She glanced at the screen, frowning. “I am sorry to do this since I do not condone cell phone use when dining, but duty calls.
She answered with a smile. “Mayor Maidson.” She listened for a few moments, then said, “Can you pick me up at the Treetop? I don’t want to disturb my guests’ meal to bring me there.” Ian and Beau went to offer her a ride, but she raised her hand and shook her head. “Perfect. I will be waiting out front.”
She ended the call. “I know both of you would be gentlemen and take me where I needed to go, and I appreciate that. But this is work, and a car can easily be sent for me. Now enjoyyourselves, and I will speak with you later, Pepper.” She stood with a smile. “Toodles.” And off she went.
As my mom disappeared through the open glass doors, I looked across the table at Beau. He was stirring his iced tea, his gaze fixed on a flowerpot near the railing.
I cast Ian a quick glance, and he nodded.
“Give it up, Beau,” I said.
He looked up, caught off guard. “What do you mean?”
Ian frowned slightly. “Something is obviously bothering you. What is it?”
Beau hesitated, then gave a small shake of his head.
I stopped him before he could brush us off. “We’re not going anyplace, and neither are you until you tell us what’s wrong.” I shrugged. “Though I think I can guess.”
Beau’s head shot up and his eyes turned wide. “You can?”
I nodded. “It’s Amy. You think she’s been ignoring you and you’re worried she doesn’t want to see you anymore.”
His whole body looked as if it sank. “I knew it. She told you she wants to break it off with me, didn’t she? Of course, she did, otherwise why would you say that?”
I looked at Ian and shook my head. “He can’t be that dumb.”
Ian grinned. “When it comes to women and the heart, every man is dumb.”
“Did Amy tell you why she wants to break it off with me?” Beau asked as if he didn’t hear a word Ian and I said.
“Amy said no such thing to me,” I said, hating to see him suffer senselessly.
You would think I threw him a lifeline. He stopped sinking, drew his shoulders back, his chin went up, and his eyes filled with hope.
“Join the club, Beau. You probably have seen and talked with Amy more than I have in the last few weeks, she’s been so busy.The woman takes on way too much. She juggles projects like she does numbers with skill and finesse.”
Beau shook his head. “The problem is?—”
“That you’re not part of what she’s juggling,” I said. “Again, join the club.”
“Pep’s right, Beau,” Ian said. “We haven’t seen her at all lately.”
“But it should be different for me. I’m her boyfriend.”
“Then tell her,” I said.
He looked befuddled, like he didn’t understand.
“Anytime Amy got so caught up in something that she ignored me, which was one day without talking to her, I called her on it. Which is a bit different now that she’s got you and I’ve got Ian, though it is rare for us to go a couple of days without at least texting each other.” I frowned. “Come to think of it, it has been a few days since she last texted me. That is unusual.”
“See, something is up with her, I know it.”
His body started sinking in on itself again.
“And I spotted her talking to your brother, Thomas, a few times, and she never mentioned it to me. She once told me that she had a crush on him since she was young. What if it was more than a crush and those feelings have resurfaced?”
I didn’t know what to say to that since I knew Amy had believed herself in love with Thomas. But I thought Beau had changed all that.
