Kiss Me One Last Time novel · Chapter 8 of 24

Chapter 8: Stoop

Dawn came up gray over Fisk Street, and Finley was still on the bottom step.

I had gone inside at four and come out again at six, wrapped in my mother's quilt, because I could not stand the thought of him sitting out there alone.

Neither of us had said a word since.

Across the street, a woman in a bathrobe came out to fetch her paper and stopped.

She was seventy at least, with a poodle on a leash.

She looked at the man in the suit, then at me in my quilt, and her eyebrows rose to her hairline.

"Suzette Ellery?" she said.

"Hello, ma'am. It has been a long time."

"Good Lord. Look at you."

"I know."

"Is that your husband?"

Finley stood up and tried to smooth his jacket.

It was a ruined thing, creased down the back.

"Finley Hollister," he said. "Good morning."

"Hm," said the woman, and took the poodle back inside without another word.

By seven, three more neighbors had found reasons to be on their porches.

A man with a snow shovel, though there was no snow.

A teenager with headphones.

Lester, who came out with two mugs and looked at Finley with perfect politeness.

"Coffee?" he said.

"Thank you."

"It's chipped. Don't cut your lip."

Finley took the mug.

"I want to go to the doctor now," he said to me. "Is he open?"

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