“Colt’s been acting weird lately.” He looked across the table to Ty. “Don’t you think?”
“I don’t know,” Ty said, frowning. “He answers our texts, and I’ve been busy with the weddings.”
Trap nodded because Ty’s brother had just gotten married, and his sister had tied the knot this past June,andhis own wedding would be in another six weeks. “Yeah; are you and Winnie ready?”
“I am,” Ty said dryly. “She scheduled the final walk-through at Highland River Gardens, so that’s in a couple weeks. She’s got most stuff done, so it’s just a lot of follow up.”
“They’re right there.” Trap turned at the sound of Ilsa’s voice and found Colt brushing past her with a half-smile on his face.
“Thank you, ma’am,” he drawled, and he slid into the booth beside Trap. “Ah, yes, there’s my Diet Coke.” He reached for a straw like he wasn’t fifteen minutes late.
“Dude, where have you been?” Trap asked.
“I just had something to take care of,” Colt said, and he totally wouldn’t look at Trap.
He tried not to judge him, because Colt ran a four-hundred-acre apple orchard, managed over a dozen staff, a restaurant, a farm store,andhad a four-year-old son.
“And I have to stop at the pharmacy on the way back to the orchard for Birdie, so don’t let me forget that.” He poked his straw into his soda pop and took a drink.
“How’s your sister feeling?” Ty asked. “Winnie has a hankering to make chicken pot pie soup, and she said she’d bring her some.”
Colt blinked and then grinned at Ty. “You know, I’m feeling kind of sick these days.” He gave a couple of fake coughs. “Will Winnie bring me some chicken pot pie soup?”
Ty chuckled and shook his head. “She’s been on a soup kick, and she makes gallons and gallons of it. I’m sure she could spare a quart for you.”
“Then yes, Birdie wants chicken pot pie soup.” Colt grinned, though the gesture didn’t reach his eyes the way it usually did, picked up his diet cola, and took a long drink on the straw. “Thanks for getting this for me.”
“You’ve been acting really weird lately,” Trap said, deciding to go straight in.
“I have?” Colt asked.
“Yeah,” Trap said, and he glanced across the table to Ty, hoping for back-up.
Ty didn’t normally get involved in too much, and even now, he sighed and rolled his neck before he spoke. “I hate to say it, bro, but Trap’s right. I don’t pretend to know everything you have going on, but you are acting a little….” He trailed off and looked out the window.
The booth where they sat had a good view of Main Street, and Ty sat almost all the way next to it so his good ear could catch everything Trap and Colt said.
“I don’t know the right word,” Ty finally said. “Just a little…off.”
“You’re late all the time,” Trap said. “And you’ve never been late. And you give answers, but they’re really short and have no specifics.” He leaned back in the booth. “And you still won’t double with me and Lila Mae. Iknowthere’s something going on.”
Colt reached up and removed his cowboy hat, sliding it across the table to Ty’s side of the booth.
“Yeah, I don’t want to go out with you and Lila Mae,” he said.
Trap’s ribs pinched against his heart. “Why not?” he asked.
“I mean, I would if I had anyone to go with.”
Trap blinked slowly at first, and then his eyelids sort of flew out of control.
“Are you saying you broke up with Sariah?” Ty asked.
Colt took another drink of his soda pop, this time drinking nearly half the glass. He nodded. “Yeah.”
“Why?” Trap asked. “You seem to really like her.”
“I did,” Colt said. “Ido.”
