Chapter One

The sound of “My Girl” by the Temptations filled the half-empty diner as Valerie Thomas rushed to bring Mr. Horace Nelson his dinner order. The older man sat in a booth in the back of Bishop’s Diner, where he’d sat every afternoon for as long as Valerie could remember, and read a book. Valerie had felt sorry for him these last few years since he’d been coming in all alone. Since his wife passed away, it seemed like the light had gone out of his eyes. She remembered when she’d first started waitressing at Bishop’s, almost eight years ago, when she was still in high school, the couple would come in every now and again, and Mrs. Nelson always had the kindest compliments for everyone. Valerie had been sad to hear she’d passed away. Mr. Nelson always said, “At least she went quickly and didn’t suffer,” but it was obvious he was very lonely, and at sixty-something, Valerie thought he was young enough to find someone to spend the rest of his life with. But every evening, here he was, party of one in a back corner booth, staring at the pages of some classic novel.

“Okay, Mr. Nelson,” Valerie said with a smile as he looked up from Gulliver’s Travels. “Here you are. Chicken fried chicken with potatas and green beans. I’ll refill your tea. Is there anything else I can get you, hon?”

Mr. Nelson smiled. “No, I think that’ll do it, Val. Thank you, dear.”

“You are quite welcome.” She hurried off to get him a refill and spotted another regular coming in the door. This one had a much different story. “Hey, Joe!” she hollered to the vet technician who took his usual seat at the counter. “I’ll be right with you, sweetie.”

“What’s the special, Val?” he asked as she refilled the tea and hurried back around the counter to take it to Mr. Nelson.

Over her shoulder, Valerie shouted, “Double-cheeseburger with onion rings for 4.99. On the sign.” Every evening, they had the exact same conversation, only the description of the special changing, and Valerie was certain Joe Brighton asked her anyway just to mess with her. She didn’t mind though. He was in his thirties, a divorcee who’d moved to Charles Town a few years ago, and while he wasn’t quite Valerie’s type, he was handsome enough and usually had some polite conversation whenever she had a few seconds’ time to stop and discuss anything with him.

She set Mr. Nelson’s tea down, and said, “Is there anything else I can bring you, sweetie?”

“Not right now, Val. Thank you.” She could see the gratitude in Mr. Nelson’s eyes. Since he’d retired from his job and had no children in town, she wondered if she might be the only person he ever talked to during the day. While she had a few more customers she needed to check on, she decided to come back and sit with him for a minute before he finished if she had a chance.

Valerie skirted past a few other tables, dodging the other waitress, Wanda, as she took empty plates and brought napkins and refills to a family of four and an older couple. A few minutes later, she was back behind the counter. “Whatcha havin’ tonight, Joe?” she asked, not bothering to pull out her notepad yet because it usually took him a few minutes longer to order.

“I’m debating between the special and the chili cheese coney,” he replied, still staring at the menu. His brown hair was longer than most men around Charles Town wore it, brushing his collar in the back, his bangs down over his forehead sometimes obscuring his light blue eyes. He glanced up at her now through strands of it. “Which do you suggest?”

“I’d go with the special,” Valerie replied, leaning forward to add, “You know how Frank’s chili can be.” She made a face like she was bloated then glanced over her shoulder to see if Frank Bishop was looking. The older man was visible through the slot of a kitchen window frying up someone’s order over the grill. The other cook on duty that night, a guy who looked like he was barely out of high school they’d just hired named Sam something-or-other, was in the back prep area.

“That’s true,” Joe muttered. “You should serve it with a side order of Pepto.”

Valerie giggled politely. “So you want the special then, hon?”

“Nah, give me a few more minutes,” Joe replied, running his hand through his hair.

This time, Valerie’s laugh wasn’t forced. “Okay, sweetie.” The bell over the door sounded, and one of her best friends from high school, Erin O’Connell, and her older brother, Alec, came in. As soon as Valerie saw Erin, her face lit up. Erin had a smile like no other, and she couldn’t help but beam at her in return. “Hey, doll!” she called as they crossed over. “Hi, Alec.”

“Hello, Valerie. How are you?” Erin asked, as Alec, who was quiet most of the time, gave her a small smile and walked over to sit on a bar stool a few away from Joe, Erin filling in the space next to him.

