5. Chapter Five
Itake a deep breath, my thumb hovering over her name on the phone screen. She’s only been in town for two days, and I already catch myself wanting more of her time.
Rose Thatcher. I tap the name into my phone, and the line rings twice before she answers.
“Rose? It’s Henry.”
“Henry, hey. What’s up?” She sounds happy to hear from me, which is always a good sign.
“Well... If you don’t have any plans, I was wondering if you’d like to take me up on my offer for dinner. Are you doing anything tonight?”
“Tonight? No. I suppose we could meet up later. What did you have in mind?”
“Nothing fancy. Just burgers at the Desert Rose Cafe?”
“Desert Rose, wow. Now that’s a place that brings back memories.“ I can almost hear her smile on the other end of the line. “Sounds good to me.”
“Great! Can we meet at seven?”
“Seven it is. See you there.”
I hang up, and the boy inside me does a victory dance. I know it’s just dinner, and Rose is a married woman, but it’s been way too long since we’ve hung out. And besides, I could use the practice if Gemma keeps pushing this whole idea of dating my way.
***
Stepping into the Desert Rose Café, it’s like someone hit the pause button. Everything is just how it’s always been. The vinyl booths, the jukebox in the corner, even the smell of burgers sizzling on the grill.
“Henry!” Rose waves from a booth, that familiar smile lighting up her face.
“Hey there, stranger.” I slide into the opposite seat.
“Ready to relive the glory days?” she asks, handing me a menu. A sparkle in her eyes tells me she’s been looking forward to this as much as I have.
“Only if it involves a milkshake and a mountain of cheese fries.” I wink.
“I might not have agreed to meet you if I thought it didn’t.”
“Glad to see you’ve got jokes.” I smile and flag down the waitress, listening to my stomach growl as she reads our order back. “Two cheeseburgers, all the way, one with bacon, and two shakes—what flavor?”
“Strawberry,” Rose and I say out in unison. “And the biggest order of cheese fries you’ve got,” she adds.
“Coming right up,” the waitress chirps and hurries off.
Rose’s eyes soften when she smiles. “Man, I haven’t had a strawberry milkshake since...”
“High school?” I tease.
“Pretty much.” She sinks back into the booth and looks around. “Feels like yesterday, doesn’t it?”
“Minus the awkward teenage angst.”
“And my coke bottle glasses,” she says, and we both laugh.
When the food arrives, it doesn’t disappoint. We dive in, the taste transporting us back to those carefree days.
Rose takes a bite and groans. “Oh my gosh,” she says over a full mouth. “I forgot how good this was.”
“Me too.” I take a sip of my milkshake, and the creaminess has my tastebuds doing backflips. Rose isn’t the only one who’s been missing their legendary shakes. Ever since Gemma moved back to Sugar Plum, she’s been on my back about my sugar and sodium intake. If it weren’t for Hazel, I’m not sure I’d even remember what ice cream tasted like.
We eat and chat, the world outside fading away just like old times, and Rose dabs her mouth with a napkin, then perks up. “You’ll never guess who I got off the phone with earlier today. Julie Anderson.”
“Julie? No kidding!” I smile at the mention of our old friend. Julie was always the one to keep us in line during our escapades before high school. Rose may have been risk-averse, but she never put up the kind of fight Julie did anytime I’d suggest we do something stupid. “I mean, I guess it doesn’t surprise me much. The whole town knows you’re here visiting.”
“Yeah, I had texted her before I left Dallas to let her know I’d be in town. But did you know she was on the planning committee for the reunion? As in, our high school reunion.“ Rose laughs nervously, then stares down into her shake, leaving me wishing I could read her mind.
“The big three-oh, huh?” I try to sound nonchalant, though part of me is curious about walking those old halls again. “I think I might’ve gotten an invitation in the mail, but I didn’t look at it.
“Yeah, she said they have a whole weekend of events planned. They’re even renting out the conference center and three floors of rooms at some new hotel near downtown Lubbock. Not that Julie can even go with all those kids at home.” Rose frowns slightly. “Honestly, I probably won’t go either.”
“Really?” I’m surprised. Rose was always the life of the party. “I thought you’d be front and center.”
She shrugs, tracing the rim of her glass with her finger. “I don’t know if I’ll still be in town, and... well, it’s just not calling to me, you know?”
“Understandable.” I nod, though a part of me feels anxious about going alone.
“Besides, a reunion feels like another way for people to get into everyone else’s business.”
“Right.” I try to sound cool, but none of this sounds like the Rose I know. She’s shy but never cares what people think of her, and she has the kind of career most folks around here would die for. Has the city changed her that much, or is there something she’s still not telling me? “Who wants to hang out in a crowded conference room in Lubbock when you’ve got the best cheese fries and strawberry shakes in Texas only a stone’s throw away?”
“See, Carter? You get me.” Rose laughs, and the sound is sweeter than any shake on the menu.
