15. Willow
15
WILLOW
It had been two days since I sat around the table with Zoey, and her words echoed as loudly in my mind as they had two days ago. Thankfully, Jasper was back to his usual, bouncing-off-the-walls self, Monday morning so there was no need for me to miss work. I came into the diner and reveled in the fact that Cole looked so surprised to see me.
I’d kept to myself, asserting my rights as co-owner of the diner by making sure that my presence was known. I was more vocal with the staff, personally mediated a showdown between Cameron Wallins and Patricia when he accused her of overcharging him, and I made sure I was the first in and the last to leave.
If Cole had any doubts as to my loyalty and commitment to this place, I was determined to squash them.
I was standing near the back of the diner, glaring at Cole as he cleared a table in his ridiculous button-down shirt and slacks. This man was literally so rich that his get things done attire was what most people in Harmony would wear as their Sunday best. It was gross.
“I smell a coup,” I whispered Zoey’s hypothesis to myself as I brought my thumbnail up to my lips. I was so stressed with this man being here that my nails were now stubs.
“You smell a coup?” Breia’s voice piped up from behind me.
I startled and turned to see her staring over my shoulder at Cole. “What—? Breia!” I glared at her. “Don’t startle me like that.”
“Why are you staring at Scrooge?”
“Scrooge?”
She nodded. “He’s such a killjoy.”
Not wanting to stand out in the dining room, discussing Cole, I grabbed Breia’s elbow and dragged her through the kitchen door and into my office. She looked excited when I turned to face her after shutting my office door behind us.
“Are we plotting?” she asked, rubbing her hands together and wiggling her eyebrows.
“Plotting?” I shook my head. “No. Not plotting.” I paused. “Discussing.”
Her eyes widened. “What are we discussing?”
I moved to stand by my desk. If someone decided to barge into my office, this would look like a regular discussion between a boss and her employee and not a conspiracy to boot Cole from our lives.
“You know how you said you could do some digging for me?” I asked as I fiddled with some papers on my desk.
“Girl, I’m already on it.”
Surprised, I glanced up at her. “Really?”
“Yeah,” she said as she collapsed on the couch next to my desk. She looked defeated.
“What did you find?” I asked, confused by her reaction. I reached out for my desk chair and rolled it over so I could sit on it.
“Dude has literally no social media.” She shook her head. “It shocked me. I mean, where has he been living? Under a rock?”
“Really? You found nothing?”
She shifted her weight to sit further up on the couch. “I did find a nightclub in Miami. Apparently, it’s super exclusive and you literally have to be a billionaire or A-list actor to get into it.” She must have noticed that she was losing me because she quickened her speech. “Anyway, it’s called Obsidian, and it’s owned by a family with the last name of Watkins.”
I waited for her to continue. When she didn’t, I leaned in. “And it’s tied to Cole?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. There’s not a lot out there about the nightclub. I mean, what do you think? The dude cleans the diner in a nice button-down shirt and pants that cost a fortune. It’s possible.”
I frowned. I didn’t like the idea of us just assuming that Cole was some rich guy from Miami, but Breia was right, the man’s wardrobe was strange.
“But what would a wealthy nightclub owner from Miami want with some small-town diner?” I shook my head. “It doesn’t add up. It has to be something else.”
“I’ll keep digging, but this man in not on the social-media grid.”
I nodded. “Keep digging.”
Breia smiled at me. “Gladly,” she said as she moved to stand. “I should head back. Don’t want Scrooge to discover we’re both missing and try to come find us.” She walked over to the door.
“Thanks, Breia,” I called after her as she opened the door and slipped into the kitchen.
I spent the rest of the evening playing hostess or bussing tables. Thankfully, Cole hadn’t noticed when Breia and I slipped away. He pretty much spent the evening ignoring me like I was ignoring him.
Zoey brought Jasper to me right at closing time. Her gaze swept the diner as I walked up to her, and I could tell that she wanted to know which one was Cole. I used my eyes and a nod of my head to point him out. Her eyes were wide when she glanced back at me.
