“In that case, I’ll see you in a few minutes,” she said.
Jamie watched her leave. She had regrets about sleeping with him, but he couldn’t bring himself to sympathize. He had a short window of opportunity to prove to her just how perfect they were together, and he wasn’t going to blow it.
*
Red’s Diner was comfortably busy, but they were seated at a booth near the windows right away. Rachel hadn’t eaten at the diner in years, but it seemed nothing had changed in the time she’d been gone, except some of the wait staff were different. From where they sat, Rachel could see the length of Main Street all the way to the pier that extended out over the lake. Lights from the nearby homes and businesses reflected on the surface of the dark water. The shops on Main Street were still open, and the lights from the windows spilled onto the sidewalks as people strolled past. The scene was so different from New York City—with its congestion and overload of brilliant lights—that Rachel might have been on a different planet. She’d actually forgotten how beautiful Glacier Creek was at night, when she could see billions of stars glittering against the black velvet of the sky.
Everything was exactly the same as she remembered, and yet everything was completely different. Rachel turned her attention to the man who sat across the table, disconcerted to find him watching her over his menu.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“That Glacier Creek is more beautiful than I remembered,” she replied. “Growing up, I couldn’t wait to leave, and now I can’t recall why.”
“I get it.” He peered out the window at the street. “There were times when I was over in Afghanistan or Syria, when thinking about Glacier Creek was what kept me going. When it was so freaking hot that your dog tags burned your skin, and the air inside the compound smelled like rotten onions, I’d think about the cool waters of the lake, and the snow on the mountains.”
“If your leg prevents you from rejoining your unit, will you stay here?” she asked.
“Will you?” he countered.
She was prevented from answering by the approach of a waitress, and then the moment was gone. Jamie ordered a beer and a plate of meat loaf with mashed potatoes and gravy, while Rachel opted for a glass of white wine, and fresh lake trout with a green salad.
She sipped her wine and watched the other patrons in the diner, recognizing several of the faces, but not recalling their names.
“We could take a stroll onto the pier after dinner,” Jamie suggested, pulling her out of her thoughts.
“That sounds nice,” Rachel agreed. “Your chair is in the back of the van.”
Jamie made a groaning sound and tipped back in his chair. “I can’t wait to get this damned cast off. At least get one that lets me bend my leg.”
“That’s happening next week, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, at my appointment with the surgeon at the VA in Kalispell.” He gave her a lopsided smile. “You still going to drive me there?”
“Of course! That’s what I’m getting paid for.”
There was an uncomfortable silence as Jamie regarded her quizzically, and Rachel realized how insensitive her words sounded. “I mean, I would drive you regardless,” she amended.
“Sure.” Jamie sounded unconvinced, and then their food arrived.
Rachel watched as he dug into his meal, but he didn’t seem to relish his food, and there were none of the usual sounds of appreciation as he ate. Feeling as if someone had just stepped on her heart, Rachel picked at her trout, her appetite gone.
“Ms. Narducci?”
Rachel looked up to see a man standing by their table. He wore the uniform of a Glacier Creek firefighter, and her heart did a quick double-beat.
“Yes?”
“Uh, hello ma’am. I’m Scott Ross, and I work over at the Glacier Creek firefighting base.” He was young, probably no older than Rachel, with dark hair and eyes, but she didn’t recognize him. He looked both uncomfortable and distressed. “I’m sorry to disturb your dinner, but I thought you’d want to know—”
“Is it Dylan? Is he okay?”
Rachel saw by the expression in the man’s eyes she was right, and he confirmed it when he gave a curt nod of his head.
“Yes, ma’am. He was injured during a jump, and was airlifted to a trauma center in Bozeman this afternoon. We tried to call your parents, but there was no answer so we left a voicemail message.”
“What are his injuries?” This from Jamie, whose entire demeanor had undergone a drastic change when Scott Ross began to talk. He was on full alert and looked more serious than Rachel had ever seen him. Just seeing his somber expression made her aware of the severity of the situation.