Page 8 of All Our Ghosts

Bile rises in my throat, threatening to spill all over his cheap boots at the pet name. I shift on my heels, standing a little taller as he grips his belt.

“I’m sorry… Officer, have I done something wrong?”

The officer eyes me for another moment, the uncomfortable silence spilling onto the sidewalk around us before he chuckles.

“No, no, Ma’am. Like I said, never seen you around here before. Not many folks like to walk around the streets in the early morning. You caught my eye, just tryna be friendly is all.I’m Deputy Sheriff Jake Watson.” He glances up and down the road again, and something about the way he moves and keeps peering up and down the road makes my gut twist. It feels like he’s checking for other people and not in anI’m here to protect the town,kind of way.

“Kadence…” I say, reluctant to give my last name to him. “Kadence Smith.”

Watson narrows his eyes at me for a moment, sensing the fact that I’m lying, but thankfully he decides not to press me on it.

“Well,Kadence, is there anywhere I can give you a ride to?” He emphasizes my name and the bile creeps up again.

“No, Sir. Just gonna take a walk.”

“Where are you staying?” He blurts, ignoring my answer. “Girl like you shouldn’t be wandering around alone. Do you have family here?”

His twenty questions are starting to irritate me. “No, Sir. Like I said,” I repeat his own words back to him with a bite, “Just passing through.”

A smirk spreads across his face. “Maybe I can show you around town a little tonight? Give you a proper Pine River welcome?” Watson asks it like a question, but I can see behind his eyes that it's not a request.

“I really don’t think I’m going to be in town all that long. I’d rather just stick to my own if you don’t mind,” I say, trying not to sound so happy about giving him the rejection.

I watch his face twitch slightly before it turns back to a smile, a look I’m all too familiar with, and it only confirms the twist in my gut I’ve felt before.

Watson steps back towards his car. “Understood. Have a great day, Miss Smith.”

I nod once. If this were a month ago, I would feel the urge to apologize, run after him, and give in to his disappointment. Now? The pure adrenaline from watching him walk awaycourses through my body, my feet firmly planted on the concrete as I hold my own ground. I can feel myself getting back to the person I was before Jeremy. It’s a slow process but my light has started to shine through the hardened cracks around my soul, ready to one day, break through.

Watson gives me a tight-lipped smile through his window as he drives away, his squad car turning left after a few blocks. I let out the breath I didn’t realize I was holding and continue down the sidewalk, trying not to let the uneasiness of his presence seep into me.

After a while of walking, I find a small diner. The baby blue paint on the outside of the building has faded from many years of the sun gleaming down onto it. Aluminum panels wrap around the bottom half making it look straight out of a fifties movie. As I step inside, there’s a few older couples sitting in the various cherry red pleather booths. The old men scanning newspapers and their spouses chattering away into their eggs.

“Take a seat anywhere, baby, I’ll be with ya in a sec!” I hear the soft raspy voice yell from behind the counter. The woman turns to flash me a smile before turning back to tend to whatever she’s flipping on the grill top.

“Thanks,” I reply, seating myself in one of the empty corner booths, furthest away from any of the patrons.

I set my things down into the booth next to me, between myself and the wall. From this spot I can see the mountains and clouds giving way to the blue sky. I also have a perfect view of the front door and anyone who walks through it. The vinyl menu is that same soft sky blue color with photos of everything they serve here and for some reason I feel comforted.

A few moments later the owner of the voice leans against the edge of the booth across from me and smiles. Her gray hair is pulled back into a French braid, face adorned with smile lines and crows’ feet showing many years of laughter. A black shirtwith a name tag that readsMaggiecovers her short frame. “Morning, Baby. What can I get for ya?”

I glance up from the menu with a smile. “Morning,” I say, a little exasperated. I’ve stared at the menu for the past few minutes, unable to pick from all of the options. My eyes flick back down to the breakfast side of the menu and the woman chuckles.

“Too many options right?” She asks, as if this is a normal problem. “I keep tellin’ Lee he’s gotta make the menu smaller.” Maggie laughs softly. “How about a cup of coffee and the special?”

I chuckle. “You know what, that sounds great.” We exchange a smile as Maggie nods, taking the menus from the table.

“I’ll get that going for ya. There’s cream and sugar on the table there,” Maggie says, pointing to the small bowl on the edge of the table closest to the wall. “Lemme know if you need anything else.”

“Thank you, Ma’am.”

Maggie laughs. “Oh Sweetie, don’t make me feel older than I already do. Call me Maggie.” She winks, stepping back behind the counter.

I watch her move about the diner, putting in my order and pouring cups of coffee like it’s a choreographed dance that she has practiced for years. A rhythm she knows by heart, bustling about the kitchen and laughing with a few of the other customers. It’s beautiful and warm and something that I’ve not felt in a long time.

I lean over, grabbing the small notebook and pen from my bag, setting it down onto the tabletop and going through my list of stops and finances that I’ve burned through already. The sale from the townhouse did pretty well but my funds are quickly running low. I used it to pay off all my debt I had accrued in Miami and to buy the Comet. It looked just like the one my dadhad when I was a kid before he passed, and before Janice sold it for a Coach handbag.

“Life’s all about appearances, Kadie. That car was an eye sore in that driveway.”

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