Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Alexis leaned forward eagerly, looking down at the breakfast menu of The Salty Spoon. Her stomach rumbled unceremoniously, and she glanced up at Julia, who was sitting across from her, wondering if she’d heard the noise.
Julia, however, seemed to be engrossed in sipping her cup of coffee and typing out a long text to Cooper. She had a sappy smile on her face, which Alexis took to mean that whatever she was saying to Cooper, it was more than just a regular “good morning.”
Alexis smiled and looked back down at the menu. The cheerful sounds of clinking cutlery and people talking and laughing filled the air, along with appetizing aromas of breakfast food.
“Ever since I moved back, I still can’t get over how many breakfast options they have now.” Alexis laughed. “It’s overwhelming in the best way. I always want to try something I’ve already had because I know it’s great, but at the same time I want to try something new. Everything sounds so delicious.”
Julia chuckled. “Tell you what. As long as we end up getting different things, we can sample each other’s food.”
“Ooh, sounds great.” Alexis looked back down at the menu, and her eyes lighted on something she’d already ordered in the past. In an instant, she knew that was what she wanted to get.
“Hey, ladies, are we all ready to order? What can I get for you?” Their waitress, a smiling middle-aged woman named Susan, stepped up to the table. Susan was good-natured and outspoken, and Alexis had always liked her.
“Are you ready, Julia?” Alexis asked, glancing in amusement at her sister, who was still texting Cooper.
“I will be in just a second,” Julia said. “You order first?”
“Okay. I’ll take two pieces of French toast, with peanut butter on the side, and a chocolate banana peanut butter smoothie bowl with extra peanut butter.”
“My goodness!” Susan laughed. “Normally you ask me to hold the peanut butter on everything you order. You’ve really had a change in your food preferences, huh?”
Alexis shrugged, smiling. “Lately, I just can’t get enough peanut butter.”
“Huh.” Susan smiled sweetly at Alexis, and it was clear that the wheels in her mind were turning. “You’re also looking a little flushed, sweetheart.” She let out an eager gasp. “Are you pregnant?”
Alexis’s eyes widened. “Shh, Susan.” The waitress’s tone had been on the louder side, and she glanced around hurriedly to see if anyone was looking at their table or not. “I don’t know what you mean.”
Susan gave her a conspiratorial smile and a wink. “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.”
Julia cleared her throat, giving Alexis a look, and then ordered a breakfast burrito with a side of strawberry yogurt.
Susan waltzed off to put in their order, and Julia turned to Alexis.
“Don’t even say it.” Alexis sighed. “I know what that look means.”
“Girl. Everyone in town is going to know you’re pregnant before Grayson does if you don’t tell him soon. Your strange newfound obsession with peanut butter is not helping with secrecy.”
“I’ll tell him, I will. I have every intention of doing so.” Alexis took a sip of her coffee and then set the cup down with energy, determined to change the subject. “We need to talk about how we’re going to tell Hazel that Jacob is single.”
Julia shook her head, laughing. “Nice subject change, missy.”
“I mean it! How are we going to tell her? Should we come right out and say it, or just hint at it?”
“I’ve given it some thought, and I think we shouldn’t tell her.”
“What? Not tell her?”
“Yeah. Because she’s become so much more confident. Confidence is always attractive, and I have to admit, Jacob does seem to be more drawn to her than ever before. I think she’s getting out of her own way right now—before, she was too worried about how she acted around him to show him how much she cared about him. Now, she’s just going to treat him like a good friend, and I think that’s going to show him what a great person she is much more than flirting ever could. And besides, she just found this new confidence and self-assurance. I worry that it could disappear if she suddenly finds out that Jacob is single again. I think her tongue-tied high school crush might come back with a vengeance.”
“So you want to give her time to be ready to have an articulate adult crush?”
Julia laughed. “That’s about the size of it. Come on, tell me I’m wrong.”
Alexis sighed, disappointed. “You are making some good points. I just really wanted to tell her.”
“I know.” Julia chuckled. “But look at it this way—she’s going to find out at some point. Just like we did.”
“Well, probably not just like we did.” Alexis laughed. “I doubt she’s going to be waking up poor Cedric Turner in the middle of the night.”
“True.” Julia shook her head, laughing, and took another sip of her coffee. “I hope I never have to call him for any reason. I don’t want him thinking I was the one who woke him up and then told him that I just needed something to gossip about.”
Both Julia and Alexis were overcome with a fit of laughter. Finally, Alexis took a deep breath and a long sip of her coffee.
“I still think we should consider telling Hazel,” she said. “After all, if she thinks Jacob is unavailable, she might avoid him to an extent. Don’t you think she should know that he’s not in a relationship anymore so she feels more free to spend time with him?”
