Page 23 of Frosting and Flames

To Nick.

Ingrid, who we both went to school with and now teaches at the high school, thanks him for talking to her students during the Great American Teach-in last semester.

Mrs. Montour heaps praise on him for rescuing her Yorkie stuck in a sewer drain recently.

Mr. Dunn, who I haven’t seen in years and has to be pushing ninety, thanks Nick for replacing a smoke detector in his home.

I’m quiet during each interaction, watching him out of the corner of my eye. He ducks his head, almost seeming embarrassed at their gratitude. A lot of other people would milk the flattery.

But not him. Interesting.

Pretty soon, the end is in sight, newcomers trickling in at a much slower rate now. This next batch might be our last.

I oil the griddles and look up as the little boy from earlier calls out, “Bye, Mister Nick.” He waves his hand frantically to get his attention.

Nick waves back. “Bye, Ryder.”

I smile, something about it endearing. “You were great with him.”

He shrugs. “Kids are like anyone else. They want someone to listen to them and be interested in what they’re saying.”

“Well, not every adult realizes that. No wonder you’re a hit at story time.”

I glance over at him, finding his cheeks red again. That’s the second time he’s blushed.

“Rachel.”

Everything in me freezes, except for my heart, which begins beating painfully in my chest.

It’s Kyle.

CHAPTER SIX

NICK

What’s this fuckwad doing here?

“How are you?” Kyle asks Rachel, his gaze roaming over her.

“Fine,” she answers in a monotone voice, radiating tension.

Shit. She was just opening up a little, and now this.

“Here,” I say, handing him a plate. I glare daggers at him, hoping he’ll take the hint and leave, but he lingers. Unfortunately, no one else joins the line to force him to move on.

“Actually, I need two plates.”

He looks behind him toward the table where Autumn sits, the girl he cheated on Rachel with. She smooths a hand over her pregnant belly as she speaks to the couple next to her.

What a fucking dick. Now he’s rubbing his affair partner in Rachel’s face?

I hand him a second plate, but he ignores me, still watching Rachel.

“Haven’t seen you in a while.”

She’s staring down at the griddle, concentrating hard on the batter, and makes a noncommittal noise.

“Come on,” Kyle says, “we can be friendly, right?”

---