Before she knew it, it was time for Juliana to get ready for her date with Kyle. After much deliberation and going through everything in her big bag, she finally settled on jeans and a black turtleneck. Brushing her copper locks, she let them fall around her. It was the one good thing about having such a lot of long wavy hair, it fell perfectly every time, with no effort at all.
Kyle was punctual to a fault, and by eight fifteen they were on their way to dinner.
He drove her out of town to an old cabin that had been converted into a rustic restaurant with a view out over the mountains. Juliana soon realized that Kyle was very easy to talk to. Before long, she was telling him all about her plans to buy the land from her mother.
“Why don’t you go into business with her instead?” he asked as they parked the car in the restaurant’s parking lot.
Juliana considered it as her booted feet crunched on the gravel. “I don’t know if we could stand each other long enough for that.”
“It can’t be that bad,” he said.
They walked into the restaurant.
The cabin was made of logs and inside, a roaring fire meant it was warm and smelled of cooking food, pine, and a little of smoke. It was dimly lit and all the tables and chairs were made out of the same logs as the walls and floor. It was homey, unpretentious, and as they passed other tables to theirs in the back, Juliana saw the food looked good.
They ordered drinks, a beer on tap, each, and then sat back with the menus. There was nothing terribly exciting on the menu; it was steak and French fries and chicken and mashed potatoes with gravy, but sometimes that was what people wanted. In the end, she had chicken and mashed potatoes with winter vegetables on the side. Kyle had chicken, too, and fries.
“So, what would you serve in your diner?” Kyle asked.
“I don’t really know yet,” Juliana confessed. “Until just this morning, I hadn’t consciously thought about it. Although, I have a kick-butt waffle recipe that knocks people’s socks right off.”
“Is that so? You’ll have to make me some, some time.”
She smiled. “We could arrange that.”
He smiled. “You know, I had such a crush on you when we were in school.”
“I’m three years behind you. You couldn’t have noticed me.”
“With that hair and those eyes … of course, I noticed.”
The blonde in the car shot into Juliana’s mind. She cocked her head on one side. “And what does the blonde who picked you up at the gas station the other day think of that?”
“The blonde?” he frowned. A moment later, he smiled. “Oh, well, she’s fine with it … since Cindy is my sister. You don’t remember her? She was in your year, I think.”
Juliana felt the blush begin in her throat region and rage across her face like a wildfire spreading through dry brush. “Oh, wow,” she said looking down at her lap. “I feel so stupid. Cindy. Of course. She wasn’t a blonde back then, was she?”
“No, she wasn’t, and she was a lot heavier,” Kyle said. “It’s a shame for my poor sister. She had it tough in high school.”
“We all did, although I found out today that I made it harder for myself,” she said, and shook her head. “Long story.”
“Would you folks like to see the dessert menu?” the waitress, a young lady with mousy brown hair and glasses, asked.
“Um …” Juliana said. “Sure.”
“I don’t need the menu,” Kyle said. “Two chocolate volcanoes with ice cream. It’s the best thing they have here.”
The waitress smiled and rushed off to get the deserts.
Juliana smiled at Kyle. “You bring all your dates here?”
He smiled at her. “Nope. In truth, I don’t go on many dates. I bet you’ve had more than me.”
Juliana shook her head. “I haven’t been on a date in about four years. Not since I graduated and started working. It’s amazing how little time you have for that sort of thing when you’re working a kitchen every night.”
Kyle nodded, looking rueful. “Okay. So, there’s no hunk waiting for you in Alaska?”
Juliana laughed. “Not at all.”
“And I take it, since you’re thinking of buying property here, that you’re thinking of staying a while?” he asked.
“Yeah, I am. I really want to open that diner. Why?” Juliana asked, her head cocked on one side.
Kyle reached for her hands across the table. “Good. I’d hate to waste all this charm on a fly-by-night girl who was going to break my heart and make a run for it.”
Juliana laughed. “I still might. But not right now.”
“Is that so?”
She shrugged and licked her lips.
It was cozy in the back and felt very private. Juliana’s heart beat faster as Kyle took both her hands in his. “I know we just re-met each other,” Kyle said. “But I get the impression you won’t wait around for a guy who takes his time with these things …”
He leaned across the table. Juliana didn’t move. She was a statue with her heart thumping so hard, she thought it might burst out of her chest. He was so handsome, and he smelled wonderful. She longed to run her fingers through his hair and kiss his soft lips.
He was coming closer and closer. He was right by her, his lips almost brushing hers. Juliana thought she might die of the exquisite anticipation of this kiss.
Suddenly, a voice amplified by a microphone rang through the restaurant.
Would Juliana Bailey come to the front desk, please? Juliana Bailey, there’s a call for you.
Juliana had every intention of ignoring it, but Kyle sat back down and the moment was gone.
“You’d better go see,” he said.
“I guess,” she said. “Don’t slip out or make a dash for the car or anything.” She slid out of her chair and walked to the front desk on wobbly legs. He hadn’t even kissed her and she was giddy and light headed. Juliana thought she could fly. Nothing could bring her down, not with the way this evening was going.
At the desk, a young man handed her a phone. Juliana took the handset and said, “Hello? It’s Jules.”
The voice was Margaret’s and she spoke for a short time. As the words tumbled through the telephone wire, Juliana felt herself crash back down to earth.
“Who was it?” Kyle asked.
Juliana jerked. She hadn’t realized she was back at the table. There were two baked mini cakes on plates surrounded by mounds of ice cream waiting for them. She looked into Kyle’s kind, beautiful eyes and wanted to dive into them.
“We have to go,” she said simply. “My dad is in the hospital.”