Page 39 of Fighting For You

NORA

Yeah. Why?

KNOX

I'll take you to Ray's. And we can hit that diner after.

NORA

The one near CCMC?

KNOX

Noon. I'll pick you up.

I set the phone on the nightstand, opened the window Knox had fixed, and let the evening air come through. The backyard was quiet. The garden was filling in along the fence line. Down the hall, Lori's music was playing through her door.

Thursday felt like a long way off.

Knox pulled into Barb's driveway at noon. I climbed into the passenger seat and he pulled out before I had my seatbelt clicked.

"You're punctual," I said.

"Firefighter thing."

Ray already had the paperwork ready when we arrived. I signed everything, handed over the check, and Ray dropped the keys in my palm.

"She's all yours. You need anything, you know where I am."

Knox walked around the Corolla one more time while I sat in the driver's seat and adjusted the mirrors. It smelled like the same detail spray from the test drive. The engine turned over clean.

"Follow me," Knox said. "The diner's close."

The diner was a few blocks from CCMC, on a corner across from a gas station. I recognized it before we parked. Gracelyn had brought me here after a shift back in April.

I didn't say anything. Knox had his window down and was looking for a spot, and there was something in how he'd said "The diner's close" that told me this wasn't about the food.

We parked side by side in the lot. Knox held the door for me, and as I stepped through, a man carrying a takeout bag pushed out from the other side. Knox's hand caught my waist and pulled me into him before I registered what happened. My shoulder pressed against his chest. His hand stayed longer than it needed to.

"Sorry about that," the man muttered, already past us.

Knox let go. "You okay?"

"Yeah." My voice came out quieter than I meant it to.

I walked in first.

Liz and Jen were sitting at the counter.

I saw them before they saw me. Liz had a coffee in front of her. Jen was scrolling her phone. Then Liz looked up, and our eyes met.

I looked away and pretended I hadn't seen them. Out of the corner of my eye, Liz tapped Jen's shoulder and pointed. I didn't want to explain anything to either of them, so I turned my attention back to Knox.

His eyes went to a booth in the back corner, the one closest to the kitchen. He swallowed, and then he walked to a booth by the window and sat down.

"Haven't been here in a while," he said.

I slid in across from him and picked up the menu.