Page 9 of All Our Ghosts

I remember the day it sold. My mother didn’t know but I cried in my room for two days. The one last memory of my father was gone. I was only ten at the time but, as my mother began dating and living the social life she’d always wanted, I grew up faster than I should ever have needed to.

“Mornin’, Cole!” Maggie’s greeting suddenly breaks my staring contest with the lines of the notebook as my eyes flicker to the door. Cole’s large frame leans over the edge of the counter, a smile plastered on his face. “The usual I take it?”

“Throw an extra Lee’s special in there for Nash, would ya?”

I watch as Maggie nods, leaning over in close to Cole as they begin talking. The smile falls from Cole’s face and soon so does Maggie’s. Their voices are hushed as they speak and I see the somber look fall across them both. Maggie grabs his chin, lifting his gaze back to hers and says something that gets him to quirk his lips in a side smile before he sits down at the counter. Maggie goes back to work behind the counter, setting a cup of coffee down in front of him before heading over to me, sliding my cup across the table.

“Your food will be up shortly, love,” Maggie says softly, her demeanor having lost a little bit of the sunshine she had before.

“Kadence…” I say softly, giving Maggie a reassuring smile.

Maggie smiles, it doesn’t quite reach her eyes, but a glimpse of that warmth comes back. “It's nice to meet you Kadence.” She taps the top of the booth once before stepping back to the counter.

I grab two packets of sugar and one creamer, stirring them into the dark liquid before taking a sip. It’s definitely not the Cuban coffee I’m used to, but it's caffeine and my bodydesperately needs it. I set the mug back down, going back to my book as a shadow casts itself over my table.

“I see you found the only good place to eat here,” Cole's voice teases as he leans against the pleather, the smile that was plastered on his face is now back. I laugh softly.

“Uh… Yeah, I guess you could say that.” I smile up at him.

He nods, taking a sip of his coffee. We stare at each other for a moment before I gesture to the booth across from me.

“Would you like to sit?” I don't know why I offer, but now that it's daylight he doesn’t seem so intimidating to me anymore. The sharp angles of his face are softer now, almost lighter and, though his frame still towers over me, his presence doesn’t feel anything like Watson’s.

He smiles and slides into the booth across from me as I slip my notebook back into my bag.

“How did you sleep? I hear the beds at the motel are questionable,” Cole teases. He’s walking on eggshells but I can sense the curiosity behind those ocean eyes.

“I slept alright. I’ve slept on worse,” I laugh and it’s a little hollow.

Cole notices and nods. “Well, hopefully we’ll have ya back up and runnin’. Now that it's daylight, I’ll be able to find the issue better.”

I take a sip of my coffee as Maggie brings over a plate of food that is still steaming and the smell almost instantly causes me to drool. Fluffy scrambled eggs, two sausage links, two bacon strips and hashbrowns that look to be just the right amount of crispy.

“You two know each other?” Maggie asks with a smirk.

Cole rolls his eyes as I take a bite of my food, my own eyes rolling back into my head as the eggs practically melt in my mouth from all the butter.

“Kadence’s car broke down on the highway last night, I just helped her get towed back into town. I’m looking at her car later this morning.”

Maggie nods and leans into me. “Don’t let those blue eyes fool ya. He’s a rascal as much as the rest of them.” She grins as I smirk with a bite full of hashbrowns in my mouth, cocking my head to the side as I glance at Cole. His cheeks are pink with embarrassment as he hides behind the mug in his hand.

“Good to know.” I tease.

“Alright, alright. Since when is thispick on Coletime?” He says with a brow raised up at Maggie.

Maggie stands tall, patting him on the shoulder. “Sweetie, it's alwayspick on Coletime.”

I bite back a laugh as his mouth drops slightly watching Maggie walk away, taking another sip of my coffee. Cole sighs, leaning back into the booth as he watches me. I go back to focusing on my food and when I feel his eyes on me again, I freeze. My eyes meet his, suddenly self-conscious eating in front of him. He notices and downs his coffee as Maggie sets his order onto the bartop.

“You finish up here, I have a stop I need to make but how about I swing back by and pick you up from here? We’ll go back to the shop then.”

I swallow the bite of food in my mouth and nod. “Y-Yeah that sounds good,” I stammer slightly as he nods once before setting his mug on the counter for Maggie to take.

“See you in a bit,” he says, grabbing the bags of food. “Maggie, tomorrow mornin’?”

“It’s a date, handsome!” Maggie yells from somewhere in the back.

I watch as Cole heads out of the front door towards the tow truck. He climbs inside, tossing me a wave through the dinerwindow as he pulls out of the parking lot. A tiny part of me feels like this place is gonna stick with me when I leave.

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