Chapter 34
Chapter Thirty-Four
Cordelia
My mother calls during my lunch break the next day.
I set aside my fish sticks and microwavable macaroni dinner, wipe my hands with a rag, and tap my cell phone screen.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Darling, how have you been?”
I shrug. “The same.”
“I was supposed to visit Lucky Falls, but I had a sudden business trip and couldn’t make it. I sent Brennon to fill in for me though. Have you two met?”
“He invited me to dinner.”
“How lovely!” Mom enthuses. “Brennon comes from a very good family, and he’s been a friend of yours for years. It’s only natural you two would progress from friends to lovers.”
“We’re not lovers.” I frown at the prospect. “It was just a friendly dinner. I’m seeing someone, remember?”
“Ah, yes. The ‘mysterious love of your life.’”
“Don’t be so dramatic.”
“Those were your words, dear. Not mine. I only hope he lives up to the hype.”
“You’ll meet him later,” I say, slightly cringing. Renthrow and I aren’t talking right now. I can’t imagine how we’ll handle faking a relationship in front of my mom.
“You could send me a picture or at least tell me more about him.”
“I…” I don’t really want to wax on about how great Renthrow is right now either.
“Delia, if you’re hesitating because you two aren’t serious yet, then I see no reason why you can’t meet other people.”
“Mom, even if I wasn’t with him, I wouldn’t want to be set up with every eligible bachelor on your business roster.”
“I sent Brennon there for work. It wasn’t personal.”
“Even if I believed that, you have companies worth ten times more than the Lucky Strikers. Why send the head of your investment division personally when a few back-and-forth emails would have done the job?”
“This is my first sports team. I want to do it right,” Mom says, not missing a beat.
I give up, knowing that I won’t be able to win an argument with her. “I really need to get back to work, Mom.”
“Just one more thing, dear.” Mom’s sigh whooshes through the phone. “I still have some details to wrap up here, so I’m sending Mills ahead to Lucky Falls. I need to find a nice place to stay while I’m in town.”
Dread fills my veins. “How long are you staying?”
“I’m not sure. But the nicest five-star hotel is hours away from town, and I need an alternative.”
“Lucky Falls has a bed and breakfast, Mom.” I stayed there for a few days while I was apartment shopping.
“Yes, they do. It’s quite…rustic, and I have certain amenities that I prefer. Since you know the town, can you accompany Mills to look at houses? I trust you’ll understand my tastes.”
My heart beats fast at the thought of Mom living right down the street. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Mom. Lucky Falls is a simple town with no big-city amenities. Besides, Mills is a great driver, so traveling back and forth won’t be too big of a hassle.”
“Great! Thank you.”
“Thank you? I didn’t say I—”
“I won’t keep you long since you have work to do. Mills will come around five. Love you. Ta-ta!”
The line goes dead.
Mills parks the town car outside the garage at precisely 5 p.m., drawing the attention of my bosses.
Rebel whistles under her breath and tosses a pink rag over her shoulder. “Talk about a smooth ride.”
“Wow, a ’95 Lincoln.” April bounces on the tips of her toes. “Can I take this one?”
“Toss you for it,” Rebel mutters, eyes still glued to the car.
“Heads!”
“Tails!”
“Em,” I interrupt them, “that car’s not a client. It’s here for me.” I walk to the sink to wash my hands with the high-concentration soap.
April shakes her head in wonder.
Rebel laughs. “I keep forgetting you’re a Davenport.”
“Okay, Miss Owner of an Oil Company, it’s my mother’s car. Not mine.”
“It’s not a company. It’s just one acreage with some oil on it.” Rebel picks up a wrench. “And it’s also my mother’s.”
Chuckling, I wave goodbye to my bosses and run out to meet Mills.
He’s wearing a suit as usual, and he opens the door for me with a slight dip of his head. “Miss Davenport.”
“Hey, Mills.” I beam at him.
“Delia,” a voice says from inside the car.
I look past Mills, and my smile drops when I notice Brennon in the town car, sipping on a bottled water.
Shocked, I turn to Mills. “Mother’s idea?”
“She means well.”
“Aren’t you getting in?” Brennon asks, motioning me forward.
I lean back. Every part of me wants to return to the garage, bury myself in diagnostic tools, and fix cars until I drag myself home.
“Delia?” Brennon calls again.
I force myself to get into the car.
Mills gently closes the door behind me.
“Hey, Brennon,” I say with as much politeness as I can muster. “What are you doing here?”
“Your mom asked for help arranging a house in Lucky Falls.”
“And you said yes?” I keep my voice low, so Mills can’t hear and report to Mom later. “Personal errands are not under the purview of a financial director.”
“I’m more than just an employee for the Davenports, Delia. I’m also a friend. Sasha is like a mother to me.”
Great. Seems like Mom was more of a mother to Brennon than she ever was to me.
“Seatbelt,” Mills says, looking pointedly at me in the rearview mirror.
“Oh, sorry.” I strap myself in.
“Hold on, Mills, let me scoot on over.” Brennon, who was seated in the middle row, slides a seat away from me. I would have thought nothing of it, but he adds, “And can you wind the windows down, please. There’s a really strong scent in here.”
“Of course,” Mills obliges. The whirr of a window sliding down fills the car.
Brennon looks me over, his nose scrunching at the sight of my work over-alls. “Is that motor oil? Or something else?”
“I don’t know.” I lift my arm to sniff myself. “Could be the oil. Or coolant. Or transmission fluid. I was in the middle of a job when you came.”
He checks his watch. “We’re not in a rush, so you can take a quick shower and change before we start the tour.”
“I’m not changing.”
He smooths a hand over his tie. “You’re…not?”
“It’s Lucky Falls. No one bats an eye when people dress like this.” I gesture to my tank top beneath the over-alls.
Brennon’s left eye starts twitching, but his voice remains calm. “You do realize we’ll be meeting a realtor and touring expensive properties.”
“I’m aware of what I’m here for, yes.”
“And you won’t change?”
“This is taking time out of my work. When I’m done here, I’m going back to the garage and putting a truck back together.”
“Yes, I saw that tent and the cars—is it even legal to call that place a garage?”
Wow. Has Brennon always been so judgmental? He’d always been kind to me. Smart, too. There was no sport, class, or competition he didn’t win. Everything seemed to come easily to him.
On the other hand, I was awkward, quiet around strangers, and didn’t like being in the spotlight. Back then, being Brennon’s friend felt like the greatest gift in the world. I thought he hung the moon.
So why does he seem so ugly now? Has he changed, or have I?
“Don’t look at me like that, Dee-Dee. I’m not trying to insult you. It’s fine if you want to meet the realtor looking like that.”
Brennon turns away, and I notice him clipping his nose.
My jaw tightens, and I turn in the other direction, giving him my back.
No wonder Mom is trying to set me up with Brennon. She doesn’t understand me at all.
I wish I was with Renthrow and Gordie instead.
I shake the thought away and lean my forehead on the cool, glass window.