“I’m good. Not as busy as we were during the holidays, but not so slow either. I’m pretty sure your to-go order is almost ready.”

“Okay. We’re not in any hurry,” Erin replied as she smoothed her long red hair. “I bet you’re glad you don’t have to listen to Christmas music anymore.”

“You know, I really like it most of the time, but it seems like we start playing it earlier and earlier anymore, and by the time the season is over, I’m a little bit happy it’s gone. And all the flashing lights everywhere.”

“That’s sad,” Alec muttered, and Valerie raised an eyebrow at him. It wasn’t like him to chime in on her conversations with Erin, so he must have been convicted to say something.

“Oh, don’t get me wrong. I’m not a Scrooge or anything. I love Christmas. But honestly,” she began, leaning in so only the O’Connell’s and maybe Joe could hear her, “January is usually a little slower around here because so many people are trying to eat healthier or make up for all the money they spent over Christmas. So it’s really one of my favorite times of the year—usually. Although, this month has been busier than most.”

“Well, January is half over,” Erin reminded her as Valerie straightened the straws and napkins on the shelf beneath the counter.

“True.” Valerie wrinkled her nose at the thought of what came next.

“What? You aren’t excited about the little twinkly heart lights Frank always hangs up? Or the paper cut-outs Marv likes to suspend from the ceiling?” Erin asked, a bit of sarcasm evident in her voice.

Marv, Frank’s brother who usually ran the kitchen during the daytime, was a hopeless romantic, and Frank wasn’t far behind. Valentine’s Day was probably their second favorite holiday, next to Christmas, and since Valerie hadn’t had a Valentine in a couple of years, she didn’t exactly appreciate having to look at all their red, pink, and white decorations for the few weeks leading up to the holiday that celebrated love and left single people out in the cold.

Valerie shook her head slowly, but she didn’t have to say anything. The look in her eyes was enough to tell Erin how she felt.

Erin shrugged her slim shoulders. “Well, who knows? Maybe this year will be different. Love does seem to have been in the air around here recently.”

Valerie knew exactly what she was talking about. It seemed like all of their friends from high school were finding the loves of their lives. Erin, who was a year younger than Valerie, still wasn’t seeing anyone though, and Valerie knew she probably felt like she was in the same boat—on the verge of spending another Valentine’s Day alone. “Maybe for some people,” Valerie lamented, “but I’m afraid that’s probably not in the cards for me. Valentine’s Day cards or otherwise.”

“Well, you never know,” Erin said, the positive attitude she was known for glowing through. “Some romantic man might come right in and sweep you off your feet.”

Valerie couldn’t help but chuckle. “Now, that’s funny. What I wouldn’t give for some Romeo, some Prince Charming, to start showing romantic gestures. It would be… wonderful. But I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

The bell on the counter behind her sounded, and she turned to see Sam standing there with a to-go order all boxed up and bagged. She wondered if he had also heard her comments, and feeling a little silly for dreaming aloud, she turned to get the O’Connell’s take out. “Thanks, Sam,” she said, forcing a smile.

He had freckles and auburn hair, and when he smiled back at her, it was a bit crooked, but she thought he was nice enough and made a mental note to get to know him better. They’d been working together for about a month and she didn’t even know his last name, which seemed sort of rude. “You’re welcome,” he called as he crossed back through the kitchen to start on the next order.

When Valerie turned back around, she realized Alec must have said something because Erin was looking at him and laughing, but she missed it. She wondered if he was making fun of her comments or if he was laughing about something else completely unrelated. Since she didn’t think it would be polite to demand to know what they were talking about, she handed them the order. “Here you go,” she said as Erin took it from her.

“Thank you, Val,” the redhead said with a smile. Alec pulled a few bills out of his wallet as he stood and slid them across the counter to her, and Valerie stepped over to the register.

“You can keep the change.” Valerie caught his eyes for just a moment. Like Erin’s, his were emerald green, though his hair was a dark brown. Valerie caught herself thinking Alec was a lot better looking than she’d remembered him being in high school, and for a moment, she wondered if maybe it had been so long since she’d been on a date that everyone was looking attractive.

“Thank you,” she said with a smile. “Y’all have a good night. It was nice to see you!”

