whatever’s offered at work. I don’t have a lot of time in my schedule to learn new skills,” she admits. Sarah notices my patrol car, then grins. “Can we walk?”
A layer of powdery snow coats the ground, but the sun provides a bit of warmth. “Sure. Lead the way.”
We fall into step next to one another, and though I yearn to bring up many things, I don’t want things to get awkward. “I can’t believe you burned the cookies,” I say with a laugh.
She shakes her head. “I was planning to eat the whole dozen before Mom got home from work. They were the really good sugar cookies with the snowman stamped on top.”
“You always loved those,” I say, remembering we used to bake those ridiculous cookies every holiday.
“I did.” She pouts, sticking out her lower lip. When we’re at the diner, I grab the door and pull it open for her.
“I’m amazed how things are exactly the same way as when I left,” she says once we’re inside.
I nod as Kellie leads us to one of the oversized booths next to a large window facing the busy street.
Once we sit, I order a cup of coffee, then a hot cocoa with marshmallows and whipped cream for Sarah. She laughs and nods in agreement, then adds two glasses of water. No matter how many times I’ve eaten here, I still grab the menu and look at the options.
“Sometimes, I think about the stuffed French toast and wish I could have it shipped to my apartment,” she admits.
“It’s the best in the state, so not too ridiculous of an idea.” I grin.
Kellie sets down our drinks and takes our order before scurrying away.
Sarah sips her hot cocoa and hums. “Yes, Chicago is missing this. It’s just not the same.”
“Of course not. You know Blanche has a secret recipe for it and will carry it with her to the grave,” I remind her.
“Oh yeah, it’s probably crack because I never want just one cup.” She takes another drink, then abruptly changes the subject. “So how have you been? Truthfully.”
I give her a smirk. “I’ve been good. No complaints.”
Her eyes linger on my lips before she lowers them, then blinks. “Time has been good to you,” she says softly.
“What was that?” I lean toward her as I rest my arms on the table.
A blush touches her cheeks, and she meets my gaze. “I didn’t stutter.”
The underlying current streaming between us is undeniable. It’s as if it never faded in the first place.
Sarah brushes the hair from her face and tucks it behind her ear. It’s one of her nervous habits. “You just seem very happy and healthy,” she confirms.
“Well, thanks. I’m pretty content. My parents are doing good. There’s hardly any crime in Snow Port besides Drunk Earl causing a scene every Friday night at the pub. I don’t have any major complaints.”
I purposely leave out the detail of missing her so damn much. Sarah was my other half, but I refused to selfishly hold her back from her dream job. I just wanted her to be happy, and we both knew after trying so damn hard that a long-distance relationship wouldn’t work. So I let her go because she needed to focus on her career. Time and distance had caused us to drift apart, and I had to accept it when I realized we were over. While not much of my day to day has changed, I can tell hers has.
I continue, “Tell me how you’ve been. How’s work and living in a big city? Like you expected it to be?”
“Not quite. Work is work. I’m up at the butt crack of dawn every day and in bed by dark. Hence why I lack basic living skills.” She sighs with a small laugh. “And if I’m being honest, I could use some social skills too. It’s easy to read from a script, but hanging out with people when I’m so busy is hard.”
“But you’re happy?” I ask, wishing I knew if she regrets our breakup as much as I do.
She sucks in a deep breath and exhales just as our food arrives. Unsurprisingly, the subject swiftly changes to how the French toast is as big as her plate.
“Has it always been this large?”
“That’s what she said,” I quip.
Sarah snorts and nearly chokes on the bite she just put in her mouth. Once she swallows it down and wipes her mouth, she looks at me. “I’ve missed your quick comebacks.”
I’ve missed a lot