While Jamie was far from an exercise enthusiast, she often went for an out-of-doors walk when something weighed very much on her mind. Red Maple Park ranked among her top choices for such a walk. A natural footpath threaded through a dense copse of tall, lush trees, and in the dead center of the park, there was a gorgeous blue-green pond full of ducks and geese with an occasional swan or two.

Plus, you could almost always get a free pretzel while you were there.

Jamie had just arrived at the pond with two large pretzels, still warm and fragrant, when a familiar figure perched on one of the wooden benches caught her eye. She stood still, blinked a few times, and knew she couldn’t be mistaken. Her heart instantly picked up speed while her insides turned to butter. Part of her wanted to run away even as another part yearned to curl up in those soft, strong arms.

In the end, her legs carried her to the bench—slowly but steadily.

Clearing her throat, trying to keep it casual, she asked, “Is this seat taken?”

The head that had been hanging low for the last twenty minutes or so rose with a jolt. Even with his black shades and navy blue visor, his astonishment registered plainly enough. “Jamie?”

“Hey, Chris,” she said with her best smile.

“Hey,” he echoed after a minute’s pause.

“Fancy running into you here.”

“How’d you know it was me?”

“I don’t know. Guess you just have a memorable face. The kind that, after you’ve seen it once, it’s near impossible to miss it again.” Maybe it was only the sun, but his cheeks looked very red at that last part. Hoping she hadn’t overdone it with that little crack, she asked, “Is it okay if I sit with you?”

He fidgeted a little. “Oh…umm…yeah, sure. Make yourself at home.”

She settled beside him, then offered him one of her pretzels. “Want one?”

He accepted it, somewhat tentatively. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Consider it payback for that jumbo popcorn.” She bit into her thick, spongy bread, taking her time to chew it and relish the salty, buttery flavor. “Mmmm…so good! Nothing like a freshly baked pretzel in the park on a beautiful day, huh?”

He had to smile a little as he also took a bite. “Well, I do like pretzels. And it is a beautiful day today.”

They sat in silence for a good while, watching a duck chase another duck across the pond. A rare black swan on the shore took a few nips at its own feathers. Every now and then, Jamie stole a sidelong glance at Chris; once or twice, she would have sworn he was looking at her, but his face was always averted when she turned her own head, so she didn’t know if she was mistaken or not.

This time, he spoke first. “So, how have you been, Jamie?”

“Not bad. How about you?”

“Okay, I guess.” His own tone didn’t convince him, but either Jamie didn’t notice or she was considerate enough not to pry for details.

“I know it hasn’t been that long since our last interaction,” she said as she flung a piece of her pretzel into the water and watched the ducks scramble for it, “but I’ve missed you.”

Now Chris looked at her properly, more touched than he would have believed possible. “Yeah? I must confess, I’ve been thinking about you and missing you, too.”

Her heart skipped a beat upon hearing that.

Ten seconds passed between them before Chris spoke again. “Hey, Jamie?”

“Yeah?”

“You know how you said I was welcome at your place for dinner when the time allowed?”

“Yeah?”

Chris bit his lip, then removed his shades as he said softly, “Well…tomorrow night, I’m free.”

“Really?” Now her stomach did a full cartwheel.

“If it’s not a burden on you and Nat.”

“Oh, no, not at all! Nat’s been nagging me for days about when you were coming.” This was only half-true; Nat had brought up the subject more than once, but no more than three times.

Now Chris had to smile at Jamie’s enthusiasm. “You remember my specific request for dinner, don’t you?”

“I sure do! You specifically requested tacos, and Nat makes the best tacos you’ve ever eaten in your life. Are you picky about whether they’re soft or hard, or what type of meat is in them?”

“No. General taste is all I care about.”

“Then you’ll fall head over heels for Nat’s three-cheese chicken tacos. She fries them with green chilies in pure sunflower oil, and serves them with all the sour cream and hot sauce you want. They’re crispy, crunchy, and oh so good!” Just talking about them was already making Jamie’s mouth water.

He chuckled. “It’s a good thing I’m eating something right now, or you’d have me salivating all over the place. Sure sounds like a feast fit for a king.”

Right then, two young men passed them by. One of the guys also wore dark shades and had a smoldering cigarette between his lips, and his companion wore a shabby tank top that revealed heavily tattooed arms. They both spared Jamie and Chris a sidelong glance, and the guy with the tattoos remarked, “Man, get a load of that guy sitting with that little tub of lard.”

“No wonder they’re always so fat,” said the smoker. “They’re forever stuffing their faces.”

Jamie felt these words like she would a slap across the face. She sat stock-still with the remains of her pretzel, unable to move or speak at all.

Chris, in contrast, was on his feet and had a good-sized wad of the tattooed guy’s top in his fist in less than two seconds. With their faces mere inches apart, Chris loudly demanded, “Care to rephrase that, buddy?”

Despite being almost a full head taller, despite his tough appearance, the tattooed guy didn’t appear so tough now. His voice actually shook a little as he protested, “Whoa, man, easy! I-I was just kidding! Can’t you take a joke?”

To which Chris replied sharply, “Your sense of humor needs work, pal, and a whole lot of it. Same could be said for your brain.” Letting the man go with a shove, he continued, “I’ll give you a break now. But next time, you’re in for a real break. Understand?”

The tattooed guy’s only response was to take off like a dog with its tail between its legs, with the smoker close at his heels.

When Chris turned back to Jamie, she had her head down and both hands raised, but there was no mistaking the sounds of her crying. Without a word, he returned to the bench straightaway and gathered the poor girl into his arms with the utmost gentleness.

He sat quietly with her and let her cry for a time. When she calmed down some, she pulled away, rubbing her eyes self-consciously. He kept both hands on her shoulders as he asked her, “Are you okay?”

She managed to look him in the face as she answered in a quaver, “I-I’m fine. Or I will be in a bit.”

Chris shook his head. “I’m so sorry, Jamie. Those two jerks were way out of line. I’ll never understand how anyone can get such a kick out of that kind of thing.”

She sniffled and brushed her wrist across her eyes one more time. “This is not the first time someone’s poked fun at my weight,” she murmured. “Goodness knows how often it happened in school. I never stopped and counted.”

He lightly squeezed her shoulders. “Don’t listen to them. You’re pretty just the way you are, Jamie Miller. Being tall and skinny is so overrated, anyhow; I never saw anything attractive about a walking twig.”

What he said delivered a new kind of shock, and Jamie could only sit there and gape.

He thinks I’m pretty. Chris Kirkpatrick thinks I’m pretty.

With a tentative smile, Chris asked, “So, are we still up for that taco feast tomorrow?”

Despite her moist eyes and the red hue of her skin, there was no earthly way Jamie could keep the smile off her face now. “How does six o’ clock suit you?”

“I’ll be there. Not a minute later. Not a minute sooner.”

“I’ll see you then,” she said, adding inwardly, It’ll never be soon enough.