Page 11 of Soulmates and Slapshots
He laughs. “Yes, well this is my new favorite place in town.”
“So the food is worth it?” I ask.
“It sure is,” a voice calls from behind the counter. After a few seconds a woman with gray hair comes to greet me.
“Welcome to Shirley May’s,” she announces. “I’m Shirley May, and I’m guessing you’re another Maple Falls newbie? I haven’t seen you around.”
I nod. “Yes, I’m in town for a few weeks visiting my aunt.”
“Who’s your aunt?”
Why do I suddenly feel nervous about answering this question?
“Denise Hale.”
“Hmm…well, I won’t hold that against you,” she says with a laugh. Although I wonder if she’s being serious. My aunt can be a handful at times.
“Thanks,” I say smiling. “I’m Fiona.”
“Can I get you a table—or do you want to join your friend?” she asks, pointing at Weston.
“Oh, um,” I hesitate.What am I supposed to say?I’m not inviting myself to sit with him.
“You’re welcome to join me,” Weston offers.
“That’s one less table for us to clean,” Shirley May adds with a subtle wink.
The jury is still out if she and Aunt Dee are friends, but clearly they are on the same wavelength. I wonder if all the women in this town are hockey superfans.
I grin at Weston. “Okay, sure. And I promise I’m not following you.”
He makes a face. “Well, I was starting to wonder.”
“Very funny,” I say opening the menu. I scan over all the usual diner food options, and it all looks wonderful.
Shirley May brings me a glass of water. “Do you need a few more minutes?”
“Hmm…I think I’ll try the turkey club sandwich and fries.”
“Good choice,” Weston chimes in.
“All the food in this town looks good,” I tell him. “And since I’m on vacation, I should enjoy myself.”
He nods. “One of my old teammates told me to try the pumpkin bread and cinnamon rolls from the bakery.”
“Mmm…sounds delish,” I say. “I already indulged in pastries and the best cupcake I ever had.”
“Oh and Shirley May’s apple pie is pretty exceptional,” he adds.
“I’ll add it to my list. When in Rome and all that stuff.”
“That’s the spirit,” he says, grinning.
“So have you been sitting here all afternoon?” I ask him, folding my hands and resting them on the table.
He nods. “Yep. I figured I earned it after making a fool of myself for the whole world to see.”
I raise my eyebrows. “Oh, I think I want to hear this story.”
