Page 25 of Unbreakable Love

Josie ducked, tugging her hood over her head. “It’s so windy out!”

“I know. Snow’s coming soon.”

“Tonight!”

“Yep. If you’re lucky, you’ll get to wear your snow boots to school tomorrow.”

“Can’t they cancel it instead so we can stay home and play?”

I chuckled and pulled open the door to Millie’s Diner.

“Sorry, kiddo, I don’t think there’ll be enough snow for school to be cancelled.”

“Bummer,” Josie mumbled.

Millicent Miller was every twenty-to-thirty-something’s second mom. She’d lived in this town as long as my own parents and opened the diner as soon as she turned twenty-five. For over two decades, Millie’s was one of the most popular spots for dining, surpassed only in recent years by a Mexican restaurant that opened up outside of the town’s square.

But no one, not even the creamery or the coffee shop, served up sweets and milkshakes like Millie did.

A blast of heat hit us as soon as we entered, and I shook off the cold.

From behind the wraparound bar, one of the high school students who spent their evenings serving was filling up sodas at the machine and smiled at us. “Have a seat anywhere you’d like, Mr. Kelley. We’ll be with you soon.”

“Thank you.” I nodded in her direction and reached down to set my hand between Josie’s shoulder blades. “Let’s go find a seat. Your pick tonight, okay?”

Some nights she loved to sit on the old-school vinyl covered chairs at the bar because she could spin in a full circle.

“Look, Daddy!” she cried and grabbed my hand. “Miss Pesco is here! Let’s go say hi!”

Before I could tug her back and suggest we leave Miss Pesco alone, she let go of my hand and took off to the far back of the diner. How she even spotted Penny in the corner, with her back facing us and in a booth by herself was shocking.

Not so shocking was the smile that stretched across her cheeks, making her nose wrinkle when Josie ran up to her.

“You’re here alone?” I heard Josie cry like it was the worst fate imaginable.

Miss Pesco said something I couldn’t hear, but her shrug made it seem like she was saying it was no big deal.

“Miss Pesco,” I greeted when I finally reached them. Josie was shaking off her coat and on instinct, I helped her, draping the purple coat over my arm. “Sorry to bother you.”

“It’s no bother,” Penny said, but as she talked to me, that smile she’d given my daughter vanished. “It’s fine.”

“Come on, Josie. Let’s go find our table.”

“But we can eat with Miss Pesco so she’s not alone.”

“No—”

“That’s nice, but…”

We answered at the same time, mine the abrupt no that further clouded Penny’s expression.

“Good evening, Mr. Kelley, and hi, Josie. Are you two going to sit here tonight?”

“Yes!” Josie cried and shoved into the booth right next to Penny.

Her eyes went wide, and I was left gaping at not only my daughter but Penny, and then the server. “I… uh….”

No, I was not going to eat dinner with Penny, Josie saddled up right next to her like we knew her or had the right to be in her space.

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