Page 37 of Honey Bee Library (Sweet Tea and a Southern Gentleman #7)

Willow must have known what that meant because suddenly her entire body stilled as she stared at Liam. “I’m sorry, what?” she asked.

“His mom. She’s here at the diner.”

“Where?” Her gaze began to sweep the dining room.

Liam’s attention was back on Willow, and he was sizing her up like he was curious as to how much she knew. He must have seen the concerned expression etched on her face because he nodded in the direction of the couple. “Booth behind us.”

Willow paused and then slowly brought her gaze over to the left.

She studied the woman for a moment before she let out her breath.

“Wow,” she whispered. The seconds that ticked by felt like hours before she took in a breath, turned back to Liam, and pointed to the food on his plate. “Everything look good?”

Liam glanced down at his meal and then back up to Willow. “Yep.”

Willow studied him for a moment longer before she walked away. Now alone, I glanced over at Liam. He was reaching over to grab the bottle of ketchup tucked next to the wall. With it in hand, he hit the bottom a few times before he poured some out on his plate.

He must have felt me watching him because he looked up with a fry midway to his mouth. “What?” he asked before he slipped the fry in and started chewing.

I shook my head. “Nothing.” But that was lie. I had so many questions, and I didn’t know how to ask them without seeming like I was prying.

Liam nodded and proceeded to eat ten more fries and take two long sips of Coke before I realized I was going to go crazy watching him eat without knowing the history between Cole and his mom.

“So…” I started. I eyed him, hoping that he was going to pick up on what I wasn’t saying.

Liam had moved onto his hamburger now. He’d just taken a bite and was lowering it back to his plate. “So?” he repeated through his food.

I sighed. He was going to make me spell it out. “So, what’s the story?”

Almost out of instinct, Liam’s gaze snapped to Cole’s mom before he brought it back to me. “No story.”

I leaned back against the booth and folded my arms. “Seriously?” Any other time I couldn’t get the man to shut up. Now, when there was something that piqued my interest, he clammed up? Was he serious?

He seemed to pick up on my frustration because he sighed as he grabbed a napkin to wipe first his fingers and then his mouth.

“Listen, I can’t really tell you much because I don’t know a lot.

But what I do know is Cole’s mom left him when he was a kid and he hasn’t seen her since.

He came to Harmony in search of her.” He shrugged as he took another bite of his hamburger.

I leaned back against the booth as I digested his words.

I didn’t know Cole, but I could understand his plight.

Abandonment was something you couldn’t fully understand until it happened to you.

Dad losing himself after Mom’s death and Trevor walking out on me were the two worst experiences I’d ever gone through.

At least I was older when those events happened.

It sounded like Cole’s abandonment happened when he was young.

To lose someone during your formative years who was supposed to love you unconditionally had to be hard.

“So what are you going to do?” I asked, turning my attention back to Liam.

He was chewing, so he held up his hand until he swallowed and took a swig of Coke. “What can I do?”

“Bethany?”

Willow’s shaky voice behind us made us turn to see what was happening. She was holding two plates of food out in front of her like she was going to put them down on the table, but she was frozen in time. Bethany, Cole’s mom, glanced up at her.

“Yes, dear?” she said. Her voice was soft and sweet, and it was strange to me that she looked so matronly even though she’d left her husband and son years ago.

“Did you order the pot roast or the chicken pot pie?” It seemed as if Willow’s waitressing instincts had kicked in, and she was relying on what she knew instead of what she wanted to say.

“Chicken pot pie, please,” Bethany said as she started to move the napkin-wrapped utensils and drink out of the way so Willow could set down the plates.

After the food was deposited in front of each guest, Willow stood there for a moment before she turned and started to walk away. I’d relaxed back into the booth when I heard Willow’s voice once more.

“Actually, no. I need to say something,” she said, her voice a tad louder this time.

Not wanting to stare but also not wanting to miss what was happening, I tipped my head to the left so I could hear better. Liam was full on staring since he was facing the drama.

“How dare you,” Willow said, her voice wavering.

“I’m sorry, do I know you?” Bethany’s voice was sharper now.

“No. No, you don’t. But I know your family.

I had the privilege of spending the last few days with your son, Cole—remember him?

And I’ve spent time at a memory care unit with your mother, who thought I was you.

” Willow’s pace had picked up speed, and I felt for her.

She was saying all the things I would say to Trevor if he ever came back into my life.

“My husband cheated on me and left me and our five-year-old son. I, for the life of me, can’t understand people like you.

Do you just forget they exist? Stop thinking about them?

” I could hear her emotions bubbling over as her voice broke.

“I could never, ever just leave my son and never come back.” She scoffed.

“But you know what, maybe it was the right thing to do. Because Cole is amazing. He’s kind and generous.

He takes care of people in need. He would never leave someone behind. ” She paused. “Unlike you.”

A soft sob escaped her lips, and suddenly Breia appeared next to her. She wrapped her arm around Willow’s shoulder, and Willow responded by burying her face into Breia’s shoulder.

They didn’t say anything to Bethany. Breia just guided Willow through the dining room, and they disappeared into the kitchen.

Everyone in the diner had heard the commotion and they were now staring at Bethany. The air was tense as we all waited to see what she was going to do. After a hushed conversation with the man across from her, they got up and walked out.

There was a collective cheer that rose up from the remaining guests, and I hoped that Willow could hear. I hoped that she would know that we supported her.

It took guts to say what she said, and I was proud of her. For all of us who’d been cheated on or abandoned, she spoke for us in that moment. She called for accountability that Bethany seemed to lack, as evident in her hasty retreat.

When I glanced back at Liam, he was watching me with an incredulous expression. Like he was seeing me for the first time and it was almost too much. I’d just met this man, and the last thing I wanted was for him to think he understood me when I didn’t even understand myself.

“What?” I finally asked when it became clear he wasn’t going to speak first.

Liam shrugged. “Nothing.” He gathered a few fries together before dipping them into the ketchup.

I crossed my arms and studied him, waiting for him to speak.

“It’s just that…”

There it was.

“Are you happy here?” He flicked his gaze to mine.

His question caught me off guard.

“What?” I could feel myself begin to build a wall between me and him.

“In Harmony. In the library. In…your life.” He paused. “Are you happy?”

I snorted. “What kind of question is that?”

He shrugged. “An honest one.” He reached over and grabbed a nearby napkin and dipped his finger in his ketchup. Then he began to write what looked like a phone number. “Listen, here’s my number. If you want some freedom…call me.” He handed the napkin over and I stared at it.

Part of me wanted to crumple it up and throw it back in his face. But a small part of me—one that I was trying to bury—wanted to pick it up. I’d spent so long trying to convince myself that I loved this place, that I loved my life, but this wasn’t my life.

I was living Abigail’s life.

And I wasn’t sure I wanted to do that anymore.

I reached over and took the napkin. “Just because my momma raised me to be polite, I’ll take this.” I scooted to the edge of the booth and stood. “But I can assure you, I will never, ever use it.” I shouldered my purse strap, met his gaze, and then turned and headed out of the diner.

When I got outside, the rain had mostly stopped, and I stared down at the napkin. I knew I should toss it into the garbage next to me…but I didn’t. I gingerly folded it, to not smudge the numbers, and tucked it deep, deep into my purse. Where, if I had any common sense, it would stay.