“You, too!” Erin called, and Alec smiled at her, which was rare. But Valerie noticed it made her heart skip a beat.

Shaking her head in disgust at herself for letting all the talk about Valentine’s Day get to her, Valerie returned her attention to Joe. “All right, my dear, are you ready to order?” She brushed a lock of curly blonde hair back behind her ear, wondering how it had escaped her bun.

Rather than answering her question, he said, “So no Valentine for Valerie then?”

She pondered if that was Joe’s way of asking if she was single or if he was just making conversation. “Not this year,” Valerie replied, trying to sound nonchalant. “It’s been a few years actually.”

“Really?” he asked. He seemed surprised, and Valerie wondered why. It wasn’t as if men were lining up at the door of Bishop’s Diner tripping all over themselves to see her.

“I was dating a guy from Harpers Ferry a few years ago around this time, I guess,” she said, resting a hand on her hip as she thought back to memories she’d just as soon forget. “But we didn’t make it to St. Patrick’s Day, and I think he got me a keychain or mug or something for Valentine’s Day.”

“How romantic,” Joe replied, the sarcasm rolling off of his tongue. “If he was from Harpers Ferry, I might know him. That’s where I’m from. What’s his name?”

Valerie hadn’t realized Joe was from that particular neighboring town. “Keith Sanders.” The words came out like daggers.

“Keith Sanders?” Joe repeated. “Oh, Val! Yeah, I know that guy. You are better off without him, trust me.”

“Is that right?” Valerie asked, a bit shocked to hear such an emotional response from another guy. A girl she could see, since she may have had her heart broken the way Valerie did, but she wondered what Joe’s beef was.

“Yeah. I know him from high school. He was always such a jerk to everyone. He thought he was something special because his dad was a doctor, but last I heard he dropped out of medical school to pursue his music career. And, don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with that if you have a little bit of talent, but that guy was awful.”

Valerie couldn’t help but giggle. “I actually met him at a concert where he was playing. By the time the set was over, there were only a handful of people left.” The bell behind her sounded, letting her know she had an order up.

“I got it,” Wanda said, swooping in behind her, and Valerie was thankful for her help. She turned back to Joe.

“You deserve a lot better than that.” His eyes looked so sincere, Valerie felt a little flutter inside, and questioned if she was just responding to his politeness or if it was something else.

Before she had a chance to think about it, she forced herself back to concentrating on the job in front of her. “Thank you, Joe. Did you decide what you’ll be having?”

“Give me the special. Medium well,” he said, handing her the menu he’d been staring at for the last several minutes.

“You got it,” Valerie replied, scribbling that down on her notepad so she could give it to the cooks. She wished they were fancy and had a computer to enter their orders on, but the Bishop brothers were nothing if not old fashioned. “Sweet tea?” she asked as she turned to stick the order in the queue.

“Yes, please,” Joe replied, and Valerie turned to get his drink.

Once she’d slid it across the counter to him, she went to check on the rest of her tables and was glad to see Mr. Nelson hadn’t finished yet. She brought extra napkins to a family needing them, refilled a few more drinks, and then made her way to the back of the diner where the gentleman had his book open in front of him, but he was staring out the window at a sky painted orange by the setting sun.

“How are you doing, hon?” she asked, standing next to his table.

He must not have heard her approach because he startled a bit at the sound of her voice. “Oh, I’m just fine,” he replied. His plate wasn’t even half cleared, and Valerie thought it would be cold by now anyway.

“Would you like a to-go box?” Most nights, she offered one. He’d never taken one that she could remember.

“No, sweetie. I’m fine,” he repeated.

“Mr. Nelson, would you mind if I sat down for a bit? You come in every evening, and I just don’t feel like I know you as well as I should.”

He looked at her cautiously for a moment before he set his book aside and said, “Sure, Valerie.”

“Thank you,” she said as she slid into the booth across from him. The Bishops were good about allowing their waitresses to get to know their customers, so long as they weren’t too busy, and Valerie enjoyed sitting with her regulars whenever she had a minute or two. Getting to know the people who frequented the restaurant made her job seem less like work and more like a calling—if it was possible that being a waitress could ever be a calling. She liked to think it could be, though, especially in moments like this.

