Chapter 51
FIFTY-ONE
Love is kindness to someone.
“Whoever decided the Fourth of July should be in the summer was not from Texas,” Iris grumbled. She guzzled down the rest of her bottle of water before tossing it into the recycle bin.
The café’s air conditioning was usually effective for cooling the place on a normal day. But today, the door had been opened and closed so many times, it was its own kind of hellish sauna.
“I’m pretty sure Texas wasn’t even a twinkle in America’s eye when that was decided.” I hip-checked her. “It’s almost over. Only an hour more.”
For the first time in five hours, there was a lull long enough to catch a breath. The number of people who showed up was far more than expected. The line had seemed endless at one point. We were down to two pies, but Jorge was still grilling up our limited menu of hamburgers and hot dogs.
Iris fanned herself with a menu. “If I melt into a puddle, flush my phone down the toilet. Or something.”
“Why?”
“No reason.”
I exaggerated a shiver. “You’re right. I don’t want to know.”
My phone vibrated in my back pocket. I pulled it out to find a text from Gil.
I’d been getting updates all day. This one was a photo of Oliver and Mikey at the petting zoo.
A goat was trying to eat Mikey’s shirt while he sat on the ground, holding a baby sheep.
Next to him, Oliver was doubled over with laughter.
Iris leaned over to look. “They sure are having fun.”
“I know. Gil was worried it would be too much for Mikey but so far, so good.” With a sigh, I tucked my phone back in my pocket.
“You know, it’s slowed down a lot. If you want to find them, go ahead. I got it here.”
I bit the inside of my cheek. “Are you sure?”
“Um, yeah. I’m not trying to be nice. I’m buttering you up for a raise.” Iris put a hand on her hip. “Can I have a raise?”
I tossed her my apron and hustled to the door before she changed her mind. “Maybe.”
“Just be back by closing. I am not shutting down and cleaning up by myself.”
I saluted her and got the heck out of there.
I found the guys across the street and four stores up at the ice cream parlor. The place was packed but they were seated at a little round table in the corner.
Oliver and Mikey were wearing identical chocolate mustaches from the ice cream cones they were working on.
Gil sat next to them, smiling at something Oliver was saying.
I paused to watch them, drinking in all that happiness at one little table.
A little niggling of what if began. What if life could be like this right here? Before they noticed, I snapped a photo.
I moseyed over to their table. “Can I join you?”
“Mommy!” Oliver threw his arms around my waist, transferring chocolate from his face to the front of my t-shirt. “Mr. Gil got me a chocolate ice cream. And we had cotton candy, too. It was so good.” His body was practically vibrating with sugar.
“You are never going to sleep tonight, are you?”
He didn’t seem unhappy about that.
Gil stood up. “Here, you can have my seat.”
I frowned, realizing there were only three. “I’m not taking your chair.”
He frowned back. “I’m not sitting in that chair.”
I crossed my arms. “Then we are at an impasse, I guess.”
“Oh, I know,” Mikey said. “You can sit on Gilly’s lap.”
“I don’t think that’s a great idea,” I said. “Oliver can sit on my lap. How about that?”
“Okay.” Oliver took a bite out of the middle of his cone. Chocolate ice cream dripped down onto his hand and landed on his red shorts. He seemed totally oblivious to it.
I cringed and handed a napkin to Oliver. “On second thought, I’ll stand.”
Gil’s eyes swung between the chair and me. Before I knew it, he had his hands around my waist and the next second, I was sitting on his lap.
“Someone might see us,” I whispered. But by looking around the parlor, I didn’t recognize anyone except for the two teenagers behind the counter and they weren’t paying us any attention.
“It’s only for a few minutes, right?” He had his arms wrapped around my waist, not too tight but in a way that made me feel like he wouldn’t ever drop me.
“I guess.” After a minute or two, I relaxed and leaned back into him. I could feel every breath he took, steady and true. “Thanks for sending me updates.”
“We’ve had a great time. I was worried this would be too much for him.” I knew he meant Mikey. “But it seems to help that Oliver is around. Makes him a little braver.”
I watched the two of them as they raced to see who could finish their ice cream first. To no one’s surprise (except Oliver), Mikey won. He pumped a fist in victory.
“They’re pretty cute together,” I said. This could be what our life was like if Gil and Mikey lived in Two Harts.
They were a package deal; just like Oliver and I were.
I shoved the thought away before it took hold.
“I have thirty minutes before I need to be back for clean-up, so what are we doing next?”
Oliver and Mikey looked at each other. “Balloon animals!”