Sam’s diner sat on a corner of the main street in town. At one point Sam had changed the decor to resemble fifties rockabilly. As the years went on and the decay of use took its toll on the restaurant, the fifties gave way to a hodgepodge of seventies orange retro and nineties modern lines. In the end, it was a typical small town diner that made enough money to stay in business but not enough to warrant a redesign every decade.
Melanie showed up at eleven sharp and waited outside in Miss Gina’s van. Nathan sat in one of the booths in the front window and kept looking at his watch.
“Make him wait a few minutes,” Zoe said from the passenger seat.
Melanie had to grip the steering wheel to keep her hands from visibly shaking. “Him being here is a bad sign.”
“You’ve been muttering that for two days, Mel. Snap out of it and deal.”
“I don’t want to deal. I just want him to go away.”
“Maybe he’s ready to start paying child support.”
Melanie couldn’t help it, she laughed.
“Yeah,” Zoe said with a slight laugh. “That didn’t sound right coming out of my mouth either.”
Melanie grasped the handle on the door and shoved. “There’s only one way I’m going to find out what his game is.”
She jogged across the street to avoid a passing car and sucked in a fortifying breath as she pushed the glass door of Sam’s open. A bell above her head brought a few faces swiveling her way. She returned a couple of smiles and a wave from the waitress before forcing her attention on her ex.
“Three-piece suits have no place in River Bend,” she said the second she slid into the booth opposite him.
His eyes snapped to hers, then glanced at his watch. “Didn’t we say eleven?”
“Traffic.”
He narrowed his eyes and said nothing.
Just when she felt the need to squirm she remembered this intimidating quality he’d always played when they were together. His quiet, confident stares continually had her caving to whatever his demand was. It wasn’t until she’d broken away that she had realized he intimidated her with silence.
Melanie held his gaze, sat back in the broken-down booth, and lifted one corner of her mouth.
He broke first. “You’ve changed.”
She let her eyes sweep his frame in a very deliberate fashion and said nothing. He hadn’t, but she’d be damned if she was going to engage in small talk with the most disappointing person in her life.
“I know I haven’t been there for you and Hope.”
She huffed out a breath.
Nathan tilted his head and paused before he asked, “Aren’t you going to say anything?”
“Yeah,” she said. Melanie met the eyes of the waitress. “Hey, Brenda . . . can I have a cup of coffee?”
“Sure, Mel.”
The bell sounded on the door and Melanie caught Luke out of the corner of her eye.
“Hey, Mel.” Luke didn’t offer a greeting to Nathan.
“Hey.”
Luke slid up to the counter and grabbed a menu.
He never grabbed a menu. The thing hadn’t changed in fifteen years. It was only when Zoe cooked in the back that the patrons of Sam’s were in for something new and exciting.
Brenda brought her coffee and cream from the back. “You need anything, I’m here.”
Nathan lifted a hand. “I’ll take a—”
Brenda turned away from him without giving him the time to finish his sentence.
Melanie kept in her smile. If Nathan thought he was going to come to River Bend with a welcome, he’d been mistaken.
Nathan had this tick under his left eye that always gave away his emotions before he voiced them. That tick started a slow twitch as he watched Brenda walk away.
“Why are you here?”
“I went to Bakersfield. You weren’t there.”
Leave it to him to avoid her questions. After a sip of the coffee she set the cup down and stared. “You didn’t fly all the way here to tell me I’ve changed and remind me that you’ve been the biggest deadbeat dad there is.”
“You took her away.”
“You left!” Her voice rose and Luke swiveled in his seat.
“You wanted me out.”
Yeah, she didn’t want the man any longer, but that didn’t mean he had to abandon his daughter. The old argument sat on her lips and stayed there. What’s the point, he’ll only deny everything like he always does.
Outside the diner, Jo pulled along the curb in her squad car and got out. All dolled up in her uniform, she placed her hat low on her head and walked into the diner.
“Hey, Mel.”
Instead of asking what Jo was doing there, Mel just smiled and waved.
If Nathan recognized Jo, he didn’t say anything.
“. . . another chance.” Nathan was talking, but Mel wasn’t listening. Her focus was now on Zoe, who slid in the back door before taking a seat at the counter with Luke and Jo.
“Another chance at what?” Mel asked, turning her focus on her ex and not the posse that was starting to form in the diner.
“Us. I want to give us another chance.”
She sat speechless for the space of two breaths. “You can’t be serious.”
“I am. I’m in a better place now. I think we should—”
She cut him off with a wave of her hand. “Stop . . . just stop. That ship sailed a long time ago, Nathan.”
That tick kept twitching now, faster with every word. “Hope deserves a father.”
“Hope? You want to tell me what my daughter needs?”