His head tilts upward as he smiles and nods.
Kai shimmies out of the booth. “Okay, I don’t need to see my brother looking at you like a trained puppy. I’m outta here.”
“What about your girlfriend?” I ask.
“She told me these meetings run long. I’ll tell her to text me when she’s done.”
Kai moves over to the table, tapping Tabitha on the shoulder. He leans down and whispers something that she nods along with. He pecks her cheek, gets a round of awes from the table, and then he leaves the cafe.
I edge my way back to Milo. “Hi,” I whisper, leaning in close enough to graze his cheek with my lips.
His hand gently strokes mine. “I’m so proud of you for standing in front of those women and talking about the food. You did amazing.”
I grit my teeth and my gut twists. “It was pretty rocky.”
He nods. “I was worried about you. But you got it together. You’re amazing, Jamie.”
I stroke his cheek and sigh. “Again. How did I survive without you?”
He looks up at me with a glint in his eyes. “I’ll tell Christie I can’t be Meghan’s date. I only have eyes for you.”
“Dang. Why do people have to be here? I want to kiss you so badly.”
He rubs his lips together. “You sure you still want to keep this a secret?”
I force myself away from him and slowly shake my head as I back away.
Twenty-Six
JakeandLauraletme go home before they started cleaning. Whenever I finished taking orders and there were no tables to clear, I’d sit by Milo. We’d have our books open, but I wouldn’t really call what we did studying, even though our touching was at a minimum.
Milo called his mom to drive us home, and before she arrived, I finished my third phone call with Maddy. Her praise has been non-stop. She even floated the idea of me taking on more presentations with prospective catering clients. I gave her a reality check, saying I only managed to say words because the group included girls from school that made me feel at ease.
After dinner, and more praise from the Nelson family, I couldn’t help wondering what Mom would think about the meeting. The good feelings swell inside me, and I excuse myself to Milo’s bedroom. I grab Mom’s diary and sit back on the bed to flip through the pages.
If Aunt Maddy were at the cafe this afternoon, she would’ve gushed about the food and told stories about the staff and prior functions. I wonder if Mom loved talking to people just as much. Skimming through these pages, it’s easy to see she was popular with boys. She wasn’t a girl’s girl, so perhaps she would’vestruggled just as much as me. I’ve read Mom describe Maddy as a ‘girl next door,’ and she totally fits the bill.
The words Camila used to describe my mother filter through my mind. I hug the diary close to my heart. I hate that my mother was called those words while she was still with us. No wonder she strived to protect us. I tap the cover of the diary, thinking about Tabitha. Maybe having a girl like her on my side will save me from the harsh words thrown around at school.
I open the diary again and shiver as I read the name Trigger. Every time I find an entry with his name, Mom’s words get increasingly frightened. I pick up my phone, ready to call Maddy. I need to ask her if she told the cops about Trigger. The more I read, the more suspect he appears. He might’ve had something to do with her disappearance.
When I flip a page, my phone slips out of my hand. On the next page, Mom’s handwriting is flowy. It’s full of loops whenever she’s happy. And she’s happy because she’s talking about Buzz. I rub the space above my beating heart and can’t help smiling. I haven’t found where Mom identifies my dad’s name, but I really hope he’s Buzz. Mom seems to light up whenever she recalls her events with him.
However, the knots in my back make me hold back on my joy. Mom always said I couldn’t know who my father was. It kills me that he’ll most likely be Trigger.
Alfie struts into the bedroom, his tail swaying in the air. With a leap, he sits on the windowsill, meowing at the sights beyond the glass.
I get off the bed and walk over to him. Patting his head and looking out the window, I ask, “What’s got your attention?”
He meows and scratches at the glass.
I giggle and scratch behind his ear. “Do you want to go outside?”
He brushes against me, purring and walking along the windowsill animatedly.
“Okay, okay.” I laugh and pull the window up, letting the cool breeze in. “Here you go, boy.”
He meows and leaps down onto the edge of the house. I watch him scuttle against the house and then leap onto the branch of a nearby tree. Light rain sprays into the room. I close the window and briskly rub my arms from the cold. How he’d want to be outside now is beyond me.