“No, I—oh hey! It’s Dean.” Julia grinned as their brother Dean approached their table.
“Well, what on earth are you doing here?” Alexis asked, standing up to give her brother a hug.
“You’ll never guess.” Dean patted his stomach. “Getting breakfast. I saw you two sitting over here giggling, and I decided I had to come ask what you’re talking about.”
“Well.” Julia glanced at Alexis and smiled. “We were talking about something that pertains to Hazel.”
“Oh, yeah?” Dean sat down next to Julia. “What about Hazel?”
“Well, the other night, Alexis came over and insisted that we try to figure out if Jacob Dorsey is single or not. I was skeptical at first, but after some detective work, sleuthing around on the internet, we discovered that Jacob is in fact available.” Julia grinned.
Dean shrugged. “Yeah, I know. I already knew that.”
Julia gaped at him. “What? You already knew that? Why on earth didn’t you tell us?”
Dean shrugged, laughing. “You never asked.”
“Oh, come on.” Alexis punched him playfully. “You didn’t think to just tell us that very important information? You know how Hazel feels about Jacob.”
Dean leaned back in his seat. “Does she anymore, though? She seems fine with being friends with him. Besides, I don’t know that it’s any of our business.”
“I kind of agree with Dean,” Julia said. “I want things between Jacob and Hazel to work out as much as you do, Alexis, but I don’t know that we should get involved. After all, Hazel does seem to be content with how things are in her life right now. Maybe this is the best way for her and Jacob to start a spark together—as friends.”
“Sounds good to me.” Dean nodded. “Noelle and I started as friends, and that laid a great foundation for our relationship.”
Alexis sighed. “Oh, fine. I guess you’re both right. But can’t I at least hint to her that Jacob’s available?”
Julia shook her head. “No, I think that would be even worse. Then she’ll start to wonder and get in her head about him again. We’ll just leave her be. Let things work out how they’re going to work out.”
“Agreed,” Dean said.
“Fine. Pinky promise.” Alexis linked pinkies with Julia and then with Dean. “But if she ends up not dating Jacob, I’m going to be really mad at both of you.”
Julia laughed, and then froze, staring at something over Alexis’s shoulder with wide eyes. Perturbed, Alexis turned around to see what Julia was staring at.
Cedric Turner was walking through the dining room of The Salty Spoon, following a hostess to a table. As he got closer to their booth, he noticed them and stopped with a big smile on his face.
“If it isn’t the Owens siblings! Well, most of you. Good morning.”
“Good morning,” Julia said, her tone overly bright. “How are you, Mr. Turner?”
Under the table, Alexis was clasping her hands tightly, hoping with all her might that Cedric had no idea it was her and Julia who had called him on the phone. The fact that Julia had called him “Mr. Turner” just like Alexis had on the phone wasn’t helping matters any.
“Oh, fine, fine.” Cedric’s eyes glinted almost mischievously. “You know, I had the strangest dream the other night.”
“Really?” Alexis coughed and hurriedly took a sip of coffee. “What was your dream?”
“I had a dream that I got a phone call from you in the middle of the night, Alexis.” Cedric shook his head, chuckling. “You were prying for information about someone.”
“How odd,” Julia said, glancing at Alexis, who was blushing furiously and blinking at the center of the table. “Information about who?”
“Oh, let me see… I think it was… oh yes! Jacob Dorsey. You asked me if he’s single or not.”
“Ha! What a weird dream.” Alexis shrugged, still a bright shade of pink. “I’m really surprised you dreamt that, Mr. Turner. I mean, Cedric. Really weird.”
“I’ll say.” Cedric grinned. “Well, you kids have a good day.” He waved goodbye and followed the hostess to the table she was leading him to.
As soon as Cedric was out of sight, Alexis leaned her head down onto the table and groaned.
“How on earth did he know it was me?” she whispered as Julia and Dean tried to stifle their laughter. “How could he recognize my voice? I called him on your phone, Julia, and we were sure he didn’t have your number saved.”
“Well, he’s known us since we were kids.” Julia wiped away a tear of amusement. “I guess he’s just got a good ear for voices.”
“Wait, you called Cedric Turner in the middle of the night?” Dean leaned forward conspiratorially, grinning. “And asked him if Jacob is single? You should have called me!”
“Well, we assumed that as our brother who is supposed to be loyal to Hazel, you would have told us that information if you already knew about it,” Alexis whispered.
“I can’t believe you called Cedric Turner in the middle of the night,” Dean said, shaking his head and laughing as quietly as he could.
“It wasn’t the middle of the night!” Alexis squeaked. “Just late.”
“Besides.” Julia grinned as she picked up her coffee cup and took a sip. “Didn’t you hear Mr. Turner? It was just a dream, it didn’t really happen.”