“Are you visiting someone here?”
“No.” I reached for my bag.
“Oh.” She blinked in what appeared to be surprise.
“Something wrong?”
“Oh, no. Just…we don’t get many people ever coming to Rena. Mostly people trying to get out.”
“Was wondering why the bus was so empty.” I reached for my earbuds, hopefully giving her the message I didn’t want to chat.
“Where are ya staying, then?”
“Not sure yet.” I slid the earbuds in.
“Well, there’s this nice little place on Fourth Street. Should do you well.”
I slung my bag over my shoulder as I stood. Walking by her, with my frog and bag in hand, I stepped off the bus. The sun was rising over the gas station and everything seemed calm…and cold.
I flipped the hood over my head and hunched over as I started walking. Up ahead was a little diner that’d suit me well until I figured out my next move.
The door dinged when I pulled it open, and the shrill noise about sent a scream through my throat. I hated being jumpy. I’d been this way for over a year in Minnesota before I calmed down. Though I was now resigned to the fact that I’d probably never be relaxed again. As in ever.
Freaking Nicco found me after almost two years.
I plopped down in a booth, setting Mr. Frog beside me as if he were my date. He’d be my only company from now on, but even I knew I needed to ditch him soon. Once I found a hotel I’d tuck him away.
“Hey there,” a waitress with short brown hair said. “How cute. What can I get you?”
“Coffee and cherry pie.”
“That’ll work for breakfast. Cream?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m Kat, I’ll be back soon. Holler if you need anything.”
“You have a map of this town? Or a list of hotels?”
“Hotels. That’s funny. There’s only two here. Up on Fourth, which is my opinion is the best, mostly because my dad owns it. Plus, it overlooks Lasso Lake. The other is on Plum Drive.”
“Thanks. I’ll take a map if you got one.”
“No phone, huh?”
Man, these people asked a lot of questions. Maybe a small town wasn’t such a good idea. “No.” I’d ditched my phone, after deleting everything from it, at the apartment. Wasn’t even planning on getting a burner phone for a few weeks, at least. Couldn’t chance it.
Nope. Needed to eat first, find a store for food, then hole up in a hotel room. Hopefully they had a good movie channel, because I wasn’t planning on leaving for at least a week or two.
“Here you go, sweetie.” Kat handed me a map and my order. “I wrote my number on the map in case you need anything. You just call me, hon.”
The young waitress walked away. What on earth would ever possess her to give me her number? She didn’t know me from Eve. I could be a crazy murderer.
Small towns cracked me up.
I scarfed my food down in record time as I studied the map. Kat pointed out where a small grocery store was, and it was on the way to the Fourth Street Inn. So I chose that one.
I needed a view if I was going to stay put in a hotel room for a while.