Page 10 of Living La Vida Mocha
“Why’d you ever go out with that kind of mess then?”
He shrugged, and it tugged on my arm. “Desperation, I suppose. I’ve never quite figured out the why either. Superficial perhaps, as maybe I was just at a low point and needed someone who would boost my self-confidence.” There was no eye contact as his voice fell. “This you?”
I spotted my car. “What gave it away?”
“Ridge Heights isn’t known for its high volume of Teslas.”
“I take it there’s no charging station here either?” The battery was low, but not dangerously low.
He shook his head. “Nope. Not for miles. You may get lucky in Nordegg, or Rocky Mountain House if you’re heading east.”
“I’ll look into the app and see what I can find.” I opened the car door and reached for the like-new snow brush.
He took it from my hands and started clearing my car. “You warm it up, and I’ll brush it off.”
“She’s already running.”
“Well, I’ll be floored.”
He swept off the windshield and the roof, as I walked over to the passenger side and opened his door.
“I’ll give you a ride back and give you a quick mini-tour so the next time someone mentions a Tesla, you won’t mistake it for the Batmobile.” I winked as I climbed into the warm interior.
Carter joined me a moment later, setting the snowbrush on the passenger floorboards. He snuggled against the seat and whistled. “This is a sweet ride.”
“Thanks.” I pointed out a couple of the cooler in-car features. “Casper is the best car I’ve had.”
“Casper? You named your car after the movie ghost?” There was an unmistakable smirk brewing, and it was spreading to his eyes. It was nice to see a sparkle returning, even if briefly.
However, a fresh flashing of heat, unrelated to the vehicle warming, bloomed across my cheeks. “My car is white, and I have fond memories of the friendly ghost, so yeah, it just fit.”
A lazy smile stretched across his face. “Yeah, fond memories.”
Years ago, needing a mental break from all life was throwing at us, we attended a midnight showing of classic 90s movies, and Casper the Friendly Ghost was playing. As a fresh couple, flirting with all new ideas, we attended. It was our third date, and after the movie ended, it was the first time we kissed.
Now here we were many years after that first kiss.
Remembering the reason for the breakup came from him, the ghostly tentacles of achy pain spread through my chest as I put the car in gear and headed back in the direction of the Coffee Loft. The air around us chilled, and the interior was as quiet as the car trudging down the main street.
Eventually, I found a spot outside the shop, and I pulled into it like a perfect professional parker. The autopark certainly helped.
“Thanks for the ride back.” He put his hand on the door and was searching for the handle.
“Push this button down.” I reached across and showed him, causing him to jump back a little. “It lowers the windows before you open.”
“Cool beans.” His hand lingered on the door’s armrest.
“Thanks again for paying my bill. I promise to pay you back.”
“It’s all good, Cara. I swear.” He pushed the door fully open and climbed out to stand on the sidewalk. “If you’re ever in this part of the world again, pop in and say hi. It’s nice to see a friendly face.”
“And if you’re ever in the Red Deer area, look me up.” Somehow, someway.
“Will do.” He straightened himself up and stretched, giving me a quick peek at what was once his wall of abs. “Oh, hey.” He popped his head back into the interior. “I know Ridge Heights is a bit of a drive, but…” A snowflake swirled into the interior as Carter’s words froze in his lungs. Swallowing, he inhaled and tried again. “What would you say to meeting for dinner on the weekend?”
I pursed my lips together, picking and choosing the right words to say, but he interrupted my thoughts.
“Holy beans, I never thought to ask. You have a husband and a family, don’t you?”