Page 60 of Savior
When I smile again, it’s sincere. “I am. This place is exactly what I needed. It’s beautiful here. I don’t know how you left.”
Before she can respond, there’s a flurry of activity at the front door and two beautiful women enter. One with deep auburn hair holds the hand of a little boy. The other, a sloe-eyed brunette, is flanked by two teenage boys with identical coloring and wide, toothy smiles. Beside me, Chloe raises a hand and waves them over. Sofie and Livvie wave back and start to head our way.
“Since you already met Sofie and Livvie, I thought it would be fun to make it a girl’s day out.” Chloe pushes back her chair to greet the two women.
Two waiters appear out of nowhere to push another table against ours and rearrange the chairs to make room for the new additions. I take a deep gulp of my water, wishing I was something stronger. It was easier making friends when Logan was by my side.
The women take seats, one on either side of Chloe, and their children next to them leaving me between one of the teenagers and the younger boy.
“I’m Donnie,” the teenager says as he gets to his seat. “We didn’t get to meet since these two,” he jerks his thumb at the older boy who must be Rafe, and the younger who must be Cole, “kept me running around when we did pumpkins.”
“Sienna.”
Both teenagers give me identical smiles and this time my own smile is genuine.
“Nice to meet you all.”
Livvie drops her purse next to her chair and fluffs her hair. “I’m so glad you called. I needed to get out of the house.”
Chloe laughs, one hand on her belly. “My cousin driving you crazy?”
“Always,” Livvie says, but she’s grinning good-naturedly. “Logan got a new motorcycle, so naturally he and Ben have been mooning over it. Ben’s trying to convince me he needs a new one.”
“Really?” The other teenager sits up a little straighter in his seat.
Sofie shoots him a stern look. “Don’t even think about it, Rafe.”
Rafe slumps back in his seat with a commiserating look from his brother.
Chloe grins at the pair of them, then says to Livvie, “Sienna had Logan over this morning.Earlythis morning.”
I groan inwardly as all eyes at the table shift to me, pinning me to my chair. All I can think to do is nod because my throat closes up.
“I’m so glad,” Sofie says with a rush of enthusiasm.
My mouth drops open. “I’m sorry, what?”
Sofie shares a significant look with Livvie as Chloe’s eyes brighten, and she nibbles on another piece of bread. “I’ve been telling Livvie for forever we should fix Logan up with someone, but he beat us to it.”
“Because you’re so nosey.” Rafe elbows Sofie.
Sofie simply shrugs. “Hey, they were the ones talking loud enough for the rest of the world to overhear. Plus, it’s not often Logan of all people talks about a woman.” She looks across the table to Livvie. “I don’t think he’s even dated since he and his wife split years ago.”
As the conversation shifts to trash talk his ex-wife, I turn my eyes to my lap. Try as I might, I can’t direct my attention anywhere else and my ears strain to listen as they continue.
“Yeah, Sienna has been working at the bed and breakfast,” Chloe says, once they finish raking Logan’s ex over the coals.
“Ohhhh,” Livvie sends a longing glance toward me. “I love that place. Ben took me there for our anniversary. The views are spectacular. I’ll have to come for lunch sometime. I remember the food is amazing.”
There is a pause where all eyes turn to me. For a second, the words stick in my throat. Then I swallow and push through. “I’d like that.”
The three women beam at me, and I relax into my seat.
“Do you ever get to eat there?” Sofie asks as she sips from a glass of wine.
I nod. “Diane practically forces me to take leftovers after dinner.”
Livvie groans. “Now she’s just being mean.”