Chapter 10
Lucas
He shouldn’t have done that. He shouldn’t have stormed out like that. He just found it hard to keep it together sometimes. His thoughts swirled around his head like a dark mist.
For most of the morning, he replayed his conversation with Willow and regretted every moment.
Why had he been so harsh?
Would she even forgive him?
By late afternoon, it had gotten a little busier in The Diner, but Lucas was too distracted by movements going on outside to be content with this.
He left the counter briefly, leaving Janice, his number two, in charge and rushed out the door, only to find that Tommy and Joey – two local boys – were helping move the van out from behind the building onto the edge of his parking lot.
‘Hey,’ he called over. ‘Who gave you permission to move that?’
Tommy jumped out of the cab. He was a kid of sixteen, who had recently passed his driver’s license test and was a jock.
Joey was his best friend. Lucas liked both boys as they had hearty appetites and usually ate well at The Diner.
They were also decent kids and Tommy was Janice’s son, so he knew them both pretty well.
‘Jenn asked us to,’ Tommy said, wiping his hands on his jeans. ‘It’s pretty neat, isn’t it?’
‘Yeah, I guess so,’ Lucas muttered, remembering their conversation earlier.
When Jenn had mentioned the boys, he hadn’t quite realized that she had meant these two.
‘Although, I wasn’t expecting her to be moving it so soon.
Or so close to The Diner. When she said the parking lot, I was kind of thinking the other side. ’
Like right over – ideally out of sight and out of his hair completely. Or maybe right by the dumpster, or was that a little unreasonable? Was it his imagination or had the thing grown in size since he last saw it?
‘It needs to be close, so that it can connect to your utilities,’ Joey said helpfully, his bright ginger hair sparkling in the late-afternoon sun. ‘I think Jenn is hoping to get everything going soon. That new woman is eager to start.’
‘Willow …’ Lucas said quietly. ‘And she’s not new. Not new at all.’
This was the first time he had looked at the van closely. It had been easy to ignore when it was shoved behind the building. He guessed he hoped it would disappear completely. However, here in the cold light of day, there was no missing it.
The van had been painted a pale mint green color and had been customized, so that there was a serving hatch that could be bolted up when not in use. It was kind of cute, in an annoying, kitsch way – but out here, it was bigger than Lucas expected, and bolder.
Not only was it in the way, it was a massive reminder that Willow would be working next door to him for the foreseeable future. And he had just messed things up. He could feel a headache brewing.
‘What’s she going to be selling anyway?’ Tommy asked.
‘Matcha, apparently.’ Lucas screwed up his nose. ‘Who even drinks that stuff anyway? Doesn’t it look and taste like grass?’
‘Oh, I drink it a lot,’ Joey said enthusiastically. ‘It’s meant to be good for you, isn’t it? That’s cool she’s selling it here. I’ll be lining up for some, for sure.’
‘Good to know,’ Lucas replied with a growl.
‘Maybe you should have thought of introducing matcha to The Diner, Luc?’ Tommy added helpfully. ‘You know, hopping on that trend.’
‘I’m happy with my normal coffees and milkshakes, but thanks for the business advice.’
And with that, Lucas turned and strolled back into The Diner, trying to ignore the heavy cloud that was settling over his head.
Matcha.
He scowled as he swiped his phone.
Matcha. It was all over freaking social media, influencers drinking it all the time. People sharing their recipes. Hot matcha, iced matcha, matcha ice cream, freaking extra-protein-infused matcha.
He threw the phone down and sighed. How did he suddenly feel so old at only twenty-four? He hated the idea of this. These kinds of drinks belonged in the uptown cities, not in a place like Honey Springs.
Willow had got this all wrong. Nobody was going to want it here.
And he wasn’t quite sure how he felt about that.
‘Why the sad face, Lucas?’
He looked up. Alice Parker was staring right at him.
Next to her, as always, was her twin sister, Ava.
Lucas had never been able to work out their ages – only that they had seemed old forever and had been part of the town for as long as he had.
