“Your last name sounds familiar. I think I’ve met your brother. You’re Seth Parsons’ little brother, right?” Craig said, displaying a grin.
Cole’s neck stiffened, but he rubbed his brow to ward off the tension. “Yeah, nice to meet you.” He and Craig shared a handshake.
“Same here. Leah and I were hanging out. Would like to join us?” Craig pointed to the empty seat next to Leah.
Cole pulled back slightly. “I don’t want to interrupt. I can take something to go.”
Leah grasped his hand. “Stay, Cole, please?”
Locking eyes with hers, his heart fluttered. “Only if I’m not intruding.”
“Not at all,” Craig said. “Leah here was helping me understand how women communicate.”
Leah laughed. “All I said was if Joanna asked you to dinner—”
“She didn’t exactly ask, but she hinted that she could make a mean meatloaf.”
Leah sat back in her seat. “Joanna eats meat?”
“That’s what I said,” Craig said.
Cole relaxed in his seat. Definitely not the night he expected. “Who’s Joanna?”
“My Pilates instructor who asked my friend Craig here on a date,” Leah explained.
Craig slurped from his glass. “Again, she didn’t ask.”
“Why don’t you?” Leah asked. “You like her?”
“We work together. I don’t know if it’s a good idea.” Craig eyebrows knitted together.
Cole nudged Leah’s shoulder. “You’ll never know unless you try.”
Craig gestured between Cole and Leah. “Have you two known each other long?”
Leah’s eyes sparkled. “Cole was my best friend in high school.”
“And you dated his older brother?” Craig asked.
“My junior year.”
Cole swallowed. “Seth left to play football in Georgia.”
Craig grinned. “Yeah, I heard he put Piedmont Valley on the map. I was sorry to hear about his injury. How did it feel having a celebrity for a brother?”
He had heard the question too many times growing up. Even after a career of his own, one that by now had far eclipsed that of his brother, Cole still sensed the stiffness in his neck. He’d made a name for himself. With his photos seen all over the world, why did the approval of his hometown mean so much?
Cole cleared his throat. “It was surreal, but we’re very proud.” Would the answer suffice?
Craig directed his attention back to Leah. Cole’s eyes diverted to her too. She looked stunning as always. She could rock formal wear and casual, and tonight her simple jeans and low ponytail were perfect. Cole’s hand rested on his thigh. Feeling the sweat surface on his palm, he ran his hand up and down on his pant leg.
When his phone buzzed inside his pocket, he reached for it. Who was calling now? “Sorry, I’ve got to take this.” Cole stood and stepped away from the table. To his surprise, it was his mother.
“Cole, I need your help at home,” his mother said.
He needed to talk to Leah. “I’m kind of in the middle of something.”
“With Seth out of town, I need help to make the rest of these cookies before Sunday for the church,” his mother said.