“Hey, yourself. Is this chair taken?” he asked, indicating one at their table.
“No, please join us. Can I get you anything while I’m up?”
“Water would be good. Thanks.”
Grace disappeared again. Iris frowned. And what really pissed her off was Seth smiling. In fact it was a smile she remembered. It was the “gotcha” smile.
Grace was back with the water, adding salsa to the table, then disappearing again. Seth put on his jacket and zipped it up. “I don’t think this is going to work out for you, Iris,” he said.
“What?”
“Dodging me all the time. Avoiding me. Pretending you have important business elsewhere or appointments you’re late for. All your excuses. Sooner or later you’ll have to actually talk to me.”
“Oh, didn’t anyone mention? I’m moving.”
A laugh burst out of him. He opened his water bottle and chugged down half of the liquid in a couple of gulps. “No one mentioned,” he said.
“Are you everywhere?” she asked in a lowered voice. “You don’t live here! What are you doing here on a Saturday night? Running on the beach.”
“I had some paperwork to finish up today and I brought my running clothes. I wanted to see what’s happening on the beach tonight—Saturday night.”
“The kids usually hit the beach after games,” she informed him as though he wouldn’t remember.
“I know. I was watching last night from Cooper’s parking lot. It looked pretty familiar. And pretty tame. If memory serves, every night they’re not busy is party night.”
“And you decided to spy on them?”
“Well, I thought I’d have a look. And let them look at me—not far away in case anyone needs anything. Iris, we have to talk out this little grudge you’ve been nurturing for over fifteen years.”
She leaned toward him. “Two things, Deputy. One—we have talked. Several times. And two—I haven’t been nurturing anything. I’m merely minding my own business.” She grabbed a chip from the bowl and crunched down on it. Hard.
“Bullshit. You forget I know you. It takes a lot to piss you off and you’ve been stroking this one since our senior prom. I said I was sorry a hundred times. I was a dumb and insensitive teenage boy and I really regret hurting your feelings. I had no idea what it was going to cost me. Or you, for that matter.” He drank the rest of his water.
Iris looked over her shoulder and saw that Grace, in the bar, was up on a bar stool, laughing with Troy about something. She was probably giving Iris time to work things out with Seth while waiting for their pizzas. Grace knew about the prom thing, knew Iris was pissed. She didn’t know everything, however.
“I don’t know what it is about girls and proms,” he said. “You were absolutely crazed. And I never knew you to be that kind of girl, crying and carrying on. You used to beat me up, for God’s sake!”
“Apparently, I fell down on the job,” she muttered, lifting her wine.
He smirked. “I am an officer of the law, ma’am. Watch your threats.”
“Why aren’t you out with some skinny blonde tonight? Like usual?”
“I don’t think I know any around here. Is Sassy still around town?”
“She is, indeed. Need me to hook you up?”
“No, thanks,” he said. “She never left town? That’s a surprise. She was ready to move on. How’s she getting along?” he asked.
Iris took another sip of wine. “It appears she’s gained a couple of pounds.”
“That must thrill you.”
“And she lost a tooth,” she added. She pointed to a very obvious incisor. In front. “Here.”
He threw his head back and laughed so loudly that people actually turned and looked at him.
“Stop it!” Iris hissed. “You’re making a fool of yourself!”
“So you still hate her, huh? I’m honored.” He pushed back his chair and stood. “I think I’ll get a beer and order one of those little pizzas.”
“Don’t you have to go home?” she asked.
He leaned his face toward her. He shook his head and grinned. “Nope.”
He went inside to place his order and grab a beer and was back altogether too quickly. He sat down and got comfortable. “I’d like us to talk about some things,” he said. “You’re obviously not quite ready to give up your anger, but there are other things. First—you’ve been really good to my mom. A good neighbor and friend. Losing Rose was probably as hard on my mom as it was on you. She’s so grateful to have you in her life and I’m grateful, too. At least your anger didn’t extend to her. Thanks for that.”
“Your mom is wonderful,” she said. “And I love her.”
“That’s very kind, Iris,” he said. “And I’d also like to talk about how we can work together on special programs for the high school. I have some ideas.”
“I just expect you to let me know if trouble comes to my school and I’ll do the same. We don’t do those horrific movies of horrible car accidents right before prom and graduation anymore. You know those awful things, trying to scare the lives out of the kids before they drink and drive or something....”
“That wasn’t what I had in mind, but if you like I can make an appointment.”
“What did you have in mind?”
“Maybe a few true stories on how to be successful in life. How not to be dead or maimed before the age of twenty-one.” He raised his brows. “How to have fun every day for life? Become millionaires in three easy steps? If I can figure out how to get their attention, I think I can hold it.”
She relaxed back into her chair. “I think I’d like to see your proposal, Deputy.”
“Sure,” he said. “And I’d like to try to make it up to you.”
“Not necessary.”
“I’d like to try,” he said. “What’s it going to take, Iris?”
“A miracle,” she said.
He lifted half of his mouth in a sly smile. “I’ll get right to work on that.”
Grace returned, followed by Troy bearing two individual pizzas. “Yours will be out in just a minute, Seth,” he said.
It was the three of them at the table and the conversation turned to general subjects. Troy brought a pizza for Seth and a beer that he claimed for himself. As a foursome, they told stories about the town, the people, old times and recent times. Troy thoroughly enjoyed hearing funny stories about Iris as a kid because, as Iris well knew, Troy had a crush on her. Before ten minutes had passed they were all laughing as though they’d been best friends forever. Laughing almost wildly.
Later that night, at home in the house she’d grown up in, alone in her bed, for the first time in a very, very long time, Iris cried. Cried for all she had missed, all she’d lost, all she felt was forever out of her reach.
She had missed Seth so much.
* * *
That pivotal Friday night so long ago, Iris woke Seth and took him home a little after midnight. He disappeared into his house after thanking her for the ride. She had expected a little more with the good-night than that, but she let it go. He was impaired, after all. But she did wake her mother and, sitting on her bed, told her that Seth had broken up with his girlfriend and asked her to go to the prom.
“As