“That’s so…sweet.” Clover summoned up a smile, while thinking, Note to self. Stay on Autumn’s good side.
“See you all Monday morning,” Sam said, nodding to Clover. “Call me if you need anything.” And he turned and walked off.
She felt a strange pang as he walked away. She wanted him to stay so she could keep giving him a hard time. That was why she wanted him to stay, of course. Not because she wanted him to accidentally brush up against her and send that little thrill through her body again.
What had just happened? Had she forgiven him? Why did he have to keep sweeping in and rescuing her when she was trying really hard to hate his guts?
As they walked into the coffee shop, Clover asked Autumn, “Who were you talking to on the cell phone?”
“Nobody.”
“Really,” Clover said irritably. “So you have some mental illness issues? You just talk to a cell phone with nobody on the other end?”
“Yep.”
Great. There was nothing more fun than a sulky teenager.
Clover moved to block Autumn as the other kids walked up to the coffee shop counter.
“I’m not screwing around. Give me the phone.”
Autumn handed it to her, and Clover checked the phone numbers. There were half a dozen incoming calls made over the past few days – all to a blocked number.
“Tell me who you were calling.”
Autumn rolled her eyes in exasperation. “A boy I used to know. Back in North Carolina.”
“Name?”
Autumn appeared to think for a second. “Mike,” she said finally.
Mike. Right. Autumn hadn’t even put any real effort into the lie.
“So why didn’t you want me to know about it?”
Autumn shrugged. “No reason. Doesn’t matter. I won’t let him call me again. You want my cell phone?”
“No.” Clover sighed. “I want you to have it so you can make calls if there’s an emergency. Just…if you have a problem, you know you can talk to me, right?”
Autumn shrugged. “Sure,” she muttered, and headed over to the pastry counter, pretending to be very interested in the donut selection.
Chapter Seven
Sapphire came over on Sunday to have lunch with them. She was wearing tight jeans and heels and a crop top. So far she wasn’t showing. She was the kind of girl who probably wouldn’t look pregnant until her eighth month and then she’d have her figure back the day after she gave birth.
Clover grimaced at the thought of Sapphire being a parent. She had really, really hoped that being pregnant would make her act more mature, but obviously that wasn’t happening. Sapphire was still refusing to say where she was living or where she was working, which did not bode well.
“I’m crashing with friends. You never like my friends, so it’s not like you’re going to come visit,” she said to Clover.
“There’s generally a reason why I don’t like your friends.” Clover couldn’t keep the exasperation out of her voice.
“You’re always so judgemental. And you wonder why I don’t want you to come visit?” Sapphire said petulantly. “You’d just be rude to everyone and look down on them.”
Just then Autumn walked into the living room. When she saw Sapphire she made a face and turned around, heading back out of the room.
“For God’s sake!” Sapphire said, exasperated, and ran after her. Clover could hear Autumn heading up the stairs, with Sapphire hurrying up behind her. Then she heard low, angry voices, but she couldn’t make out what they were arguing about.
She came back down a few minutes later, shaking her head.
“What is she mad about?” Clover asked.
“Teenage adolescent angst. Also she found out that I’m pregnant and I guess she’s being all judgey about it. Whatever. What’s for lunch?”
“Pot roast and potatoes. How did she find out? Never mind - it is impossible to keep anything a secret from these kids.”
“Speaking of my fatherless child, any news on Jeffrey?”
Clover sighed. Might as well break the bad news.
“Apparently he’s in Europe. I’m going to see if there’s a way I can find his number there.”
“Europe!” Sapphire wailed. Her eyes glittered with tears and she blinked hard. “So he hates me so much that he left the country to get away from me. Great.”
“No, that isn’t it!” Clover protested. “His jerkoff brother made him leave town.”
“The jerkoff you’re working for?” Sapphire said bitterly. “Are you sleeping with the enemy? I know how Jeffrey’s big brother bowls over all the ladies.”
“I beg your pardon,” Clover said stiffly. The memory of her and Sam kissing by the picnic basket flashed through her mind and she flushed self-consciously and looked away, unable to meet Sapphire’s gaze.