“Someone seems happy.” Penny squeezed in beside Eliza and scooped a huge spoonful of seven-layer dip onto her plate, followed by a handful of tortilla chips.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Sensing a telltale heat creep up her neck, Eliza shifted her attention to the plethora of potato salads, trying to decide between classic and Cajun-style. “It’s a lovely day. The weather is perfect. The food is delicious….”
Penny leaned in, lowering her voice. “Are you sure it doesn’t have more to do with the fact that Grant dunked Colt in the swimming hole?”
“How’d you hear about that?”
“Honey, everyone knew about it five seconds after it happened. I’m only sorry I missed it,” Penny giggled.
“Don’t you think you’re a little hard on Colt?” Eliza asked, trying to detour the topic away from Grant.
Penny shrugged, crunching on another chip. “He can handle it. Now, stop changing the subject.” She glanced left and right as if to make sure no one was in earshot before whispering, “I think Grant still has a thing for you.”
By now, the heat had traveled up Eliza’s neck and blazed across her cheeks. “I think you’re imagining things.”
“Deny it all you want, but you two are definitely getting back together.” Penny plopped another chip in her mouth before sauntering off, tossing a wink over her shoulder.
Eliza’s lips twitched, fighting a smile. Oh, how she wanted to believe Penny was right. But under the circumstances, a second chance for her and Grant simply didn’t seem possible.
Moving to the refreshment stand, Eliza slid her plate onto the table and grabbed a tall mason jar. Turning the spout of the beverage dispenser, she searched the crowd for Ben while her glass filled. She’d told her parents not to let him run wild with his friends until after lunch, but once Sylvia got to chatting, she easily lost track.
“Looking for someone?”
The hairs on the back of Eliza’s neck prickled as she met Harriet’s icy gaze.
“Yes, my son.”
Harriet raised one sharply penciled eyebrow. “Really? Are you sure you weren’t looking for someone else?”
Eliza’s heartbeat stilled, every muscle in her body tense. What exactly was Harriet insinuating?
Suddenly, Eliza’s cup overflowed. Ice-cold lemonade drenched her hands and the hem of the sundress she’d thrown over her bathing suit after the race. Frantic, she scrambled to switch off the spout.
“Here, let me help you.” Harriet grabbed a handful of napkins and stepped in front of Eliza, keeping her head lowered as she dabbed the sticky, sopping-wet stain. “You should really be more careful.”
Harriet’s venomous tone made Eliza’s blood run cold. And Eliza instantly knew she wasn’t talking about the lemonade.
Taking a step back, Eliza yanked the hem of her dress from Harriet’s grasp. “I’m fine, thank you.”
“Glad to hear it. And how are your parents?” Harriet asked pointedly, a small, almost imperceptible sneer playing about her lips.
Eliza’s breath hitched in her throat, and she glanced around for a quick path of escape.
Harriet took a step toward her, her eyes narrowing. “You remember our agreement, don’t you, Eliza?”
Swallowing past the lump of fear in her throat, Eliza whispered, “Yes.”
“Good. Then it would serve you well not to forget it.” Harriet crumpled the soiled napkins into a ball in her fist before tossing them in the nearby trash can. “Have a nice day.” With a sharp wave of her hand, she disappeared into the throng of merriment, leaving Eliza breathless and trembling.
“Mom! Mom!” Ben appeared by her side, tugging on her arm. “Grant asked us to sit with him at lunch. Can we? Can we?”
“Um…” Eliza blinked several times, trying to reorient to her surroundings, shaking away the tremors in her hands with a flick of her wrists. Concentrating on Ben, she forced a wobbly smile. “Not today, Bug. Let’s sit with Grandma and Grandpa, okay?”
Ben’s lower lip protruded in a pout. “Okay.” Within a millisecond, his face brightened, as if he’d forgotten all about his previous disappointment. “Can I have some lemonade?”
“Sure. Second time’s the charm.”
Ben tilted his head, gazing at her with a quizzical expression.
