Page 38 of You Met Me There

We still had to go back to the bed and breakfast to get our stuff and check out of our room. The drive down the mountain was scenic, and we kept the windows down to let the warm fresh air whip at our hair.

It didn’t take long to pack our suitcases. Luke had a carry-on, so he only needed five minutes to fill it, and while I circled the room filling my luggage with clothes, shoes, and toiletries, he sat at the little desk in the corner checking his email. When I was done gathering my things, he carried it all out to my car, and we brought it back to the cabin.

Then we drove both cars to the airport to return the rental Luke had. The return was simple, and as we head back to town—Luke driving my SUV and me resting my hand out the open passenger window—I search the edge of the woods for a familiar spot.

“There,” I say, pointing at a sign on the side of the forest-lined road. “That’s where we should eat lunch.”

“Are you sure?” His nose wrinkles at the sight of the run-down green sign that reads Hot Dog Tommy’s .

“Yes, I’m sure. It’s a Maple Lake staple. You have to try it.”

“Wait, you’ve eaten here before?”

“Of course,” I say with a laugh. “I just said it’s a Maple Lake staple. It’s been here since before I was born, and everyone eats here.”

He pulls the SUV into the small gravel parking lot, and we bump a few feet over the uneven stones before he parks. I jump out.

A second later, Luke slides up beside me, staring at the building in horror. “Are you sure this place is up to code? Do you think they actually have a license to sell food?”

I roll my eyes, playfully bumping his side with my elbow. “Come on. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.”

Hot Dog Tommy’s is an actual shack. The Kittappy River flows behind the little green building, and moss grows on the roof. Tall leafy oak and maple trees surround it, and there are a few picnic tables and an old swing set where families can enjoy their cheap wiener in a bun. Only a few cars fill the parking lot. One man stands alone ordering at the counter, so the other cars must be for the employees.

We’re essentially in the middle of nowhere, with nothing in either direction for at least three miles. But it’s the best run-down hole-in-the-wall I’ve ever been to.

When it’s our turn, I order for the both of us, and we stand back to wait for our food.

“So this is where you spent a lot of time as a kid?” Luke looks up at the roof with a skeptical brow raised, like he’s imagining it will fall at any minute.

“Mom and Dad used to take us here all the time. Not, like, for a nice dinner out, but just if we happened to be driving by. Which was pretty often.”

“I like seeing that.”

I turn to him, confused. “You like seeing what?”

“That smile on your face.”

I hadn’t realized I was smiling, but now that he’s mentioned it I can feel the effects it has on my cheeks. I’ve been smiling wide. Straight cheesin’. It’s been happening here a lot more often than I’d expected.

He kicks at a pebble with his brown leather boat shoes. His powder-blue shorts and white polo shirt make him look like he’s ready to jump onto the nearest golf cart. His downcast eyes lift to mine. “Looking at you now, I realize I haven’t seen you smile like that in a while.”

I hadn’t realized he’d noticed. As much as I’ve always loved our life together, it started to feel suffocating under the weight of wanting something I knew I would never have. I guess I really stopped smiling long ago.

A long breath escapes me. “It’s just nice to be here. The fresh air in the mountains is different than it is at the beach. You know what I mean?” He nods, running a hand through his hair.

I don’t want to get into everything we have going on between us right now. It might be selfish of me, but I just want to enjoy this time together without the strife. I want to eat a hot dog slathered in ketchup and listen to the bubbling of the river. I want to watch little brown birds peck at the crumbs under the picnic tables.

But mostly, I want to embrace my childhood memories with my husband at my side.

Sensing this, he takes hold of my hand, looping our fingers together. I wrap my other hand around his arm, holding him close to me. When our food is ready, we sit at the table closest to the river and eat in peace. And I’m grateful to avoid the chaos of my life a little longer.

Chapter 21

Natalie

“The walls could use some photos. Maybe I could take some of the local tourist spots and see if Jules wants to put them up,” I say, looking around at the cabin. I grab my laptop and rest it on my legs, crossing my feet at the ankles on top of the coffee table.

Luke started a fire, even though it’s a sunny, eighty-degree day in June. I don’t mind. It adds to the rustic ambiance of the cabin, and I enjoy the way the flames bounce shadows over my legs.