“Yes?”
A soft grin lifts the corner of his mouth. “I—”
“Jenna!”
I jump and turn around to look behind me at the sound of my mother’s voice to see her and my father walking toward us. “Mom. Dad,” I say, a little caught off guard as I take a step away from Cole. “You guys made it.”
“Your mother couldn’t decide on which dress to wear,” my dad quips and laughs when my mother smacks his arm.
“You will not put all of the blame on me for our lateness, Mr. I-can’t-find-my-cufflinks.”
Amused at my parents’ bickering, I smile, but it falters as I glance over to Cole. All of thecolorhas drained from his face, and he looks extremely uncomfortable.
“Jenna, sweetie, that dress is quite becoming on you,” my mother says, taking my hand as she guides me to spin to see the whole thing. “I love that color.” My skirt swishes around my thighs as I come to a stop and shoot another glance at Cole. “Oh, I’m sorry, sweetie,” my mother says when notices the shift in my eyes. “We didn’t mean to interrupt you andyour—” She looks from me to Cole and her whole body stiffens.
“Cole,” my father says with a chuckle and reaches for Cole’s hand, giving him a firm handshake. “When the hell did you get back in town?”
“A few days ago, sir,” Cole answers, formal and polite.
My father laughs again. “What is this ‘sir’ mess? I’m still the same old George I was years ago.” He places his palmagainstCole’s shoulder, squeezing before giving him a few pats.
A smile twitches Cole’s lips. “Okay, George,” he says with a nod to my father, and then, almost reluctantly, he turns to my mother. “Nina.” His voice is softer this time, and I hold my breath as I wait for what seems like forever for her to reply.
“Oh, son,” she cries and throws her arms around him. “We’ve missed you.” Her voice is strained as she squeezes him tight before loosening her hold and swatting his arm.
Shock crosses his face. Mine too. I can’t believe my mother just hit him.
“You’ve been in town fordays. Why haven’t you come by the house?” she chides, and my father steps in to place his arm around her shoulders.
“I was only laying low so I could surprise my mother on her birthday,” Cole explains, and his smile is a little easier this time. “No one knew I was back until about an hour ago.”
“Well, it’s a great surprise, son,” my father says.
“A very nice surprise,” my mother agrees. “And now that your secret is out I expect you to come by as soon as you can. You can stay for dinner, and we can catch up on what you’ve been up to.” She smiles, and it reaches her eyes. “I’ll even make your favorite—meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and roasted Brussels sprouts.”
“How can I say no to that?” Cole replies, and everyone chuckles. He looks much more relaxed now as my parents turn their questions to me, wondering how I’m fairing out at the lake house, how the work on my apartment is going, do I think I’ll be back in my own home before the school year starts, etcetera, etcetera.
Somewhere during this, Cole politely excuses himself from our conversation and strolls away—but not before I catch the look on his face. There’s shift in the air, and it’s as if I can sense the turmoil building within him.
I answer my parents’ questions, keeping my answers fairly short but still trying to be courteous, as I keep glancing to Cole. He jogs up the steps and crosses the patio into the house. Something’s not right, I can feel it.
“I’m sorry, Mom and Dad, but could you excuse me for just a moment,” I say as nicely as I can and turn to follow behind Cole.
