Annie’s throat clogged up, making it hard to swallow. “Oh, Walter, that’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”
“Really?” He perked up. “So that’s it? We’re broken up now? No hard feelings?”
“Yep. We’re through. Kaput. Finis. And definitely no hard feelings.”
“So, you and … Sam, did you say his name was? Are you two going to start seeing each other?”
“Oh, no, no, that isn’t going to work out.”
“Why not?”
“He lives in Texas, and I’m looking for a new job, which means I have no idea where I’ll land. Maybe in the future something might happen, but the timing is all off right now.” If she said it enough times, maybe she’d believe it.
Walter looked as if he was about to say something when Connie brought them their food, along with a refill for Walter’s iced tea. “Can I get you anything else?”
“Nope,” Annie said. “We’re pretty much perfect right here.”
Connie studied their expressions. “What’s going on? You two look as if you’re talking about something serious.”
“Walter and I just broke up. Isn’t that fabulous?”
“Oh!” The wilting relief on Connie’s face was almost comical.
Walter shrugged, but he was sporting the same goofy expression of pent-up elation that Connie wasn’t bothering to hide anymore.
Wait a minute. Connie and Walter? All this time, Annie had thought their Tuesday-night banter was just a bit of meaningless flirtation, but the way they were looking at each other … It looked like Walter wasn’t the last one to know everything, after all.
“I’ll go get the bill.” Connie glanced longingly at Walter before heading over to the cash register.
This probably wasn’t the best time to ask, but Annie had to know. “Walter, do you have a thing for Connie?”
“A thing?”
“Yeah, you know, do you like her?”
He cleared his throat, something Walter did whenever he got nervous. “Connie is a lovely person. Perhaps in the future, I’ll ask her out. When the timing is right.”
“The timing might never be right. You should go for it.”
He gave her a look.
“Oh, yeah, I get it. Pot meet kettle.”
“Exactly,” he said. “Maybe we should both go for it.”
14
Sam pulled into the ranch’s circular driveway seconds behind the limo bringing Mom and Becks home from the airport. Talk about timing. He hugged his mother, then turned to greet his sister. But her attention was strictly on the little red car he’d driven all the way from Florida. She leaned her head into the Mustang’s open window. “Sweet! Where did you get the convertible?”
“Where do you think?”
She popped her head back out. “You bought this from Annie’s car dealership?”
“That doesn’t seem like your kind of car,” Mom said.
“It’s not.” He tossed Becks the keys. “Happy Birthday, Merry Christmas, and don’t say I never gave you anything.”
“For real? You’re the best!” Then her brow furrowed. “This isn’t a bribe, is it? I go to college and you get me a car?”
“That’s what Annie thought,” he said.
“Speaking of Annie …” His mother looped her arm around his. “Let’s get in the house and catch up.”
“I take it you watched Friday’s edition of Good Morning, USA?” he asked them.
“You two go ahead,” said Becks, avoiding his gaze. “I’ll just take this baby for a spin.”
“Not so fast. We need to discuss how Tammy Prentis knew how to find me.” He’d been on the road two days. No work. No distractions. Nothing except a whole bunch of flat highway and plenty of time to think. The only people who knew he was going to Old Explorer’s Bay to confront Annie about her letter were Stella, his mother, and Becks. She’d never deliberately do anything to hurt Sam, but his overly excited little sister could have easily been duped by a scheming paparazzo into spilling the details of his trip.
“It was an accident, Sam,” Mom said.
Becks nodded miserably. “I’m sorry. I wanted to call you right away, but … ”
“Mom’s right. Let’s talk inside.” He grabbed their luggage and followed them into the living room. Mom sat in the big leather couch facing the stone fireplace while Becks flopped down in the armchair across from her.
“It was that horrible Tammy person,” Becks said, sulking. “I know I should have blocked her number like you told me to, but she already knew you were in Old Explorer’s Bay. Apparently, there was a LoJack on your rental car, and some scumbag from the rental car company squealed to the tabloids. She said she was going to find out what you were doing there and that you couldn’t hide from her and … she said some stuff that made me really mad. How all these women were reaching out to you and you didn’t care about any of them, and before I knew it, I was telling her all about Annie’s letter.”
“It’s not your fault. I know firsthand just how manipulative Tammy can be.”
“So you’re not mad?”
“Not with you, squirt.”
“Ack!” She tossed a throw pillow at his head. “You haven’t called me that in years.”
Sam threw the pillow right back at her. “That’s because you’re too tall now. But I still reserve the right to use it when appropriate. Enough about Tammy Prentis and the rest of her crew. How did your trip go? Which school did you like best?”
“I loved them both. Georgia Tech has an awesome chemical engineering program that I think would be a really good fit. In case I decide to take over the company one day.”
An image of his little sister sitting at his desk at Big B Gas and Oil brought a smile to his face.
“And Tulane. Hello! What would be better than going to school in New Orleans? Mardi Gras, Bourbon Street, hot beignets at the Café Du Monde—”
“English, math, chemistry …” he said with a raised brow.
“Well, there’s that too.”
“So which one is it? Georgia Tech or Tulane?”
She looked at Mom, who urged her on with a nod. “Neither.”
Sam couldn’t say he was surprised. He’d still hoped that she’d opt for college, but it was Becks’s life. If she wanted to take a gap year, then he’d support her decision.
“You were right about the college visits,” Becks said. “They were great and gave me tons to think about. Mostly that I’m still pretty confused about what I want to do. So I’m going to stay here in Dallas and go to community college for a year. I just don’t think I’m ready to leave home yet, you know?”
His gaze flew to Mom’s, who sat there beaming at Becks with maternal pride. “I think that’s a very mature plan. What do you think, Sam?”
What did he think? He hadn’t given his baby sister enough credit, that’s what he thought. “It’s a terrific idea. As a matter of fact, I’m going to stay at home too.”