Page 25 of One Pucking Wish

“He deserved it.” Gunner finally huffs out in reply.

I never did ask him why he hit the guy. I didn’t care at the time since I was just so mad. “Why did you hit him?”

He gives me a subtle shake of his head. “It’s not important.”

Alice flips a pancake on the griddle. “Well, I’m just glad we could help you out. I know it’s not the best accommodations, but at least it’s warm.”

“We were very lucky to be at Frank’s bar,” I state. “And the room is great. Beats the alternative, that’s for sure.”

“Isn’t that the truth?” She retrieves the syrup and butter from the fridge and places them on the bar before us.

A few moments later, a delicious-smelling breakfast is set before us, complete with fluffy pancakes, crispy bacon, and the most delicious scrambled eggs I’ve ever tasted. It’s hard to tell whether they really are better than any eggs I’ve had in my lifetime or if I’m just that hungry. I give a half-assed attempt at eating with a little bit of decorum before I just start shoveling food into my mouth. I feel as if I haven’t eaten in days…and, well…that’s pretty much true.

Alice raises a brow as I shove a forkful of eggs into my mouth. “The secret ingredient is heavy whipping cream. I whipped some eggs up with the cream when I started on my keto diet, and I’ve vowed it’s the only way I’ll make them from now on.”

Gunner takes a swig of orange juice. “Everything is wonderful. Thank you. Please let me know how much we owe you.”

Alice smiles as she places a plate into the dishwasher. “You don’t owe us a thing for this meal, sweetie. Consider us even for charging you to stay in what can only be described as our storage closet.” She chuckles.

Frank joins his wife in the kitchen, and the two work in tandem to clean up. I don’t miss their subtle touches and loving smiles toward one another; it’s sweet.

“How long have you two been together?” I ask.

“Basically our whole lives,” Alice says with a laugh. “Frank was my neighbor growing up, so we’ve known each other since the beginning, but we became official when we were fifteen and were married the week after I turned eighteen. My parents weren’t thrilled that we ran off and got married before we’d graduated secondary school, but we were just that in love.” She beams up at Frank. “Weren’t we, honey?”

“Sure were.” He leans in and kisses her on the forehead. “Going to be celebrating thirty years of wedded bliss next month.”

Their love and true fondness toward one another radiates from them, bringing a smile to my face and a pain to my chest. What must it be like to know a love like that? Maybe I did know a love like that. Was that what I would’ve had with Tucker had I not insisted on breaking it off after high school? The time I dated Tucker felt very much like true love, and I can’t help but wonder if I’ll ever feel it again. Did I ruin my one shot at a lifetime of love? Images of my one and only love and his Target model girlfriend pop into my mind, and the pain in my chest grows.

Gunner nudges my arm. “Frank asked you a question,” he says under his breath.

I pull my thoughts from my lost love and refocus my attention on Frank and Alice. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”

“I asked if your parents live in Michigan. That’s where your team is from, right?” Frank asks.

I nod. “Yeah, we’re from Michigan, but no, my parents are no longer there.” I leave it at that because the whole story seems like too much to get into.

Frank doesn’t question me further. “What about you?” he asks Gunner.

“Same,” Gunner states. The single word makes it clear the discussion is over.

I steal a glance at him and wonder if his parents are no longer alive, like mine, or if they’re just not in the picture. Chances are that question will go unanswered as Gunner’s demeanor makes it pretty clear that he won’t be in the mood to share anytime soon. It doesn’t matter anyway. Whatever relationship Gunner has with his parents is none of my business. Once we leave here, everything will go back to the way it was, and this version of ourselves will cease to exist.

But still…I can’t help my curiosity. Something in Gunner’s expression and the abruptness in which he answered makes me want to question further.

We finish eating, and Alice clears our plates. We thank her again. Admittedly, I feel like a new person after the meal—one who isn’t starving—and it’s a relief.

Alice waves me forward. “I wanted to show you something.”

I turn to Gunner, but he’s looking away with a blank stare. I don’t bother saying anything as it’s clear he won’t miss my absence. Alice leads us toward a room in the back of their place. It has shelves of plastic bins on one side of the room and hooks piled with coats on the other. There are cubbies filled with shoes and a door that leads outside.

She gives me a warm smile. “I know you said no, but I wanted to offer one more time.” She motions toward the bins and the labels affixed to the outside of them, which I now see are labeled with sizes. “I have about ten different sizes of clothes in these things. I’ve been a yo-yo dieter all my life, so I always keep all sizes of my clothing. However, I’ve maintained this weight for a few years now and have decided it’s time to donate this lot. So please feel free to take anything you want. As I said, it’s all going to be donated anyway. You just don’t look comfortable, my dear.”

“Oh, okay.” I stumble on my words, still processing what she’s saying.

She continues, “If I’m overstepping, I apologize. I just wanted you to know that we have options. As a woman who has been too many sizes to count, I know that clothing sizes can be an awkward subject.”

I take Alice in and can’t imagine her looking any other way than how she does now. And I do appreciate the thought behind this gesture. “Thank you, Alice. This is really sweet of you.”

---