Page 72 of Honey Bee Library
I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. It’s in the past.” I picked up my coffee and took a sip. “What matters is you keep your end of this deal and, after this meeting, leave me alone.”
He was studying me now. “Is that what you want?”
I stared at the dark liquid in my coffee mug. His words echoed in my mind. Was it what I wanted? I didn’t know. I knew I didn’t have time for Liam, but the fact that I’d looked for him during these past 48 hours told me that, no, I didn’t want him to leave me alone. I liked having the attention. I’d been so lonely for so long. And even though Liam was a shameless flirt, that didn’t change the fact that I liked it when he paid attention to me.
Truth was, I didn’t want to be lonely anymore, and yet, I’d resigned myself to accepting that was my fate.
“Oh my gosh, itisher.” Liam’s whisper startled me and made me look up.
His attention was focused on someone behind me. I turned to see the woman who had been in front of me at the hostess stand was currently walking toward her table from the bathroom. She was smiling at the man she’d come with.
“It’s who?” I whispered as I turned back to Liam to see him glancing around the diner like he was looking for someone.
He flicked his gaze over at me before he went back to his search. “Cole’s mom.”
I frowned. “Cole’s mom?” I repeated. “Cole…Watkins? The guy you were looking for when you first came to the library?”
Liam nodded. “Yeah.” He rose up like he was going to leave, but sat back down as Willow appeared next to our table.
“Here’s your hamburger with no onions and a side of fries,” she said as she glanced between me and Liam.
I motioned toward Liam, and she set the food down in front of him.
“Is Cole around?” Liam asked, not even looking at his food.
Willow’s skin paled, and she visibly swallowed. “He’s, um…” She cleared her throat as she smoothed down her apron. “He’s going back to Miami.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “He’s not coming back to Harmony.”
Liam frowned. “He did? When?”
She glanced down at her watch. “About twenty minutes ago.”
He glanced around the diner and then back to Willow like he couldn’t believe what she was saying.
“Do you want me to give him a message in case I talk to him?” Willow started feeling around in her apron pocket like she was looking for some paper and a pen.
“Yeah.” Liam’s gaze was behind me now like he was looking at that woman once more. “Tell him his mom is in Harmony.”
Willow must have known what that meant because suddenly her entire body stilled as she stared at Liam. “I’m sorry, what?” she asked.
“His mom. She’s here at the diner.”
“Where?” Her gaze began to sweep the dining room.
Liam’s attention was back on Willow, and he was sizing her up like he was curious as to how much she knew. He must have seen the concerned expression etched on her face because he nodded in the direction of the couple. “Booth behind us.”
Willow paused and then slowly brought her gaze over to the left. She studied the woman for a moment before she let out her breath. “Wow,” she whispered. The seconds that ticked by felt like hours before she took in a breath, turned back to Liam, and pointed to the food on his plate. “Everything look good?”
Liam glanced down at his meal and then back up to Willow. “Yep.”
Willow studied him for a moment longer before she walked away. Now alone, I glanced over at Liam. He was reaching over to grab the bottle of ketchup tucked next to the wall. With it in hand, he hit the bottom a few times before he poured some out on his plate.
He must have felt me watching him because he looked up with a fry midway to his mouth. “What?” he asked before he slipped the fry in and started chewing.
I shook my head. “Nothing.” But that was lie. I had so many questions, and I didn’t know how to ask them without seeming like I was prying.
Liam nodded and proceeded to eat ten more fries and take two long sips of Coke before I realized I was going to go crazy watching him eat without knowing the history between Cole and his mom.
“So…” I started. I eyed him, hoping that he was going to pick up on what I wasn’t saying.