She didn’t have to say what I knew she was thinking. Cole was attractive. He was really, really attractive. But he was also trying to take half my diner from me. That knocked him down a few rungs on the attraction ladder.
“Whoa,” she whispered as Cole walked past her and disappeared into the kitchen. “Not how I pictured him at all.” She moved to stand right next to me.
“Zoey,” I hissed as my cheeks heated. I glanced around to make sure that no one could hear her.
“Sorry,” she said, lifting her hands. “I’m just speaking the truth.”
“Well, let’s not forget why he’s here.”
Zoey tapped her nose and nodded. “Yep.”
I was desperate to move this conversation to something else. “Thanks for watching Jasper,” I said as I reached out and wrapped my arms around Jasper’s shoulders. “I hope he was good for you.”
“We went to the store and he picked out some Hot Wheels.”
Jasper pulled said cars from his hoodie pocket and held them up.
“Whoa!” I said as I knelt down in front of him. “You didn’t have those ones. They are amazing.”
Jasper’s eyes danced with excitement as he nodded. “This is my favorite one.” He shuffled the cars around in his hands until he produced an orange and blue truck with a dragon affixed to it.
I chuckled. “I would have guessed that,” I said as I planted a kiss on the top of his head and straightened. “Let me know how much I owe you for those.”
Zoey shook her head. “Naw. My treat.” She reached out and tousled Jasper’s hair. “See you later, squirt.”
“Mommy, I’m hungry,” Jasper said, clearly ignoring Zoey.
I shook my head. “Say thank you and goodbye to Zoey, then we’ll get you some food.”
Jasper let out an exasperated sigh as he slowly brought his gaze over to meet Zoey’s. “Thank you and goodbye,” he muttered under his breath.
“You’re welcome.” Zoey gave him a smile before turning her attention to me. “Do you need me to get him from school tomorrow?”
I nodded. “That would be amazing. Thanks.”
She grinned. “Yep. Talk to you tomorrow.”
After saying goodbye to Zoey and watching her walk out of the diner, I turned my attention to Jasper. “Hamburger and fries?” I asked.
He whooped, and I laughed as I ushered him over to the far table he always used while I closed the diner.
Cole was in the kitchen when I made my way back to ask Brody to whip up Jasper’s request. Thankfully, Brody had anticipated the need and was halfway through making his regular. Cole didn’t really pay attention to me while I was back there, which I was thankful for. The less I had to talk to that man, the better.
Once I had all the tables cleared, I grabbed the last full grey tub of dishes and told Jasper I would be in the back if he needed me. Jasper was halfway through devouring his dinner, so all he did was nod in acknowledgement. His cheeks were puffed out from the amount of food he was trying to chew.
“Smaller bites,” I said from behind him, tapping his head so he knew I was talking to him.
He just nodded, his blond curls bouncing.
My gaze swept the dining room once more before I hoisted the tub up onto my hip and pushed through the swinging door. I worked fast, rinsing the dishes and loading them into the dishwasher. I didn’t like leaving Jasper for too long. When he got bored, he got destructive.
After I loaded the last tray into the dishwasher, I cleaned the sink and quickly wiped down all the surfaces before I tossed the rag into the hamper in the back corner. I untied my apron as I made my way over to the back wall, and I hung it on a hook. Then I wiped my damp hands on my jeans as I walked through the kitchen, but stopped in my tracks when I got to the door.
Through the small window, I could see Cole was sitting next to Jasper. I frowned, wondering what the heck was going on. Was he scolding Jasper? My blood began to warm at the thought of Cole trying to parent my son instead of coming to get me.
I blew out my breath slowly and pushed open the door far enough so I could hear what they were saying. I wasn’t going to fly off the handle until I had proof.
“This is a Rodger Dodger,” Cole said. From the movement he made, I could only assume he was holding up one of Jasper’s Hot Wheels. “I had one like this when I was a kid.”
“It’s so cool,” Jasper said, leaning toward him as if he were taking the car from Cole.