“High school feels like a lifetime ago,” I say, gazing at the neon sign above the door. “I’m not sure about going either.” Not without my wife, I want to say.
“You don’t think you’d have any fun?” Rose pauses mid-bite, her eyes softening. “I bet Larry would miss having you there as a wingman.”
My throat tightens, but I push through it. “Trust me. Larry doesn’t need any help from me in the women’s department. Ever since Diane left, he’s been on more dates than Travis Kelce in his pre-Taylor era. It’s just… that was always Camille’s thing—dancing the night away and catching up with what everyone’s been up to since graduation. Not that I wouldn’t have fun, but it’s hard to picture being there without her.”
“She was something alright. So… fearless. And that laugh. It’s no wonder why you two ended up together.” Rose smiles, nudging my milkshake closer to me. “I think you should consider it. For Camille. I bet she’d want you to enjoy yourself.”
“We’ll see.” I take another long sip, letting the thought settle. “Camille always said reunions were a time to come together and celebrate the future, not just dwell on the good old days.”
“That sounds like something she would say,” Rose says, a glint of admiration in her eyes. “You two had something special. It’s rare.”
“Rare and gone,” I say without thinking. Camille’s smile flashes in front of me, as vivid as the day she walked into my life with her wild curls and infectious laughter. She wasn’t anything like Rose. In fact, the two were so different I thought asking her out might’ve been a way to shake things up. I never thought she’d be the one I was meant to spend the rest of my life with. I clear my throat and fumble with my napkin, wringing it in my hands. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to get all sentimental on our burger night.”
“No. Oh, gosh. Henry, it’s okay.” She reaches across the table and places a steady hand over mine. “I’m glad we can talk about her. I know how much you loved her, and it’s okay to miss her.”
“Thanks, Rose. You’re a good friend. You know that, right?” I look up to meet her eyes. They’re still as kind and sincere as they were when we were just kids running around Sugar Plum before we were burdened by everything life would throw our way.
“That’s what friends are for, right?” She squeezes my hand before pulling back, and I nod, feeling a lump in my throat.
“I guess so,” I manage a laugh despite the intense emotions threatening to spill over. “You always know the right things to say, even after all these years.” I take another sip of my milkshake, the cold sweetness making the warmth that fills my chest even more apparent.
Rose’s lips pull up into a smile as we both reach for a cheese fry, and our hands brush. An electric jolt of connection sparks between us, and we laugh, both retreating to our respective sides of the booth.
“Go for it.” I nod toward the basket, watching as she chews her bottom lip and studies me closely. “Go on, now. Ladies first.”
She leans forward and hovers, her eyes searching the pile of fries until she finds one with the most cheese. It’s amusing to watch her eyes grow wild with excitement when she pulls it from the pile, and a long stretch of melted cheddar follows. She takes a bite and wipes her fingers on a napkin before I follow suit. I find a hot one near the bottom, but it doesn’t have the same impressive cheese pull hers did.
Rose finishes chewing, her tone quieter than before. “Seriously though, I’m glad you feel comfortable talking to me about Camille. I want you to know I’m here for you, no matter what.”
I stare thoughtfully at the half-eaten burger on my plate, suddenly feeling less hungry than before. Rose is right. I am comfortable with her. And for the first time, the feelings I’ve kept buried deep inside for years don’t feel so terrifying. “I haven’t talked about her like this with anyone. Not since...” My words trail off.
“Since she passed?” Rose asks cautiously.
“Yeah, actually.” I nod, swallowing past the knot in my throat. “Gemma and I are close, but it doesn’t seem right weighing her down with grief after she’s had so much of her own. And I don’t ever see much need talking about things we can’t change.”
“Parents protect their children. It’s natural. But sometimes, sharing the burden helps everyone heal.” Her eyes shine with an understanding that only someone who has experienced a loss can offer. It makes me wonder what all she has lost in her life, but I don’t ask.
“Maybe you’re right.” I take a deep breath, feeling lighter than I have in a long time. “Talking to you tonight, it’s... it’s been good, Rose. Really good.”
She lifts a hand casually and rests it over her heart, looking at me with an expression of gratitude mixed with… something else. Sadness? Whatever it is, it’s a look that’s gone before I can question it. “It’s been good for me too, Henry. Really.”
We finish our meals over conversations about how much Sugar Plum has changed since we were teenagers, and something inside me starts to wake up. I remember how much fun I had going out and spending nights on the town with the woman I loved. Even before we had big, fancy dance floors like the one at The High Moon Saloon, Camille and I still found our fair share of barn dances on the weekends to attend. I was two left feet before she got ahold of me.
Maybe Gemma can help me find a woman I can take out and cut a little rug with. No one will ever replace Camille, but Rose makes a good point. Camille would want me to be happy. I can’t live the rest of my life having nothing to look forward to besides monthly poker nights with Larry and the boys.
This could be the first step toward a new chapter of life that doesn’t involve me riding off into the sunset alone.