I always called him on his miserable excuses.
And then we’d flirt and tease but I was always conscious to pull back before it became too serious. Theo hadn’t brought up the subject of going out on a date again since our lunch at Barton’s but I knew he was waiting.
He thought it was because he was my client.
He had no idea that I was waiting for reasons not related to my job.
I was waiting to forget about a certain lead singer.
I knew that it would only take time. Though I was beginning to worry that I would be old and grey before the Cole Brandt effect finally wore off.
I was right at the climax of the movie. Johnny Castle had just blown onto the scene and said his iconic line, “Nobody puts Baby in a corner,” and there was a knock at the door.
I frowned, not knowing who could possibly be coming by for a visit at this time in the morning.
I pulled my robe tighter around me and got to my feet. Whoever was on the other side of the door was extremely impatient.
“Hang on. Where’s the fire?” I grumbled, twisting the deadbolt and pulling the door open.
“Maysie?” I asked, looking down at my best friend.
She gave me a wane smile and reached out to give me a hug, which I returned, though I was still in shock at her sudden arrival.
“What the hell are you doing here? Are you moving in? Because if you are, you should have said something, bitch,” I teased, though I was sort of serious. She had mentioned when we had been in Raleigh that she was thinking of coming back to Bakersville to get some needed distance from the drama of the boys on tour.
But that had been the last she had mentioned it. Gracie and I had figured she had said it in a moment of frustration and Jordan had calmed her down.
But here she was, standing on our doorstep, looking anything but happy.
“Can I come in? It’s sort of cold out here,” she asked, stepping around me into the living room.
“Sure, sorry. I’m just surprised to see you. The last we spoke you were on your way to Chicago,” I said, closing the door behind her and following her to the couch. Maysie looked even more exhausted than she did the last time we saw her. I knew whatever reason she was here, it wasn’t good.
“Yeah, well, we got to Chicago-” she began, sitting down.
“Do you want me to get Gracie? How about a coffee? I just bought this amazing machine,” I broke in. It was in my nature to be a mother hen, even if I was abrasive in how I went about it.
“No, I’m fine. And don’t wake up Gracie. I can fill her in later.” Maysie waved away my offer.
With nothing left to do, I sank down beside her, ready to listen.
“I don’t see any luggage. Am I to presume you’re not moving in?” I asked.
Maysie shook her head. “No, I’m at Garrett’s.”
“Really?” I asked, surprised. Though I shouldn’t have been. That was where Jordan had lived before going on the road.
“Yeah, with Garrett and Jordan,” she added and the world stood still.
Or at least it felt like it.
“Jordan and Garrett are back in town?” My voice cracked and I reached for my coffee. I took a sip, not caring that it was now cold. Because if Jordan and Garrett were back in town, then that meant Cole was back in town.
And I wasn’t sure I was ready for Cole to be back in town.
No. I knew I wasn’t.
“We all got in a few hours ago. We caught a flight from O’Hare at six this morning.” Maysie was twisting her fingers over and over again. She was upset. Seriously upset.
“That’s a really early flight. Are you on the run or something?” I joked, even if the last thing I felt like doing was laughing.
Cole was here.
In Bakersville.
Suddenly the small town felt even smaller.
How would I ever be able to avoid him?
“Pretty much,” Maysie stated, pulling me out of my Cole centered fixation.