Page 17 of Best Laid Plans

As I drove, I was assaulted by images from the past. The memories tugged at my heart, a bittersweet reminder of what once was. I forced myself to focus on the road, pushing my heartbreak, which hurt anew, to the back of my mind.

I had left Savannah early so as to not be late for the meeting and have some time to meet a friend from the old days.

Smiling, I pulled into the parking lot of Maureen's Diner. It had been a sanctuary during my turbulent teenage years. The exterior was freshly painted, and the neon sign still flickered with the same comforting glow.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped out of the car, and walked inside. I wasn't sure how I'd be treated. The Larue family still owned Sentinel. I doubted that between Alma, Bailey, and Pete, they'd kept my being accused of stealing from the Larues a secret.

The scent of coffee and fried food hit me, instantly bringing back memories of long shifts and familiar faces. Maureen, the diner's owner, stood behind the counter, her silver hair pulled into a tight bun, her plump figure wrapped in a floral apron. Her blue eyes lit up when she saw me.

"Nova King, as I live and breathe!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with genuine warmth. "Look at you, girl, all grown up and back in town!"

I couldn't help but smile. "Hi, Maureen. It's good to see you."

She came around the counter, and pulled me into a hug. Immediately, I calmed. The scent of vanilla filled my nostrils. I closed my eyes and just allowed myself to feel for a moment. I had always lived my life by tightly controlling everything inside of me and around me, leaving me never rested and never relaxed. But standing here with Maureen, a sense of peace washed over me.

She pulled away and led me to the counter. "Come on, rest your load. Let me get you a cup of coffee. You look like you could use one."

I slid onto a stool, the familiar creak of the vinyl a comforting sound. Maureen poured coffee for me in a brown diner cup. I wrapped my hands around it, savoring the warmth.

"So, what brings you back to Sentinel?" she asked, leaning on the counter.

I sighed. "I'm going to be working on Sentinel Heights."

Maureen's eyes went as wide as the saucers she served hash browns on. "You don't say!"

I laughed. "I work at an architecture and design firm in Savannah. Larue Homes contracted us for this project and…." I paused, wondering if I should tell her that Anson asked for me. "Mr. Larue wanted me to project manage."

She snorted. "Anson Larue wanted you to do this? Girl, tell me you ain't that stupid."

I picked up the coffee and took a sip. "No, ma'am. I'm not."

"He's engaged to that bitch now," Maureen quipped. "Can't stand her! She thinks her shit don't smell like everyone else's. Alma has a boyfriend. A lawyer from Atlanta, and the rumor is that she keeps on askin' him to propose to her, and he keeps holdin' her off."

The thing with small towns was that everyone's business was out in the open. This meant that whether you liked it or not, people would talk about what was going on in your life at the diner, at the supermarket, in church, at the bar…everywhere.

"Why the heck is he doin' that?" I asked as I knew I was supposed to.

Maureen cackled. Even when I first knew her, she had been old as dirt—but somehow, she'd managed to not age a day. "The rumor goes that Tyler Henderson is stringin' her along 'cause he has a girl in Atlanta that his daddy don't approve of."

I nodded gravely.

"I think he's waitin' on havin' his daddy calmed down so he can marry his girl."

"And Alma doesn't know?"

Maureen made a face. "Sure, she does, girl, but she's thinkin' that she can bring Tyler to heel."

I drank more coffee.

"Now, have you heard about Abe Munson?" she asked, referring to a boy I went to high school with.

"That he's made it big in Hollywood?" I winked at her. The high school Facebook page I lurked on had given me a lot of details about the residents of Sentinel.

"Can you believe that? That skinny black kid is now making movies with Denzel Washington." She shook her head, her eyes laughing. "Always liked Abe, I did."

She gave me an update on everyone. The divorces, the weddings, the babies. The former mayor had been found cheating on his wife with his daughter's friend from college. The Sheriff had a gambling addiction, and his wife was always threatening him with divorce and taking their two little children to parts unknown.

"The Sheriff is Pete Fontaine, I assume."

---