I cleared my throat and spoke. “So, can we just stop for a moment and really ask why everyone showed up at Miles’s place this morning?”
Everyone paused. My folks looked at Jen, then back to me. “Right now?” my mother asked, a quick glance around the restaurant.
“Why not? It was y’all’s idea to come here. I would have been fine back at Miles’s place.”
That earned a dirty look from my father aimed toward Miles, and Miles shifted in his seat some.
“Listen, things are…delicate…right now between me and Miles.”
“Delicate?” Miles asked. I wasn’t sure if he looked amused or annoyed at my choice of words.
“I’m sure it is obvious to everyone that we are, well, we’re, um …” My voice trailed off, and I felt all eyes on me. Miles wore a sexy grin. He really did like leaving me on my own.
“You’re what?” Jen and my mother both asked in unison.
I was about to answer, and I honestly had no idea if this was what Miles truly wanted because we hadn’t talked yet. I closed my eyes and let myself calm down a moment. “Dating.”
Smiles erupted on both moms’ faces and even my father cracked a small one. Very small. But still, I saw it.
“But we have some things to talk about, and I’m feeling a bit…”
My eye glanced over the café. Most of the people were ignoring me, but some were focused on our table. That’s when I saw Nancy, my sister June’s best friend. She walked in carrying her little girl Milly in one arm and holding the hand of her son Luke. I suddenly felt a rush of sadness wash over me. I shook my head and stood. “I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed, and I, well, just want to be alone for a bit. Excuse me.”
I started for the exit. I wasn’t sure why the sight of Nancy had caused such a reaction, but it had. It felt like the walls of the café were closing in on me and I needed to get the hell out of here, and fast.
I headed for the park across the street. A few moms were there; two of them I recognized from high school. Another stab of sadness hit me as they saw me and waved.
“Hi, Kynslee!”
I lifted my hand and replied, “Hey, y’all!”
I sat down on a bench. Our little downtown area was adorable. Local businesses had started a project about five years ago to make it not look like a rundown old mining town, even though no mining had ever been done here. They brought in a company to help restore all the buildings around the town square, The Mercantile being one them. They added a small fountain and pond area. The park in the middle of the square now held a playground and a small stage where the high school drama class put on shows throughout the year. We even had Shakespeare in the Park. Theaters from around the area would come to the park in the summer and put on plays. It really was an adorable downtown. And it was my home. And Miles was finally back, and I felt more alone in that moment than I had in years. And Whiskey was going to be pissed because I’d been gone all night, and he didn’t have his yummies this morning. My world felt like it was collapsing in around me.
Miles sat down next to me. He took my hand in his and laced our fingers together. The loneliness instantly melted away.
“I didn’t mean anything by my comment about Erin. The last time I had seen her, she was a little girl. I wasn’t meaning it in any other way, and I’m sorry if it sounded like I did.”
I turned to look at him. “How do you know I was bothered by that?”
He laughed. “You turned cold as ice. I didn’t have to think too long and hard about what brought on the change. What I don’t understand is what’s going on in that pretty head of yours. What’s between us is delicate, Kyns? What does that even mean?”
I sighed. “From the moment I found your note this morning about wanting to talk, I’ve been battling this internal dread. I keep wondering if you regretted last night. If you want to tell me it was fun and that’s what we do is hook up and move on. No strings attached.”
“I wasn’t going to say anything like that. I like strings. In fact, I like all of your strings,” Miles said with a sort of wicked undertone.
Giving him a soft smile, I squeezed his hand. “Then our parents showed up, and your mom saw me naked, and I couldn’t figure out why they were all there.”
“Your folks noticed you didn’t come home last night, and they were worried. They called my mom asking if I knew where you were. She mentioned you stopped by last night looking for me. I guess your folks came over because….”