Jillian Hart - Sweet Blessings

T he jingle of the bell above the door announced a late customer to the diner.

Amy McKaslin glanced at the clock above the cash register that said it was eight minutes to ten, which was closing time, and sized up the man standing like a shadow just inside the glass doorway.

He wasnt someone local or anyone she recognized. He was tall with a build to match. He wore nothing more than a flannel shirt unbuttoned and un-tucked over a T-shirt and wash-worn jeans. He had that frazzled, numb look of a man whod been traveling hard and long without enough rest or food.

Road exhaustion. Shed seen it lots of times. He wasnt the first driver whod taken this exit off the interstate. It happened all the time. With any luck, hed be a quick in-and-out, looking for nothing more than a shot of caffeine and a bite before he got back on the road.

That was a much better prospect than last night, when a half dozen high-school kids had piled into a booth. Amy enjoyed the teenage crowd, but it had been nearly midnight before she could lock up and head home. Not good when her son was waiting for her, and she was paying a baby-sitter by the hour.

Tonight, Westin would be waiting, too, and on a school night when little boys should be fast asleep. He was an anxious one, always worrying, and she prayed the lone stranger had somewhere he had to go, too. Someone who was waiting for him. She turned the sign in the window to closed before any teenage clique decided to wander in.

Forcing a smile after being on her feet since 6:00 a.m., she grabbed a laminated menu. Table or booth?

The loner shrugged, looking past her as if he didnt see her at all. His eyes had that unfocused look drivers got when theyd been staring down pavement and white lines for too long, and the purple smudges beneath spoke of his exhaustion.

Yep, me too, buddy. She led him past the row of tables, washed and prepped for morning, to the booths in the corner, where the night windows reflected the brightly lit dining area back at her. Already she was thinking of home. Of her little boys after-supper call.

Come home, Mommy, hed said in that quiet way he had. I told Kelly not to read me any more of my story. You were gonna tonight, remember?

She remembered. Nothing was more serious than the promises she made to her little boy. Almost there, she thought, as she watched the clocks hands creep another minute closer to ten. Aware of the man behind her making less noise than a shadow, she slid the menu onto the corner booth.

She whipped out her pad. What can I get you to drink?

Haggard. That was one word to describe him. The overhead light glared harshly on his sun-browned skin and whisker-stubbled jaw as he folded his over-six-foot frame behind the table. Coffee.

Leaded or decaf?

I want the real thing. Dont bother to make fresh. If you got something thats been sitting awhile, Id rather have it. He pushed the menu back at her. A burger, too. With bacon if its not too much trouble.

Sure thing. As she scribbled up the ticket, already walking away, something drew her to look one more time.

He had gone to staring sightlessly out the window, appearing tired and haunted. The black night reflected back the illusion of the well-lit caf and his hollow face. The man wasnt able to see through the windows to the world outside. It was within that he was looking.

Her heart twisted in recognition. There was something about him that was familiar. Not the look of him, since shed never met him before, but it was that faraway glint in his eyes. One that she recognized by feel.

She, too, knew what it was like to feel haunted by the past. Life made a mark on everyone. She didnt know how she saw this in this stranger, but she was certain she wasnt wrong. The regrets and despair of the past yanked within her, like a summer trout caught on a fishing hook. As she grabbed the carafe from the burner, where it had been sitting since the end of the supper rush, she risked another glance at the man.

He sat motionless with his elbows braced on the tables edge and his face resting in his hands.

Hopelessness. Yeah, she knew how that felt, too. Pain rose up in her chest, pointed like an arrows tip, and she didnt know if it was the stranger she felt sympathy for or the girl she used to be. Maybe both.

She slid the cup and saucer onto the table. I hope this is strong enough. If not, Ill be happy to make a fresh pot that will hold up a spoon. You just ask.

Thank you, maam. He didnt make eye contact as he reached for the sugar dispenser on the small lazy Susan in the middle of the table.

Whatever troubled him on this cool late-spring night, she hoped at least a cup of coffee and a meal would strengthen him.

Something sad might have happened to him to make him a traveler tonight, she speculated. Maybe some family tragedy that had torn him from his normal life and had him driving on lonely roads through the nighttime. She knew that pain, too, and closed her mind against it. Some pain never healed. Some losses ran deep as the soul.

She put in the order, catching sight of her sister. This is the last one. I already turned the sign over.

Rachel glanced at the ticket and pivoted on her heels to remove one last beef patty from the cooler. If you want to take the floors, Ill total out the till. Have those other guys left yet?

No. Amy had almost refused them service when they came in, a little too bright-eyed and loud. Theyd quieted down once they started eating. They were just finishing up when I walked by.

Good. I dont like them. I know theyve been in before, but not this late.

Amy knew what her sister didnt say. Not when were alone with them. Yeah, that had occurred to her, too. Big-city crime didnt happen in their little Montana town, but that didnt mean a woman ought to let down her guard.

She could see the two rough-looking men through the kitchen door with their heads bent as they both studied the totaled check.

Dont worry, she reassured her sister. We arent exactly alone with them.

Good. Rachel slapped the meat on the grill. We may get out of here before eleven, if were lucky. Say, hows Westin holding up?

Westin. Amys stomach clenched thinking of all her little one had gone through. He had a rough day, and now were just waiting for the test results. They can do a lot for asthma nowadays. It wont be like what Ben went through.

They both fell silent for a moment, remembering how ill their brother had been when he was Westins age. Theyd had to keep oxygen in the house just in case of a severe attack. Theyd almost lost him a few times, calling the ambulance while his lips turned blue and he struggled for breath that was impossible for him to draw in.

Amys stomach clamped into a hard, worried ball. It wouldnt be like that for Westin. She would make sure of it. How, she didnt know, but she certainly had the strength to will it. That, with prayers, had to make a difference, right?

I slipped a little gift for him into your coat pocket. Dont get mad at me. I couldnt resist.

You got him that video game, didnt you? Youre spoiling him, you know. It was supposed to wait until his report card.

Yeah, yeah, but you know me. Sweetheart that she was, with a heart-shaped face and all gentleness, Rachel shrugged helplessly, as if she had no choice but to spoil her nephew.