He leaned back in his chair and slipped his hand under Trace’s, entwining their fingers. He lifted a shrug. “Risk versus benefit. Honestly, now is a terrible time for… anything. Rushing something delicate, potentially explosive, like a new relationship between two people with a complicated relationship already, who have a lot going on right now?”
Pippa scrunched her mouth into a scowl, but he could see the worry. Leaning forward, elbows on the table, she tapped her fingers together and ensnared him with a look. “Love is risky no matter what, and there’s never a good time for it. I knew that Asher would be unable to resist Sophie, and that she would fall for his charm. Fool that I was, I thought that would be a terrible thing. Heartbreak and… disaster. So I did everything I could to prevent it.”
Cole tipped a look, daring her to admit that she shouldn’t be messing around with people’s feelings.
“But…” she continued, drawing out her words with a slow nod. “They ignored me and everything is great and, most importantly, I was right.”
Pushing his hair back, he leaned back in his seat and let her finish.
Only a hint of guilt in her expression, she seemed to enjoy indulging in the self-praise. “I have an eye for these things.”
Asher rolled his eyes and whispered something in Sophie’s ear. She laughed under her breath but patiently listened.
Pippa and Asher’s dad pointed his finger at his daughter. “Pip. Come on. You freaked out. You didn’t speak to either of them for days.”
“True,” she squeaked, enthusiasm rising. “But my instincts were right on. Nobody asked me, but I knew Freya and Zane were perfect together. And, I was right. It only took one weekend to make it permanent.”
“Sort of,” Zane corrected with a hiccup.
“And Grady for Claire? Talk about bad timing and a very complicated relationship. But they were so obvious. And, no offense, Finn…” Pippa seemed to savor her victory, but apparently didn’t know when to quit.
Finn leaned slightly forward to listen, sarcasm oozing in his smile.
At Cole’s side, Trace gripped his hand tighter, and he could see she was about to lose it. Yet she held the expression that said all this was lovely.
Pippa didn’t notice that at least four of the people at this table were tense with dread over what she was about to say. “In high school, yeah, you and Trace were all over each other. Inspired me to, ahem, take things to the next level with Lincoln. But Trace, you were always way spicier with Cole.”
“Spicier?” Trace asked, like someone had just flicked her on the tip of the nose.
“Yes. Spicier. You and Finn were sweet and all that, like high school sweethearts should be.” Pippa lifted her orange juice. Pointing around the tall, narrow glass, she pondered. “You all remember, I’m sure. Trace and Finn would hold hands and always sit together and were sugary sweet together. But when Cole walked into a room, Trace would light up. She’d do that thing she’s doing now.”
Trace froze, her eyes darting around the table, then closed her mouth and moved her tongue back in. “What?” she asked innocently.
“That thing with your tongue,” Finn said, scrunching his brow as he considered. “That you do when you’re working out a problem.”
Cole couldn’t breathe, his mind muddled as he thought back so far. Had she reacted to him differently than everyone else?
He kept one hand linked with Trace, and spun his coffee cup slowly with his other, listening.
Asher snorted a laugh and lit up, leaning in to toss in his two cents. “Okay, Pip. You might actually be onto something. Remember that all-night kegger off the old logging road my first summer back from college? Cole was making out with… who was that? I can’t remember.”
“Kendra Lomax,” Cole whispered. Fuck. He knew exactly where this was going.
“Yeah. Kendra. She was...” Asher nodded and looked into the remote distance, still impressed.
Cole twitched a smile. “She’d brought a tent and a double sleeping bag and had this whole night planned.”
Pippa gleefully stomped her feet under the table and laughed that they were with her in a moment that Cole wanted never brought up again. Overflowing with enthusiasm, Pippa said, “Kendra was that girl we were all jealous of, but she was too nice to hate. Gorgeous, confident, and she was so smart. Everyone had a thing for her, and she did not date. Like, anyone. I’d heard she’s a fashion person, editor or stylist or something.”
Fuck. Cole didn’t want to even say it out loud. “Model.”
Trace looked around the table, brow low and clueless bouncing over her. “I don’t remember any of this. I mean, I remember Kendra, and I remember going camping a few times that summer.”
“You probably wouldn’t remember much of that night,” Cole said, breathing a heavy sigh and squeezing her hand.
Pippa was on a roll, her hands telling the story as much as the excitement in her voice. “Trace was smashed. Hilariously so. Quite the dancer.”
Finn rubbed his hands over his face, dropping his gaze and looking over at Haley, wincing. “I don’t remember much either. We also had our own tent. I passed out. Not the romantic night I’d envisioned.”
