One Step Closer(53)

The wind on her face as they climbed into the mountains wasn’t something you got in New York City. The fresh scent of the Blue Spruce and pine trees that rose into the sky above the rocky walls that had been blasted out of the mountains to accommodate the highway, and sun that filtered through them and flittered across her face was amazing. And Caleb. None of this could be found in New York City.

After they’d been driving for about half an hour, Caleb’s stomach reminded him of their need for breakfast, so he pulled off into the small town of Golden. There was a small restaurant near The Colorado School of Mines that he liked. He’d explored the area plenty of times once he and Dex rebuilt his bike since he’d wanted to attend and get his engineering degree there.

It would have been just thirty minutes from Wren, not thousands of miles, he thought sadly. His chest expanded in a sigh of regret as he parked the bike in front of Café 13, a small, but busy restaurant known for their amazing breakfast menu, and a place that he’d been once or twice before.

He hadn’t intended to go so far from town, but he’d enjoyed the drive and the company and before he knew it, they were in Golden. The shopping schedule might be a bit thrown off, but it was the last thing he cared about. This talk with Wren was imperative to making a clear decision.

The natural rock covered building was on the corner of Main Street with a simple blue sign that looked like it was hand-painted. There were a few people sitting at outside tables that were covered by red umbrellas that they passed on their way inside the restaurant. Wren pulled at the hair by her temples and forehead as they approached the door. “Helmet head. Literally.” She laughed.

Caleb smiled. “You look great.” He held open the door and ushered in front of him. The warm smell of bacon, maple syrup and coffee brewing permeated the air. The furnishings were simple, round wooden tables with painted black chairs.

A waitress, dressed in jeans and a red t-Shirt greeted them. “Good morning! Just seat yourselves anywhere you like!”

“Thanks.”

Caleb looked around the room. It was crowded and he found an empty table near the back by the kitchen that was a bit off from the others, pointing at it. “Is that table okay?” he asked.

Wren nodded. “Sure.” She preceded Caleb in the direction of the table in the corner.

Before they were even seated, the waitress was hovering behind them with menus. “Can I get you any coffee or orange juice?” She put the menus down on the table.

“I’ll just have some water,” Wren said with a slight smile. The woman was in her mid-twenties and it was obvious she thought Caleb was attractive by the way she was staring into his face. She huffed to herself. Typical, She thought. Some things never change.

“Coffee for me. Black,” he said before the waitress could ask. He pulled out Wren’s chair and waited until she was seated before taking the one across from her. He glanced down at the menu quickly, and then up at Wren.

“What are you hungry for?” She was starving, but her eyes searched the menu items for something healthy.

Caleb knew what she was doing. “Sticky buns, bacon, eggs, and a mountain of pancakes.” Wren loved pancakes, but they were loaded with calories. “Don’t order bird food, Bird.”

The corner of her pink lips lifted in a slight smile. Her lips were bowed and perfect, her blue eyes bright and sparkling beneath her somewhat matted down curls. Wren glanced up from the menu to meet his eyes and self-consciously started pulling and pushing at her hair. “Don’t look at me. I must look a mess.”

Caleb laughed and threw down the menu at the same time as the waitress set the drinks on the table. “Yeah, but who cares?”

Wren’s face twisted wryly. “Gee, thanks.”

“My name is Suzy and I’ll be taking care of you today,” the waitress said. “Are you ready to order?”

With a wave of his hand Caleb indicated she should take Wren’s order first.

“I’ll have an egg white omelet with spinach and mushrooms, and an English muffin with the butter on the side.”

“Any bacon?”

Wren looked up and shook her head. “Nope.”

“She’s always on a damn diet. I’ll have three scrambled eggs, four strips of bacon, a stack of pancakes, and two sticky buns.”

Suzy smiled as she scribbled down Caleb’s order. “Wow. You must be a growing boy.”

Wren’s eyes widened and she rolled them. Caleb saw her reaction, even if the waitress didn’t. He was still grinning at Wren across the table when the waitress left.

“Wow, you must be a growing boy!” Wren mocked in a sing-song voice. “Bleh!” She tried not to smile, but couldn’t help it and they both laughed out loud.

“Stop it, or I’ll think you’re jealous,” he goaded with a grin. Hoping he was right, he waited for her reaction.

Their eyes locked. He knew she was thinking of their night together and wondering what the f*ck happened afterward; why he left without a word, and why he pretended like it never happened. A public restaurant wasn’t the place to get into it, but it would definitely need to be addressed.

“How’s Sam doing?” he asked. Inwardly he braced himself for the answer. The guy he’d seen her with on her birthday wasn’t Sam, but maybe they were just having a spat. Sam was the only guy Caleb was totally sure she’d ever been serious about.