Chapter 20: The Harvest Diner

The Harvest Diner closed its dining room for the team banquet and pushed the booths against the walls.

Long tables ran down the middle under strings of white lights.

There were forty girls and their families, a sheet cake shaped like a basketball, and a podium by the pie case.

Blaine's new banner hung behind it.

FAMILY FIRST, in blue letters, with the Linwood Heating logo underneath.

Stefan sat on my right at the team table, in a clean shirt with the sleeves rolled to the elbow.

Maxine and Kenzie sat across from us, shoulder to shoulder.

Kenzie had not eaten anything.

Under the tablecloth, my hand found Stefan's knee.

"Five weeks," I said, very quietly, into my water glass.

"I can count, Winona."

"Then you know I've planned every one of them."

His hand closed hard over mine.

"Go on."

"The first night, I'm taking that shirt off you one button at a time."

He did not turn his head.

A muscle jumped in his jaw.

"I'm going to make you wait for every single button," I said. "And then I'm not going to be kind."

"Winona." His voice was barely a voice. "I'm holding a fork."

"Then hold it."

He put the fork down very slowly.

Across the table, Maxine said, without looking up from her cake, "I can hear you both, and I'm choosing to be at peace."

At seven the booster treasurer tapped her glass and thanked everyone for the season.

Then she said, "Our longtime sponsor has asked to say a few words."

Blaine walked up in his navy blazer.

It was the same one he had worn on Senior Night, and there was no badge on it now.

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