Page 34 of His Reckoning

“What’s it called?”

“Luigi’s.”

“Aw, that’s adorable. I love that name.”

“It’s been there forever,” Cole says. “My dad and Uncle Tony ran it together for years before we started expanding.”

Sawyer goes very still.

It’s subtle.

If I wasn’t standing right next to him, I might not have caught it. But something in his expression tightens for just a moment before it disappears.

Cole doesn’t notice. “Most of the recipes are still my grandmother’s,” he continues. “The sauce alone probably feeds half the neighborhood.”

“I’m jealous.”

“You should come sometime,” Cole says. “I’ll make sure they take care of you.”

Sawyer picks up the last suitcase a little harder than needed. “That won’t be necessary.”

Cole looks at him. “Why not?”

“She’s busy.”

Cole glances at me. “She doesn’t look busy.”

“I write,” I say. “My schedule is mostly imaginary.”

Cole laughs. “Perfect.”

Sawyer sets the suitcase down in the guest room and turns back toward us. “We’re done here.”

Cole raises his hands. “All right.”

We walk back out to the kitchen where Cole grabs his jacket from the chair. “Well,” he says, looking at me again, “it was nice meeting you, Kayla.”

“You too.”

Then he glances at Sawyer with obvious amusement. “This is going to be fun.”

Sawyer stares at him. “You’re leaving.”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

Cole walks toward the door, still smiling. Just before the doors close, he calls out, “Try not to scare her away before dinner, all right?”

The apartment goes quiet again.

I lean against the counter. “Your brother seems nice.”

Sawyer walks past me toward the hallway. “He talks too much.”

“That’s not a flaw.”

“It is for him.”