Chapter 4
LUNA
He’s here.
Cole Kingston is in the Old Town Diner. He has a notepad, laptop, phone, and pen spread out on the table in front of him. He’s been working since he walked in, and even though I've felt his stare a few times, he hasn’t talked to me.
Peggy comes up to me behind the counter. She nudges me in the side and gestures to the other end of the restaurant. “What’s up with that? What is Cole Kingston doing here?”
I look at Cole, and as if he knows we’re talking about him, he glances up at me. My cheeks feel hot, and I intently start wiping down the counter. “I dunno. Does he not usually come here?”
I’ve worked here for over nine years, since I was sixteen, and I’ve never seen him in here once, but maybe he comes in when I’m not working.
Peggy shakes her head. “Nope. He’s never been in here before. I tried to see if he wanted anything to eat, but he said he’d wait for you to take your break.”
My eyes widen, and I point a finger to my chest. “Wait for me? For what?”
She shrugs and wiggles her eyebrows at me. “I guess he wants to eat his dinner with you.”
I clench the towel in my hands. “Well, I’ll go tell him that I don’t take breaks.”
I walk toward Cole, and he lifts his head to watch me. By the time I reach him, I feel overheated from his gaze. I stand next to the table, twisting my hands at my sides. “Hey, Cole. Peggy said you were waiting to eat until I can eat with you, but I don’t take breaks.”
His eyebrows lift. “You don’t take breaks?”
I shake my head. “No, I don’t.”
He leans back in his seat. “I’m going to have to insist. I have something important to discuss with you.”
I shake my head. This is it. This is where he asks me to pay him back or give him the rent. “I should have your money by the end of my shift.”
He fists his hands on the table. “I don’t want your money, Luna.”
My stomach pulls when he says my name. I sit down across from him. “What is this, Cole? What are you doing here?”
“I need to talk to you.”
I open my mouth to protest when a beautiful red-haired woman stops at the table. “Cole.”
Cole stands up immediately and draws the woman into his arms. He gestures for her to slide into the booth and then sits down next to her. “Mom, this is Luna. Luna, this is my mom. Eleanor.”
My mouth drops. Am I really meeting Eleanor Kingston right now? “Hello,” I stutter. I put my hands on the table. “I’ll let you two talk.”
Cole leans over and puts his hand on mine. “No, stay.”
I stand up and pull my hand from his. “I really need to get back to work. Can I get you all anything?”
Eleanor looks between Cole and me curiously. “I would love a cup of coffee.”
Cole doesn’t take his eyes off me. “Luna, seriously, there’s something we need to discuss.”
I force a smile to my face. “And I told you that I can’t take a break.”
As soon as I say the words, my boss, Frank, comes up behind me. “I don’t pay you to sit and chat, Lu-” He stops instantly when he sees the people sitting at the booth. “Oh!”
I look at Frank and then back at Cole. He’s angry, as if the way Frank talks to me bothers him or something. Cole stands up, towering over Frank. “I have something I would like to discuss with Luna. Can you please bring us a cup of coffee, three burgers and fries, and some shakes?”
It takes a second for Frank to recover. “Uh, sure, absolutely. I’ll get right on that.”
Frank practically trips over his feet to get away. As soon as he’s gone, I turn on Cole. “Cole, you’re going to get me fired.”
“Good,” Cole says.
“Cole,” Eleanor admonishes. “What is going on here?”
Cole demands, “Sit down. We need to talk.”
I sit and rest my hands in my lap. “Okay, I’m here, but believe it or not, I can’t lose this job, and Frank is not going to like this.”
He leans forward. “You let me know if Frank gives you any trouble.”
I roll my eyes. “Oh my God, is this your thing? Are you going to beat up every man that gives me trouble?”
He sits up taller. “I will.”
Cole and I stare at each other until Eleanor breaks the silence. “Okay, it looks like you two have some things to discuss. Cole, what am I doing here?”
Cole glances at his mom. “Well, two reasons, actually. I wanted to let you know that Dad had a meeting with Bennett and me today. He’s going to try to get you to come home.”
His mom rears back. “He’s what?”
Cole nods. “Yeah, Dad says we are weak without you, and you know how he is. He’s not going to stand for that.”
Eleanor sits up taller as if she’s accepting a challenge. She gives one nod of her head, but I can see the emotions moving across her face. I start to stand up. “Maybe I should give you two some—”
Cole covers my hand again, but this time, he turns it so he’s holding it in his. “No. Stay. The second reason I wanted my mom here is because I wanted her to meet you.”
I blink at him. “You wanted her to meet me? Why?”
Cole looks into my eyes. “Don’t freak out.”
I don’t move. I almost forget to breathe and then catch myself letting out a whoosh of air. “Just say it.”
He tugs my hand toward him. “I want you to marry me.”
“Marry you!” I gasp.
I shake my head like it’s a joke. I look at his mother, expecting her to be as shocked as I am, but she’s smiling from ear to ear. I have to stop this. This is nuts. “We just met today. He doesn’t know me.”
Cole holds my hand tighter. “I know you’re tough by the way you were standing up to your landlord today.
I know you're loyal and work hard to take care of the things that are important to you.” He gestures to the restaurant.
