Page 111 of The Love Haters

Sullivan, who wanted to fire me.

Sullivan. Standing here at the Starlite.

Cole seized my moment of confusion to take back the narrative.

He grabbed a random sangria glass off a nearby table and held it up. “It’s so great to be back,” Cole announced—his voice weirdly loud, like he was playing a part on a stage.

At the announcement, the party guests quieted and gave him their attention.

“I’m so happy,” Cole said next, “to see my beautiful aunt Rue and my heroic big brother, Hutch.”

Okay—thatheroicsounded sarcastic, but the group lifted their drinks in support.

He was hijacking Ginger’s birthday party, by the way! Not cool! But Ginger didn’t seem to mind.

She clapped and cheered with the crowd.

Cole kept grandstanding. “And happy birthday to Ginger—and anyone else who’s had a birthday lately.”

The group kept clapping, like the world hadn’t just gone sideways.

I took the chance to step away from Cole and back into the crowd.

Safety in numbers, right?

I glanced over at Hutch, the only other person watching Cole like I was.

Next, Cole just turned toward Sullivan and raised his glass. “You all may know that the company I work for has been doing a promo video for the US Coast Guard starring the one and only Hutch Hutcheson, and I’m so excited to introduce you to the lady who made it all possible, our boss, Karen Sullivan.”

Sullivan stepped up next to Cole, and the group went ahead and clapped for her, too.

I looked around. What was going on?

“So before our time together goes any further…” Cole went on, turning toward the place next to him where I’d been standing—only to realize I wasn’t there. Then he searched the faces until he spotted me. “Katie, could you come up here?”

Oh, shit. Whatever this was, it was bad.

I shook my head, stepping farther back.

“Come on,” Cole said, making aget on over heregesture with his arm.

I shook again. “I’m fine right here.”

Now Cole went overly playful to disguise what he must’ve thought was a commanding order. “Katie,” he said, all cutesy, “get up here.”

I wasn’t sure what he was planning to do. But Iwassure I didn’t want to find out.

I was done following his lead.

Whatever game this was, I wasn’t playing.

The whole crowd was waiting for me to give in, aw-shucks style, and walk up to join them.

But instead, I gave one last headshake. And then I peeled away from the crowd and marched back toward my cottage.

I heard Cole’s voice behind me—“Katie? Katie!”—as the crowd shifted into a perplexed murmur. Then I heard him ad-libbing, “Don’t be mad, honey!,” as if we were having some kind of lovers’ quarrel.

Next, feet that could only be Cole’s thumped up behind me, and then there he was, falling into step, and trying to put his arm over my shoulder.

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