Even though he had kissed me and even though he said he wanted to kiss me again, the idea that anyone—much less a man like Cole, who was way too handsome for me and way out of my league—would have a crush on me? Impossible.
“I don’t think so. Cole’s a flirt, and he’s just flirting with me.” My heart felt stung by my own comment, but I also knew it was important for me to keep this in mind. Not to get silly, wishfulideas about something ridiculous. I didn’t need a relationship. I hated relying on anyone in any way.
Elsa didn’t even respond to my comment. “I don’t think he’s just flirting with you, even though he is a flirt. I’ve known Cole my whole life, except for the time I was away.”
“You have?”
Elsa nodded again. “The property where Haven and I just finished building our house is where I grew up. The house burned down in the same fire that destroyed Heartfire Falls years ago. My mom and I moved away when I was in high school after my dad died.” Elsa’s tone was matter-of-fact.
“Maggie told me about that. I’m so sorry.” Chloe’s voice was soft.
“I am too. That sounds like a lot to deal with,” I offered.
“I appreciate it, but it’s been a while. That’s not my point, though.” She shook her head, as if shaking the heaviness away. “Anyway, the Silvers were our closest neighbors. Cole is—” While I was all but salivating for more intel on Cole, Elsa turned onto a side road, shifting topics. “Almost there.”
Even though I wanted all the details about Cole, relief all but whooshed out of me at the subject change. Inside, my heart was doing a little tap dance of excitement, and my curiosity about Cole was annoying me.
Chapter Fourteen
ADELE
Crushes & card nights
Within minutes, we were walking into the house. Greetings circulated around us and I ended up seated at the kitchen table, almost overwhelmed by the friendly ease among everyone here.
Unprompted, Elsa picked up the loose thread of our conversation from the car. “It’s true Cole has always been a flirt, even when he was a little kid. Haven said it only got worse in high school.”
“So, I think he’s just flirting with me,” I added, latching on to that, as if to convince myself.
Chloe whacked me lightly on the shoulder. “Nope. Cole has a crush on you. I know a crush when I see one.”
“Watch out!” Lucy called.
Jasmine was walking across the kitchen, her eyes dipping down just in time to deftly dodge the hamster scampering across the floor.
“Buttons is looking good,” Jasmine commented.
“He’s chubby,” Lucy replied with a smile.
“How do you know if a hamster is chubby?” I asked, genuinely curious.
“Based on my experience with two hamsters, Buttons is chubby compared to Ham,” Lucy explained, rolling her eyes before leaning down and scooping up the hamster in question.
She lightly scratched along his back, and he seemed pretty pleased about it. “When I met Levi, he had a hamster named Ham that ran loose in the house. So now every hamster has to run loose in the house. It’s apparently a rule. I always worry someone’s going to step on him.”
“He’s adorable,” I said, watching the white hamster with big brown splotches scamper around after she set him back down on the floor.
“I’ve never had a pet,” I admitted.
“No?” Jasmine prompted.
I shook my head and looked around the group. “I, uh, had medical stuff growing up, and I was gone a lot. So my parents said we couldn’t have a pet because nobody had time to take care of it. If we had ever had the imaginary hypothetical pet.”
“Oh. Is everything okay now?” Lucy asked, her brow furrowing with worry.
“Oh, yeah. All good.”
“She had major heart surgery more than once,” Chloe chimed in with a practical nod. “It’s a big deal and she’s a badass.”
