Ruthie’s heart flutters when Daniel enters the cafe midafternoon on Tuesday. She hasn’t seen him in weeks, and he’s the picture of health with bright eyes and sun-kissed skin. He’s no longer using his cane, and his limp is hardly noticeable. A sharp pain rips across her chest as she realizes she still loves him. If she doesn’t get him back now, she’ll regret it for the rest of her life.
She presses a hip against the counter and uses her sexiest voice to entice him. “Hey there, stranger. What brings you in?”
“I’m on my way home from the beach in North Carolina. I’ve been obsessing about your apple pie all weekend. Please tell me you have some.”
“I just took one out of the oven a few minutes ago. Would you like that à la mode?”
“Absolutely,” Daniel says, rubbing his toned gut.
Ruthie notices his new six-pack abs. Who is he trying to impress? Millie?
“I’ll be right back.” Ruthie disappears into the kitchen, and when she returns with the pie, Hazel is making her way through the front with an enormous arrangement of flowers.
Ruthie hollers across the diner to Hazel, “Those are gorgeous. Who are they for?”
“You,” Hazel says from behind the bouquet.
Ruthie’s heart does a somersault. They must be from Daniel. How like him to have flowers delivered while he’s here.
Navigating the maze of tables, Hazel sets the arrangement on the counter next to Daniel. “They’re from Davis.”
Ruthie drops her smile. “Oh.”
Hazel turns toward Daniel. “You’re looking well. Where have you been to get such a tan?”
“Thank you. I was down at Figure Eight over the weekend. Charles told me about your business venture. I hope you two know what you’re doing. The arrangement is unusual considering your marital situation.”
“I have faith in us. Turns out, that marriage license was getting in the way of our friendship.” Hazel’s gaze shifts to the window behind Daniel. “Oops! There’s a customer entering the shop. Laney and Skye are up to their eyeballs in flowers, and I’m supposed to be manning the showroom,” she says, and hurries out of the diner.
Ruthie removes the enclosure card from the arrangement. Her face warms as she reads Davis’s message. I miss you. Give me another chance. Have dinner with me on Thursday night.
When she looks up from the card, Daniel is watching her with a quizzical expression. “Love agrees with you, Ruthie.”
“I’m not—”
“I lied about the pie.” He drags his fork through the vanilla ice cream. “I stopped by to see you. We left things somewhat unsettled between us, and I wanted to clear the air. Hazel and Charles are an inspiration. If they can be friends, so can we, now that we’re both dating other people.” He smiles up at her. “Besides, I miss coming here for breakfast.”
The earth falls from beneath her. Daniel doesn’t miss her. He misses her sunny-side-up eggs.
Ruthie returns the card to the envelope and slips it in her uniform pocket. “Are you and Millie serious?”
“Millie and I have a lot in common,” he says nonchalantly.
Of course they do. They’re both cut from the same designer fabric.
Tears sting Ruthie’s eyes, and she turns away from him. Over her shoulder, she says, “Excuse me, Daniel. I need to check on something in the oven.”
Locking herself in the bathroom, she wills herself not to cry. She should’ve accepted his proposal when she had the chance. She gambled and lost. And now their relationship is over for good.
Removing her phone from her pocket, she thumbs off a message to Davis. Thank you for the gorgeous flowers. I would love to have dinner with you on Thursday. She isn’t interested in getting back together with Davis. She just needs someone to soften the blow of losing Daniel.
When she returns to the dining room, Daniel is gone. She pockets the ten-dollar bill he left, and she’s on the way to the back with his empty plate, when Jamie bursts through the door.
“Ruthie! I’m glad I caught you. I’ve found a buyer for the diner.”
“Give me a second. Let me put this in the back.” Ruthie retreats into the back, dropping the plate in the sink and pausing to steady her breath. The diner is all she has left. No way is she selling it now. But after all his hard work, she’ll have to find a way to gently break the news to Jamie.
Wiping her hands on her apron, Ruthie returns to the front. “So tell me about this potential buyer.”
“She’s a middle-aged woman from Texas. She moved here to get away from the undocumented immigrants flooding the southern border. She’s eaten here several times this past week.”
A lightbulb goes off in Ruthie’s head. “She’s the attractive redhead who sits alone at a table by the window. I wondered why she always ordered several menu items as though she’s eating for ten instead of one.”
“That’s Trixie. She loves everything about the diner. The food and the decor. The only thing she wants to change is the name. From Ruthie’s to Trixie’s.”
Ruthie absently wipes the counter with a damp rag. “Trixie’s Diner has a nice ring.”
Jamie hands her a file. “I printed out her contract. She’s offering full asking price with a closing date of July thirty-first.”
“I’m sorry, Jamie, but I’m taking the diner off the market,” Ruthie says, and spins away from his astonished expression.
“What is wrong with you, Ruthie? You won’t get a better offer than this.” He jabs a finger at the file in her hands. “That contract is clean.”
“For personal reasons, I’ve decided not to sell. It’s my prerogative.”
Jamie’s face flushes red with anger as he snatches the file out of her hands. “You can’t jerk people around like this, Ruthie. I’ve worked hard for you. The next time the wind blows, and you decide to put it back on the market, don’t call me. I don’t represent flakes like you.” He storms out of the diner, the front door banging shut behind him.
Ruthie goes after him, catching up with him on the sidewalk. “Jamie, wait! I’m sorry. I’m having a bad day. The diner is all I have. My parents started the restaurant, and I’ve worked here all my life. I’m afraid of letting it go.”
Jamie softens. “I get that. But you can’t keep changing your mind.” He hands her back the file. “Trixie is offering you a boatload of money. You’ll be set for life. You have to at least consider it. I’ll figure out a way to stall her for a few days.”
Ruthie flips through the contract to the money page. “There are a lot of zeros behind that number.” She lets out a sigh. “You’re right. I probably won’t see this kind of money again. Let me think about it. I’ll get back to you by the end of the week.”