Page 58 of If I Could

“I’ll meet you there.”

He hands me my lunch sack and leaves the office. I go to the mini fridge and get my can of soda.

“Who’s that?” Helen asks as she walks in the office. Her lunch break is right before mine. She always walks at lunch. She’s in really good shape for 68, which I think is how old she is. She told me once but she kind of mumbled it so I’m not sure if I heard her right.

“Kyle,” I tell her.

“Kyle who? What’s his last name?”

Older people are all about last names. I never even think to ask for a last name, and if I’d asked Kyle when I met him, he probably wouldn’t have told me, given his refusal to answer questions. The only reason I know his last name is because he had to give it to me to get his motorcycle fixed.

“Shadwick,” I say. “Kyle Shadwick.”

She scrunches her brow. “Is he related to the Mannings?”

“No. He’s new in town. He’s not related to anyone here.”

“Then why is he here?”

Kyle’s going to get this question a million times unless I tell Nina to spread his story through town so people won’t have to ask. I forgot to call her this morning. I’ll have to do it after lunch.

“I’m not sure,” I lie, not wanting to be delayed by a lengthy conversation. Once Helen starts talking, it’s hard to get her to stop. “You’ll have to ask him on Saturday. He’ll be at the fundraiser. I’ll see you later, Helen. I need to get to lunch or my break will be over.”

“You’re going out?” she asks, surprised because I almost always eat at my desk.

“I’m just going to sit outside. Get some sun.”

She nods and goes to her desk.

When I get out back, Kyle is already walking along the small path that goes through the trees.

“Hey!” I yell. “Wait up!”

He turns and I see he’s carrying what looks like a sampling of everything in the vending machine.

I catch up to him, laughing. “You hungry?”

“Not really, but I wasn’t sure what to get and I thought maybe you might want some. How far is this pond? I’m not sure how far I can carry this stuff without dropping it.”

“Here.” I open my lunch sack. “Toss in whatever fits.”

He drops some candy bars in there. “You can have whatever we don’t eat.”

“Another gift for calling you cute?” I ask, scrunching up the bag.

He chuckles. “Exactly. But I still haven’t fully repaid you for that so expect to get more.”

We continue along the path.

“You don’t have to keep buying me stuff. I may be broke but I do have a job.”

“Fine,” he says in a stern tone. “I’ll never buy you another candy bar as long as we both shall live.”

I laugh and jab his arm. “You know what I meant.”

“Why do you keep hitting me?”

“Why do you answer every question with a question?”

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