“You and Spencer are doing well?” she asked, searching for something to talk about.
Gracie smiled, her eyes sparkling. “Yes. We can’t seem to stay away from one another for too long. It’s—Oh, hey! There’s Lincoln.”
Her head jerked to the side fast, Sara’s eyes immediately scanning the inhabitants of the business. Something pulsed through her, something intense and unknown and scary. When her eyes found him, and it didn’t take long; seconds, really, the unnamed feeling grew, stole her breath, and forced her heartbeat into overdrive. His back was to them, broad-shouldered and clad in a brown jacket with an outline of a hammer and the company name on it: Walker Building. Her eyes tripped over him, noting his messy hair and the slight hunch to his shoulders. Even from behind, he looked tired, worn down. Sara wanted to wrap her arms around him and never let go.
“Lincoln! Over here!”
He turned, his chiseled features drawn. Lincoln’s eyes went from Gracie to Sara and they flashed, darkened, with emotion as they landed on her. His gaze lingered on Sara, the longer he stared at her the more uncomfortable Sara became. She shifted in her chair, wanting to look away, but something was keeping her from being able to do so. Lincoln finally broke eye contact, grabbing his coffee off the counter.
“What was that?” Gracie asked slowly, eyes fixated on Sara.
Face burning; she took a sip of her coffee, the temperature scalding. Sara quickly gulped it down, gasping, “What was what?”
“The way he looked at you. It was—I don’t know—intense.”
“It was nothing. I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she mumbled quickly. It wasn’t a lie. Sara had no idea what was or wasn’t between them. Nothing. There was nothing. Yet that didn’t seem entirely true either.
A chair scraped against the wood floor and Lincoln was beside her, elbows on the table, hands cupping a to-go cup of coffee. The heat of his eyes on her was hotter than the coffee she’d just choked down. She inhaled his scent, felt a sliver of peace wisp its way through her.
“Sworn off the gas station coffee?”
Sara smiled faintly. “You too, apparently.”
“My guts couldn’t take it anymore.” He turned to Gracie. “How’s it going, Gracie?”
“Good. Sara and I were just talking about camping.”
“Really? What about it?”
Gracie tucked hair behind her ear as she said, “Spencer wanted to get everyone together to go camping this summer. You up for it?”
Sara glanced at Lincoln out of the corner of her eye, knowing his gaze was on her again. Their eyes collided and broke apart. “You know me. Always up for a good time.” Even his voice was exhausted.
“How’s work?” she blurted, struggling for normalcy.
“Annoying. Wanna come be annoyed with me?”
Sara gave a short laugh, shaking her head. When Lincoln didn’t say anything else, she looked at him. “You’re serious?”
He shrugged. “Why not? I’m measuring a couple houses this afternoon. You can take notes for me.”
“You’re measuring houses in the snow?”
“Yep,” he said cheerfully. “Best time ever.”
“You should go, Sara,” Gracie urged.
She frowned. “Why?”
“Might be good for you.”
“To freeze?”
“To not be home. Alone.”
“Come on, Sara, all the cool kids are doing it,” Lincoln said quietly, mockingly.
Sara looked from Gracie’s encouraging expression to Lincoln’s shuttered one. “Okay.” She shrugged. “Why not?”
“We should get together again, Sara. Maybe go to a movie or something?”
She stood up at the same time Lincoln did, looking at Gracie. She looked hopeful, her expression twisting something inside Sara. “I would like that,” she answered honestly, emotion closing her throat a little.
Gracie smiled brightly, getting up as well. “Great. I’ll call you. Have fun.” She waved and walked off, leaving Sara and Lincoln.
“Let’s go, partner,” Lincoln said, slinging an arm around her shoulders and aiming them toward the door. It was probably wrong of her to enjoy the feel of even just his arm around her so much, but she did. It was a little bit of completeness in the broken shards of her life.
When they got to the silver truck, he said one word: “Drive.”
Sara jerked back from the truck, shaking her head. “No,” she said faintly. Sara’s hands began to tremble around the to-go cup she held and she stepped away from the curb, closer to the coffee shop.
The streets were busy with traffic, the sounds of tires slugging through wet snow loud in her ears. The coffee taste in her mouth went bitter as Lincoln studied her, a determined set to his jaw.