He smiled at her through thin-rimmed reading glasses, which he then took off and dropped into his shirt pocket. Valerie noted that he looked older than he was, and tired. “You’re reading Gulliver’s Travels?” she asked.

“Yes, re-reading it,” he nodded. “I like this one. I read it every few years. I remember reading it with my grandma when I was a boy.”

Valerie smiled, imagining what that must have been like. “That’s got to be a fond memory.”

“It is. We’d sit under the shade on her front porch and take turns a-readin’. She had the nicest reading voice. I’d forget to follow along, and she’d have to remind me every time it was my turn where I was supposed to pick up.”

She laughed along with him as he reminisced. “Grandmas are the best,” she said, thinking of her own grandmother for a few moments, who had passed a couple of years ago.

“They certainly are. Lilly, that’s my wife, she and I read this story with our son when he was younger as well.” A shadow of sadness passed through his eyes when he mentioned Lilly, and it lingered there even after he finished the sentence.

“That also sounds like a great memory. How old is your son?” She had heard he lived in another town, but thought her dad might know him.

“Gary is forty-two,” he replied. “He lives with his family near Baltimore. I don’t see them as much as I’d like. He’s a busy fellow.”

Valerie couldn’t help but feel a little sad for Mr. Nelson. “Do you have any family here, Mr. Nelson?”

“Not anymore,” he replied, solemn. “Since Lilly passed, there really isn’t anyone else. I moved here from West Virginia to take a job with the electric company when I was fresh outta high school. We’ve been away from family for a quite a spell.”

“I see,” Valerie nodded, her heart hurting for the kind old man.

“I retired two years ago last October.”

“It must be nice to have some free time,” Valerie said, hoping to see if he had any friends or hobbies.

Mr. Nelson nodded. “I like to garden, but that’s hard in the winter. Most days, I sit at home and read or watch whatever’s on the TV.”

Valerie couldn’t help but feel sad for him. He really did seem like such a nice person. It was too bad he didn’t have anyone. “Do you have friends or neighbors you visit with?” she asked, hoping maybe there was something she was missing.

Mr. Nelson shrugged. “I have some friends from work, but most of them are married and have families. I don’t know my neighbors as well as I should, I suppose, since I’ve lived in the same house for over thirty years. But a lot of new people seem to be buying up these older houses ’round here. New people moving in, old people moving out.”

That was true, Valerie could attest to that. “Do you attend church?” She hoped she sounded like she was making conversation, rather than trying to figure out why he was all alone, but she was starting to doubt that. She likely sounded like she was meddling.

“No, not anymore,” Mr. Nelson replied, shaking his head. “We used to go some when Gary was younger. Wanted him to be raised up right. But it was just too… political for my taste. So we stopped going. Doubt any of ’em would welcome me back at my age.”

“Well, that’s not true,” Valerie jumped in without even considering how she should answer. “My church has a great program for seniors. So do a lot of the other churches in town. Mr. Nelson, if you’d like to go with me on Sunday, I’d be more than happy to introduce you to Mrs. Gregory and some of the other people at church. Mrs. Gregory runs a lot of the programs there, and I’m sure she would love to introduce you to some of the other nice folks.”

Mr. Nelson was shaking his head before she even finished. “Thank you, Valerie. I do appreciate it. And I know of Patricia Gregory from around town. She’s nice enough, I hear. But I don’t want to be a bother.”

“It wouldn’t be a bother at all,” she continued, but he was still shaking his head, and she decided not to push any harder just yet. “Okay, well, if you should ever change your mind, Mr. Nelson, we would love to have you.”

“Thank you, kindly, Valerie,” he said with a smile, but Valerie thought it was forced. Realizing Joe’s order would likely be up, she smiled in return and then slid out of the booth. “I’ll be back to see if you need anything else in a few moments.”

“Just the check,” he replied, still smiling, but Valerie hoped she hadn’t made him feel as if he needed to run away from her. She really was just trying to help.

Valerie returned to the counter just about the time Sam was about to hit the bell to let her know Joe’s order was ready. His hand froze midair, and she couldn’t help but share a chuckle with him. “Thank you, Sam,” she said, and taking Joe’s plate, she turned to see him looking at something on his phone. “Here you go, hon.”

“Thanks, Val,” he said, putting his phone in his pocket and smiling at her.

