Pieces of it All by Tracy Krimmer Page B

That was how she imagined her parents years down the road. Maybe Lucy and Jackson. She and Harvey .... No. She shouldn't get ahead of herself. They'd been out a measly three times and already she pictured growing old with him? He'd think she was psychotic if she shared her thoughts with him. Only crazy, boy obsessed girls thought that way. Not Beth. All it took, though, was the one person. Once the right person walked into your life, you did everything possible to make sure they didn't walk right back out. She wanted Harvey to stay. At least for awhile.
    "They were cute." Harvey smirked.
    "I bet they have tons of grandkids, or even great grandkids." They watched the man pull out a chair for the woman and she sat down. "What about you?"
    Harvey laughed. "No. I don't have any grandkids." He took a drink of his coffee. "Or great grandkids."
    She pressed her lips together and shooed him. "Come on, Harvey. I don't mean the grandkids. Grandparents. My dad's parents passed already. My grandpa died well before I would have remembered him, and my grandma died about three years ago. My mom's parents live up north. They're retired and live on a lake."
    Jenny came to the table and set Harvey's plate down with kindness, and plopped Beth's on the table. "Need anything else?"
    Harvey shook his head and ignored her so she would walk away. "Where up north?"
    Her pancakes appeared okay on the outside. Peeling open a butter packet, she answered, "Meadow Hills. What about your grandma and grandpa?"
    "Meadow Hills." He scooped up a pile of eggs. "Must be a pretty small town. Never heard of it."
    Beth lumped butter onto the pancake and spread it with the knife. She didn't like the thickness of syrup, so sprinkled a sugar packet on. "It's tiny, and peaceful. So, your grandparents?" She cut into the side of the pancakes, making sure to slice through both at the same time.
    Turning his head to the window, he said, "Let's not talk about grandparents." He pinched a blind between his fingers and opened it slightly, and closed it again. Was he looking for someone? "Karaoke is the craziest you've gotten, huh? You never stole a piece of candy from the drug store or tried a cigarette?" He smirked. "I bet you haven't even driven over the speed limit."
    The sugar was grainy against her tongue. She took a drink of the orange juice, the acidity adding a bitter aftertaste. "Come on, Harvey. I think everyone has gone over the speed limit." Great. Now add prude to the list of terms to describe her.
    Harvey shoved his plate out of the way and reached across the table for her hand. They locked their fingers together. "I used to go fast all the time," he said. He casted his eyes on hers, the twinkle in his hazel eyes grabbing a hold of her. "Now I like to take things slowly." His thumb massaged the side of her hand.
    "What's this from?" She rubbed her finger on a small, raised line on his hand.
    "Nothing." He pulled back, unlocking their fingers. "Just a scar."
    "From what? I have a scar on my knee from when I fell while ice skating. I think I was about nine." She hadn't ice skated since, or roller skated. If it involved a blade or wheels balancing her, she wasn't going to do it.
    He quickly gathered eggs on his fork and shoved them in his mouth. He chewed rapidly, stiffening his back against the booth. "Don't worry about it. It's nothing." His eyes floated away to the other patrons in the restaurant.
    The scar was small, approximately an inch long, and not unlike one from a deep cut. Wasn't he going to share anything with her? "I told you about mine. I want to know about yours."
    "It was an accident. Drop it, okay?" He scolded her.
    But it wasn't. If it were just an accident, he wouldn't make such a big deal and share the story with her. The jagged line interrupting his smooth skin only scratched the surface of this puzzling man, and Beth hoped he would let her put the pieces together.

 
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Eleven
     
     
    An evening at work distracted Harvey