“Oh! Here come Rose, Leena, and Pearl.” Sam seemed overly excited about the three senior citizens approaching them.
Clearly, everyone except Cole knew them. They exchanged a greeting, and then his dad introduced him.
“It’s so great to finally meet you,” the tallest one, named Rose, said. “Your dad speaks very highly of you.”
Cole felt a swell of pride and smiled at his dad.
“We’re so grateful that your dad came to town and put the spark in Deena’s eyes again,” Lena said.
“They seem happy.” Cole glanced at his father and Deena, who were staring at him with overeager looks on their faces.
“Oh, very happy. And they’re just such a great couple. So perfect for each other.” Pearl leaned in to accent the wordperfect.
Cole’s brow furrowed. It seemed like these ladies were laying it on a little too thick. He glanced at Deena again. Had she put them up to it? Were the three ladies in on her and Sam’s plan?
But before he had a chance to think too much about it, his father clapped his hands. “Look, there’s an opening at one of the cornhole boards!” Chuck pointed to their left, where several cornhole games had been set up in a row. “Deena and I would like to challenge you and Sam to a game. Come on!”
Team up with Sam? Cole wasn’t so sure about that. But it was too late, his father was already halfway over to the game, so he shrugged and followed. He was here all day. Might as well make the best of it.
* * *
Sam held her breath as she watched the beanbag sail through the air and right through the hole on the cornhole board. “Score!”
She jumped up in the air, spun around, and high-fived Cole.
Whoa, wait a minute. When had they become so chummy? Had that actually happened just over the span of the afternoon?
Apparently, somehow it had. Maybe it was the festive air of the celebration or the fact that her mother and Chuck looked so pleased to be doing this simple activity with them. Somehow, over the five games of cornhole, the food tasting, and the parade, she and Cole had formed—if not a bond—at least some sort of a truce.
Guilt washed over her, and she turned away, pretending to scan the crowd and thinking about Chuck’s wallet, which sat in a drawer in her motel room. She hadn’t had a chance to sneak into Saltwater Sweets yet to return it.
The day had given her a chance to study Chuck and her mother together. He treated her mother like a queen, and he was polite, considerate, and sweet to both of them, not the gruff, domineering opportunist she’d imagined. Had her job jaded her so much that she’d just jumped to assuming the worst for no real reason?
“Don’t get too cocky.” Chuck swung his beanbag back and forth as he took aim. “We’re still ahead.”
He tossed the bag, which landed on the board and then slid into the hole.
“Darn!” Cole handed Sam the next bag. “Come on. You can do it. We can still beat them if you get a hole in one.”
No pressure there. Sam planted her feet and grabbed the bag by the corner. She held the bag up in front of her like a bowler aiming for the middle pin and concentrated on the hole at the top of the board. She took a few swings and then let go.
Plop.
Ugh, it landed on the edge of the board and then fell off.
“Guess that’s it. We won the championship!” Chuck said.
Deena jumped up and down, clapping her hands, and then she and Chuck hugged. He gave her the sweetest kiss on the cheek, and Sam noticed that look again. It was a look of pure love. Surely, he couldn’t bethatgood of an actor.
“Don’t get so excited. We let you win.” Cole winked at Sam. “Didn’t we, Sam?”
“Yes. Absolutely.”
Deena and Chuck came over to their side, and there were handshakes all around.
“You know, this has been so much fun. I’ve enjoyed spending time with all of us together.” Chuck’s tone was sincere.
“Me too. I really don’t want the day to end.” Sam was surprised to find that she really felt that way.