“So, you said you’re from Harpers Ferry?” she asked, and he nodded in response, a french fry in his mouth. “What brought you here?”

As soon as he was done chewing, he replied, “I was going to school in Baltimore to be a vet, but when funding dried up, I started looking around for a tech job, hoping I could do that while I saved up to go back to school. Met my ex-wife here, and decided to settle down, even though, as you know, that didn’t last too long.”

“Oh,” Valerie nodded, hoping she wasn’t being too nosey again. She decided not to comment on what she did or did not know about his short-lived marriage. “Vet school. That does sound expensive.”

“You have no idea,” he replied, squirting some ketchup on his plate. “I didn’t either until I was halfway through.”

“What about student loans?”

“I got the ones I could, but my parents make too much for me to get enough to cover everything. But—just because you make a lot of money doesn’t mean you don’t have a lot of debt.”

The way he said it, Valerie thought it must be a sore subject. “That’s certainly true.”

“What about you, Val? Did you always want to be a waitress?”

She couldn’t help but laugh out loud, probably louder than she should have. “Heavens, no,” she said. And then, turning momentarily to make sure Frank wasn’t eavesdropping, she continued. “I thought I’d just work here a few years in high school. I love it—don’t get me wrong. But I really wanted to go to school to get my cosmetology degree.”

“So why didn’t you?” he asked before biting into his burger.

Valerie sighed. She didn’t really like talking about that part of her life, but since he’d asked, she decided to go ahead and mention it. “My senior year of high school, my mom got really sick. I was the youngest—my brother was in college and both of my older sisters had already graduated and started their careers, one with a family. So, it was up to me to help my dad take care of my mom. When she finally passed away a few years later, I felt like it was too late. I’d been here for four years, and my dreams of cosmetology school seemed like just that… dreams.”

Joe was looking at her now with sympathy in his eyes and nothing in his mouth. “I’m really sorry to hear that, Val.”

“Thank you.” She managed the same small smile she always pulled out whenever she talked about her mother. Julie Thomas had been the strongest woman Valerie had ever known, but no matter how hard she fought, she just couldn’t beat the cancer that ate away at her insides one organ at a time. Pushing those thoughts aside, she began to straighten the counter again.

Apparently, Joe wasn’t through. “You could still go to school, though, Val. There’s gotta be a school in one of the towns nearby.”

She grabbed a wet cloth and began to wash down the counter. “There’s one in Martinsburg,” she shrugged, “and another one in Berryville. But I’m so busy here….”

“You should look into it,” he continued. “I’m sure Frank would work around your schedule.”

Valerie glanced over her shoulder at the familiar face of the man who’d almost become like a father to her since her own dad had moved to Washington, DC, a few years ago to be nearer her sister Kathy and her family. Frank looked just like the stereotypical cook at a diner. His dark hair was graying around the temples, visible beneath his hat. His nose was slightly too large for his face, and his bushy eyebrows were almost the steel color of his spatula. He said something to Sam, and they both laughed. She knew Joe was right, but she hadn’t even considered going back to school for so long, the thought made her stomach tie up in knots. What if she couldn’t do it? She knew how to be a waitress—and she was really good at it, although her tips didn’t always say so. Still, she knew that was because most folks around here were on a limited budget. She was well acquainted with her customers and enjoyed seeing them regularly. If she became a hairdresser, she’d have to start all over again.

“I don’t know,” she finally said as she finished with the counter. “Maybe.” She suddenly realized she hadn’t taken Mr. Nelson his check, and before Joe could say anything else, she grabbed it and hurried off to his table.

If he had been waiting for it, she couldn’t tell as he was still staring out the window, that far off expression in his eyes. “Are you sure I can’t get you anything else, hon?” she asked, holding the check in her hand.

Once again, Mr. Nelson seemed a bit startled. “No, dear. Just the check.” He smiled, but it didn’t meet his eyes, and Valerie couldn’t help but feel a bit depressed as she slid the check to him. She knew what it was like to lose a loved one, but she had been able to find the strength to go on with her life after her mother passed. It didn’t appear as if Mr. Nelson had ever found that. He pulled out his wallet and handed her enough cash to cover the bill.

“I’ll get you some change.”

“No need, Valerie. Thank you, dear.”

