Right then, I wanted — again — to tell him that I loved him. But I’d never said those words to anyone. And my hunch was he hadn’t either. Even though I was sure about how I felt, it was too soon.
“C’mon. Let’s go to Flora’s. She’ll have a fit if we’re late.”
* * *
“Here,come stir the gravy so it doesn’t curdle,” Mama ordered as soon as I stepped through her front door.
I dropped my purse and moved to the stove. She was bouncing around her small kitchen like a flea, lifting the lid off the ricecooker to check it, scooting around me to give the green beans and bacon a swish with her wooden spoon, and opening the oven to draw out a pan of rolls.
“It smells good, Mama.” I wanted to put her at ease, but with the Whitehursts coming over, that was going to be a hard sell.
“Oh, I don’t know,” she fussed. “I hope the roast’s not tough.”
I arched a brow at her. “You’ve never made a tough pork roast in your life.”
Mama bit back a smile before peering over my shoulder. “Good… good… Now just put it on warm and pour the lemonade.” She made it two steps away from me before turning on her heel. “Do you think they’ll even want lemonade?”
“Yes, Mama,” I said, smothering a laugh. “They love your lemonade.”
Mama brought her hands to her hairline and nodded. “I know. I know. I’m being silly. But they’re my babies just as much as you are.”
Then her eyes focused on me for the first time since I’d walked in. “That’s a very becoming dress, Elise,” she said, sounding a little awed. It was a simple, knee-length sundress with a halter neckline and a belted waist, but I thought the magenta color suited me. It didn’t hurt that when I’d put it on at Cole’s, he’d accused me of trying to sabotage him in front of Mama.
“How am I supposed to keep my hands off you?”he’d asked, gliding his fingers over my back while I’d stood in his bathroom fixing my hair.
“Thank you,” I told Mama, turning toward the cabinet before she could see me color.
“Cole’s not gonna know what to think, seeing as the last time he saw you, you were just a girl,” Mama said to my back.
I swallowed “Actually—”
But a knock at the door silenced me, and I gave a sigh of relief when Mama gasped.
“That’ll be them!” With her bad feet, Mama almost never went anywhere in a hurry these days, but I swear, she sprinted to that front door.
When she threw it open, there was Cole with his sexy-as-hell grin, clutching a bouquet of Gerbera daisies, three of which were the exact color of my dress.
“Hey, Flora,” he said, offering her the flowers. Mama shooed them out of the way.
“Don’theyme, darlin’. Hug me!” she said, opening her arms wide before pulling Cole to her. Our eyes met over her shoulder, and Cole gave me an amused wink.
“Did you tell her?”He mouthed.
I shook my head wildly, and he silently laughed.
“Good to see you again, Flora.” He pulled back and kissed my mother on the cheek. “Ava’s coming on her own, but she should be here soon.”
“Oh, I hope so,” Mama said, untangling herself. “Dinner’s just about ready.”
She turned back toward the kitchen and found me standing at the entrance. Her frown was immediate. “Elise Nicole, get over here and give this boy a hug!” she scolded, beckoning me with her plump arm. “You haven’t seen him in almost ten years!”
I took a step forward, then stopped, blushing full force now. Why hadn’t I just spit it out as soon as I’d walked in? This was going to be so awkward.
“Well, Mama, about that—”
“Get over here, girl! I swear, where are your manners?”
What was it about Cole Whitehurst that made my mother intent on treating me like a seven-year-old?
