AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Taking off for lunch would mean long hours tonight on inventory after the yoga class she was scheduled to teach. She’d hoped to maybe head down to the lake to cool off. A midnight swim sounded fun. Perhaps her friends Lela or Annabelle—AJ now—would be up for a dip too. Late June in Texas meant lots of cutoffs and low-cut tops and swimming whenever possible.
But hell, now she was starving. She’d just have to swim tomorrow.
“I’m never going to be off Mexican, Colton. One hundred percent born and bred, remember?” Offering him a grin to break the tension caused by Paige’s abrupt exit, she bent to grab her purse. “I’m up for some of mama’s chimichangas. Oh, and ooh, deep fried ice cream. Screw my diet.”
Colt grinned and passed a hand over his closely-shorn dark hair. “Now you’re talking. It’s probably better Paige didn’t come anyway.”
She was tempted to ask why, then decided she didn’t want to risk ruining her digestion. Angst never went well with her mama’s cooking.
Half an hour later, they faced each other across one of the brightly-patterned tablecloths in her mama’s restaurant and scarfed down fajitas and chimichangas while they regaled each other with tales from work. They didn’t see each other that often anymore, maybe once or twice a month, but they always slipped into conversation without trouble. But today Colt clearly had something on his mind beyond the youngest Daly girl’s riding lessons, though he wouldn’t spit it out no matter how much she poked and prodded.
Then a disturbing thought occurred to her. “Is it Coach?”
Colt blinked his unnaturally long dark lashes. “Is Coach what?”
“He’s okay, right?”
“Aside from having a serious heart attack and bypass surgery? Uh yeah.”
She blew out a breath. “That’s not what I meant. I know all that. Did something new happen? Is his rehabilitation not going well?”
“Why would you think that?”
“Because you’re acting weird.”
Colt’s tightened lips smoothed out into a facsimile of a smile. “Am I now?” He leaned back in the booth. “Here I thought we were having a pleasant lunch.”
“We are, but something’s up with you. You should just tell me what and not make me guess.”
“Can’t a guy just want to have lunch with a woman he cares about?”
Charlene rolled her eyes, unable to believe she’d ever fallen for that charm he put on as easily as he tugged on his khakis. Not that it wasn’t very effective, but it was also transparent as hell when you knew where to look. “I’m your ex-wife. We’re not just buddies.”
“No. You’re right. Which is why I—” Colt broke off as her cell buzzed with an incoming text. “Go ahead and get that.”
“I’ll be just a second,” she said.
As soon as she glimpsed the message from her friend Lela, she realized why Colt was acting so damn fidgety.
“I’m down at Sally’s for lunch and just heard a rumor that Wade’s back in town. Wanted to give you a heads-up if you don’t already know. Do you know? If so, why didn’t you tell me?”
Charlene smiled in spite of the hummingbirds fluttering to life inside her belly. Yet again her superstitious nature had been proved right. She’d been on edge, worrying that even thinking of Wade might conjure his presence, and he’d already been back in Quinn.
And Colt had danced around the subject without saying a damn thing.
Gritting her teeth, Charlene typed a response. “First I’m hearing about it. But I’ll get the scoop and clue you in ASAP.”
“You better. Think we’ll need Ben & Jerry’s tonight?” Before Charlene could respond, Lela sent another text. “Never mind. I need to refresh my supply anyway.”
Charlene suppressed a sympathetic smile. With Lela’s ex-boyfriend, Tucker, and the rest of the guys from the high school championship team back in town due to Coach’s heart attack, Lela was revisiting her own high school heartbreak.
Difference was Charlene had no intention of spending any more time with Wade than necessary. She’d untangled herself from the Bennett boys years ago, and she wasn’t about to climb astride that prickly haystack one more time.
Charlene sent back another quick text. “Okay, sounds good. Talk to you later. Oh, and don’t forget the Chunky Monkey.” She set aside her phone and reached for her lemonade. A long sip later, she wasn’t any closer to knowing how to broach the subject with Colt.
It wasn’t a thing. It honestly wasn’t. So she’d kissed Wade. Or he’d kissed her. Big whoop. It had happened over twelve years ago. Ancient, forgettable history.
So why was her heart thudding in her ears like she’d just finished an incline workout on the treadmill?
