“That’s a start.” He took her hand in his and continued walking, keeping his steps short so that she didn’t have to do double time to keep up.
“Lookin’ back, I had a crush on you in high school, but I really fell for you when I saw you sittin’ over there on your things wh-when your car was burnin’ up. You were so beautiful and you . . .”
“I what?”
His stopped, and his eyes fluttered shut. Heavy lashes rested on his high cheekbones as his mouth zeroed in on hers. “You’ve always made me feel important, like I was somebody,” he whispered when the kiss ended.
“You are, Shane.”
“W-with you, I am,” he said.
“Hey, you two. Y’all goin’ to get ice cream with us or make out all evenin’?” Ryder yelled over his shoulder.
“Forget the ice cream if that’s our choices,” Shane hollered back.
“I want both. Get us three ice-cream bars, and we’ll meet y’all at the park.”
Shane sat down on a park table and pulled her down onto his lap. “All I got for us is a junkyard, Jancy, and I w-wouldn’t have got through high school if Ryder hadn’t helped me—a lot. I’m not smart.”
“You know everything about cars and how to fix them. You have a job and you are honest. That’s smart,” she argued. “And don’t you ever say bad things like that about Shane Adams again or you’ll have me to fight.”
“Exactly wh-what I was sayin’. You make me feel good about m-myself. That’s wh-wh-why I fell in love with you right over that burning car.” He grinned.
“Love,” Jancy stammered.
“Yes, love. I don’t expect you to say it right now, but I love you, Jancy Wilson. And like Gramps said, I am goin’ to m-marry you. It don’t m-matter when. That’s for you to decide. Just know that I am and that I do love you.”
She saw herself through his eyes, and she liked that woman. “I love you, too, but that marriage thing has to wait awhile,” she said.
His smile lit up the whole universe. “I’m patient. Besides, Emily and Ryder need to be the center of attention right now.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Jancy heaved a sigh of relief on Friday when the sun rose in a pale-blue sky without a single cloud floating around. The weatherman had said that that the weekend would be hot and dry, but he didn’t always call it right. Even with all the excitement of the past few days—and nights—of being with Shane, something wasn’t right. What went up had to come down, and all the euphoria surrounding Jancy couldn’t last forever without the other shoe dropping—life had taught her that.
Vicky had mentioned the bad-luck/good-luck stuff that occurred in her life during the summers. At first Jancy had thought that the bad-luck devil had visited when her car burned, but lately she’d come to realize that maybe it was that pretty good-luck lady who’d waved a magic wand over her life that day.
“The day after the wedding is going to be like the day after Christmas around here.” She pulled a basket of fries up out of the hot grease.
Nettie put a burger together and passed it over to Jancy to add fries to the basket. “No, you can get ready for a very busy week. We’ll be gettin’ last-minute things done to help Emily with the wedding and honeymoon packing right along with runnin’ this place. And believe me, the day after Christmas is one of our busiest days. Everyone is tired of cooking and they want to get out and talk to the folks about their holiday stuff, so they show up here. We’re always packed. And we will be the day after the wedding, so you are right, it will be exactly as crazy as the day after Christmas. If we had a lick of sense, we’d close for the day, but then where would the folks go?”
“I’m going to miss Emily living at the house,” Jancy said. “I can’t believe I was afraid that things would change when she got here.”
“Got to admit—I had a little worry about how things would go with you two and with Vicky. It’s the first time that we’ve had a fourth person in the mix. Look at that.” Nettie pointed to the carousel where Vicky and Emily pinned up the orders. “One more is all we got, and we might have fifteen minutes before the noon rush starts to prop up our feet.”
“Nettie, I told Shane about—well, you know—but I didn’t tell him about my probation thing, and my conscience is killin’ me,” she said.
“Hey, Vicky!” Shane’s deep drawl floated through the window. “I just come in for a cup of coffee and to see Jancy a m-minute.”
She took a deep breath and peeked out the window into the dining area. “Give me some advice, Nettie.”
“Where is that girl who kicks butt and takes names? I like her better than one that cowers in the corner. Shake off the fear and tell him tonight. You are a good person, and remember what I told you about loving yourself.”
Her back suddenly felt as if it had a rod of steel. She pushed through the doors and made her way behind the counter. “Hi, darlin’. Glass of lemonade comin’ right up.”
“And a tart, please,” Shane said and then lowered his voice. “That’s the first time you’ve called m-me darlin’ right out in public.”
“I’ve thought it lots of times.” She set the glass and tart in front of him. “So do you like it or does it embarrass you?”
“Love it.” He wrapped her hand up in his. “I could sit right here all day and w-wait for you to say it again.”
“Darlin’.” She grinned. “We’ve both got work to do, but tonight I promise I’ll say it a hundred times.”
“I can’t w-wait.” He gently squeezed her hand.
“Order up!” Nettie called as she slid a plate and a basket onto the shelf.
Vicky grabbed it. “There’s a tour bus parked out there. Looks like we’ll be really busy for the next hour or so.”
“Y’all need m-me to m-man the drink machine for you?” Shane asked. “I’ve got an hour to spare.”
“That would be wonderful,” Vicky said.
“Looks like a senior citizens’ group. That means lots of blue-plate specials and not so many burger baskets,” Jancy said.
Emily gave Jancy a hip bump. “Nettie has sent me to the front and says she needs Mama in the kitchen.” She turned to face Shane. “Did y’all get the deck started before he got called up to Frankston?”
“Not yet, but we’ve got all next week,” Shane answered. “Ryder will need something to keep him busy so he’s not so nervous about sayin’ his vows at the w-wedding.”
The door opened and people began to file inside, filling every booth and bar stool in the diner. Emily worked one side and Jancy the other while Shane took care of filling and helping serve the drink orders.
Jancy was all the way to the end of the diner when an old guy with a twinkle in his eye said, “Is that waitress on the other end kin to Katherine Heigl?”
“Not that I know of,” Jancy said.
“Well, shoot. I was going to get her autograph. Guess it ain’t my lucky day,” he said.