Page 90 of The Sweetest Return

For half a second, I wondered if I had spent so much time thinking about her that my mind had started putting her places.

Then she moved farther into the diner.

Cream knit pants and a matching top beneath a long coat. Hoops. Braids down her back. Most of the gala makeup gone except a little gloss still catching on her mouth.

She saw me.

Stopped.

Then laughed.

“What are you doing here?”

I stood. “I could ask you the same thing.”

“I couldn’t sleep.”

“Me either.”

Her gaze moved around the diner before coming back to me. “I wanted somewhere that felt like home for a minute.”

That answer settled in my chest.

Mason’s had been mine first. Then I brought her here. Apparently, she had carried part of it with her too.

“Come sit down.”

She crossed toward the booth, and my hand found the small of her back while I guided her in.

Ms. Jean appeared before I had completely sat down.

Her eyes moved between us, and the smile came immediately.

“Well. Ain’t this nice.”

Imani laughed. “Hi, Ms. Jean.”

“You want your old order, baby?”

“Fries and a strawberry shake.”

“I knew it.” She pointed at me. “His burger coming.”

When she walked away, Imani watched her.

“She remembered me.”

“Ms. Jean remembers everybody.”

“No, she doesn’t.”

“You right. Everybody she likes.”

Imani smiled and looked around the diner. “This place still smells exactly the same.”

“Yeah.”

“Looks the same too.”