The Homecoming. Робин Карр

Not at the moment. There have been a few I thought had potential, but in the end I preferred my own company.” She stood and fished into her pocket while Gina transferred the rest of her BLT and fries into a carton.

      “And the company of high school students,” Gina teased.

      “They keep me on my toes. But I have my eyes open for an older, more settled model—say thirty-five, single, sexy and really into me....”

      The diner door opened and Seth Sileski walked in, as if made to order. Beautiful Seth. High cheekbones, chiseled chin, moody eyes, white teeth, thin scar slanted across his cheek. Iris’s mouth fell open and Gina just laughed.

      “Well, hello, ladies,” he said, taking off his deputy’s hat. “Iris, what are the chances you’ll let me buy you a cup of coffee?”

      “Unfortunately, I’m on the run. I have plans that won’t wait. In fact, I could already be late.” She grabbed her to-go carton. “Thanks, Gina. See you around.”

      “Why do you always seem to be rushing off the second I show up?” Seth asked.

      “I’m sure it’s just a coincidence. Next time, Seth. I’d better go.” She gave him an accommodating smile and headed out the door. She took off at a gentle jog down the street and up the hill toward home.

      Why? she asked herself. Why the hell does he have to be here? Is this just some vindictive angel’s idea of a slow and miserable death for me? What did I ever do to deserve this? He could be here for a long time! How am I going to avoid him? Especially if he’s the person I have to work with if I have teenagers in trouble?

      Really, hadn’t she been through enough in high school?

       Two

      Iris had loved Seth since she was about four years old. He kissed her when they were six and she beat him up and that’s when she knew she’d probably love him forever. When kids teased her because she was named after a flower, he stood up for her. He punched Robbie Delaney for saying she looked like a scarecrow. Of course, she had punched Robbie other times, but it was still nice when Seth avenged her. When her curly hair was flat on one side and springy on the other, Seth laughed but then he said sorry. Then he laughed again and said sorry again. They used to play house, until his older brothers caught him and teased him—then he said it was rocket men and aliens or nothing.

      When they were older, but not that much older, they each helped out with their parents’ businesses—Seth at the gas station and Iris in the flower shop. Because it was just Iris and Rose running the little flower shop, Seth would sometimes help with the heavy chores, if he could get away from the Sileski gas station where Norm’s boys all had chores. Seth knew, from paying attention to adult conversation at the dinner table, that Rose didn’t pull much income out of that little shop so he refused pay from her. He’d haul trash, and there was a ton of trash every day. He’d sweep, mop, clean shelves, deliver flowers on his bike and sometimes he even helped Iris make arrangements, but he made sure he was out of sight. He always claimed he was helping Iris get through her chores so they could play Doom or Super Mario Bros.

      In high school when he helped out he used the excuse that he wanted to free Iris up so she could help him with homework. She was always a little ahead of him in school. When she was a sophomore, she didn’t make cheerleading, was devastated and he even let her cry all over him. In fact, it shook him up—Iris hardly ever cried. Even when she took a softball in the face!

      The Sileski family did well financially. Flower shops in small towns are not the hottest ticket. Gas was a necessity, flowers were a luxury. Plus, there were no men in the McKinley family...except Seth. He cut their grass and was the guy they called if something heavy had to be moved or lifted. Since Iris’s mom and Seth’s mom were best friends, this pleased them both.

      And Iris was the one Seth talked to. His brothers didn’t have a lot of time for their baby brother, except to burst their buttons proudly when he played some amazing football. Seth and Iris never walked to school together—they stuck with their friends of the same gender during school hours. They were only friends. Good friends and neighbors. But away from school, dates—which Seth had a lot of—and practices, they spent hours together. Iris had more girlfriends than usual her junior and senior years because Seth lived right next door and all the girls were hot for him. Seth had his buddies, but when it came down to confidential stuff, important stuff, they had each other. Of course, by high school Seth was confiding in Iris about girls he crushed on. He asked her advice all the time. Sometimes he fixed her up so they could double date, a special kind of torture.

      Then in the spring of their senior year, when homecoming king Seth was planning to take homecoming queen Sassy to the prom, there was a little crisis. Sue Marie Sontag, known to everyone as Sassy because she was, cheated on Seth. She snuck out with Robbie Delaney and let him touch her boobs. Seth and Sassy had a big fight and they broke up.

      Seth, destroyed by hurt and betrayal, went to an unsupervised party and downed a bunch of beer, something he was not known for. By some miraculous twist of fate, Iris had been at the party. She was hardly ever invited to cool parties. She didn’t drink, not because she wasn’t any fun but because she was a little nervous about what the cool kids might do to her if she got drunk. She’d heard tales. And since she had no experience with alcohol, she was afraid to sip a beer because they might strip her and nail her to the door.

      But there was Seth, stumbling, falling down, blabbing his head off about Sassy cheating and dumping him, and good old Iris grabbed him. “Jesus, you’re disgusting,” she said. “Come on, let’s get you out of here. You’re trashed.”

      She put him in the flower shop van. “I can’t go home yet. I’ll get in trouble,” he mumbled.

      “Yeah, because you’re wasted,” she said. “Smart.”

      And then he poured his heart out. He couldn’t believe Sassy did that, went out with another guy and let him feel her up and everything. And the guy was someone Seth thought was a friend!

      Iris couldn’t believe Seth hadn’t known that Sassy had the most handled boobs in the senior class. And Seth went on and on and on, as though Iris enjoyed these conversations about other girls. He actually nodded off now and then in the middle of his tirade.

      He was completely toasted and she saved his ass, as usual. She drove out to a popular make-out spot, a lookout just off Highway 101, and parked the van that said Pretty Petals all over it. She listened to him moan and groan about his lousy luck with girls.

      Then there was a twist.

      “Why am I not with you, Iris? Why isn’t it you and me? We’d never do that to each other. You’re the only girl I ever loved anyway. You’re at least the only girl I ever believed in. Or trusted. You’ve been my best friend forever. I’m taking you to the prom, that’s what I’m going to do. It’s what we should do anyway.”

      He started snuggling and nuzzling her. It occurred to her to push him away, but it was the first time he’d made sense as far as she was concerned. They had been best friends forever. They always got along better with each other than anyone else. And he was right—they’d never cheat on each other. If they went to the prom together, he wouldn’t have to worry that she’d flirt with other guys or pout or sulk. She’d have fun every second and make him laugh all night long. Of course, she wasn’t sure she could afford a prom dress, but she could work that out later. She had the love of her life telling her he’d finally seen the light and knew she was the right girl for him. At last.

      He was kissing her. Not just nuzzling but full-on kissing, pulling her closer. Iris’s insides went all squishy. He was literally climbing on her, but there was a steering wheel in the way.

      “Come on,” he said, pulling her out of the driver’s seat and onto the passenger seat on the other side of the console. He made room so she would be under him. He reached down to recline the seat as much as he could, hovering over her, resuming the hot, wet, fabulous kissing,