Page 12 of Entwined Hearts
“Right,” was all she said in response. “Tell Louise I said hi. And Gran, if she’s there.”
The diner wasbusy for a Monday morning, busier than I expected. It was my first time coming here since I’d been back home, and none of it had changed. The people, the worn leather seats, the slightly yellowed menus.
Wave after wave of nostalgia hit me. Memories of the six of us coming here as a family when I was a girl. Nights spent here with Delilah and our friends from school while we drank milkshakes and talked about boys. Or that one time I came here with Claire when I was sixteen, and Weston sat on the other side of the building with Colt, but stared at me the entire time.
I cracked open my laptop after ordering a veggie omelette, and started putting together documents I needed to have the property of the ranches rezoned. I also checked that I had the deeds to Golden Bridle and Circle M, as well as the list of assets.
I was rifling through Golden Bridle’s environmental reports with a mouth full of omelette when the kitchen door swung open. “Now I know you didn’t come to my diner to work,” Louise said with her hands on her hips. “This isn’t one of those internet cafe places you have in the city.”
I glanced up at her. “Hi, Miss Louise.”
She put a hand on the back of my laptop, pressing it closed, her coral red nails shining under the overhead lights. “You know that blue light mess gives you wrinkles and fries your brain.”
“It does neither of those things,” I replied as she snatched my plate and took it to her empty corner booth. A silent command to come talk to her.
I grabbed my stuff and followed after her even though I wasn’t really in the mood to spar with her. But there was no avoiding Louise, especially in her own diner.
She refilled my coffee and then sat down across from me. “So.”
“So,” I echoed while adding more creamer to my coffee.
“You gonna tell me what the hell that was Friday at the rodeo, or am I gonna have to guess?”
I shoved a heaping pile of omelette in my mouth.
She pursed her lips at me, her eyes narrowing. “So that’s how it’s gonna be?”
I finished chewing. “There’s nothing to say. Weston had an accident and I…didn’t take it well.” That was the understatement of the century—maybe even in the history of time.
“You sure make nothing look like a whole lot of something. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone that hysterical since Marlene found out her second husband faked his death to move to Arkansas with a twenty-something bartender he met in Amarillo. But what do I know? I’m just an old lady.”
Coffee shot out all over the table. I pressed a hand to my burning nose, my eyes watering. “I’msosorry,” I said between coughs while she laughed.
“It’ll wipe up. Don’t stress,” she said, handing me napkins. But then her eyes met mine, seeing too much, and it made me squirm. “It’s okay to have strong feelings, honey, but don’t go and belittle them by saying it’s nothing.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but the words wouldn’t come out. I hadn’t looked at it that way. I just didn’t want everyone in my business, and finally knowing something that I swore to myself I’d take with me to the grave.
“What’s going on over here?” Gran asked, looking between her best friend, me, and the spilled coffee.
“Just asking Savvy here what’s going on between her and Weston,” Louise said with a scheming grin while we both mopped up my spill. “She spat coffee at me like one of them spitting camels.”
“I did not!”
“Oh, Louise, leave the poor girl alone!” Gran sat down next to me. “Hi, sweet pea,” she said, giving me a pat on my cheek.
“Hi, Gran,” I murmured, mortified. It was hard enough dodging Louise. I didn’t know how I’d get both of them off my back.
“Well? Are you gonna tell us about Weston? Have you seen him?” she asked, looking hopeful. “That fall was just so awful. I should take him something. Do you think he likes cookies?”
I wanted to tell her Westondevouredcookies and never met one he didn’t like, but instead, I said, “I was just telling Miss Louise that there’s nothing to tell.”
“Now that’s just silly,” she laughed, and I wanted to crawl into a hole and die. “We’ve been around long enough to pick up on things, and you know what we see?”
My eyes darted between them, suddenly feeling like prey that’d been cornered. “What?”
“We saw the way he looked at you at that rodeo, and the way you fell apart when he got hurt.”
Louise took a bite of my omelette as if it were hers. Her voice was casual as she said, “Basically, we know you love each other.” I opened my mouth to respond, but she waved my fork at me. “You don’t need to pretend to deny it, honey. It’d be a waste of breath.”
