Chapter Five #2
Danny rolled onto his back with a groan, putting his arm over his eyes to block the sun trying to blind him. He had no idea what time it was, but he knew he hated this mattress, he desperately needed coffee and he was hungry.
The house was quiet, which meant Rob and Hannah were probably outside or in the office. He lifted his head enough to see the clock and found it was almost eleven. They’d definitely have had breakfast already, which meant he was on his own.
That wasn’t a bad thing. He’d written well into the night, and he was pleased with the work he’d gotten done, but his body was feeling it. He’d take as long and hot a shower as the ancient hot water heater allowed, replenish his caffeine levels and then worry about food.
By the time he was dressed and had a cup of coffee in him, Danny was awake enough to get to work. He knew he should grab a bowl of cereal or scramble some eggs and then open his laptop, but he was sick of looking at the same walls. Some fresh air wouldn’t hurt.
And, if he was being honest with himself, he wanted to see Kenzie.
She was the reason he was able to see the light at the end of this excruciatingly long tunnel, after all. It wouldn’t hurt to pop in and let her know how it was going, and he could have a decent meal before he dove back into the manuscript.
He’d just finished washing the coffee cup he’d used when he heard the back door close. A few seconds later, his brother walked into the kitchen, his attention on the phone in his hand until he heard the water running.
“Hey, Sleeping Beauty,” Rob said, slipping the phone into his back pocket. “I didn’t know you were up.”
“I haven’t been up long,” he confessed. “Late night.”
“Productive?”
“Yeah. I was on a roll, and after the last few months, it’s hard to force myself to close the laptop. What are you two up to today?”
Rob shrugged. “The ground’s frozen in some spots and too soft in others, so we can’t really get the equipment out and start cleaning up after the winter, so we might take a ride to some historical thing Hannah wants to check out.”
“Do you need me to hang around and, I don’t know, man the phones or anything?”
Rob shrugged. “Not really. Technically, the campground’s not open yet, so people asking about the upcoming season usually send an email or a Facebook message. Voicemail will catch any calls that do come in. Why? You going somewhere?”
“Well, first up is figuring out what day it is. And then I’ll come up with a plan.”
“It’s Friday.” Rob’s gaze swept over the counter and the few dishes drying in the rack. “Did you eat anything?”
“There were some grounds in the bottom of the last coffee I made.”
“Come on, Danny. Don’t make me rat you out to Hannah.” Danny’s face must have given him away because the concern on his brother’s face turned to understanding. “Your plan is a trip to Corinne’s Kitchen to see Kenzie.”
Some of it couldn’t be denied, but Danny wasn’t going to confess to all of it. “My plan is a trip to Corinne’s Kitchen to have a meal.”
Rob snorted. “Sure. Is it okay to ask how the book is going?”
It was a question he hated, especially lately, but he’d dumped himself—and his laptop, papers, coffee cups and nocturnal roaming—into their lives, so the least he could do was respect their concern.
“It’s going well, actually. Once I went back to the turn I missed and let it be the story it is and not the story that’s comfortable for me, the words started pouring out.”
Rob clapped his shoulder. “I’m not going to pretend I know what that means, but I’m happy for you.”
He sighed. “I’ll be happy when it’s done, but it’s definitely better to be climbing uphill than just standing still.”
“Now, that I understand.”
By the time he was on the road, headed to Corinne’s Kitchen, Danny knew he’d be hitting the tail end of the lunch rush. Of course, the words lunch rush were relative when it came to a small diner on the side of the road, but he liked when they weren’t busy and Kenzie had time to socialize.
There were a few vehicles in the parking lot, and it amused him he even recognized a couple of them as trucks he’d seen there before. Not that he knew the names of the people who drove them, of course, but he wondered if he could be considered a regular yet.
Kenzie was setting plates down in front of a couple at a small table when he walked in, but when she straightened, she turned to see who had come in, and her face lit up when their eyes met.
He took a seat at the counter, and she met him there with a cup of coffee. “I guess since your hair’s combed and your shirt’s not inside out, you’ve taken a break from the writing?”
He laughed. “My hair’s combed because I took a shower, and my shirt’s right side out because Rob folded my laundry for me. But the writing’s going well.”
“I’m glad.” The way she smiled at Danny made him feel ten feet tall. “Do you think you’ll have it done before the end of the month?”
“I think so. It’ll be a little messier than they’re used to getting from me, but I think it’ll be a complete story.”
Her eyes softened. “You look really tired.”
“I’m pretty beat—both physically and mentally—and I’ve messed up my sleep schedule. I try to be strict with myself as a rule, but I definitely slept through breakfast this morning. And rather than scramble a couple of eggs and push on, I decided to fuel up first.”
“We do breakfast all day, so you can order anything on the menu.” She grinned. “Maybe a meat lover’s omelet with home fries. A bagel with cream cheese instead of toast?”
He covered his heart with his hand. “I wasn’t sure what I wanted when I walked in, but yes—that’s exactly what I want.”
“Coming right up.”
He watched her write the order on the pad and then clip it into the rack in the pass-through window. And because he was watching her, he caught the fact her father was watching him watch her.
Frank Pelletier gave him a smile and nod, which Danny returned. He didn’t know the man at all, really, and certainly not well enough to know if there’d been any forced politeness in the greeting.
He had to be used to it, though. Kenzie was gorgeous and friendly and funny, and Danny didn’t believe for a second he was the first man to walk through the door and be entranced by her.
But just in case Frank didn’t like him showing an interest, Danny pulled out his phone and skimmed through his email account.
Most of them, he deleted. Some he starred to deal with after the book was done.
One, from the woman assigned to his PR team by his publisher, he had to answer.
There was no way he could do an interview this month.
Absolutely not, but he’d be happy to circle back after he turned in his manuscript.
At least now he was hopeful that after was actually going to happen.
The entire time, he was aware of Kenzie moving around her restaurant. More customers came in, so she didn’t really have a chance to talk when she dropped off his very full plate and topped off his coffee.
When he’d eaten almost every bite and wasn’t sure he could actually move anymore, she stopped by with the check. “How was it?”
“Exactly what I needed.” He dropped cash for the bill and tip on top of the slip and then rested his hand on his stomach. “I should have taken half of it home to eat later, but it was so good, I couldn’t stop.”
“I’ll pass the compliment along to the cook,” she said, smiling. “And good luck with the writing.”
He should take that as his sign to walk out the door, but he paused after he stood.
“I’ll be getting to the part where I make sure all the threads are wrapped up over the next few days.
Any chance I could email you a fresh copy so far and then maybe go for another walk?
I mean, don’t print it out or anything. Just read from that spot we marked. ”
“That sounds great,” she said, and he let out the breath he’d been holding. “Mondays are usually a little busy for me, but the forecast says Tuesday afternoon will be nice. Does that work?”
“Sounds great. We can touch base on the details.”
Frank called her name, and when she smiled and turned away, Danny walked out to his truck.
Tuesday would be exactly one week before the book was due, so it made sense to touch base with her. She’d be able to spot any potential problems with the ending while he still had time to fix them.
And—most importantly, if he was being honest—he’d get to spend time alone with Kenzie again.