Page 46 of Just Like Home

“Someone else is interested in it.” Connor took a drink. “Some franchise dance company based in Chicago. I didn’t even know there was such a thing.”

Josh closed his menu and set it down. “Could be a nice payday for you.”

Cole frowned. “Jules wouldn’t want some big Chicago outfit coming in here running her classes. That’s the opposite of her vision for the place.”

Connor pushed the mug away. “And that’s exactly why it sounds like a good deal. It’ll become something so different it won’t remind me of her anymore.”

Cole glanced at Josh, who gave him a slight shrug.

“I just think you should give Charlotte a chance,” Cole said.

“You have quite the soft spot for someone who trashed your headlight,” Connor said.

“She trashed your headlight?” Josh’s brow furrowed.

“We had a fender bender,” Cole said. “Right out there, in fact.” Cole pointed to the street in front of the diner, and as he turned, his eyes landed on a table situated next to the large window at the front of the restaurant.

A pair of wide eyes locked on to his.

Gemma.

Cole dropped his arm back in his lap and looked away.

“Well, this is awkward,” Josh said.

“It’s not awkward,” Cole said. But he should’ve known better. Gemma loved Hazel’s as much as everyone else, and she likely spent every morning here, like everyone else.

“No, but it’s about to be.” Josh gave Cole a nod. “She’s coming over here.”

Cole stifled a groan. While Connor had been around for the beginning of his relationship with Gemma, Josh had been staying with him the day he finally told her to leave. And everything in between? Well, the whole town had been there for that.

“Hey, Cole.” Gemma stood next to him now. Too close. He fisted his hand in his lap. He didn’t respond.

“Hey, guys,” Gemma said. “Connor, I was so sorry to hear about Jules.”

Cole wanted to tell her to mind her own business, to not refer to his sister in such a familiar way. After all, Gemma hadn’t sent him any condolences.

“Thanks,” Connor said half-heartedly.

“Hey, Cole, can we talk for a minute?”

Cole’s eyes traveled up the table to Josh, who was staring at him, eyes wide. Poor guy probably wondered how he got so lucky as to have two of his closest friends broken at the same time.

“I’m kind of busy here,” Cole said. Unlike when he was rude to other people, he didn’t feel even a hint of remorse for being rude to Gemma.

“Just for a minute. Please?” She put a hand on his shoulder, and Cole quickly shrugged it off. She’d lost the right to touch him when she started having her affair, which actually meant she never had a right to touch him. That realization turned sour at the back of his throat.

“Be right back, guys.” Cole pushed his chair away from the table, stood, and walked out onto the sidewalk, around the side of the building so the nosy patrons of Hazel’s Kitchen weren’t privy to his personal business.

Not that he considered Gemma his personal anything anymore.

“What?” he said, spinning around.

“Whoa,” she said. “Why are you so hostile right now?”

He tried not to laugh—not an amused laugh, an ironicyou’ve got to be kidding melaugh. “Do I really need to remind you?”

“I told you I was sorry, Cole,” she said.

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