Pieces of it All by Tracy Krimmer Page A

see in her? Heather was probably a better match for him.
    "Um, hi, Harvey. You didn't have to come up here."
    He took her hand. "Yes, I did. Let's sit down. I wasn't sure if you drank coffee, so I got you an orange juice instead. Is that okay?"
    "Yes, thank you." She sat down at the booth and noticed a steaming mug at his setting. "Even if I did drink coffee, I don't think I'd be able to on such a hot day."
    He shrugged. "I don't mind. The heat's never bothered me. I'd prefer ninety degrees over nineteen."
    "Point taken." Winter wasn't her favorite season. However, she did love a good sledding hill. She and Lucy often went to a steep slope by the elementary school and sled down it. Sledders spent ten minutes hiking up the hill, and sped down in mere seconds. They'd spin in circles until the fence finally brought them to a screeching halt.
    "Are you okay?" Harvey let go of his coffee and reached his hand out to Beth.
    "Yeah. Sorry. I was just thinking of my friend Lucy. You remember her?"
    He squinted an eye and puffed out his cheek. "The feisty one?"
    Beth shook her head. "That's Heather. Lucy is the one from The Blue Rooster. She's my best friend. We've been friends for years, and she's headed off to school in Boston in the fall. When you mentioned the cold weather, some fun memories came back."
    His eyelashes, long and thin, deepened his sparkling eyes. His gaze encompassed her body, drawing her into a trance. Disappointment overcame her when he broke his stare and handed her a menu.
    "Any idea what you want?"
    She laid the menu on the table, her finger scrolling down the page. Every breakfast platter looked far larger than she could eat. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't eat all this on their first "official" date. How would she look if she wolfed down three pancakes, eggs, and bacon? The bacon sizzling from the kitchen right to her nose made it difficult to bypass.
    "Good morning!" The waitress arrived at their table quicker than Beth anticipated. "I'm Jenny. Decide what you'd like or did you need more time?"
    Beth glanced at the brunette who was clearly talking only to Harvey. "I'll take the toast and scrambled eggs."
    Jenny scribbled on her notepad, peeking over once to glance at Beth, and back to Harvey. "Did you see the steak and egg platters ... if you need something with a little more..." she pointed down the menu and continued, "muscle."
    Was the waitress hitting on Harvey in front of her? "I'll have the two dollar pancake deal," she jumped in before Harvey responded.
    Jenny clicked her pen and noted Beth's order, while Beth noted the attitude. "I'll put your order right in." Her eyes lingered on Beth's for a moment before she turned back to Harvey. "Just call me if you need me." She took the menus from them.
    "She's spitting in my food, isn't she?" Beth teased when she left earshot.
    Harvey shook his head. "Nah. I don't think she'd even think to do that. You may get cold pancakes, though."
    Beth squinted her eyes as the sun poured through the blinds. She reached over to close them, Harvey's hand meeting on hers.
    "Let me."
    She dropped her hand to the table, wishing the heaviness would remain forever. "Thank you." He didn't respond, only acknowledged her with a smile.
    "So, continue telling me your story about Lucy moving away. That'll be different for you."
    It would be. She and Lucy hadn't spent much time apart much over the past twelve years, but their argument on graduation night kept them from talking for an entire month. The longest they'd been separated prior to that was when Lucy's family took a week-long vacation to Disney World. Growing up meant cutting the strings, Beth knew this. She couldn't rely on Lucy her entire life. "I'll get used to it. Besides, I'll be living with Heather." Okay, maybe not all the strings.
    An elderly couple passed the table, a woman with gray curly hair in a button up shirt and polyester pants, holding the arm of a bald man using the other to secure his cane to the ground.