Page 13 of When We Were Us
There are a few people in line and a woman behind the counter. The couple in front of me places their order and pays, and I step up to the counter, with my gaze locked on the menu on the wall above my head. I almost cry when I see a full coffee menu.
“Wrennie Jo Hardcastle, itisyou!”
I blink across the counter at the woman wiping her hands on a tea towel. A genuine grin breaks out across her pretty face.
“Finn?” Seeing her after all these years is like being wrapped up in a warm blanket on a cold day and my face lights up.
Finnley Jameson is petite and five-foot-five, with dark hair and eyes. While she is definitely older, I’d have been able to pick her out of a lineup even after all these years. I honestly hadn’t even expected her to be around anymore. She wears a white T-shirt tucked into light wash denim boyfriend jeans and her signature thick braid lays over her shoulder, nearly reaching her waist.
“I wondered if you were coming back to town!” She is beaming, but then her facefalls. “I’m so sorry to hear about your granddad.”
“Thank you.” I have to force myself to focus on not tearing up, because it feels like that’s all I’ve been doing lately. Before I can say anything else, she speaks again.
“God, it's been forever! How have you been? We have to catch up!” She’s talking a mile a minute.
I smile. I guess some things never change.
“Oh!” With a shake of her head, she winces. “You came in here for food, and I just verbal-vomited all over you! It's just so good to see you! What can I get for you?” She flings her tea towel over her shoulder and laces her fingers together, waiting eagerly for my order.
Glancing at the menu, I say, “I’ll take a large caramel latte and a BLT.”
She nods and punches in my order on the screen in front of her.
“Extra may?—”
“Extra mayo, right?” she says at exactly the same time.
We glance up at each other and laugh.
“I can’t believe you remember that,” I say, putting my debit card back into my wallet.
“You used to put mayo on literally everything!” Turning and starting my latte, she shoots me a wink. “Have a seat, Wren, and I’ll bring this out as soon as it’s ready.”
I thank her and find a two-seater table in the far corner, taking the chair facing the window. It’s quiet here—that in-between time after lunch and before dinner. The couple that came in before me takes their drinks and leaves, leaving me and three other patrons in the café. There’s a couple who look to be in deep discussion sitting two tables over and a very pregnant woman blowing on a steaming cup of soup at the table closest to the door.
My phone dings and I pull it from my bag. Derek. I swipe away from the message and stuff the phone back into my bag as Finn approaches with my order. She sets it on the table in front of me and then motions to the seat across from me.
“I have a break now if you have a bit to chat?”
“Of course.” I point to the sandwich. “This looks amazing, but it's huge. Do you want half?”
She eyes the sandwich and tugs her lip into her mouth. “You don’t mind?”
“Not at all.” I pull over another napkin and hand it to her. She spreads it out on the table as I hand her one half of the gigantic sandwich.
“Thank you, Wren. We’ve been so busy all day and this is the first time I’ve had a chance to sit.” She takes a large bite, rolls her eyes, and moans, flopping back against the chair. “That is so good.”
I take a large bite and a sip of my latte. Before I have a chance to speak, she’s launching into conversation. Just like old times. Like my absence the last seventeen years isn’t an issue.
“So? Tell me what you’ve been up to. I want to hear all about your glamorous life out in California. You are still in California, aren’t you?” She wipes a glob of mayo off her chin and shrugs, like she’s saying,oops.
She’s adorable and hasn’t changed much since we graduated. She is still bubbly, sweet, outgoing, and friendly.
“Just outside of Napa Valley.” I nod and swipe my own napkin over my mouth.
For the next thirty minutes, we eat our sandwiches and fill each other in on the last seventeen years of our lives. I tell her about college, the practice, my condo, and Ginger. When she asks if I’m married, I tell her that I’ve never been, but decide to keep the fiasco with Derek to myself for the time being.
Finn briefly mentions that she’s separated. I get the impression she doesn’t want to elaborate, so I don’t press. She’s only been back in Timber Forge for seven months, after having lived in Texas for six years, and loves working part-time at Timber’s Treats—which is actually owned and operated by one of Hank’s sisters, Natalie, who has a cute little apartment above the café.
