reading thick nonfiction books about atomic particles that he’d checked out from the library.
He touched her elbow and guided her to a table, acting as if they weren’t the center of attention. She was afraid their appearance together might become a topic for gossip.
When they sat, he whispered, “I can’t believe I decided to come here. Too many people. All staring.”
“Many probably don’t recognize you. They’ll assume I’ve got a boyfriend from out of town.”
“Should I stand and state my name, tell them we’re not a couple? Then ask them to quit staring?” His golden-brown eyes sparked with warmth.
“Maybe once your novelty wears off, you’ll have some peace.”
“My novelty will never wear off. I’ve always been considered an oddball.”
“Well, I’ll be,” Minnie said in her deep, husky, smoker’s voice as she approached the table. “My best customer has finally come home.”
“Ms. Minnie, so good to see you.” He stood and hugged her, dwarfing her small frame.
“Mercy, look at you, child. You grew up into the rafters and finally put some meat on your bones.”
“It was your chicken, Ms. Minnie. If it hadn’t been for you, I would have been blown away by a good strong wind.”
“Well, I’ll make sure you get all your favorites today.” She smiled at Lindsay. “Hey, Lindsay. Your regular?”
“I can’t resist. And a plate for Granny Bea, as well, please. Everything to go.”
Minnie hurried toward the kitchen, whistling “I’ll Fly Away.”
They sat in silence. She ran her finger over a split in the laminated menu. “I know you visit your granny. How come I haven’t seen you in so many years?”
“I’ve actually flown her up to visit me more often than I’ve come here. And my rare trips home have been very brief.” He darted a glance into her eyes, then looked away, toward the front door. “I guess we haven’t run into each other.”
She couldn’t shake the feeling he’d avoided her.
“Well, maybe you’ll see some old friends this time.”
“I’m only here for Granny. But it’s nice to see Minnie.”
Would he have ever come to see her? “You’ll have to go visit Pastor Eddie. He’d love to see you.”
Minnie set two glasses of syrupy-thick sweet iced tea on the table. “On the house while you wait.” She tapped Bill on the shoulder. “So, sugar, what brings you to town after all this time?”
“Granny took a fall. Broke her wrist.”
“Bill Wellington, shame on you. You shouldn’t wait for a crisis to make you come home,” Minnie said.
“I apologize. I’ve been in town, but haven’t made it over to the restaurant.”
“I forgive you. This time.” Minnie shook her finger at him. “No excuses from now on.”
“He won’t be able to resist your chicken now that he’ll have another taste,” Lindsay said.
“See,” Ms. Minnie said almost like a frog croaking. “You can’t resist the people who care about you.”
Lindsay laughed at the sounds Minnie managed to make, as well as the look on Bill’s face. Something inside fluttered. She felt…well…happy. It was almost as if she and Bill were spending time together as friends once again.
“So how long are ya staying, sugar?”
“Actually, I won’t be here but a few days,” he said, blowing the friendly little vision out of Lindsay’s mind. “I have to get back to my classes to prepare for finals.”
“Well, you be sure to stop by next time.” Minnie patted him on the shoulder and walked away.
Lindsay sipped her tea. “I’m sure my family will want to see you while you’re here.”
“I’d like that.” He stretched his arms across the back of the booth, which emphasized how large he was. “You know, I’ll be glad to help you with your nephews anytime you need it, Lindsay.”
“Okay.” Her heart squeezed. She forced herself to look him in the eye with a smile on her face. “Thank you.”
“You’ve been a good friend to Granny. It’s the least I can do.”
Yeah. A good friend to Granny. Not a word about what good friends they’d been years ago. Not a word about wanting to be her friend now. She clamped her teeth together so she could resist the urge to blurt out that he should head on back to Boston and leave them alone.
She could kick herself for letting a bit of hope creep up on her.
When they arrived back at Granny’s with lunch, Lindsay, who’d been quiet the whole way home, said, “I’ll help you carry this in, then I’ll take mine home to eat.”
He knew it was the right thing to do. The smart thing. But as she reached for her sack of food, he pulled it away from her. “Why don’t you stay and eat with us?”
“I need to get home. I need to…well, I—”
As he was about to accuse her of making excuses, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. A haze. Behind the house.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Is that smoke?”
She didn’t answer. She took off running toward the house.
He closed the gap and beat her through the front door. He bounded to the kitchen where smoke filled the air. It rolled in plumes from a pan on the stove, the acrid smell choking him. He grabbed the handle of the pot and ran out the back door with it.
“I’ve got the garden hose,” Lindsay said from beside the back steps as she turned the water on. She unrolled the hose and pulled it over to spray the singed food.
“I’ll find Granny,” he said as he rushed back in the door. He called for her over and over, but no answer. She was nowhere in the house.
He found Lindsay holding her nose as she stared into the pan. “I think it was green beans.”
“The stove was set on high. She must have put them on to cook quickly, then left them. She’s not in the house.”
“I’m sure she walked over to Sandra’s.”
He wouldn’t quit worrying until he actually saw her. “I’ll be back. Can you see if you can figure out what I did with the food from Minnie’s? I have no idea where I put it down.”
She grinned. “It might be up on the roof.”
He grinned in return. “Maybe we can have green beans for lunch, then.”
She burst out laughing. “I’ll find it. Go check on Granny Bea.”
He paused for a moment. He couldn’t resist smiling. She looked so young, like she had when he’d been so crazy about her. She was the first to break the connection as she turned to go back inside.
He walked next door to Sandra’s back entrance. The tight clench in his jaw eased when he heard Granny’s voice through the screen door. She was fine.
He knocked. “Hi, ladies.”
“Oh, come in, Bill,” Sandra said as she jumped out of her chair and hurried over to greet him. She gave him a fierce hug. “I’m so glad you’re home to see your granny. And staying for a few days no less.”
“Hi, Miss Sandra. It’s good to be here.”
“Come join us, son,” Granny said