Her mother wasn’t listening as she picked up the phone and pressed a series of numbers in rapid succession. A few things were going through her mind right now, one of them being how she wished landlines no longer existed in Gray. The other was Danny and how a small part of her was excited to see him. She thought about him while her mom rambled into the phone.
“Good news, Dr. Weatherly is free and can see you immediately. I really hope there isn’t much damage.”
She nodded and looked down at her now wrapped hand. “Can you finish the muffins and cupcakes while I’m gone? I really need the extra for the afternoon rush.”
Her mother placed her hands on her shoulders. “Of course. I’ll have your aunt come down and maybe your cousin.”
“Coral’s in town?” she hadn’t heard her cousin was visiting but liked the idea that she was.
“She arrived last night. It was unplanned. I figured you had heard.”
“I hadn’t, but this news makes me happy. I haven’t seen Coral in a few years. We have a lot to catch up on.”
“You need to hurry, or you’ll miss your appointment.”
“Yes, with Danny Weatherly, who just happens to be single and my former boyfriend. That, I might add, my parents forgot to tell me had moved back to town.”
Her mother waved her off. “Danny’s a good boy and acted like a teenager. You on the other hand,” she sighed. “I will never understand why you left.”
Kelly shrugged. “Maybe I was scared of the future.”
“Maybe, but it doesn’t matter. You’re back in Gray.” She smiled and all but shoved her toward the door, pushing her through it while laughing. Standing in the middle of the empty café was Danny and Rambo.
She held up her hand. “I was just on my way to see you. My mother tried to kill me.” Danny dropped the bag he was holding and rushed around the counter, taking her injured hand in his.
“What happened?” The look of concern etched across his face made her heart swell, even though she knew deep down it shouldn’t. She’s wasn’t sure she was ready, even though her heart was screamed that she was.
“She startled me, and I touched a coil in the oven. It was brief and I believe she’s making it a bigger deal than necessary.”
Danny gently unwrapped her hand, peeling back the cold compress to inspect her wound. He turned her hand, held it up possibly for better lighting. His expression had her confused. “Does it hurt?”
“It stings, mostly. And is tender.”
“You were coming to see me for this?” His fingers ghosted over the burn, careful not to make contact with the wound. He dropped her hand but didn’t let go. His finger linked with her pinky. Sweet, caring, everything she wanted. “It’s barely a burn, Taffy.” Danny’s voice was soft, with a hint of laughter.
Her nickname warmed her, it gave her a certain hope and longing she hadn’t felt in a long time. She ducked her head in an attempt to hide the red tint her cheeks were surely turning. The embarrassment wasn’t because of her less than minor injury, but because of how she felt. When his finger touched her chin and softly lifted her face, she met his gaze and her legs wobbled. If he saw, he didn’t say anything, much to her relief. Desire pooled in her belly. It would be so easy to lean forward and kiss him, to throw herself at him and ask that he help he
r forget everything. Danny would do it, this much she was sure. What she wasn’t sure about was whether or not she’d regret it.
“My mother…” she had to pause and gather her thoughts. Her mind pictured her once boyfriend moving over the top of her. Their secret lovemaking had been a challenge, one both of them accepted all those years ago. As adults, they wouldn’t have to sneak around. As adults, the hurt and pain would be the same if they were to break-up.
The door to the kitchen crashed open again, causing her to jump. Thankfully, there wasn’t anything in her hand. “Oh, you’re doing house calls now.”
“I always do house calls, Mrs. Taft. However, I was stopping by to bring Kelly some lunch when she told me about her hand.” Kelly turned to look at Danny, but not before she saw her mother smile. Any doubt she had about why her mother was sending her to the doctor’s office has all but faded away. Someone must’ve seen her and the doc on the beach this morning and told her mother and leave it to her mom to make sure there was a reason Kelly needed a physician’s care.
“Well, I have a few errands to run. The cupcakes are in the oven and I’ll be back to finish those and the other baking, honey.” Mindy walked out of Java Hut as if her tail was on fire. The set-up should bother her, but it didn’t. There was a remote possibility this was all a plan of hers. But she was happy Danny was here.
“You brought me lunch?”
He nodded. “I don’t know why, so please don’t ask. I just ordered my usual and yours, assuming you still like the double cheese burgers with bacon from Bob’s.”
The smile she had earlier was back, and he had one of his own to match. “Still my favorite, I think,” she laughed. It had been years since she had one of Bob’s burgers but couldn’t imagine they had changed that much. As far as she knew, Bob was still the man behind the grill. She led Danny to one of the tables, where he started pulling their grease filled lunch out of the white paper bag. Before sitting down, she locked the door and drew the blinds, making sure to switch her sign to closed. The people who walked by would talk. They would become town gossip and while the thought unnerved her, she didn’t care. For a few minutes, she wanted to enjoy lunch with her friend.
12
Danny
Danny looked down at Rambo and laughed. His dog sat obediently by his side with his leash hanging out of his mouth. One too many times he had been fined for not having his dog secure, despite his protest that Rambo wasn’t going to hurt someone. Run off, yes, since his dog had a penchant for chasing birds, giving random sloppy kisses, and brushing up against anyone wearing black pants, but he never caused harm to anyone. Still, the law was the law and he wasn’t above it. No one said, though, that he actually had to carry the leash in his hand.