I shake my head. “No, I don’t think so.” I change the subject. “You need help looking into the Audrey thing?”
He shakes his head. “I’ll take care of it.”
I nod as we get to the front of the house. “All right, see you soon, brother.”
As soon as I get into the car, Stone asks, “Where to?”
“The bank and then Old Town Diner.”
He glances at me in the mirror, and I ignore him as I pick up my phone and text my mom. “Can you meet me at Old Town Diner?”
It’s a few minutes before I get a message back. “I can be there in two hours.”
“Sounds good,” I reply.
I pocket my phone, lean my head back, and close my eyes. Instantly, Luna in her black leggings and T-shirt comes to mind. There’s no question about it. Soon, she’s going to be Mrs. Cole Kingston, and somehow I’m going to have to convince her of it.
CHAPTER 4
LUNA
He’s here.
Cole Kingston is in the Old Town Diner. He has a notepad, laptop, phone, and pen spread out on the table in front of him. He’s been working since he walked in, and even though I've felt his stare a few times, he hasn’t talked to me.
Peggy comes up to me behind the counter. She nudges me in the side and gestures to the other end of the restaurant. “What’s up with that? What is Cole Kingston doing here?”
I look at Cole, and as if he knows we’re talking about him, he glances up at me. My cheeks feel hot, and I intently start wiping down the counter. “I dunno. Does he not usually come here?”
I’ve worked here for over nine years, since I was sixteen, and I’ve never seen him in here once, but maybe he comes in when I’m not working.
Peggy shakes her head. “Nope. He’s never been in here before. I tried to see if he wanted anything to eat, but he said he’d wait for you to take your break.”
My eyes widen, and I point a finger to my chest. “Wait for me? For what?”
She shrugs and wiggles her eyebrows at me. “I guess he wants to eat his dinner with you.”
I clench the towel in my hands. “Well, I’ll go tell him that I don’t take breaks.”
I walk toward Cole, and he lifts his head to watch me. By the time I reach him, I feel overheated from his gaze. I stand next to the table, twisting my hands at my sides. “Hey, Cole. Peggy said you were waiting to eat until I can eat with you, but I don’t take breaks.”
His eyebrows lift. “You don’t take breaks?”
I shake my head. “No, I don’t.”
He leans back in his seat. “I’m going to have to insist. I have something important to discuss with you.”
I shake my head. This is it. This is where he asks me to pay him back or give him the rent. “I should have your money by the end of my shift.”
He fists his hands on the table. “I don’t want your money, Luna.”
My stomach pulls when he says my name. I sit down across from him. “What is this, Cole? What are you doing here?”
“I need to talk to you.”
I open my mouth to protest when a beautiful red-haired woman stops at the table. “Cole.”
Cole stands up immediately and draws the woman into his arms. He gestures for her to slide into the booth and then sits down next to her. “Mom, this is Luna. Luna, this is my mom. Eleanor.”
