a familiar face.
“Wren,” I said, surprise in my voice. He had already been leaning in for a hug. “Oh no, I’m super wet!” I told him, a little too loudly, backing away and calling a lot of attention to myself. He realized at the exact same second because he let go immediately, backing up. His navy blue suit coat was already darker in spots from my dress.
“That’s my fault!” Kevin said without thinking in an enthusiastic attempted rescue. He, turned back to us, and stuck his hand out to shake Wren’s hand. “I’m Kevin, friend of Mel’s.”
“Wren,” Wren said. He had a peculiar look on his face. I didn’t judge him for that.
Kevin looked over at me, still holding Wren’s hand. “Rubber boots?” I nodded, feeling a rare moment of embarrassment for several reasons. Kevin could read my eyes because he left pretty quickly to go and talk to my grampa.
“What brings you here?” I said, like an idiot, clearly on a path for more ruined conversation.
Thankfully, he understood my meaning. “Elmer. He’s a retired firefighter.”
“Elmer?”
“Dave’s dad.”
“Oh, I’ve always just known him as Mr. Phillips.” Super mean Mr. Phillips, I thought to myself. “He’s my neighbor.”
“OK, cool,” Wren said, nodding. He seemed to feel awkward, based on his posture and how he kept fidgeting.
I realized that I’d never gotten back to him from when he’d called me. I had been having a total spaz attack about a sign I’d gotten—a T-shirt that had been delivered to me as another hint for me to head to California.
“I want to apologize…” I started.
“I’m hardly wet,” he said, inspecting his jacket.
“Oh, not for that.” I tucked my hair behind my ear. “For not returning your phone call. I was flipping out about something and you called right then. After that, I went out of town for a while and then everything happened with Dave.” I laughed in my head at the number of details I left out.
“That’s a lot that you’ve had going on.” He smiled. “I’ll be honest. I wasn’t sure if you liked our coffee conversation so I figured that was what had happened.”
“Not at all,” I answered, watching a drip fall from the hem of my dress. I moved slightly, noticing several small puddles were forming below me. “I actually had a good time.” I made myself look up and smile at him, although I just wanted the conversation to be over.
I felt a hand glide on my shoulder in a strong side-hug. “Hello, love. I heard you were having some trouble with static cling.”
It was Vita, Kevin’s mother.
I nodded. Vita looked to Wren for his response with expectation in her expression.
“Now it makes sense.” Wren laughed.
Vita looked at me, squeezing my shoulder again. “Your speech was marvelous. I was so proud of you.”
“It was. It was great,” Wren said, clearly wishing he’d said it first.
“Forgive me, sweetheart. I’m Vita. I’m a—friend of Mel’s.” There was a barely noticeable pause before Vita said that she was my friend. She held her hand out to Wren.
“I’m Wren. We just happened to bump into each other here.”
“My goodness, of all the places.”
“Right?” Wren replied, smiling.
“Wren, would you mind very much if I steal Miss Mel from you for a bit. I’m dying to drag her into the ladies’ room to stop her from freezing and bend her ear for a while.”
“Sure, sure,” he said.
“I’ll give you a call,” I promised Wren. Figuring I still had his number, somewhere.
Vita spun me around. “First off, let’s get you to the bathroom to wring that dress out and blot it some. I’ve got some spray right here in my purse. I had it out in the car and Kevin ran to get it when I heard about why you were in the men’s room.”
She said this with a teasing look of disapproval. “I never travel without this stuff in the winter up here. I had a similar experience once in the past.”
I immediately felt more relaxed, almost to the point of
“Wren,” I said, surprise in my voice. He had already been leaning in for a hug. “Oh no, I’m super wet!” I told him, a little too loudly, backing away and calling a lot of attention to myself. He realized at the exact same second because he let go immediately, backing up. His navy blue suit coat was already darker in spots from my dress.
“That’s my fault!” Kevin said without thinking in an enthusiastic attempted rescue. He, turned back to us, and stuck his hand out to shake Wren’s hand. “I’m Kevin, friend of Mel’s.”
“Wren,” Wren said. He had a peculiar look on his face. I didn’t judge him for that.
Kevin looked over at me, still holding Wren’s hand. “Rubber boots?” I nodded, feeling a rare moment of embarrassment for several reasons. Kevin could read my eyes because he left pretty quickly to go and talk to my grampa.
“What brings you here?” I said, like an idiot, clearly on a path for more ruined conversation.
Thankfully, he understood my meaning. “Elmer. He’s a retired firefighter.”
“Elmer?”
“Dave’s dad.”
“Oh, I’ve always just known him as Mr. Phillips.” Super mean Mr. Phillips, I thought to myself. “He’s my neighbor.”
“OK, cool,” Wren said, nodding. He seemed to feel awkward, based on his posture and how he kept fidgeting.
I realized that I’d never gotten back to him from when he’d called me. I had been having a total spaz attack about a sign I’d gotten—a T-shirt that had been delivered to me as another hint for me to head to California.
“I want to apologize…” I started.
“I’m hardly wet,” he said, inspecting his jacket.
“Oh, not for that.” I tucked my hair behind my ear. “For not returning your phone call. I was flipping out about something and you called right then. After that, I went out of town for a while and then everything happened with Dave.” I laughed in my head at the number of details I left out.
“That’s a lot that you’ve had going on.” He smiled. “I’ll be honest. I wasn’t sure if you liked our coffee conversation so I figured that was what had happened.”
“Not at all,” I answered, watching a drip fall from the hem of my dress. I moved slightly, noticing several small puddles were forming below me. “I actually had a good time.” I made myself look up and smile at him, although I just wanted the conversation to be over.
I felt a hand glide on my shoulder in a strong side-hug. “Hello, love. I heard you were having some trouble with static cling.”
It was Vita, Kevin’s mother.
I nodded. Vita looked to Wren for his response with expectation in her expression.
“Now it makes sense.” Wren laughed.
Vita looked at me, squeezing my shoulder again. “Your speech was marvelous. I was so proud of you.”
“It was. It was great,” Wren said, clearly wishing he’d said it first.
“Forgive me, sweetheart. I’m Vita. I’m a—friend of Mel’s.” There was a barely noticeable pause before Vita said that she was my friend. She held her hand out to Wren.
“I’m Wren. We just happened to bump into each other here.”
“My goodness, of all the places.”
“Right?” Wren replied, smiling.
“Wren, would you mind very much if I steal Miss Mel from you for a bit. I’m dying to drag her into the ladies’ room to stop her from freezing and bend her ear for a while.”
“Sure, sure,” he said.
“I’ll give you a call,” I promised Wren. Figuring I still had his number, somewhere.
Vita spun me around. “First off, let’s get you to the bathroom to wring that dress out and blot it some. I’ve got some spray right here in my purse. I had it out in the car and Kevin ran to get it when I heard about why you were in the men’s room.”
She said this with a teasing look of disapproval. “I never travel without this stuff in the winter up here. I had a similar experience once in the past.”
I immediately felt more relaxed, almost to the point of
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