They always dressed the same, usually in bright florals with knitted accessories.
Their hair was dark brown and flat against their faces like helmets and their dark eyes were small and bright like mice.
The only way to tell them apart was that Alice had glasses – and a much sterner look.
Lucas’s mom used to call them ‘the living ghosts’. They had a habit of just appearing when you weren’t expecting it and barely making a sound. They also knew everything about everyone.
Alice tapped a long finger on the counter. ‘What was that odd drink you were looking at on your phone?’
Now knowing that they had been there longer than he realized, Lucas felt suddenly flustered. ‘It’s just a drink – matcha?’
‘Matcha?’ Ava’s lips curled. ‘Never heard of it.’
‘Sounds disgusting,’ Alice added, seeming almost excited about it. ‘What is it?’
Lucas raised an eyebrow. ‘How can you think it’s disgusting if you don’t know what it is?’
‘New things usually are,’ Ava told him firmly. ‘Don’t be trying all these trendy new fads, Lucas. Stick to the traditional. Just like your mom. She never failed, did she?’
He stepped back, trying not to be too annoyed.
He couldn’t help but feel that they were taking a jab at him for not making a success of the place since her death.
It seemed to have derailed a lot since his mom died.
He was trying to keep on top of things, but he didn’t seem to have … well, his mom’s way.
‘Don’t worry, ladies,’ he said, turning on his charming smile. ‘I have no plans to stock it.’
Both women giggled and squirmed like teenagers in their seats. Lucas wasn’t sure whether to feel flattered or frustrated that he was able to charm two older, and quite strange, women.
‘So, why were you looking it up?’ Alice asked.
‘Willow Davis is back,’ Lucas replied, trying to keep his voice casual. He gestured outside. ‘She’s planning to set up a little business outside of mine. Selling this matcha stuff.’
Alice frowned; if possible, her mouth was more pursed than usual. ‘What Erin’s daughter? The one who lived with Martha?’
Just hearing Martha’s name made a warm feeling flood through Lucas. He nodded quickly.
‘Yes, we remember her,’ Ava said, almost in delight. ‘Pretty little thing. Had big ideas as far as I recall. Ran off with that handsome guy, Jake, the football player – Eric’s son.’
‘Yep. The one and only.’
‘How odd she’s back,’ Alice mused. ‘And selling that horrid stuff of all things; that won’t be a success at all.’ Alice’s beady eyes settled on Lucas’s. They seemed to gleam in the dim light of the room. ‘I just wonder how you feel about all this.’
‘Oh, I’m absolutely fine,’ Lucas replied brightly, rubbing his hands briskly on his apron. ‘Why wouldn’t I be? I’ve never been scared of a little competition.’
‘It’s not just the competition that worries you though,’ Ava added, almost gleefully. Her finger began to jab in his direction. ‘We see things, Lucas. We know what goes on in this town. Nothing escapes us.’
Lucas chuckled under his breath. ‘No, ladies. You like to think you know what’s going on, when really, you’re relying on gossip and very overactive imaginations. Now if you don’t mind …’
Lucas was glad that a couple had walked in and were waiting to place their order. Janice was busy serving another table. He didn’t have to deal with the Parkers’s nonsense anymore.
Because that was what it was. Nonsense.
Later, Lucas left The Diner under the care of Janice for a few hours and took a short walk around the town.
He needed to grab some air and clear his head.
He debated heading to the Falls, but there was a hint of rain in the air, and he didn’t feel like getting caught in it, so instead, he ambled down one of the main roads, walking – he didn’t realize at first – towards Martha’s old house.
One of his deepest regrets was that he hadn’t been in Honey Springs when she died. He only found out later that she hadn’t had a funeral anyway. That was just like Martha. She didn’t like fuss or attention. She wanted the world to focus on other things.
He reached the house within minutes and found himself standing outside the little white house with its white picket fence.
It was a cute place with a small front porch and white-painted windows and doors.
