The Strawberry Hearts Diner(57)

“When do you go start to work up in Frankston?” Leonard asked Ryder. “I know you’ve told me but don’t remember the exact day.”

“July 5. The day after the holiday,” Ryder said.

“Never pictured you as an inside guy,” Leonard said.

“I get to be close to home, and I can help Shane out on Saturdays for my dose of physical labor.” He looked to the pass-through for a moment. “Got to get busy. These women won’t feed us lunch if we slack off on our duties.”

“Order up!” Emily called as she slid two plates on the shelf.

Ryder grabbed them, checked the slips, and set one in front of Leonard and gave the other to Woody. “Looks pretty good, guys. Holler if you need anything else.”

“You got a woman, don’t you?” Leonard eyed him carefully.

“Ain’t a woman in these parts that he ain’t already had,” Woody chuckled.

“Naw, this one is serious. He’s settlin’ down to a job, and somebody told me he’s done bought a trailer and he’s puttin’ it over by Shane’s place,” Leonard said.

“Rumors have wings. And old men gossip worse than old women,” Ryder said and moved to the other end of the counter to take an order.

“Burgers and fries!” Two red plastic baskets appeared. Shane grabbed them and headed toward a booth.

Woody raised his voice. “If you really got a woman, I pity her.”

“Hey, now!” Ryder protested. “Why would you say that?”

“She’ll always wonder if she can really trust you not to go back to your old ways,” Woody said.

“You was the Ryder of our day, and Irma settled you down but good,” Leonard said. “Hey, tell Emily that this is some fine grub. Some man is going to get a really good woman when he lassoes that filly.”

Jancy grabbed the next order that Emily shoved through the window. Shane moved in right behind her to get a couple of cupcakes and took time to squeeze her hand gently.

“Aww, W-Woody, wh-when old Ryder falls in the fountain of love, he’ll go right in the deep end. He’ll settle right down. His woman won’t have a thing to worry about,” Shane said.

“Oh, really, so he’s already found someone?” Leonard asked.

“Maybe,” Ryder said. “Maybe Shane is talkin’ in poet’s language, since he might be in that deep water, too.”

“I’m ready and I can swim better than you can,” Shane said.

Ryder nudged him with a shoulder. “Then do something about it. And this counter is my territory, so move on out.”

Jancy’s heart did a double thump in her chest. Shane had said that he was ready to dig in and settle down. How could things move so fast?




Vicky was glad that Emily and her friends were in the waiting room with her that evening when they rolled Nettie away for the surgery. The doctor had assured her that it was minor. But that didn’t stop Vicky from worrying.

“Don’t worry. It’ll be over in less than an hour and our Nettie will be fine.” She wasn’t sure if she was trying to convince herself or comfort Emily, who had tears floating in her big blue eyes. Maybe it was both.

In that moment, she realized that she didn’t want Emily to come to a crisis like this in her life and only have the support of one child. Her daughter should have a loving husband who’d be there for her in the difficult times, who’d give her a shoulder to cry on and who would hold her hand no matter what. And later in life, she needed children—more than one, because that put too much burden on the only child.

The second hand on the clock at the end of the waiting room slowly made one round and then another. Vicky felt as if she aged a year with each minute that ticked off. By the time an hour was up, she would be older than Nettie. Maybe they’d just throw her up on a bed and take her on back for a pacemaker, also.

“Leonard told m-me that the w-wolf had come sniffin’ around his door again,” Shane said. “I thought he’d give up since he ain’t been around for a week now.”

“That fool ain’t ever givin’ up,” Jancy said. “Not until he’s six feet in the ground. Zebras don’t trade their stripes for bunny fur.”

“Speakin’ from experience?” Emily asked.

“Yes, I am. I’ve known a lot of people and . . .” She paused.

“What?” Vicky said.

“I’m thinkin’ this through,” Jancy said. “Let me start again. I’ve known a lot of folks who haven’t changed, but it was because they had no desire to have a different life. Like my folks. Neither ever changed. Trouble is, I’ve got a little of both of them in me.”