Page 23 of Reuniting with Lucy

He pushed his fingers through her hair, cupping the back of her head, and kissed her, the bitterness of his beer mixing with the sweetness of her wine. His kiss was more intoxicating than the alcohol. It made her want to curl up on his lap and stay there forever.

She broke the kiss to whisper in his ear, “Can the driver see us?”

“Hopefully, he’s watching the road,” Jack said, looking out the tinted window. “We’re not far from our next stop though.”

A minute later, the driver slowed to a stop and cracked the window between them to announce they’d arrived. Jack opened the grocery bag, stuck an unopened wine cooler in one pocket, and another beer in the other.

“Sneaking alcohol into somewhere?” she asked with a giggle.

“It’s what I would have done ten years ago.” He shrugged. “I haven’t changed too much.”

They got out and followed a path to the ticket booth. She recognized right away where they were.

“The Morehead Planetarium. I love this place.”

He bought tickets for the last showing and, probably because it was late Sunday, they were two of only a handful of patrons. The theater was a circle, and the seats reclined so you could watch the ceiling, which was where they projected the show. The center was empty to accommodate people who wanted to watch from the floor. They grabbed seats in the front row.

“This way, we can switch to the floor if you want,” he said.

When the lights dimmed, he cracked open the bottles. After they finished their drinks, they moved to the floor. He held her hand, and together they watched a show of celestial glory—the story of stars, solar systems, and the general magic of space.

He slipped his arm under her head, and she settled in next to him while still looking up. He smelled like beer and something woodsy. Between his warmth, the buzz from the wine, and the romantic, starry setting, she felt safe, happy, and complete.

After the show, they took a long route back to the parking lot, holding hands and catching up.

“So, tell me what you’ve been up to since I last saw you,” he said.

“Well, I finished school in three years. I started with a lot of AP credit, so I skipped most of the hundred-level classes.”

“A smarty pants,” he teased. “Good to know. Did Lizzie do the same?”

“Yes. She and I came to UNC together and shared a dorm room freshman year, then an apartment for the next two.”

“Have you always lived with Lizzie?”

“Until a few years ago, yes. We finally realized it was time to grow up and that we needed some independence from each other. So she moved into the condo across the hall.”

He laughed. “That must have been traumatic.”

She nodded. “You mock, but it actually was a huge adjustment. I’m close with all my sisters, but Lizzie especially.”

“And what about your business? Did you always want to own a coffee shop?” he asked, leading them down the path toward the parking lot.

“That happened by chance,” she said. “The original plan was for Lizzie and me to open a restaurant together. Starting in high school, I worked as a barista during summer breaks and have always loved coffee. Lizzie started bartending when she turned twenty-one and has always loved alcohol.” She chuckled. “One day at dinner, my dad mentioned that some of the businesses downtown weren’t doing very well. He was worried they might move or close and didn’t want Main Street to fall apart. As the mayor, that would reflect poorly, you know?”

“I can imagine.”

“Anyway, over dinner one Sunday, we hatched the whole idea. Lizzie would open a bar, and I’d open a coffee shop. Once I decided on The Drip for a name, Lizzie came up with The Drop after her love of lemon drops. It was sheer coincidence that two spots opened up just across the street from each other. Now, we’re rarely more than a couple hundred yards apart.”

“That’s great you and your family get along so well.”

“So what about you?” she said. “What have you been doing since graduation?”

“Well, I had to nurse my broken heart for a few months after I thought a pretty girl played me for a sucker.” He smiled to show he was teasing. “But eventually, I joined the military.”

“What? I had no idea! What’s that got to do with business?”

“Nothing. It was short-lived, but I don’t regret it. I was having some issues with my parents, and it seemed like an easy way out.”

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