She shrugged. “Yeah. That Ry-Girl is on me to slow down.”
I caught Dom staring at me when Mama Lil mentioned Ryleigh.Did he know something?
“It’s probably for good reasons,” Dom said. “You’ve been working a long time. It’s time for you to enjoy life.”
“Oh, I still have fun,” she insisted. “I got my friends. We play cards, go to the casino… I also spend a lot of time with Ryleigh and Martin in Michigan.” She pinned me with one of her infamous don’t-try-me glances. “How come I never see you?”
“You’re always too busy for me,” I said.
“Yeah, right. I’m old but I’m not stupid. I know you try to stay far away from Ryleigh, boy. That worst-kept secret is out.”
Dom barked out a laugh. “I’m glad someone told him the truth. He thought he was slick, Mama Lil.” He gave her a high five. “So smart, yet so slow.”
I glanced at Mama Lil, then at Dom. “So everybody knows about me and Ryleigh?”
“Boy, please.” She stepped aside when the waitress brought the food out and set it in front of us. “I don’t knoweverybodyis, but I been knew. I saw you at Ava’s wedding, chile. Staring at Ry-Girl with those sad eyes.”
“Looking pitiful,” Dom cosigned. “Sad and pitiful.”
“What the …?” I shifted in my seat. “Why didn’t you tell me you knew?”
Dom hunched his left shoulder, biting into a piece of bacon. “I figured you’d tell me when you were ready.”
“You never could hide anything from me,” Mama Lil said. “But it was a good thing you acted a complete, pitiful fool at that wedding. ‘Cause if you had come to your senses, Ryleigh might not have let Martin love her. And hedoeslove her.”
I love her, too. “I’m glad she’s happy.” The words tasted sour and disingenuous. But what the hell else could I say? “She deserves it.”
“Definitely,” Dom agreed. “Married life looks good on her. Right, Coop?”
I glared at my brother. “Yes,” I said, thought clenched teeth.
“It’s okay to be jealous.” Mama Lil squeezed my cheek, much like she used to when I was younger. “You messed up, but it’s okay. We live and learn.”
The last thing I wanted to hear—again—was that. Even if it was the truth. “These pancakes look good,” I said, moving the subject away from Ryleigh. “Thanks for hooking me up with the extra blueberries.” Which I’d only started eatingbecauseit was Ryleigh’s favorite.
“How long will you be in town, son?” she asked.
“Another week or so.”Maybe longer. For some reason, I kept extending my departure date. I told myself it was because of the Fox house, but there was more to it. Something was preventing me from hopping on the next flight out of here.
The bell above the door rang and Angel walked into the dinner with two older people, another woman, and her son. The little boy pointed at me and sprinted toward my booth.
“Hi, Mr. Cooper!” He waved.
“Well, who is this?” Mama Lil asked.
“I’m Mehki,” the boy announced, before he told me, “We saw another spider in the house. I think there’s a family.”
“Really?” I said, staring at Angel as she approached the table. I didn’t even bother to hide my perusal, letting my gaze travel from her shoes to her hips to the cleavage just barely peeking out of her blouse to the gold necklace she wore around her neck to her mouth…Damn, that mouth. It tripped me up the first time I’d seen her. And those light brown eyes. She was beautiful—soaking wetanddressed to impress. “I hear you have another little friend?”
Angel rolled her eyes. “Don’t remind me. They’re everywhere.”
“Ah, I see.”
“You should come over,” Mehki suggested. “Maybe we can catch some.”
Pulling Mehki closer to her, Angel said, “How about we do not disturb them if we don’t have to, babe?” Peering down at me, she said, “I’m sorry. He’s been talking about you for the last two days. He was super excited when we saw you through the window.”
I held her gaze as I sipped my coffee. “It’s no problem.”
