“You could say that, but I’ll be fine.”
Her mother raised an eyebrow. “Well? What is it?”
Leah sighed. “I’m updating my website. The pictures I have are okay but Cole thinks—”
“Cole?”
“Yeah, I hired Cole to update my photos. The thing is… he thinks I need to model the clothes.”
Her mother nodded. “You can trust Cole. Like old times I see. That boy loved eating my peanut butter cookies.”
Leah ran her fingers through her hair. “He had a sweet tooth.”
“So did you. Something else you have in common.”
“Mom, don’t meddle please.”
“All I know is, outside of Gemma, he’s the best friend you ever had.”
“We’re still friends. We didn’t keep in touch like we should have but…”
“But what?”
“It was like we… we picked up where we left off with no problem. It was as if no time had passed at all.”
“Your eyes lit up.”
Leah blinked. “What are you talking about?”
Her mother wagged a finger at her. “You can’t fool your mother. I know that look.”
Leah straightened in her seat. “Mom, I don’t know what you mean. We’re only working together for my website.”
“That’s the same thing you told me when you had a crush on his brother.”
The pit of Leah’s stomach fell. “And look how that turned out.”
“It may not have worked out with Seth, but honestly, I always thought Cole was a better fit for you.”
Leah laughed. “You must really want grandchildren.”
Her mother slipped her a curious glance. “You can joke all you want to—always joking to divert the conversation. Just like your father.”
She folded her hands in her lap. “That’s not a bad thing, but really, Mom, I’m okay.”
Her mother’s eyes squinted as if she didn’t believe her. “Okay, I’ll let it go for now.”
Leah checked her watch. “I should head home.” She walked over to hug her mother.
“Leaving so soon?” her father asked. He straightened the lapels of his shirt.
“Yes, I’ll see you both later.” She hugged her father. He kissed her forehead and the corners of Leah’s mouth turned up. She stood on her tiptoes and whispered to him, “Enjoy your buttermilk waffles.”
“I will, sweetie.”
Her mother gestured between the both of them. “What’s that, some secret father-daughter language?”
Leah grinned, grabbed her purse, and sauntered to the front door. As she strolled to her car, her mother’s words replayed in her mind. Cole and me?