“I can’t believe I spent all morning eating my heart out over this when I was sitting on it the entire time.”
“I’m sorry Jake caused you to be so worried. But everything’s better now, right?” he asked, cupping her face in his hands.
“Yeah.” Blinking rapidly at his kindness, Zoey stared at his chest, feeling so lost. So alone.
“Not really better, huh?” Strong fingers wiped away her tears.
“I just need to readjust my expectations.”
“Maybe. Or maybe you need to have this place cut you a break. Come on. It’s almost the end of lunch.” Graham led her back into the diner and flipped the closed sign. “All right, everybody out. I’m closed until dinner.”
“Finally.” Easton expelled a heavy breath from his place behind the grill, looking beyond ridiculous in an apron several sizes too small. Pointing a large finger at Graham, he growled, “You. Hire someone.”
“Yeah, but then they’d have to work for me. And I’d feel guilty about shoving everyone out the door.”
As Easton stalked out of the restaurant, muttering to himself, Graham turned to the other patrons. “Hey, this is not a drill, people. The Tourist Trap is closed. Please head to the closest exit in whatever disorderly fashion you prefer. If I hurt your feelings, remind me tomorrow, and I’ll give you a free…I don’t know…something.”
“Fries?” a hopeful patron asked.
“Sure, free fries. Just get out of my diner.”
Watching the grumbling masses shuffle out, Zoey shook her head. “I don’t understand how you stay open.”
“Neither do I.” Graham sighed mournfully as he prepped something behind the counter. “The harder I try, the worse it gets.”
“Most people would kill for a thriving restaurant.”
“Yes, but most people aren’t us.” Setting an iced tea and plate in front of her, Graham leaned on the counter between them. “And I know you don’t like them, but here. Eat something.”
“I don’t not like them. I just don’t like them. They’re growing on me.”
The reindeer dog had antlers like always, but this time, he’d drawn a little sad face on the reindeer. Despite her wet cheeks and puffy eyes, Zoey couldn’t help but exhale a soft laugh. She pulled her glasses off and set them on the table, scrubbing roughly at her eyes and wiping away the remains of her embarrassing meltdown.
“I’m sorry about out there. I kind of got all—”
“Real? Validly upset?” Graham came around the counter to sit next to her, dropping a basket of fries in between them. “Zoey, do you know how many times just this summer I’ve watched someone have a complete meltdown over something completely stupid? Like chipped paint on a sports car’s undercarriage after someone drove on gravel roads. Stupid. Complete freak-out.”
“If you’re trying to make me feel better, you’re doing a really good job at it.”
Zoey smiled at Graham. Or she smiled in the direction of Graham. Her glasses were still on the table. Unable to resist the allure of fresh fries, she let her nose guide her hand.
“Can I wear these?”
She guessed he had picked up her glasses. “You’re seriously the weirdest person I’ve ever met.”
“I’m not the one with a coin purse that looks like a bedazzled frog princess. How do I look?”
“I’d have to put them on to tell you.”
“You’re blind as a bat, aren’t you? I bet they couldn’t make contacts thin enough to fit this prescription in your eyeballs.”
“Now you’re just being mean. And I like my glasses.”
“Yeah, me too.” Chuckling that low, warm rumble of his, Graham carefully set them back on her nose. “I like a lot about you, gorgeous.”
From past experience, Zoey knew her face was always a splotchy, reddened mess after she cried. But Graham’s eyes were sweeping her features, gaze lingering on her mouth.
“Your tour got canceled?”
She nodded. “Technical malfunctions with the boat.”
“That sucks,” he murmured. “You can’t come all the way to Alaska and not get to see the glaciers.”
“I guess I’m the special one.”
His lips curved. “Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing.”
Graham picked up his phone. “Hey, Ash? It’s Graham. I need a favor.”
* * *
When Zoey had planned her dream trip to Alaska, she’d known from the beginning there would be certain things she’d never be able to do. As the helicopter tilted to the right, circling the glacier below, she couldn’t help but inhale deeply to slow her racing heart.
This right here. This was what she’d known would never happen.
“Pretty, isn’t she?”
A heavy headset protected Zoey’s hearing from the loud chopping of the helicopter propellers. Through the headset, she could hear Graham’s voice in her ear, a slight buzz distorting his words.
“How long has it been since we’ve been out here, Ash?”
With a casual shrug, Ash made a second, lower sweep over the river of solid ice, blues and iridescent rainbows reflecting across the surface of the glacier below.
“Since we’ve been here? Not since Jenna. Since I’ve been here? Last week.”
“Have you been sight-seeing without me? I’m crushed.” Graham’s teasing tone came through clearly, but when Zoey glanced over her shoulder at the man in the back seat of the helicopter, he gave her an amused look. “Jenna’s my cousin, in case you were burning alive with jealousy.” A warm voice came through the headset. “I know you have it bad for me.”
“Zoey, let me know if you want to leave him out here. I wouldn’t mind.”
“Do you think a polar bear will eat him?” Zoey quipped.
“This far south? Naw. But he might die of despair without someone to pay attention to him.”
“Ouch.”
“And he’s sensitive.”
“I’m actually sitting right here, ladies.”
“And I heard he’s got a short—” Graham whistled loud enough to cover whatever she was going to say. Voice filled with humor, Ash continued, “Temper. A very short temper.”
“Please, I’m the epitome of laid-back.” Stretching out his feet as far as the cramped quarters would let him, Graham tipped his head to the window. “You’re missing the view, Zo.”