Page 109 of The Quit List
Of course, I very adamantly insisted that I would be doing the helping and monitoring.
“How’re you doing?” I ask Holly now, reaching over her to fasten her seatbelt, though of course she can do it herself. All I want to do right now is take care of her. Keep her safe.
“I’m good,” she tells me, pink tinting her cheeks at how close we are right now.
“Ready to head home?”
She shakes her head. “I believe I was promised a breakfast date.”
I blink at her. This amazing, nutty woman, I tell you. “You… still want to go for breakfast after all that?”
She gives me a little nod, her expression almost bashful. “I was looking forward to a date with you.”
“Then a breakfast date, you shall have,” I reply. Because I’ll give her anything she wants. Happily.
My favorite little diner is only a five-minute drive from the clinic. I’ve stopped here numerous times for breakfast after being at the cabin, and the food is good (if calorie-laden and greasy), the coffee strong and piping hot. There’s also a nice shady area to park so Rick can hang out happily in Edna, enjoying the morning breeze through the van’s cracked open windows as he eats his own breakfast.
But as I carry Holly into the bright, retro interiors of the diner, my feet practically stick to the syrupy floors and I falter. The food might be tasty, but this place is a total dive. Not exactly romantic first date type stuff.
“I, uh…” I look at Holly, perplexed. “The waffles are great here, but it’s not exactly fancy. We can go somewhere else?—”
“Don’t you dare!” she declares with a grin. “Put me down in the nearest booth and order me all the waffles. This is perfect!”
She’s perfect.
Everything I never knew I wanted. Everything I never knew I needed.
I deposit Holly as gently as possible in a cozy booth in the back corner, and the waitress soon comes over with a pot of steaming coffee.
“Well, lookie here. You two have clearly been through the wars and lived to tell the tale!” chirps the plump older lady with smile lines and a name tag that reads Cheryl. “Better get you caffeinated, and quick!”
“Yes, please!” Holly holds out a mug for the woman to fill. She takes a sip of what must be scalding liquid, and then sighs with happiness while simultaneously wincing in pain. “Ahhhhh—ah! Hot! But also, mmmm… that’s better.”
She’s so damn cute—and so, so much more.
I slide her the cream and sugar, and thank Cheryl as she fills my cup.
As Holly dumps creamer in her coffee, we place an order for enough breakfast to feed a small family. Of horses.
What can I say, my girl’s hungry and in need of a good meal.
“I’ll get that right over to the kitchen. Y’all sit tight and enjoy that coffee in the meantime.” With another jaunty wink, Cheryl stalks off.
Meanwhile, Holly clasps her fingers tightly around her coffee mug, seeming concerned. It takes everything in me not to unclasp them and intertwine them with mine. “Listen, Jax, I’m sorry again.”
“What on earth do you have to be sorry for, Hollywood?”
She swallows thickly, staring into her coffee. “For not paying attention, for getting injured… it’s such an unfortunate end to a pretty amazing trip.” She glances at me quickly. “Right?”
Now, I can’t resist reaching for her hands, unclasping them from her mug to hold them in mine. Pressing a kiss to the top of her right hand. “It was beyond amazing. And you were amazing, Hol, the whole time. One of the strongest, bravest people I’ve ever met. You have nothing to apologize for. Nothing.”
She smiles at me tentatively. “Well, you sure seemed to know what you were doing out there. You’re going to be a great wilderness guide.” Her eyes sparkle slightly as she nods towards my backpack on the vinyl seat next to me. “Speaking of, you should plug your phone in and we can see if any bookings came through while we were gone.”
“You should plug yours in and let your loved ones know that you’re safe and in one piece.” I glance at her foot. “Ish.”
She screws up her face, like she’s thinking about this (and maybe not loving the thought?) Then, she shakes her head. “Nah, I’ll do that later when I’m home.”
She doesn't want our time together to end either, I think as I almost reluctantly plug in my phone and load the backend of my site.