37. Isabelle
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
isabelle
I woke in a sleepy haze, a solid body against my back and a heavy arm draped over my shoulder.
“Good morning,” a groggy mumble escaped Reid’s lips.
“Morning.” I yawned, stretching one arm above me. My shoulder popped, the sound eliciting a concerned response from Reid.
“That sounded painful.” He rubbed my shoulder before planting a kiss on top of it.
“No, that happens all the time.” I giggled, reassuring him. “What’s the plan for today?”
“I don’t know. What do you want to do?”
“You should know better than to ask a girl to make a decision on plans, Cowboy.” I wasn’t completely indecisive, but I wasn’t exactly decisive either. Asking me what I wanted to do was like asking a girl what she wanted to eat for dinner.
“Well, I don’t care what we do.” He yawned as he sat up in the bed, my eyes catching his bare chest and toned muscles. “I’m just happy to be here with you. ”
“We could walk around and do the first thing that catches our eye?” I suggested. “There’s so much to do here, it shouldn’t be hard to decide.” I thought for a moment, trying to recall everything we’d seen driving into the park yesterday.
“Breakfast,” we both said at the same time.
“There was this place we passed by yesterday. It was next to a gas station?” I remembered the little lodge-looking restaurant with its green roof and planter boxes filled with flowers displayed around the front.
“That sounds good. I’m starving,” Reid said right as his stomach started rumbling, both of us bursting into laughter.
“Let’s get up and get dressed then, lazy bones.” I got out of bed and tried to pull him out with me. Instead of getting up, though, he relaxed his entire body, flopping like a fish. “Reid.”
I pulled his arm again to no avail, and as I started to walk away, he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me toward him, lifting me off the ground and causing me to land on top of him, my back flush against his.
I rolled over so we were face to face.
“Hey,” he whispered, leaning forward to kiss me.
“Hi.” I managed to get a word out between kisses. I leaned back, earning a confused look from Reid. But when I leaned forward again, I whispered in his ear, “Get up, lazy ass. I’m hungry too,” then patted him on the chest and got up to get dressed.
About an hour later, we pulled up to the parking lot of the restaurant in West Glacier. When we walked in the doors, the smell of fresh food immediately wafted through the air, filling my senses.
“Welcome in, folks!” the hostess greeted us. “How many for you?”
“Just the two of us,” Reid answered, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and tugging me close.
The hostess smiled as she beheld us then nodded. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to your table. What brings you into town?”
“We’re here visiting for a couple days,” I replied.
“Is it your first time here?” she asked.
“We’ve both been here before separately, but it’s the first time we’ve come here together,” Reid said.
“How sweet! Well, I hope you thoroughly enjoy your stay. We’ve got you right here.” She gestured to a table near a window. “Your server will be right with you.”
“Thank you.” We both expressed our thanks and picked up our menus. We took a moment to scan the options, glancing over the tops every so often.
“Hey, look, they’ve got pancakes named after you,” Reid teased, pointing to the item named Short Stack.
He was across the table, so I couldn’t elbow him in the ribs like I wanted to, so I resorted to lightly tapping his shin with my foot before finding something I could compare him to. “Maybe you should get The Giddy Up. It even says, ‘Save the horse, ride the pony’ under it.” I laughed at the cheesy phrase.
“If it wasn’t a lunch sandwich, you know I’d be all for that.” He winked, and my heart practically melted out of my chest. “Besides, those huckleberry pancakes are calling my name. ”
“I think the huckleberries are what I’m going to miss most about being here,” I mused, thinking about the ice cream I had last night.
“Not even me?”
I rolled my eyes. “Food-wise, smart ass. Besides, I’m probably going to miss Ellison, you know, my best friend, more,” I joked.
“You’ve had how many years with Ellison already? Six? Seven?” he teased as he peered over his menu.
“Six years, and I’m not sure where you’re going with this. If anything, me knowing her longer gives me even more reason to miss her.”
“I suppose you’re right, Short Stack. I guess I can play second fiddle to Ellison.”
Our server walked up moments later. “Good morning! Are you two ready to order? Can I get you started with some drinks?” he prompted us.
“I think we’re ready, right?” Reid asked me, to which I nodded. He gestured for me to order first.
“I’ll take the huckleberry french toast. And orange juice, please.” I handed the menu to the server when I was done ordering.
“And for you, sir?”
“I’ll do the huckleberry pancake combo with bacon and scrambled eggs, please. And coffee.” He flashed me a grin after he handed away his menu. “French toast girl, eh?”
I shrugged.
“I learn something new about you every day, Isabelle Bennett.”
“I feel like it’s only fair I learn something new about you, too, then, Reid Lawson,” I countered.
“Ask away. I’m an open book. ”
I didn’t quite believe he was, though. There were things I knew about him, sure, but there were also topics I didn’t dare bring up.
“Hmm.” I tapped my lips, thinking about what to ask him. About things we hadn’t already talked about in the past. “What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?” I was sure Reid had done some crazy things in his college years.
“I’m gonna be honest with you, I haven’t done too many crazy things.” He chuckled at the admission. “I’ve always been the more cautious friend.”
“That honestly surprises me. I would have thought you’d be the type to be cliff jumping and racing horses bareback.”
“Someone’s gotta stay safe to keep Mikey and the others in line,” was all he responded with, amusement in his tone.
Our food arrived a short ten minutes later, and I sighed as I took the first initial bites of my breakfast.
“If this is what the food is like over here, I don’t think I ever want to leave,” I proclaimed.
Reid was digging into his food as well, his mouth too full to respond, so he nodded in agreement.
We didn’t talk much throughout the meal, too preoccupied with shoveling the sweet huckleberry-covered cakes into our mouths. I didn’t think I’d ever had something so perfect before.
When we finished eating, Reid pulled out his wallet to pay and we made our way to the exit. However, a whole case of fresh pies caught my eye, and I pulled him over to look.
“I’m absolutely stuffed,” I groaned. “But these look so good. ”
“We still have time, we can always come back,” Reid assured me.
I nodded and let him take my hand as we walked out of the restaurant and back to the car.
“Where to?” I asked as he turned on the ignition.
“Wherever you want. I’m along for the ride.” Reid shot me a wink before pulling out of the parking lot and driving toward the city.