Page 37 of Christmas at Hart's Ridge

“We’re opening in thirty minutes. You won’t have time later. Ben and Amber are making burgers for everyone.” Ben and Amber were the cooks. “Medium okay?”

Another new thing, and honestly one I had never even been curious about. I didn’t get the appeal. Unlike bacon, which was enticing just from the smell. “Um, sure?”

“Great. We’re taking that booth over there.” He pointed to the booth in the far-right corner that looked like Independence Day and St. Patrick’s Day mashed together. “I’m going to round up everyone else.”

“Sounds good. I’m going to go wash my hands.”

Luke disappeared into the kitchen and I took out the trash, using the opportunity to give Goat another peppermint, and then swung by the bathroom to wash my hands. When I returned, Ethan, Jasmine, and Luke were seated in the booth, with four plates of burgers and fries on the table.

“Is that one mine?” I asked, pointing to the empty seat across from Luke, next to Ethan.

“Only if you want it.” Luke’s eyes glimmered at me and I flushed. How did he make everything sound like it had another meaning?

“It’s yours,” Ethan said. “Ben and Amber already ate.”

“Great, thanks.” I sat down.

“There’s ketchup and mustard if you want it,” Jasmine said, nudging the bottles across the table to me.

Did I want ketchup and mustard? In general, I avoided condiments. No need to add extra calories. In general, I avoided anything that didn’t come in single-serving-size portions, unless I made it myself. I had loosened my grip on calorie consumption in the past couple months, but I was still a creature of habit. Anyway, I wasn’t even sure Ilikedcondiments.

I peeled back the bun to see what I was dealing with. A thick beef patty, reasonably charred, topped by melted cheddar cheese, a mess of grilled onions, and a solitary pickle. Pickles, at least, I knew I liked. I popped it into my mouth.

Since I was fully committed to personal growth, new experiences, and never half-assing anything, I put a dot of ketchup on my index finger, a dot of mustard on my middle finger, and a dot of each on my ring finger. I sucked the ketchup from my index finger and wrinkled my nose. Nope, definitely not a ketchup person.

Suddenly I realized it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. I looked up from my fingers to see everyone staring at me.

“What—what are you doing?” Luke said, sounding strangled.

“Experimenting. How else am I supposed to know what I like?”

Jasmine wrinkled her forehead. “You don’t know if you like ketchup and mustard? Like…you’ve never tried it before?”

I shrugged. “Maybe I have, and it was when I was too young to remember. I know for sure I’ve never had a burger, though.” I licked the mustard off my middle finger and blinked as the spicy flavor hit my tongue. Now,thathad promise.

“You’ve…never…had…a…burger,” Jasmine repeated slowly, like she couldn’t wrap her mind around it.

“Lay off her,” Ethan said. “She’s a ballerina. Her body is a temple and all that shit.” He bumped his knee against mine under the table. “You want me to make you a salad, Princess?”

Since lately he reserved that nickname for my uglier moments, I side-eyed him, but all I found was sincerity. I knee-bumped him back. “Thanks, but I’m good with a burger. I want to try it.”

I could feel Luke’s gaze on me with an intensity that felt physical. My skin felt hot and prickly all over, but I avoided making eye contact. I was too new at this. If I looked at him, I wouldn’t be able to keep my emotions off my face. Everyone would know.

Not expecting much, I sucked the ketchup-mustard mixture off my middle finger.“Oh,” I said, surprised. It wasgood. I hadn’t liked the ketchup on its own, but its sweetness complimented the spiciness of the mustard very well. “We have a winner.”

I swirled the ketchup and mustard onto the top bun, once again aware of all the eyes on me. People watching me eat wasn’t my favorite thing ever, but I was a performer. If I could pretend my heart was broken on stage, I could eat a burger. I took a bite and chewed, then washed it down with a sip of water.

“Well?” Jasmine asked. “I’m invested now. I need the verdict.”

“It’s pretty good. Not as good as bacon, but I see the appeal.” Although I still preferred a salad, in all honesty.

Later, when I brought our stack of dishes back to the kitchen to clean up, I pulled out my notebook and jottedate a burger.

“What’s that?” Luke asked, startling me.

“Nothing.” In my haste to stuff it back in my purse, I dropped it on the floor instead.

Luke squatted, swiping it off the floor before I could stop him. “A bucket list?”

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