Love & Serenity

Chapter 6

It had been a long night for Jax as he had to stay up and watch Otto making sure the dog's condition didn't worsen. He walked into Mindy's that morning hoping for a few people and a quick and quiet breakfast where he didn't have to talk or listen to anyone. He walked towards the counter and took the seat behind it.

"Was wondering when you were going to show," Mindy said. "You're late."

"Long night."

"How's Otto doing?"

"Better, I think," Jax said. "Dropped him off at Davis' for a check-up."

"He'll be fine."

Jax hoped. Otto was the only thing of his gran's he had left. He wasn't ready to lose him.
"The usual, Mindy."

Mindy went to the kitchen and came out at the same moment placing his plate on the counter.
"There you go."

He smiled and dug in.

Mindy studied Lillian from where she worked and Jax caught her. He followed her line of sight and watched Lillian as she stared out of the window on her left. She looked like a teenager sitting by herself and there was a tiny part of him that wanted to go join her and keep her safe.

From what or whom, he had no idea.

"I can't understand what about that sweet girl would make you go off on her?"

Jax turned to Mindy who was now watching him.

He knew not to ask who or how because it was Burlington, word travelled fast.

He drank his coffee.

"You be good and apologize to her again."

"She ran into Otto."

"And she took him straight to Davis,'" Mindy said. "She could've left him there and drove off but she didn't."

Jax knew since he'd gone off on her that he was wrong. He shouldn't have. He nodded and went back to his breakfast.

Lillian glanced around the now almost full diner and her gaze did a double-take on a man that was seated on one of the stools at the counter across from Mindy. Her head titled a little to the side as she studied his back profile and build.

Well, darn.

If that was his back profile, she couldn't even imagine what his front looked like. He seemed like he was a character in one of those romance novels she reads. That made her smile but then she quickly caught herself, hid the smile and kept on studying him, a story already forming in her head without even trying. It had always been like that, at least when she was working on her book series. Since she completed it, she hadn't been able to come up with anything. Now, seated in Mindy's, a diner in Burlington, Vermont, staring at a stranger's back profile, a story brewed in her head. Her vision blurred as she got lost in the story that formed in her head. A different world than the one she was in, a world she had just now created.

"Here you go, dear." Lillian was snapped out of her reverie when Mindy -approached her table with her breakfast-to-go.

"Thank you." Lillian smiled up at her.

"Ya'welcome, dear," Mindy said. "Make sure to have it before you get started on your day."

"I will." Before she let herself slip into another daydream of her new book, whatever it was, she paid for her breakfast, leaving a tip.

Mindy gave her a warm smile before she walked away from the table, and headed back behind the counter.

Lillian got up and made her way out of the diner to her car, walking past the muse behind her daydream. She'd seen a convenience store on her drive to the diner and that was where she needed to be.

Lillian scanned the shelves for cleaning and repair supplies as she filled up her shopping basket at Parker's. She went to pay for it after and smiled at the elderly man across the counter.

"You must be Lillian."

She frowned with the smile still on her face.
"How...?"

"Small place, word travels." He said, "Plus, you met my son yesterday."

She took a moment to figure out who he was referring to as she took note of his features.
"It wouldn't happen to be Dr. Lyman, would it?

"The one and only."

"You must be Mr. Lyman then," Lillian said.

"No one here calls me that. Parker would do just fine." Parker said.

"Well, it's nice to meet you."

"Same here, dear." He said as he scanned her items. "So, how long would you be staying with us folks for?"

"Uh, I'm not exactly sure." At the thought of that, her imagination came up blank as she had zero idea for what her new book was going to be about.

"Well, you be careful there, most folks who come here without a timeframe end up staying. It must be something in the water."

She smiled.
"Well, I'll be sure to drink more of it. It's absolutely beautiful not to mention peaceful."

"Compared to what you have in the big city, yes," Parker said. "It grows on you."

Parker drew up her bill while she thought about what it would be like to live in a place like this. Not having to wake up super early to beat traffic, life so peaceful and easy-going.

"Doing some repairs?" Parker asked as he took note of the items.

"Just a minor one."

"We've got someone who could help with that."

"No, that's ok. I can manage." Growing up the way she had, she'd learned to be independent and now it wasn't something she could simply break. She wasn't good at asking for help or receiving them, until Deidre. Even still, it took a lot before she accepted Deidre's help.

"Alright then, if you change your mind and need some help, let me know."

"I will." She smiled and handed him her card for payment,

Parker scanned her card,
"Come by anytime and don't be a stranger." He handed her card back.

"I will." She picked her bags. "Thank you, Parker, have a nice day."

"You too, dear."

Lillian walked out of Parker's, bags in hand, towards her car. She had her day cut out for her, after this, she would check one thing off her list and get started on ideas for her new book. But first, some cleaning and repairs had to be done to put her mind at ease.

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This was meant to be up yesterday but I had one heck of a day and it totally slipped my mind.

Updates: Wednesdays and Fridays.