Jasper and I were finished with our oatmeal, so I gathered up our bowls and moved to stand.
“I can take those,” Brody said as he entered my office with his hands outstretched.
“Thanks,” I said, leaning over my desk with both bowls in hand.
He took them from me and nodded. “Of course.” He started walking toward the door. “I’ll get started on brewing some coffee and then prep for breakfast,” he said over his shoulder.
“I’ll take Jasper to school and then come back to help.”
Brody nodded in acknowledgment.
With Brody gone, I focused on getting Jasper’s shoes on him and then finding the lightweight jacket I’d purchased last night. Once we were ready, I ushered him from my office, shutting off the light and closing the door on my way out.
Breia was walking in while I was pushing Jasper out the back door. She greeted us, a look of confusion passing over her face, but she didn’t stop me. I gave her a quick nod and a smile as we passed by.
When we got to the car, Jasper climbed in the back, and I made sure that he was buckled before I shut the door. Just as I turned, Cole pulled in next to me.
I’d always been in the diner before Cole arrived, and when I left it was always dark, so I’d never really paid attention to what he drove. Seeing his sleek black Jaguar slide in next to my beater Honda Civic was startling.
I’m not sure how long I’d been standing there, staring, but it was too long, because suddenly, his door swung open and he was climbing out. His gaze locked with mine, and for a moment, he just stared at me.
It was like I was in a trace. I wasn’t sure if it was his car or his dark brown eyes, but I couldn’t pull my gaze away.
“Morning,” he said as he nodded to me and then moved to slam his door.
“Mornin’,” I whispered awkwardly, like it was the first word I’d ever spoken.
Cole was looking straight ahead, but as he passed by me, he turned to meet my gaze once more. He knew that I was staring, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself. It was probably due to sheer exhaustion, after all, it’d been two nights since I’d gotten any sort of sleep. Or maybe my brain had officially short-circuited and I was now in autopilot. But no amount of screaming at my brain would make my muscles move.
Cole paused and studied me before he gave me a curt nod and continued toward the diner. Without him near me, I was finally able to relax. My body seemed to finally be listening to my brain as I walked over to the driver’s door and climbed in behind the wheel.
So many questions filled my mind as I drove to Harmony Elementary. Who was Cole, really? Why was he here? But most importantly, why on earth did he care about some small-town diner when he drove a freaking Jaguar?
That man had money. Why was he so insistent on sticking around here? Something didn’t add up.
I parked at the school and held Jasper’s hand as we walked inside. The principal was waiting by the entrance and gave me a quick nod as I knelt down and hugged Jasper before I let him know that Zoey would be there in the afternoon to pick him up.
He was too busy waving to his little friend Nick to listen. Instead, he started pushing at me in an effort to break my hold on him. I planted a kiss on the top of his head and then let him go. He took off down the hall, ignoring thetskthe principal gave him for running.
“Sorry,” I said with a sheepish smile.
She just studied me from above her readers.
I gave her a quick nod and then headed out of the school and back over to my car. Once I got to the diner, I was in go-mode. I parked in my usual spot—making sure to park as far away from Cole’s car as possible—and headed inside.
The kitchen was in full swing when I walked through the back door. Brody was pacing between Zaiden and Molly, who were prepping food for breakfast. I nodded at them as I walked through to my office. Just as I neared, I stopped.
The door was open, and I could hear a voice coming from inside.
I slowly crept up to the doorframe, and leaned my head toward the opening. It was Cole’s voice, but I couldn’t quite make out what he was saying. He didn’t sound happy, and the bite to his tone had my ears perked.
“I know, I know.” Silence. “But I can’t come back. Not now.”
Was this someone from Miami? Why couldn’t he go back?
“I have to finish up here.” Pause. “It’s what we agreed on. I’m not just walking away.”
Was he talking to a woman? A man? Was it a business partner? What did they agree on? Why was the diner a part of this agreement? My mind was swirling with questions that I knew Cole would never answer.
