The moment she put her boot on the running board, she slipped. She yelped and prepared to hit the slick asphalt hard, but the impact never came. Johnny moved like lightning, sliding his arms beneath her and breaking her fall. With one leg still in the truck and one leg dangling uselessly, Holly looked up at him.
“Don’t you say a word,” she muttered.
“I wasn’t going to,” he smiled easily, “but I expected you to say thank you.”
“Thank you,” she said. “Can you set me down now?”
“I’ve saved you twice now, you realize.” Johnny set Holly upright. “Yet, neither of your thanks have sounded genuine.”
“It’s been a day.” She sighed. “My manners will be better after I deal with my grandmother’s estate.” A strange look came into his eyes.
He looked sad, but there was also a note of pity mixed with...something else Holly couldn’t identify. Had she ever seen a man with such expressive eyes before? She went through a mental flipbook of every man she’d spent an extended amount of time with. They all looked vacant compared to Johnny.
Stop it. You’re not here to make friends, she warned herself. Though, when she looked at Johnny, friend was the last thing that came to mind. She made sure to walk in front of him to the diner. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have been able to stop herself from staring.
Walking in front of him didn’t stop him from holding open the door for her. When she stepped into Robeline’s Diner, she wasn’t expecting it to be so dark. It wasn’t a particularly bright day out, so it was surprising that the darkness was so jarring.
The walls were of light-absorbing dark wood. The upholstery of the booths and chairs was a deep red, almost black. The windows, of which there were plenty, were all made of thick stained glass showing a variety of scenes, mostly woodland animals. Every lamp in the place emitted a dull, yellow light. It wasn’t an unpleasant interior, just not what Holly was expecting. Whenever she heard the word ‘diner,’ she pictured black-and-white-checkered floors, a milkshake bar, and cherry red booths.
Nearly every booth in the diner was filled with people. Mostly men. Handsome men. What kind of town was this? It was like Holly had stepped into some ultimate lumberjack fantasy. Was lumber even the town’s main export? With a name like Silver Spruce, it didn’t seem unlikely.
Just about everyone nodded to Johnny when they saw him, then they shifted their gaze to Holly. She noted the guarded look in their expressions. This town wasn’t used to outsiders.
“Everyone,” Johnny spoke clearly. “This is Holly Smart, Pearl’s granddaughter.”
Just like that, the entire atmosphere of the room changed. The shift was so dramatic, Holly felt compelled to take a step back.
“Has she been to the house yet?” asked the biggest man Holly had ever seen in her life. It wasn’t just that he was tall, he was broad as well. He was the broad side of the barn.
“Not yet, Griz,” Johnny replied.
“Griz?” Holly blurted. “Like the General Store?”
“Yes and no,” the man Johnny called Griz said. Honestly, Griz was the most fitting name for a man of that stature. “Griz was my father. When he passed, I got the store and kept the name. The nickname was passed on to me. You can call me Garret, if you like. Garret Harris.” He reached over the back of his booth and offered Holly a hand the size of her head. Holly took his hand, fearing for her finger bones, but he shook it with surprising gentleness. His smile was filled with warmth.
“I figured it would be nice for you all to meet her,” Johnny continued. “Since Pearl was so important to us.”
“I’m happy to see that my grandmother had such a strong community surrounding her,” Holly said.
“We’re going to miss Pearl,” another handsome man said. “I’m Keller Graham, by the way.”
“Nice to meet you.” Holly nodded. Johnny, Garret, and Keller. She could remember that.
“We’re going to grab a bite before heading up to the house. Holly hasn’t eaten yet.”
Holly looked up at Johnny. “I never told you that.”
“Your grumbling stomach did.” He winked.
“Ah.” Holly placed a hand on her stomach. “I can’t argue with that.”
“Join us.” Keller gestured to the empty booth seat beside him. “We haven’t ordered yet.”
“Don’t mind if we do.” Johnny ushered Holly into the empty seat beside Garret. There was no way both him and Johnny could fit on one side. Johnny and Keller only had a few inches between them in the booth.
Holly sat ramrod straight, unable to relax. She expected a quick bite, not sitting in a booth with strangers, while more strangers pretended they weren’t looking at her from the corner of their eyes.
“So, did you all know my grandmother as well as Johnny did?” she asked.
“She was like a mother to a lot of us around here,” Garret said.
Holly frowned. “Johnny said something like that earlier,” she said. “Did a lot of parents have to commute to work?” There couldn’t have been many jobs in this town.
“That’s a long, complicated story.” Keller chuckled. “Not for an empty stomach.”
Holly took the hint and didn’t press further.
“What can I get for you, honey?” a kind-looking waitress asked.
“Um.” Holly never saw a menu. “What’s good?”
“Everything,” all of them said at the same time.
Holly pushed her back against the seat, severely weirded out. “Burger and fries please,” she said.
Everyone gave her a nod of approval. What the hell was this place? Was her grandmother in a cult or something? It looked nice at first, but Holly was definitely getting some strange vibes. When the waitress left, Keller looked at Holly.
“So, how are you
