Free Eagle River by Isabelle Kane Page B

secret sauce.”
    Sal took a step back and bellowed through the swinging door that led to the kitchen: “Another special, Maria.”
    “And another one for me, Sal,” Ben called out.
    “Maria, make that two... Happe, you want the sauce?”
    “Please.”
    While they waited, the two friends sat and watched the baseball game.
    “You heading back to Milwaukee soon?” Galen finally asked.
    “Next Wednesday. Mom and Dad are taking me down.”
    “Here you go, guys.” Sal appeared with two plates filled with his trademark hot beef sandwiches and fries.
    “Thanks, Sal.”
    “So good,” Ben moaned in anticipation before he sunk his teeth into the layers of soft roast beef.
    “Whole game been like this?” Galen muttered between mouthfuls.
    “Yeah. Twins suck this year. Don’t you ever read the paper or watch the news?”
    “It’s baseball,” Galen countered. “Besides, no one is whacked out about stats as you are.” Contemplatively, he toyed with a large batter dipped fry in his ketchup. “Kjersten took off early this morning.”
    “That’s what I heard.” Ben studied his friend’s deliberately blank expression.
    “I stopped by the Solheims. I wanted to talk to her. Wish I knew why she took off so quickly.”
    “Cam probably wanted to get going. He always thought that this town is a hole. He just came back to show us all what a big man he is now. And as far as Kjersten goes, well, what can I say?”
    Galen glared at Ben. “What? What were you going to say?”
    “You won’t want to hear it.”
    “No, go ahead.”
    “You want me to be honest with you?”
    Galen nodded.
    “You never gave Kjersten a chance. After everything, I mean. She’s my friend, too. I don’t like that she’s dating that jerk. But you ended things with her. You shut her out.”
    “You mean after Mom died,” Galen stated flatly, his voice calm and noncommittal. He wouldn’t meet Ben’s gaze.
    “I should have said something then, but you were all clammed up. You didn’t want anyone hanging around you, including me. What did you expect her to do? Sit around and wait until you got your head worked out?”
    Galen said nothing, just fiddled with his straw in his glass of pop. “I was messed up, I know. But I didn’t think that she’d hook up with him. Why couldn’t she just wait?”
    “Wait for what? For you to decide you actually wanted to talk to her. You told her it was over, remember?” Ben observed his friend carefully. “But none of that matters now anyway. That deal is done. You’ve gotta get her out of your mind.”
    “It’s just that Mr. Solheim said that he’d expected her to stay all weekend. I wonder what changed?”
    “It doesn’t matter. Quit thinking about her. It’s too late.”
    Galen stared angrily across the room. He stuffed a fry in his mouth. “Why does everything have to change?” he asked morosely. “Why does everything have to go bad?”
    “Look, I’m your friend and I’m going to be honest with you. This didn’t just happen to you, not like your mom getting sick. That just happened. But this, you did this. You gotta let her go now. It’s over.” For a moment, Ben was silent.
    “I know, it’s just...”
    Suddenly Ben reached across the table and gripped Galen’s arm. “Check it out. This is just what you need.”
    “What?”
    “There are some girls over there at a table a little off to the right. Don’t make it obvious you’re looking.”
    Galen shook his head. “Come on.”
    “Seriously.” Ben kicked him under the table. “They’re cute. The Kjersten thing is done. That ship has sailed. Get over it. Please, for me, look at them.”
    Galen turned his head, as if to get a better angle. He caught sight of a table of three girls who were all bent together, whispering, glancing their way.
    “I met the blonde one at the fair,” Ben continued. “Her name is like Sarah. I don’t know any of the others, but none of them are half bad either.”
    Galen turned back to the TV