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“Very close,” Birdie says. She narrows her eyes. “And here I was, thinking that you and Cole were an item.”
“What?” I try to look exasperated.
Grandad slides out of the booth, pointing to the jukebox in the corner. “I’m going to see what they have for tunes.”
“Gem has had the same music since the seventies,” I mutter.
But he’s gone in the next second. Grandad is making himself scarce. Backing away from potential conflict, would be my guess. It makes me sad that I can’t even tell Grandad such a small part of my life.
I roll my head and crack my neck. Fidgeting, I’m half-listening to my sister and half all the way in outer space. In spite of my best efforts, I find myself sneaking a peek at Cole. I catch him looking right at me. He jumps and looks away with a guilt-riddled expression.
Just what the hell am I missing here?
“Savannah.” Birdie elbows me. “You are hooking up with Cole, aren’t you?”
Shame fills me, and I drop my gaze.
“I was. Or maybe I still am? I– I don’t really know,” I confess. “Did you see his ex? She’s so… cosmopolitan.”
My sister snorts. “I can tell you this much. You don’t know what she is. And when she tried to hang on Cole’s arm, he shook her off like she was a big ole tick on a coon hound. There was some weird energy going on there for sure.”
It takes every bit of my strength not to look at Cole again. “Why wouldn’t he warn me that she was going to be here today? He was so vague when we talked about it earlier. I didn’t even know for sure that she was visiting.”
“Because men are idiots. Trust me. I’m a single mom for a reason.”
Gem swings by with several slices of pie, and two dishes of ice cream. She refills our coffees, makes a little chit chat, and then moves on to another table. Grandad slides back into the booth and nudges a fork at me.
I sigh and pick up a fork, using a tine to nudge at the golden-brown pecan pie. My sister gleefully digs into a piece of banana cream pie, while Grandad pulls a piece of chess pie toward him on the table.
“Hey! You have to share!” Birdie teases.
“Let the man enjoy his favorite pie in peace,” I chide. “You know Gem probably saved it just for him. She’s beyond sweet on Grandad.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” he declares. “And if you think that you’re getting that entire slice of banana cream pie to yourself, you’re in for a world of hurt. That’s next on my list.”
He punctuates it by pointing his fork at Birdie with mock seriousness.
“You’ll take this pie from me when I’m dead,” Birdie fires back.
“So much tension over pie.” I smile and look up, catching Cole’s eyes. He holds my gaze for several seconds, his eyes bulging slightly as if he is trying to communicate something with me through telepathy.
What on earth is that about?
I shrug a shoulder at him and turn back to my food. My sister pulls out her phone and drops her fork.
“Aw, crud.” She shows me the screen. An image is splashed across it, something from CSAT.
I’m looking at a recent photo of Cole, taken while he’s crossing the street. He’s smirking and looking satisfied with himself. But it’s the headline that makes my jaw drop.
Cole Bennett Signs Contract To Move To England For Big Bucks.
My eyes widen as I scan the short article for information. Unfortunately, I only see “eight figure salary” and “moving next week” before my eyes fill with tears.
What the hell is going on? Is this true?
Standing up, I grab the phone and wave it at Cole. He frowns and gives his head a tiny shake. Holly turns around, glares at me, and then reaches across the table to grab Cole’s hand.
Marking her territory, it seems.
