Page 26 of Fifty-Fifty

“I think we both know you have plenty of places to be. Just sayin’.”

His smile turns into a full-on grin before noddin’ his head. “And I think we both know that none of them would be as entertainin’ as this one. Just sayin’.” He winks playfully before turnin’ on his heel and walkin’ away without a care in the world.

Cocky bastard.

I shift awkwardly in my seat as the silence envelops us. My fingers start rollin’ a bit of napkin as I wait for Noah to say somethin’. Anything.

He chuckles then leans forward, cagin’ Mac in with his elbows on either side of her as she continues colorin’ away in his notepad. "So I have to ask, why do I feel like everyone is staring at us?"

I laugh dryly under my breath before rollin' my eyes and answerin’, "'Cause they're all waitin' for us to fall madly in love."

He tilts his head in confusion. "What?"

"It's a silly ol' wives tale." I wave him off, then rest my back against the wooden chair, gettin’ comfortable. "Ya see, Harold and Betty are known for their meddlin'. Hell, they may or may not be the godparents to a few dozen kids runnin' 'round these parts. And it’s all because they set up a couple of folks who ended up fallin' madly in love and went on to get married and make babies." I shake my head at the thought, which only seems to intrigue Noah Jamison.

"You don't sound very convinced."

I shrug my shoulders before lookin' around the shop and seein' all the happy couples enjoyin' their Sunday coffee. Noah follows my gaze, noticin' the same thing I do. He turns his attention to me with his lips quirked on one side in a silent challenge.

"Alright, maybe they have a little––" I make a small space between my thumb and forefinger, "––point, but that doesn't mean it turns out that way for everyone."

"And how do you know that?" Noah probes. "Have they ever meddled in your love life?"

His question is innocent enough, but it still seems to rub me the wrong way.

He has no idea.

My gaze breaks from his and shoots to Mac, who's busy colorin' her little heart out. She's completely oblivious to the conversation around her, and I'm grateful she's distracted.

"Somethin' like that."

His brows furrow. "Come on, Beau. Now you've made me curious. You have to give me a little more information."

Chewin' on my lower lip, I debate on my answer. I don't talk about this. Not with anyone. The town was able to piece together a few of the facts, but none of them know the whole story. None of them have ever bothered to ask. They ain't ever needed to, because when you live in a town like mine, you get front row seats.

"It's a long story," I hedge.

He grins. "I've got all day."

Damn him. I forget how stubborn he can be. He gets it from his granddaddy. Jay was the most stubborn ass I'd ever met... until I met Noah.

I release a long sigh before givin' him the CliffsNotes version. "I met Mac's daddy here in this coffee shop. Obviously, things didn't work out."

Noah doesn't move a muscle, and I'd question if he heard me in the first place if I didn't notice the way his jaw clenches in frustration.

"And?" he probes.

My shoulders deflate under his intense stare. "And… I don’t know what you want me to say, Noah.”

“I want you to tell me what really happened.”

I sigh before givin’ in. “I used to work here. I used to see the way Harold and Betty worked their magic, hookin' up couples left and right. We used to joke there must be somethin' in the coffee because they knew how to bring couples together, matchin’ them up perfectly. And then, one day, a stranger came into the shop while I was workin'. He had short, dark hair, a fancy gray suit, and the bluest eyes you ever did see." I release a dry laugh, "I swear, you could practically see the sparks flyin' between us as I poured his coffee that day. The whole shop could." I rub my sweaty hands against the cotton fabric of my dress under the table to keep them from shakin'. "Mr. Harold insisted I take my break and have a lil' chat with the stranger, tellin' him all about the town and all we had to offer.” Shakin’ my head, the memories assault me from all sides. “So I did. We talked for hours about everythin' and nothin' at all." I smile softly, rememberin' how happy I was to have caught his attention. Liftin’ my hands from beneath the table, I start playin' with the straw wrapper from his drink so my hands will stop fidgeting.

"And then what happened?" he pushes, completely entranced by my story.

"And then..." I pause as the familiar shame starts to swirl in my stomach. "And then we started datin'. He wasn’t from here, so he'd come by on the weekends, or we'd meet a few towns over. A few months later, I found out I was pregnant with Mac. I was nervous to tell him, ya know?" I look up at him to see the pity shinin' in his eyes. He knows how this story ends, or at least he can piece it together. "But I was excited, too. We were in love. There was no way he could be mad. Disappointed, sure, but not mad. He was never... mad." I swallow thickly before lickin' my lips, prayin' he won’t make me continue.

Noah leans closer, reachin' for my fingers and intertwining them with his own from across the table. "And then what happened, Beau?" he repeats, urgin' me to continue.

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