“And this is a Bugatti Chiron.” Cole held the next car up high enough so I could see what he was talking about. “This car’s top speed is 304 miles per hour.”
Jasper turned to look at Cole. “Is that fast?” he asked, his eyes wide.
Cole nodded. “Crazy fast.”
Jasper stood up on the booth and moved to climb over Cole. I started to push the door open further, but stopped as Jasper jumped off the booth and landed with both feet on the ground.
“Like this fast?” he asked as he readied his legs and arms in a running stance. Suddenly, he took off and raced around the diner.
Cole was chuckling when Jasper made his way back to him. “Pretty much.”
Jasper’s cheeks were pink and his chest was rising and falling. “That’s fast.”
“Super fast,” Cole echoed.
I took a step back, letting the kitchen door slide closed. My heart ached, watching my son bond with Cole. If Harold was actually a part of Jasper’s life, this wouldn’t hurt so much. I knew my son needed a male figure in his life, and it broke my heart that his own father didn’t feel like he needed to be that for him.
Instead, it was the stranger who was trying to take my diner from me.
My mind cleared in that instant, and suddenly I was pushing through the door. My emotions were a mess, but the last person I wanted Jasper to bond with was a man who’d made it clear he had an expiration date. Jasper had already lost one man in his life; I wasn’t going to let him lose another.
“Jasper,” I said as I approached the table, “let’s not distract Cole.” As soon as I was close enough, I started to scoop all of Jasper’s cars off the table.
“He’s not distracting me,” Cole said, his gaze snapping to me.
“You can be honest,” I said, keeping my gaze away from Cole’s. even though I could feel him staring at me.
“I am being honest.”
I was never going to be able to believe anything Cole said. Especially when he had no intention of sharing who he was with me. I reached down and grabbed hold of Jasper’s hand. “Come on, honey. You can play in my office while I finish up.”
I didn’t look at Cole as I led my son over to the kitchen door and pushed through. Jasper was protesting, but I ignored it as I set him up in my office and then shut the door behind me as I walked back out to the kitchen. Cole had brought Jasper’s dishes from the dining room and was in the process of rinsing them off in the back sink.
I contemplated saying something to him now that we were alone. I hated confrontations, but boundaries needed to be set if we were going to continue this partnership.
“Please, stay away from my son,” I blurted out, my strength wavering as I walked up to Cole.
He flipped off the faucet and then slowly turned to face me. “I’m sorry,” he said, his gaze meeting mine. “I didn’t mean to overstep.”
My entire body was shaking, but I forced myself to remain strong as I held his gaze. “Well, you did. Jasper has been through a lot in his life. The last thing I want is for him to get attached to someone who has every intention of leaving.”
Cole’s eyes widened as he processed my words. “I didn’t think about it like that.” He nodded. “I will keep my distance.”
“Thank you,” I whispered.
He leaned back on the counter. “Did he enjoy the chicken noodle soup?”
I wanted to tell him to stop being nice to me, but I’d already berated him about Jasper and I could hear my grandmother’s tsk from the grave. “Yes, it was very good.”
He met my gaze once more. “You had some, too?”
I pinched my lips together. “Was I not supposed to?”
He chuckled. “No, I’m glad you had some.”
Silence fell between us. I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to keep talking, but my entire body wanted to get the hell out of this kitchen and far away from Cole. So I just gave him a curt nod and headed into my office. I gathered mine and Jasper’s things together before I grabbed ahold of Jasper’s hand and led him out of my office.
Cole was no longer in the kitchen, which I was grateful for. Jasper followed behind me as I made my way out the back door. I finally felt like I could breathe as I drove out of the parking lot.
My mind wandered with questions as I drove the ten minutes to our rental. Right before I got to our street, I saw a ton of flashing lights. I slowed at the stop sign and glanced to the left to see that our house was engulfed in flames.
I parted my lips, but no sound came out. Fire trucks lined the road, and fire fighters were standing in my yard with water blasting from their hoses.
“Oh my gosh,” I whispered as I pulled in as close as I could and then turned off my car. “Stay in the car,” I said to Jasper, who was whimpering in his seat.
