Chapter 10 Past
I made it to the diner in no time. The lunch rush must have started early—the parking lot was nearly empty.
I leaned my bike against the oak tree beside the building, hoping the seat wouldn’t melt before I made it back out.
With the place nearly deserted, I had my pick of seats.
I headed to the bar—my favorite spot with a clear view of the open kitchen.
Neal’s nephew, Danny, came over to take my order. He looked like a younger version of him, just with more hair, a baby face, and a shirt that wasn’t quite as grease-stained.
I asked for a double cheeseburger with fries and a pop. Neal added a slice of strawberry pie for his favorite customer—as he calls me.
He was already back by the grill, flipping burgers and bobbing his head to whatever song was playing.
He moved quick, like he was born with spatulas in his hands.
I was totally distracted, watching him move around the kitchen. I didn’t even hear the door open.
A hand tapped my shoulder, followed by a voice that made my heart skip a beat.
“Can I join you?”
I about jumped out of my Keds.
Spinning around, I met his gaze.
It was Paul Newsome.
When I first met him, I thought saying he had the power to make a girl fumble over her words was a bit of an exaggeration—turns out, it wasn’t.
Whatever came out of my mouth next was more like a jumble of syllables pretending to be a sentence.
I cleared my throat and tried again, this time a little smoother.
“Yeah, sure.”
He gave me that side grin—definitely holding back a laugh—and not saying much of anything, he slid onto the stool beside me.
He was wearing a light gray T-shirt, dark blue swim shorts, and flip-flops—looked like he’d just come from the lake.
I couldn’t help but tug at my purple tank top and adjust my jean shorts, making sure I looked halfway decent.
There was no saving my hair—a tousled mess of a bun, thanks to the Alabama humidity.
I was worried about how I looked, but my mind quickly shifted—
Why was he leaning in closer?
His movement wasn’t fast, but it was intentional… and it made my heart race.
He took a breath—deep, slow—and for a moment, I wasn’t sure what was coming next.
Then he leaned in, close to my ear, and whispered,
“You smell like honeysuckles.”
I nearly fell off the barstool.
His voice was calm but controlled, like he knew exactly what he was doing.
I laughed, trying to hide my excitement and nerves.
“Yeah, I have a bunch of honeysuckles in my yard,” I said, brushing a hand down my tank top. “I was snacking on them as I road over… they’re probably what I like most about living here.”
He was no longer whispering, but his voice remained steady, “You haven’t lived here long, have you?”
“No,” I said. “I moved here less than a year ago.”
“Do you like it?”
“I do,” I said. “But I’ll be leaving for college at some point. I’m graduating early, and I’m still figuring out where I want to go.”
I almost instantly regretted saying it—I could see the shift in his eyes, the slight sadness that crept in.
“Oh.”
I scrambled to recover. “I mean, I’m not leaving anytime soon. I plan on soaking up everything Shay has to offer.”
His expression softened.
“That’s good.”
We ordered another round of fries, and he got a milkshake to sip on.
Neal winked as he handed it over with two straws. I shot him a look—equal parts embarrassed and amused—then smiled.
“Thanks, Neal.”
We sat at the bar and talked for what felt like hours.
Neal was clearly listening in, because as soon as Paul got up to use the restroom, he leaned over and offered a few words of wisdom.
“That Newsome family is something. Katie was the best of them—God rest her soul, and the younger Newsome boy’s a good one,” he said, “but he best be nice to you. Don’t let those baby blues and that southern accent cloud your judgment.
“You got a good head on your shoulders, remember that.”
I appreciated the advice, even if I didn’t quite know what to do with it yet.
“Thanks, Neal,” I said with a smile.
I guess I still had a lingering smile from the unexpected conversation I’d just had when Paul made his way back to his seat.
“ You thinking about me, or is that smile for someone else?”
I felt my cheeks flush.
“Well…”
I paused, trying to sound casual.
“ You might’ve had a little something to do with it.”