Page 24 of Love Unforgettable
Chapter 11
Cole
Mavis looks up from the table and smiles big when she sees me approaching. She says something to her granddaughter, who in turn looks up sharply and immediately chokes on whatever she’s drinking. I do what any good Texan would and rush to her aid. I mean, I’m no doctor, but I can pat a back just as well as anyone else. And maneuver a Heimlich or two.
“You okay, darlin’?” I ask, my hand on her bare back. Her dress is one of those where the entire thing is held up by a knot at the back of her neck. She nods but has yet to look up or speak, instead continuing to dab at her eyes.
She waves her hand back in my direction and clears her throat. “I’m fine, thank you.” She lowers her napkin back to her lap and tilts her head back and peeks up through those long dark lashes with her big blue eyes. Paired with her pale creamy skin and lush red lips, well, color me thunderstruck.
A spark zips through my entire body making me feel more alive, more animated, and somehow more at peace than I ever have before. Combined with a clarity like no other helping me to see a future so very clearly with this bewitching creature. Holding hands, kissing, long weekends in bed, holidays, marriage, kids, grandkids, all of it. The whole nine yards. I can’t help but smile at her. Her eyes widen, her lips part, and all I want to do is lean down and give her a kiss and get this relationship started.
Because, if I’m not mistaken, I have just been struck by my lightning bolt.
“Well, I’ll be damned if you aren’t an angel sent from heaven to be certain,” I whisper, not looking away from her. I can’t, I am sucked in deeper than a bear in the tar pit.
She doesn’t say anything. “You okay, darlin’? Still got a little ribbit in the downslide? Let me get you some water, clear that right up.” I pick up her glass of water and hand it to her. She takes a small sip and sets it back down. “Name’s Cole Mason and I must say it is a right pleasure to meet you.”
“Uh . . . okay.” She looks at me curiously, as though she’s trying to figure something out. Hopefully it’s whether or not she wants to have dinner with me tomorrow night, since that’s the next thing I really want to ask her.
“Ah, Cole, you’ve arrived. And such amenschyou are, so caring. It makes my heart happy to see you. Come. Come. Sit. Sit.” I shake my head to get my bearings back after having my world rocked by this woman. Then walk to Mavis’ side of the table to give her a kiss on the cheek.
“Well, Miss Mavis, if you aren’t just prettier than a peach in June today.”
“Oh, you. Speaking suchshtuss. Nonsense. But still, so good, for aboychik.”
I smile big and wink, delighted to see her blush a little bit.
“Excuse me,” the granddaughter interjects.
I situate myself in my seat and turn toward her, ready to give her my full and undivided attention. As well as anything else in the world that she may want.
“Yes, ma’am. Anything I can do for you, I most surely will,” I assure her, putting my best foot forward, ready to impress her in any way I can, until I figure out which ways work best.
“Who are you?” she asks.
“Ohbubala, Betn mekhile. I apologize. This is the friend I spoke of, Cole Mason.” Mavis reaches over and covers my hand with hers. “And this, this is mysheyne bubala, Lexie Harrington. She isKaryere meydl, makes the wine like mygelibteh.Alev ha-sholem.”
“May he rest in peace,” Lexie says, automatically.
“It is an honor to meet you, ma’am,” I say to Lexie, debating whether I should go all out and kiss her hand. Before I can grab it, she’s waving it in the air while she talks.
“Wait a minute, she gets Miss Mavis, but I’m ma’am?” she says to me. Then turns to Mavis and says, “No offense,bubbe.”
“Meh.” Mavis waves her hand in the air.
I face Lexie. “Well, I mean no offense. That right there, Miss Lexie, is me showing respect where respect is due.”
“Mavis should be getting the respect. Not me. Err . . . I mean . . . I guess I should too.” She pauses, looking confused. Then shakes her head and continues, “Well anyway, don’t call me that. It’s just Lexie. No miss and definitely no ma’am. For God’s sake, next you’ll be calling me an old maid.”
“Bubalah, you havebeybizand then noalteh moid!” Mavis dramatically raises both hands in the air to emphasize her point.
“Clearly there will be no more martinis for you,bubbe,” Lexie says to Mavis. “You become ayenta, and your little friend here doesn’t need to know all about my life.”
Lexie’s word choice has me laughing out loud. Not once in my adult life have I been described as little. “Darlin’, I’m six feet four inches tall, weighin’ in at two hundred sixty pounds of mostly muscle. So, I gotta say, you callin’ me little is a bit like sayin’ an alligator is a lizard, don’t you think?”
“And now I’m darling?” Lexie asks. “Seriously? Can you not remember and use a name like normal people?”
“Bubala,” Mavis says in a scolding tone.
