Page 41 of The Snowball Effect

But today, she wasn’t in the mood for jesting. Instead, she simply slid Charlotte’s coffee across the counter.

“Busy. But good,” Charlotte answered as she accepted her drink. “I just got back from two weeks in D.C.”

Regan nodded. “Yeah, Sutton mentioned that in a text. That’s cool.”

“Yes, it is,” Charlotte murmured, tapping her well-manicured fingertips against the top of her coffee lid as she stared at Regan with a measuring gaze.

Regan stared back, confused.

“Is that all?” Charlotte pressed. “You don’t have any other commentaries or questions regarding my trip or my relationship? All you have to say is… cool?”

Her disbelief was blatant.

Which was fair, Regan could admit that. She would probably have a lot more to say any other day. Some teasing comments about Charlotte being a simp for Sutton, asking if she could still feel Sutton’s love from Rome down in D.C., maybe. Asking how her first trip as an officially elected member of congress had gone. Had she witnessed anyone trying to steal the Declaration of Independence? The normal stuff.

Right now, Regan merely shrugged. “Yeah. It’s cool.”

Both of Charlotte’s eyebrows lifted high onto her forehead. “All right.”

Regan dropped her head back in her hand with another sigh, watching out of her peripherals as Charlotte grabbed a straw at the station a few feet away.

She anticipated Charlotte would leave, which she normally did. Since she’d become a regular at Topped Off, she’d stop in a couple of times a week and grab a coffee but never linger.

This time, though, rather than strutting toward the door, she paused and gave Regan a look over her shoulder.

“All right,” she repeated her words from a minute ago, rolling her shoulders back. This time, the words weren’t a question but a statement. “I can’t in good conscience leave this café until you’ve told me what is wrong. Sutton would never forgive me.”

“Eh, she would.” Regan waved her hand in the air. “She thinks you’re basically perfect and knows you have a busy schedule.”

Charlotte’s eyes widened, concern etching over her features. Regan decided it was an interesting look because she didn’t think she’d ever seen it before. Not directed at her, anyway. “Well,thatdeflection makes me even more certain this is a dire situation.”

Charlotte’s lips pursed as she cleared her throat and called out, “Beth?”

Beth, who just finished cleaning out the display case at the other end of the counter, looked up in obvious surprise at being addressed. Or, perhaps, surprised at being addressedby Charlotte. “Uh, me? Me-Beth?”

“I wasn’t aware another was working here,” Charlotte said with a charming smile. “It doesn’t seem to be busy here at the moment. Would you mind very much if I borrowed Regan for a few minutes?”

Beth’s eyebrows lifted even higher as she swung her gaze from Charlotte to Regan, then back. “Uh…” She focused on Regan, eyes wide and clearly asking for permission.

Which Regan granted with a shrug.

“Sure,” Beth promptly answered, and it was very clear she was thrilled to be giving Charlotte the answer Charlotte wanted to hear. “It’s the afternoon lull, so it should be fine.”

“Wonderful.” Charlotte turned her determined gaze back to Regan, tilting her head toward the nearest table. Though the motion was subtle, the unspoken order was crystal clear.

Regan had to wonder if Charlotte’s elegant imperialism was something she was born with or had learned to master. Regardless, she followed her, pulling out a seat and plunking down into it.

Charlotte mirrored her with far more grace. She checked her watch on the inside of her wrist before shaking her hair back and looking directly across the table at Regan. “I have approximately twelve minutes I can spare before I’m egregiously late. I’d preferif I didn’t have to spend much more of it prying information out of you, but–”

Regan splayed her hands on the table, leaning forward as the words tumbled out of her. “Last night, Emma came home and told me everything she actually thinks about me, and none of it was good. Actually, it was all really bad. Like. Stupid and immature; she’d be embarrassed to even introduce me to her grandmother.”

Charlotte’s mouth snapped shut as she stared at Regan for several seconds. “Huh. That took far less than I’d anticipated, given your obviously glum state.”

Leaning back with a shrug, Regan answered honestly, “I like to talk about my problems. If you’re asking, I’m going to tell you.”

Regan was far from a closed book and wasn’t above demonstrating that. The reality was Regan didn’t do well when silently stewing on something. In fact, she hated it.

So, even thoughCharlotte Thompsonwas an unexpected ear to open up to, Regan would take what she had. Right now, her options were limited.

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