I’d been expecting to experience from our town over me moving on after Dylan was nowhere to be seen in Mimi’s open and friendly demeanor.
Grinning across the table at Oliver, I flirted, “I have some pretty good ideas of how to burn those calories when we get back to the room.”
“Indeed,” he agreed, as he reached across the table to lift my hand to his lips.
We were beaming at each other like lovesick fools when I heard the woman’s stiff voice say, “Hello, Violet.”
My heart seemed to drop to my belly because I knew who was standing beside our table, even before I turned to look. I yanked my hand back from Oliver’s as if he had burned me.
“Mr. and Mrs. Markle,” I squeaked, turning to look at my late husband’s parents.
Their faces were devoid of any emotion as they stood there staring down at me. I didn’t know what to say. Guilt churned in my stomach, threatening to upheave last night’s greasy pizza. Technically, I hadn’t done anything wrong, but it sure felt like I had.
When the awkward silence stretched on, Oliver reached a hand out in their direction and introduced himself. “Oliver Adams.”
They both ignored his offered handshake. Mr. Markle said, “We know who you are.”
Oliver nodded, and dropped his hand back down into his lap.
The awkward tension was so thick, it could have been cut with one of the dull butter knives on our table. Finally, Mimi arrived with our food.
“Oh, good. You’ve all met,” she commented as she set down our heaping plates of food. If the friendly woman noticed the palpable anxiety buzzing between the four of us, she gave no sign of it.
I could have hugged Mimi when she reached out to pat both of the Markles on their backs and said kindly, “Let them eat their food while it’s hot.”
Her gentle verbal nudge was enough to jolt Dylan’s parents out of their frozen states.
Mr. Markle nodded briskly before saying politely, “Enjoy your breakfast.”
Mrs. Markle’s hand fluttered to her bony collarbone but she didn’t object when her husband took her other elbow and silently steered her towards the door of the restaurant.
“Goodbye,” I called after them, but my voice was so hoarse, I doubt they heard me.
Once they were outside, I stared at my plate of greasy food as my stomach roiled with guilt. I couldn’t imagine how much it had hurt them to see me here with another man. It had been selfish of me to bring Oliver here without considering how it would affect them.
Tears swam in my lower lids as I realized what they must be thinking of me. When the first one spilled over, it dawned on me that it was the first time I had cried in days. This was the longest I had gone since Dylan’s accident without crying, and it was all thanks to Oliver.
Proving that he had the healing touch, Oliver reached across the table to gently swipe the stray tear from my cheek. In a soothing voice, he murmured, “It’s okay.”
I wanted to believe him, but I couldn’t quite bring myself to do so. Putting up a brave front, I gave him a wobbly smile and nodded.
Mimi chose that moment to plop down on the red vinyl bench seat right beside me. “Phew, that was beyond awkward. Glad I was here to help.”
When the bold woman pulled me into her arms for a warm hug, the dam broke, and I began sobbing on her shoulder.
32
Oliver
The last thing I wanted right then was food, but the pushy diner owner sitting with Violet across from me was insistent that I eat. I hated seeing Vi so upset, but I didn’t know how to make it better for her. My fear was that I was a big part of the reason behind her tears.
Our lovemaking had been tender, meaningful, and joyous. It wasn’t anything that either of us should feel guilty about, but seeing her late husband’s parents the morning after had obviously raised a great deal of strong, negative emotions in Vi’s heart.
The kindhearted proprietor of the diner held Vi in her arms, gently rocking her back and forth and patting her back as she cried. “There, there, sweet girl. You haven’t done anything wrong. They’ve just been given a tough path that no one should have to face, and they don’t have anyone to blame. It’s not fair to any of you.”
I gave the woman a sincere smile, when Vi’s hiccup-sobs finally began to subside. Even