I wanted to protect my son from this mess, but I needed to find out what had happened. The safest place for him in the meantime was in the car.
“Ma’am! Ma’am!” a firefighter called after me as I approached my house. “You can’t be here,” he said as his hand caught my elbow and pulled me to a stop.
“This is my house,” I whispered, tears brimming my eyes as I waved toward the inferno that had overtaken my home.
His gaze was sympathetic, but he shook his head. “I need you to get back into your car until this is out,” he said.
“Wha-what happened?”
“We don’t know yet. We need to get the fire out before we can do anything.” He started to guide me toward the road. “Please, go back to your car. We’ll come to get you when it’s safe.”
My entire body felt numb as I nodded and obeyed. I climbed into the backseat of my car and held Jasper while we watched them put out the flames. I wasn’t sure how long it took them, but it felt like an eternity until the fire was gone and all that remained were charred pieces of my house. Smoke rose from the pile of rubble.
Jasper was passed out, now, so I gently laid him down on the back seat as one of the fire fighters approached the car. I climbed out and gently closed the door as I turned to face him.
“Name’s Wesley,” he said as he pulled off his glove and extended his hand. “I’m the chief.”
“Willow.”
He nodded. “Nice to meet you, Willow.”
“You, too.”
He pulled off his other glove and then pushed his hand through his hair. “Do you have a place you can go tonight?” He offered me a sympathetic smile.
I raised my gaze to meet his. “Can I get into my house?”
His smile faltered. “I’m sorry. Your house is…gone.”
Tears filled my eyes once more. “What?” I asked, my voice cracking.
“Do you have somewhere you can go tonight?”
I was staring at what was left of my house as I nodded. “Um, yeah,” I whispered.
“Do you want me to call them?”
I glanced over at him before I shook my head. “No. I can.”
“Let me get your number. I’ll call you as soon as we know more about how the fire started.” He pulled out his phone, and I got my brain to work long enough to rattle off my phone number.
He sent me a quick text reminding me of his name and how I could reach him. Then he helped me into my car and told me to drive safe. I felt like a robot as I stuck my key back into the ignition and started the engine. I still wasn’t sure where I was going to go fifteen minutes down the road. Not wanting to go any further without a plan, I pulled into an empty parking lot and sat there, staring at the steering wheel.
I didn’t know many people here in Harmony. There was Uncle Doug, Breia, Patricia, and Zoey. Uncle Doug was out of town. I knew Breia lived in a studio apartment, and Patricia had her daughter and her grandkids living with her. Zoey already had roommates, so there was no rooming with her, and the last thing I wanted to do was impose.
I found my phone in my purse on the passenger seat and located Uncle Doug’s number. I called it three times before I gave up and tossed it back onto the seat. From what I knew of Uncle Doug’s fishing trips, he’d be out in the wilderness for weeks with no cell service. It hadn’t been a big deal in the past, but now? I felt alone.
Jasper and I had nowhere to go. The only other place that I could think of was the diner. I glanced at the clock. It was after midnight, which meant Cole was gone. I flipped on my blinker and pulled back onto the road. Twenty minutes later, I drove to the back of the diner and parked in my normal spot.
I shut off the engine and gathered up my purse as I pulled open the door. Jasper whined as I lifted him off the back seat, but he settled back down with his head on my shoulder. I used my hip to shut his door and then adjusted his weight on both arms as I walked across the parking lot to the back door.
It took an acrobatic maneuver to hold Jasper and grab the diner keys from my purse, and I silently cheered when I was able to slip the key into the door handle with minimal effort.
The diner was dark as I walked into the kitchen. I kept the lights off as I made my way to my office and bumped the door open with my foot. My arms shook as I slowly laid Jasper down on the couch. He whined a bit, but kept his eyes closed as he wiggled deeper into the cushions.
I grabbed a blanket from under my desk and laid it over him. My body felt heavy from exhaustion, both mental and physical, as I collapsed on the armchair. I tipped my head back and felt my eyes close as I fell asleep.