Seth didn’t slow the car but gave a slight nod. He watched Melvin in the rearview mirror as he drove on down the street. Beside him, Callie, oblivious to the fact that he had just made contact with his informant, stared out the window.
When he turned out of the neighborhood and drove toward the interstate that skirted the area, she swiveled in her seat and frowned at him. “Are you giving up already?”
Seth chuckled. “No. We passed him already. Melvin just gave me the sign that he would meet me at our usual place in an hour.”
Her eyes grew wide. “I didn’t see anybody. When did that happen?”
“I guess you were looking out the wrong window. We have an hour until we meet him, so I thought we could grab a cup of coffee while we’re waiting.”
“Why do we have to wait so long?”
“Because Melvin has to make sure no one follows him. This is our normal routine. We always follow it.”
The flashing sign of a fast-food restaurant down the street caught his attention, and he pulled into the parking lot. As they walked toward the front door, he glanced over at her. A smile pulled at her lips.
“What is it?” he asked.
“I might have known you’d look for your favorite fast-food franchise. I think I ate my weight in hamburgers that summer we dated. Every time we went to a movie or a ball game, we had to end the evening at one of these restaurants. I think you must have been on a quest that summer to eat at every one in the city.”
His face grew warm, and he grinned. “I’m sorry. Would you rather go somewhere else that doesn’t bring up unpleasant memories?”
A surprised look flashed in her eyes. “I didn’t say they were unpleasant memories, Seth. I’m glad we have some memories that don’t bring pain.”
He didn’t know how to answer her, so he bit down on his lip and reached around her to open the door to the restaurant. She walked inside, and he followed her to the counter. After purchasing their coffee, they settled in a booth near the back of the room.
Seth sipped the hot liquid in his cup and let his gaze settle on Callie. He kept telling himself that he had to stay strong and not let her get under his skin again the way she had two years ago. He thought he’d been doing a good job of it until she’d hinted that some of the things they’d shared in their relationship had made her happy.
“So,” he said and took a deep breath, “you don’t regret everything about our time together?”
Her eyes grew wide. “Of course I don’t. I know I left abruptly, and you didn’t understand. I’ve always been sorry I hurt you, but I thought in time you’d come to see I wasn’t right for you. I hope you’ve done that.”
He nodded. “It was hard at first, but it got better through time. Dan helped me through it. I don’t know what I would have done without him.”
“I know. He helped me, too.” She traced her finger around the rim of her cup. “When I came back to Memphis this time, I meant to stay away from you, but now I realize that was a mistake. Both of us love Uncle Dan, and he loves us. He’s had a hard time the past two years trying to walk the line between us without hurting anyone. I don’t want that for him anymore. If he recovers, I think we need to do everything we can to put the past behind us and be friends for his sake. Then when I come home, there won’t be any problems about you coming over to see us. We can truly be happy to see each other. Do you think we can do that?”