“Beau?” she asks Celeste, at least five unspoken questions passing between them.
“‘Fraid so,” Celeste confirms as she passes Trudy to enter the house.
Trudy looks between us, her astute eyes picking up on the tension. With a shrug, she pulls me into a warm hug.
“It’s good to see you again, Beauford! I would ask you if you’re staying out of trouble but…” She let her words trail.
“Very funny, Mrs. Dewberry.”
“Trudy,” she corrects me. “Let’s get you a cookie.”
We find Celeste in the kitchen with a stack of cookies and a glass of milk. She beams at Trudy. Trudy laughs as she wipes the crumbs off Celeste’s face.
“You missed pot roast last night,” Celeste gives her a pained look, and I feel bad for not feeding her properly last night. “I saved you some.”
“Oh, thank God,” Celeste moans.
I feel a pang of jealousy. We used to have an easygoing relationship.
“I’m not giving it to you until you spill. You have me in suspense, girl,” Trudy chides.
Celeste laughs and pulls the sonograms out of her purse. Trudy removes them from the envelope and scans the images.
“It’s a boy! Ernest will be so proud. We only have daughters.” Trudy disappears and returns with her phone and a small package. “Celeste, the package you’ve been waiting for has finally arrived.”
Celeste’s smile instantly drops. She sweeps the crumbs off the table into her hand and wipes her hands together over the trash can.
“I don’t want it anymore.”
She disappears before Trudy can formulate a protest. Trudy’s light-brown eyes cloud with concern. She studies me for a moment then hands me the package.
“I don’t know what happened between yesterday and today to zap her excitement. I don’t care to know because it’s between you two but fix it. Open it when you get a chance.”
Trudy follows Celeste. I’m standing in the kitchen, munching on a peanut butter cookie, and wondering what’s in the box when the front door opens.
I look up expecting to see Ernest, but instead, I find a guy around my age and height, blond, light eyes, and all muscle. He hasn’t seen me yet because he’s looking down at the goodies in his hand.
“Trudy? Celeste?” he calls into the air.
Celeste appears all smiles. “Brett!”
“Hey, you. Ready for date night? I got a bucket of popcorn fresh from the theater, the chocolate candy you like to mix in, and water for days—”
“Date night? What in the hell is going on?” My irritation rolls in the pit of my stomach.
Brett looks as if he’s just now noticing my presence, but he doesn’t respond to me.
“Is this him?” he asks Celeste.
Her smile drops and her nod is tight.
“Eh…” Brett says as if he’s trying to figure out something. “I thought Mr. Wonderful was easy going, not prone to jealousy, and charming. This guy is all tense and demanding—”
“Date night?” I repeat looking at Celeste.
Celeste pivots and goes back to where she was before he came.
“Not our date,” Brett clarifies. “Trudy and Ernest go on dates every Wednesday. I hang with Celeste to ensure that the ex-asshole of hers doesn’t try anything,” he explains, all of his intense attention is now focused on me. “You’re not like him, are you?”
