Page 49 of Double Booked

“Score,” Colton whispered as he squeezed my hand. I giggled as Agnes turned towards the fridge and started rummaging through it.

“Best be running along and doing what she says now,” Forrest said, sitting at the table. “It’s nice to meet you, Riley.”

“Nice to meet you too,” I said over my shoulder as the guys tugged me down the hallway.

“Breakfast is in ten minutes so no time for funny business!” Agnes shouted after us. My cheeks flamed red but I also kind of wanted to be like Agnes when I grew up.

I wanted to melt into the floor but Justin just laughed. “Welcome to the family,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to the side of my head. “You get used to it.”

An hour later, my hand was tucked firmly in Agnes’s elbow as we walked down Main Street. It feels like we had been to every shop starting at Brewed Awakenings. Inside every shop, Agnes greeted the employees and owners by name and introduced me as her future daughter-in-law. Most people were friendly and welcoming but there were a few judgmental looks and side-eyes. But Agnes was a force of nature, putting people in their place with a few well-placed words. I definitely wanted to be her when I grew up.

Agnes let go of my hand to push open the door to Daisy’s Diner. It was a little after lunch so the crowds had thinned out but most of the booths were still filled. I paused when I recognized two women getting out of a booth at the back of the diner. One was Vicky, the guys’ receptionist and the other was the blond woman who was also outside the coffee shop the other day when I met Jessica. Both women looked alike. The other woman must be Vicky’s cousin, Veronica, if I remember her name right from Jessica’s ranting.

It was like the temperature dropped five degrees in the diner when Agnes saw them. Daisy, the diner’s sweet older owner walked over, wiping her hands on the towel hanging from the apron around her waist.

“Agnes, is that you? What are you doing in town?”

Agnes hugged Daisy. “Well, you know I can’t stay away from your peach pie for that long. But I came back to spend some time with my sons and future daughter-in-law. You’ve met Riley, I presume? Colton loves your peach pie so I imagine he’s brought her by here a few times.”

“I have,” Daisy’s smile was warm. “But it’s always good to see you again.”

“Hello, Agnes,” Vicky tried to cut in, a fake smile plastered on her face as she rubbed her palms against her pale pink jeans, belying her nerves. Good, she should be nervous. From the time I spent with Agnes this morning, she was deeply connected in Oakville even if she lived in Florida now.

“That’s Mrs. Anderson to you,” Agnes raised a silver eyebrow at her, her voice frosty. She dismissed both women with a huff and turned back to Daisy.

“Now, Daisy,” Agnes said loudly, a twinkle in her eyes that I was quickly learning meant trouble. “Riley and I need a booth and some of that amazing peach pie. It’s been a trying few days as we’ve dealt with miserable little bitches who don’t have anything better to do than tear other women down.”

My mouth dropped open at the same time Vicky and Veronica’s did. Daisy covered up her laugh with a cough. “Of course, Agnes dear, I understand. Some people really don’t know how to sit down and shut up.”

My eyebrows shot up. Oh god, there were two of them. Daisy looked at me and winked and I hid my laugh behind my hand, not daring to look Vicky’s way.

Agnes snagged my hand as Daisy led us to a corner booth. A few minutes later, two large slices of peach pie with a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream were set in front of us.

“Riley, I meant what I said,” Daisy said, patting my shoulder. “Don’t let them dim your light, child. You’re the best thing for those boys.”

My throat was tight so I let out a small nod and Daisy winked at me before bustling away to the next customer. Agnes smiled after her.

“Thank you,” I whispered. “I–, just thank you. Today’s been wonderful”

“Of course sweet girl, I’ve always wanted a daughter and you’re more than I could have hoped for. My boys needed someone to love both of them and someone who would be okay and even encourage them to love each other. And they found that in you.”

I took a bite of the pie as that wave of emotion threatened to overwhelm me again. Flavor exploded on my tongue as the sweet, tangy peaches melted in my mouth. The vanilla ice cream was unlike anything I ever had before and had to be homemade. The few times we had come here were for breakfast and had been too early for pie.

“I know, right. Daisy refuses to tell me how she makes it. There has to be some secret ingredient but I’ve been working on her for forty years and she’s not broken yet.” Agnes whispered conspiratorially.

I laughed. “That’s a long time.”

“It has been.”

We ate in silence for a few moments before I asked the question that had popped into my mind at her earlier words. “How long have you known about them? About Justin and Colton together?”

Agnes laughed softly, her blue eyes glazed as memories filled them. “Since they were fifteen. Forrest and I practically adopted Justin after his mother left. Poor boy was devastated and I didn’t blame him. Laura was lovely and she loved fiercely. I never understood why she left him behind but I was determined he would know love despite his bastard of a father. And when that bastard finally left too, we moved Justin in. The boys grew up attached at the hip and one summer I watched them fall in love with each other. They never stopped loving each other, only stopped showing it.”

“I saw that from the beginning,” I admitted. My heart ached for a young Justin but Agnes’s words filled that niggling doubt I had about the circumstances around Laura’s disappearance. How could a woman who loved her son fiercely just disappear?

When Agnes got up to pay our bill, I took my phone out and checked my email to see if Alyssa had sent me anything. She hadn’t but she wasn’t the type to send updates unless she had something. I sent an email to her anyway and told her what Agnes said. I asked her to dig into Justin’s father’s past a bit more and see if he showed any signs of violence in his past or present. Justin had said he was abusive and the bad feeling I had kept growing.

“Ready to go?” Agnes came back and looked at me expectantly.

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