“I know you’re worried about your friend there because she had knee surgery a few months ago and you help her with her tables, but you let her keep all her tips. I know you’re kind and funny and—”
I hold my hand up. “Stop. Stop this. You have to know how crazy this is.”
Cole stares into my eyes, and there’s no missing the pleading look on his face. “Just hear me out.”
I open my mouth and then close it as Frank comes back with coffee and shakes. “The burgers will be out in a minute.”
No one says anything, and Frank backs away with his hands held up.
Eleanor pats Cole on the hand. “Cole, can you give Luna and me a few minutes?”
Cole looks at me, and I find that he’s wanting my approval.
I nod in agreement because this is good. I can tell his mom what a crazy idea this is, and she can help me.
Cole stands up, and his mom gestures to the bar. “Go have a seat.”
Cole wants to say something, but he simply nods. As he walks away, Eleanor smiles at me. “Okay, now let's get to know each other.”
I hold my hands up. “Ms. Kingston—”
She stops me. “Please. Eleanor.”
I nod. “Eleanor, I just met your son this morning and—”
She tilts her head. “How did you meet?”
Embarrassed, I rub my hands together. “Uh, I also run the animal shelter across the street, and I was a little short on the rent. Uh, the landlord and I had a disagreement, and Cole stopped to help me.”
She’s smiling at me and nods. “And how did Cole help you?”
I lift my shoulders. “He uh, punched the guy when he called me a name and then bought the building.”
Her eyes widen, and she sits back. “He bought the building?”
I nod, and her smile gets even bigger. “I know this is fast to you, but I hope if my son wants to marry you, that you will hear him out.”
I open my mouth to argue with her, but something stops me. Instead, I ask, “You’re okay with Cole marrying some woman that he doesn’t even know… that you don’t know? I could be arranging this whole thing. I could be manipulating him.”
The smile never leaves her face. “You’re not.”
“How—” I start but don’t get more than one word out.
Eleanor leans forward. “Because I know my son, and if he says he wants to marry you, then I trust his judgment.” She reaches across the table and squeezes my hand.
Her hands are soft, nails polished, gold on her fingers.
The difference between our two hands shows exactly why she shouldn’t want me as a daughter-in-law. I do not fit in with her family.
I shake my head. Why am I even thinking about this? I’m not marrying Cole Kingston.
Eleanor squeezes my hand, bringing me from my thoughts. “Just hear him out. Can you do that?”
Dumbly, I nod. What else can I do?
Frank comes back, and Eleanor releases me so that he can set the food on the table. Eleanor waves at Cole to come back and slides over to let him sit down.
She picks up her coffee. “Give Paul my food. I just want coffee.”
I watch Cole pick up her plate and take it over to the man he was sitting next to. Eleanor explains, “Paul is my driver.”
I nod.
When Cole comes back to the table, he pushes my plate toward me. “Eat.”
Guilt fills me. I should be working. Frank and Peggy are working the tables around us, and they’re having to cover for me. It doesn’t sit well with me.
I take a bite of my food, but I don’t taste it.
“What’s wrong?” Cole asks.
I gesture around us. “I’m supposed to be working.”
Instead of being frustrated with me, he smiles softly. “Eat. I’ll help them out.”
Stunned, I watch Cole stand up, grab an apron off the hook by the counter, and then start bussing a table.
Eleanor slides back to sit in front of me. She points to my plate. “Eat.”
She watches Cole walk around the restaurant, talking to people, and she has a smile plastered to her face.
She nods toward him. “Looking at him now, no one would guess that he’s some ruthless billionaire.
” She meets my gaze. “You are going to hear a lot of things about our family, and I’m not going to sit here and tell you that they are untrue.
A lot of them are very real. But I am going to ask you to get to know him.
He’s hard because he has to be, but there’s a side of him that no one sees except for the people he cares about. ”
I’m about to remind her again that we just met earlier today, but instead, I nod. We talk for a few minutes, and I eat as much as I can before the guilt just overwhelms me. “Thank you for sitting with me, Eleanor, but I really should get back to work.”
She nods. “Yeah, I should go.”
She stands up, and Cole comes toward us. They hug, and then Eleanor surprises me by hugging me too. She grabs both my hands. “I look forward to us getting to know each other, Luna.”
I nod and watch her and her driver walk out the door.
Cole stands next to me, watching me. “You okay?”
I nod. What am I supposed to say? I’m nowhere near okay. All of this is happening too fast, and none of it makes sense. But instead of saying any of that, I cross my arms. “I need to get to work before I get fired.”
I raise my hand to stop him when Cole opens his mouth. “And before you say I won’t get fired, I still need to work. I have bills to pay.”
He sighs in defeat. “Can we talk when you get off work?”
“Yeah, sure.”
I walk away and go back to serving. Cole busses a few more tables, and when he’s caught up, he sits back down at his booth. He pushes his uneaten food away, and I feel bad that he didn’t get to eat when it was warm.
I fully expect him to leave and meet up with me later, but he stays in the booth for the rest of my shift, watching me. By the end of the night, I’m completely on edge and aware of every step I take. I’m torn between asking him to leave and asking him to take me right here, right now.