care of you?”

Jack nearly snorted up that last mouthful of fragrant brew. Had he really thought they wouldn’t touch on the parts of his military career he hadn’t wanted to discuss? This was one aspect he hadn’t missed—being grilled so that the midmorning crowd coming into the diner would have fresh fodder to pass along.

He didn’t want to talk about it, but maybe if he told them something no one had heard before, the sisters would be satisfied for the next little bit.

Jack met Peggy’s gaze and said, “They didn’t think I’d survive the plane ride home.” While the reality of his comment hit home, he looked at Kate and hoped to distract her by saying, “My mom and dad wanted me to say hello for them and to ask how your parents and grandmother are doing.”

Peggy was the first to recover from the gossip-worthy bomb he’d dropped. She grasped his hand and squeezed it tight before letting it go. Her nod told him that she’d let the subject drop. “Are your parents really going to buy that house in Florida?” Peggy asked. “Wouldn’t it be better to keep renting? They might change their mind during another wicked hurricane season.”

“Mornin’, Miss Kate. Mornin’, Miss Peggy.” Deputy Jones walked into the diner and smiled at the sisters before turning to look at Jack. “Morning, Doc. Heard you’re meeting with the sheriff later today. It’s a good thing you’re doing for Apple Grove.”

Jack shrugged. “When Mitch was filling me in on the latest emergencies at the office, we got to talking about how to avoid some of them. We think it’ll work.”

Deputy Jones was fighting not to smile when he added, “We may catch some grief from the people on that list.”

Jack agreed. “Most of them won’t mind, but there are a few independent curmudgeons who will.”

“What have you two cooked up?” Kate asked.

“You have been busy,” Peggy said, at the same time, handing a paper bag and two coffees to go to the sheriff’s right-hand man.

“Duty calls. Thank you, ladies,” Deputy Jones said with a wave and was gone.