Page 4 of Merry & Wild

That makes him laugh as he leads me up the walkway to Old Town Pizza, which has been my favorite restaurant in town since I was a kid.

It’s warm and smells delicious inside when we walk through the door. Garlic and tomatoes hang heavy in the air, and we’re greeted with a happy smile by Heather, the hostess and daughter of the owner.

“Hi there, table for two?”

“Yes, please,” John says with a nod. “How are you, Heather?”

“Oh, I’m fine. It’s kind of bogus that I have to work tonight and didn’t get to go to the party with Melissa and Sarah Beth, but oh well.”

She shows us to a booth by the windows and sets menus in front of us.

“What can I getcha to drink?”

“Just water for me,” I reply.

“Me, too, for now,” John says before Heather hurries away. “What do you like on your pizza?”

“Pepperoni.”

He waits, and I shrug.

“That’s it?”

“What doyoulike?”

“Everything,” he says. “Okay, I know what we’re going to do. Here she comes.”

Heather sets our waters down and pulls out a notepad. “Since I’m alone in here tonight, except for my dad in the kitchen, I’ll take your order. What’ll you have?”

“Large deep dish,” John begins, “half pepperoni, half supreme. Breadsticks, too.”

“And a salad,” I put in. “With ranch.”

“You got it,” Heather replies. “Be back in a few.”

“It smells good in here,” I say, taking a deep breath. “I haven’t been in here in years. I always do takeout.”

“Me, too,” he says. “Now, enough of the small talk. I have questions.”

CHAPTER 3

JOHN

“What are your questions?” Joy asks as she watches me from across the table. She leans on her elbows and offers me that sweet smile, and I almost forget my own name. “John?”

That’s right, that’s it.

“Sorry,” I reply and clear my throat. “So, you work at the doctor’s office?”

“Yep.” She nods, and her hair bounces around her shoulders.

“What do you do for fun when you’re not at Jazzercise?”

“That’s not fun,” she says, shaking her head slowly back and forth as she fiddles with the straw in her water. “That’s just exercise. Let’s see, for fun? I like to read. I like to hike in the summertime.”

“Do you ski?”

She wrinkles her nose at that, and I can’t help but think that it’s adorable. Her nose has little, tiny freckles on it.

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