Someone else was living here now. A guy who moved in a few months ago – Lucas frowned as he struggled to remember his name – Alex, Alan, Adam …
Adam, that was it. And he was a vet. He remembered the Parker twins telling him that proudly, like he should be in awe of someone with that type of qualification.
He fiddled with the bracelet on his wrist as he considered this.
It was his only piece of jewelry. The last thing his mom had bought for him.
Wearing it made him feel close to her again.
Lucas puffed out a breath. His stomach felt unsettled, like he was standing in rough waters. How could she really be gone?
Lucas knew that there was something missing inside himself; it was like a void that couldn’t be filled.
Sometimes, he could almost pretend that it wasn’t there at all.
If he kept himself busy or ignored the hollowness inside, it was as if he had healed, a little.
But the wound was so deep and fragile, it only took something very small to make him feel exposed again.
He realized that void couldn’t be healed properly, because every time he got close to a full recovery, something else awful happened and it took him back to square one.
In those dark, long days after his mother had died, nobody could reach him, not even his best friend.
He had been lost. Sinking. Drifting from place to place, wishing that he had the power to turn back time.
For so long, it had just been him, Mia and Mel against the world.
But his mom had been his constant, keeping him steady. And then she was gone.
Martha had swooped in. It had been gentle at first. Coming over with homecooked meals and cakes.
She didn’t hound him or ask questions; she didn’t nag him about opening The Diner again.
She would just sit with him for a while.
Sometimes, he found he could open up and talk, and she was there – simply nodding and listening, letting him release whatever rage or sadness he was feeling at the time.
After a while, the dynamic shifted. Lucas felt his strength slowly begin to return.
He also noticed how frail and small Martha had become.
She was elderly, but she was also proud and refused to complain.
Lucas began to visit her instead, bringing meals from The Diner and silly anecdotes to make her laugh.
They would stay up late talking and playing card games.
It was comforting and felt weirdly right.
Lucas knew she didn’t like to bother her daughter, Erin, who was always flying from one crisis to another, and she certainly didn’t want to trouble Willow, who had a life of her own now.
‘That girl had a difficult enough childhood,’ she told him. ‘I need her to have her freedom now. She’s happy and that’s what makes me happy.’
Lucas was often there when Martha played down her aches and pains to Willow on the phone and encouraged her not to visit. Martha knew that if Willow saw the change in her, she might have given up the life she had. Martha didn’t want that.
It was also Martha that persuaded Lucas to leave. She sensed the restlessness in him, the need to escape his pain. She was also there to see the final straw. The thing that nearly broke Lucas for good. He remembered that awful influencer now and his body immediately stiffened.
Why did that have to happen? Not even a year after his mom’s death and that awful man appeared wanting to review the town. Lucas should have never spoken to him; he wasn’t in the right frame of mind and by doing so – he almost destroyed everything.
‘You need some time to yourself,’ Martha had told him, after he cried on her shoulder that last time. ‘Go and see something of the world. Have an adventure. The bad press will soon be forgotten. But The Diner will still be here waiting for you when you get back and so will I.’
So, Lucas had gone. He left the business under the care of Janice and fled to the Big Apple to stay with Mia, thinking that he might find his answers there. But after just a few months, he felt even more hopeless, and also lonely. He missed Honey Springs. He missed his friends. He missed Martha.
He hadn’t healed the void inside himself. He’d only made it bigger.
He realized that it was up to him to fix any mess he had caused. And it was up to him to make The Diner a success again, for his mom’s sake.
He rushed back home to find that Martha had been right about one thing. The Diner was still very much there, waiting for him.
Martha – however – wasn’t.
He walked away from her house quickly; the rush of emotions was almost too much to stand. Why did it keep coming back? Why did remembering the good times have to hurt so much?
Surely, staying away from the things that cause pain was more sensible? Was that what he needed to do now?
Lucas felt heavier and wearier once he reached The Diner, the lopsided sign in the door did little to welcome him. He realized, with a thick sense of dread, that he was terrified of what was going to happen next.
He reached instinctively for his wrist, needing to touch the thing that brought him the most comfort.
It was only as he did that he realized his bracelet was gone.