The Shop on Main(19)
“I thought I’d walk down to Best Friends Diner for lunch.”
“It sure is a nice day for a walk. I’ve opened the windows down here to air everything out. Just a lovely day. Larry’s out puttering in the garage under the guise of fixing a lamp for me. I reckon he just wanted to get out before I put him to work with the spring cleaning.”
“I don’t have much time for walks back home, so I figured I’d take advantage of the time and the weather while I’m here.” The only walking he did back in Chicago was on a treadmill at the gym in his condo building. Well, and back and forth to his office, which was barely a block from his condo.
He headed out into the spring sunshine and strode down the street. He realized he was walking at his normal brisk clip, but there was no need to hurry. He slowed down to a leisurely stroll, the gait felt unnatural to him.
His thoughts went back to the notes he’d taken about the town. He hoped that Rebecca would be glad to know he was helping to open another restaurant in town. He figured it would help draw more people into town, which could only help all the businesses, like Rebecca's bed and breakfast. Last weekend the town had been filled with shoppers. The antique shops looked like they’d done a bustling business as well as the other gift shops around town. He’d noticed a women’s dress shop that had a steady stream of customers too. The art galleries had been full of not only people looking, but he’d seen a handful of customers come out with wrapped pictures in their possession. The town was a perfect mix of quaint, crafty, antiquing, and charm. He hoped the town would welcome him, an outsider in their midst. Heck, he hoped Jake would start to consider him more than an interloper. So far everyone—but Jake that is—had been welcoming, and he enjoyed that.
It didn’t take him long to reach Best Friends Diner. He crossed inside and noticed they were doing a brisk business at the end of the lunch time rush. He waited a moment for his eyes to fully adjust from the bright sunlight to the lights in the diner. He looked around the restaurant and noticed Izzy sitting at a table near the back. She was going to think he was stalking her.
Izzy sat with papers spread out in front of her, a look of concentration on her face. She lightly drummed her fingers on the table as she studied the papers. He wasn’t sure if he should interrupt her or not. Oh, who was he kidding, of course he was going to go say hi.
He walked back to her table. “Hello.”
Izzy looked up at him with her pretty green eyes. “Ah, so we meet again.”
“It appears we eat on the same schedule.”
“And there are only two places in town to eat on Main Street. Do you want to join me?”
Owen looked at the files spread out on the table in front of her. “I don’t want to disturb your work.”
“No problem. Just crunching some numbers. I could use the break.” She stacked her files up and pushed them aside.
“I just ordered. I’ll get Kat back here to take your order.”
“Is she one of the best friends part of Best Friends Diner?”
Izzy’s infectious laughter spilled between them. “Yes, one of three.”
He ordered his lunch and settled back in the booth. “So you have the day off?”
“The afternoon. Have to take Timmy to a doctor’s appointment this afternoon at Doc Baker’s. Just a checkup. Then the boys have baseball practice.”
“They keep you pretty busy.”
“Pretty busy in an understatement. We seem to always be at some sports practice or game. Or school thing. Or fighting over homework. But I wouldn’t change a thing. Well, maybe have them not wear through the knees of every pair of pants in like three weeks flat.” She smiled.
He couldn’t imagine that. He hadn’t had the type of childhood where you could just wear your jeans and go out and play. It was organized sports with uniforms. Uniforms at the schools he went to. He couldn’t remember a time when he’d ever worn out the knees of a pair of pants.
“So they play a lot of sports?”
“Baseball, basketball, soccer.”
“That’s a lot.”
“But they love it and it wears them out. A tired boy is a… well, a tired boy. A good thing.”
“I suppose it is.”
Kat brought their food and Izzy regaled him with stories of the boys. Her face was animated when she talked of her sons. Her graceful fingers kept tucking her hair behind her ears until she finally twisted her hair up at her neck and stuck what looked to be some kind of stick, similar to a chopstick, through the twist of hair. He was amazed it stayed in place. Mostly. Just a few tendrils of her red hair framed her face. He liked the look. Liked it a lot.