They had this same conversation almost every evening. “Thank you, Mr. Nelson,” she said smiling fondly at him. “You have a nice evening.”

“You, too, dear.”

She turned to walk back to the counter, wishing there were something she could do to help him. If only there were a way to help him meet some people his age, maybe he wouldn’t be so overwhelmingly sad about the passing of his wife. She knew it had to be so very difficult to be with someone everyday for so many years and then just have them gone, but she feared that, if Mr. Nelson didn’t find some form of companionship soon, he might also fade away.

Valerie surveyed her customers and saw that everyone seemed to have everything they needed, though a gentleman in a booth on the other side of the diner would need a refill soon. She decided to bring him a drink and waited on Wanda to finish at the soda fountain.

“It’s a shame isn’t it?” the older waitress asked in a hushed tone.

At first, Valerie wasn’t sure what she was talking about, but when she gestured at Mr. Nelson as he made his way out the door, she realized Wanda meant her older friend. “It really is,” she nodded.

“After his wife died of pneumonia a few winters ago, he was just never the same. The ’lectric company eventually made him take earlier retirement. He just couldn’t focus on his job anymore.”

“Really? That’s so sad,” Valerie said, but then, at least they hadn’t fired him.

“And his son is no help.” The way she said it made Valerie think perhaps she knew him, and the questioning expression on her face must have been enough to cause Wanda to continue. “I used to watch him some when I was in high school. Such an ungrateful child. I hear he grew up to be about the same.”

“That really is too bad,” Valerie agreed. “Well, I wish Mr. Nelson would take my invitation to come to church with me. I think Mrs. Gregory and some of the other ladies would help him find some friends, if he’d let them.”

“How nice of you,” Wanda smiled as she finished with her drinks. “Sadly, I don’t think he’ll ever do it. It really is a shame.” She skittered off with a full tray of drinks, and Valerie realized their conversation ended the same way it had started, with the proclamation that Mr. Horace Nelson’s life had become nothing but a shame, but Valerie wanted to do whatever she could to change that.

“You okay?” Joe asked as she crossed back over to the counter after delivering the soda refill.

“Oh, I was just thinking about Mr. Nelson,” she replied. She glanced at his plate and saw that he was almost finished. His glass wasn’t quite half empty, but she decided to refill it anyway, so she turned to grab the pitcher of sweet tea.

“Is that the older guy who always sits in the back by himself?”

“That’s him,” she nodded as she topped off his drink.

“Yeah, I always wonder if maybe I should sit with him. At least then, neither one of us would have to eat alone.”

Valerie felt sad for Joe, too, now. “You’re not alone,” she reminded him. “I’m here.”

He smirked. “That’s hardly the same thing as actually eating dinner with someone, though, now, isn’t it?”

She knew he had a point, and yet, she didn’t want to agree. She didn’t need a reminder that another one of her friends and customers was also alone. “Well, maybe you should sit with him tomorrow.”

“I don’t know. Might be weird.” He shrugged, and the look in his eyes made her think he wished he hadn’t ever brought it up. He wiped his hands on his napkin and then dropped it on his plate.

“Can I get you anything else?” she asked, assuming that meant he was done.

“Nah, just the check,” Joe replied as he dug in his back pocket for his wallet.

Valerie slid it face down across the counter to him, and he handed it back to her along with his credit card, which she crossed to the cash register to run. “Well, it was nice to see you.” She smiled and handed him his card and the receipt for him to sign, along with a pen.

“It is always nice to see you, too.” He took the credit card and slid it back into his wallet, still smiling at her as he dropped a few bills on the counter as a tip, like he did every evening.

“Thank you,” she said, gesturing at the money, but not taking it yet. “See you tomorrow.”

“Have good night, Valerie,” Joe said as he turned and walked out the door.

Valerie saw that he tipped her a lot higher tonight than usual, which she thought was odd. She knew he didn’t make much more than she did at the vet clinic. It was a nice gesture, though, and as she slipped the money into her pocket, she began to think slightly differently of Joe. Maybe he wasn’t the phone obsessed loner she’d always taken him to be. With a shrug, she turned to go check on the rest of her customers, thoughts of Joe fading as she found her mind returning to Mr. Nelson. There had to be something she could do.