All is fair in Love and War

Dustin was so happy to get the Flat White. It was still steaming with heat.

"You're the best." He was quick to smile and kissed Holly on the cheek. They found an empty bench, where one could watch the ducks on the man-made pond near the Environmental Science building.

"Uh-huh." She smiled as if this was all they needed, some quiet time together. She sipped her drink.

"I saw someone, you know," Holly finally said.

"Oh, really." His voice was automatic. Dustin went back to drinking the perfect coffee.

"Yeah, Macy works at the coffee shop."

Dustin almost spewed the coffee. He cleared his throat.

"I told her, you were still here." Holly looked at him, as if she never kept a secret.

Dustin nodded. He knew sooner or later they might run into each other. Still, he doubted it mattered. Macy was rather cold to him, anyway. Maybe there was no love lost there.

"Listen," Dustin sighed, remembering the phone call from Gage. "would you, be up to go a homemade dinner?"

"I guess." She shrugged. "You, won't be cooking, will you?" She almost snickered.

"Ha, ha." Dustin shook his head, no. "Gage invited us over."

"OK." She shrugged.

Dustin wished he could be as carefree as Holly. He did want to see baby Alec, yet it just about gave him the willies, to think he'd have to see Halie, again.