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“I’ll be there soon.” He hung up with his mother and approached Leah’s table. “It looks like I have to call it a night.”
Craig extended his hand. “Nice meeting you, Cole.”
“You too.” He looked over at Leah. “I’ll talk to you later.”
Leah’s eyes stared back at him. “I’ll see you.”
****
Cole dusted off the front of his shirt free of flour. He grabbed a dishtowel and wiped his hands clean.
“Thank you so much for coming,” his mother said.
“I can’t tell you no, can I?” The corners of his mouth curved up.
She wagged her finger at him. “Never. The only reason Seth’s not here is because of his trip.”
“Any idea what’s going on with him?”
“No clue, but I always find out, eventually.”
Cole swallowed and kneaded his shoulder.
“You know something, don’t you?”
“Like what?”
His mother’s forehead furrowed. “I know you won’t rat out your brother. I always wanted you two to trust each other, but is he alright?”
“I think he will be.”
“And what about you? You never told me how the wedding went?”
He sat at the barstool. “It was nice. I should have Holly and Josh’s pictures finished by—”
His mother dismissed his answer with a wave. “I mean Leah. How did things go with her?”
Cole drew his bottom lip between his teeth. “It didn’t.”
His mother wiped her own hands with a dishtowel. “Now you know I never meddle in your personal life—”
“But you’re going to.”
Her eyes narrowed at him, but her smirk gave her away. “Is there a reason you haven’t told her?”
“Mom, I’ll figure it out.”
She tilted her head toward him. “You don’t have to tell me, but I will say I want you to be happy.”
“I know you do.”
“And I remember how much it hurt you when Leah dated Seth.”
He felt a twinge of pain in his chest. “Mom, I—”
“All I know is time has passed and Leah is a grown woman. If you’re honest with her, I know she’ll understand.”
Cole stroked his stubble. “She looked so happy when she told me about them. I felt like her second choice, as if I would be her back-up plan in case he left or hurt her.”
