Page 71 of Unlikely to Stay
“Then let’s order.I think the special is catfish and fries.”
“How do you know that?”
“I have her send me texts.”
“You have Sadie’s personal cell?”
“What can I say?I think she thinks I’m cute.”
“So does half the population of old ladies in Parker.”
“You consider Sadie an old lady?”
“Don’t ever tell her I said that.She’ll kill me if she thinks I lumped her in a category with Madge and Kelda.”
“Your secret is safe with me.”Brant pulled his phone out of his pocket and sent a text to Sadie asking for two of the specials.He was putting his phone away when a smooth voice came over the speakers.“Care to dance while we’re waiting for our food?”he asked.
CC smiled.“It would be my pleasure.”Brant wrapped his arms around her and began swaying their bodies to the music.The singer described a woman being smooth as Tennessee whiskey and getting stoned on her love.
“Who is this?”he asked.
“Chris Stapleton,” she replied.“We definitely need to expand your musical knowledge.I love this song.”
“Me, too, Freckles.Me, too.”He gently took Colleen’s arms and placed them around his neck before pulling her closer until he couldn’t tell where he ended and she began.She was just like Chris described.She was smooth, she was sweet, she was warm.And she was quickly becoming such an important part of his life he couldn’t ever imagine letting her go.
All too soon, Sadie had brought CC and Brant two to-go plates of her amazing cornmeal crusted catfish, cilantro lime coleslaw, and homemade fries.She’d also thrown in two pieces of her blackberry cobbler.She didn’t even question why Brant was covered in paint and sitting on the floor with CC, his back against the pillar again with his legs stretched out in front of him.All she had done was set their sack of food on the floor and given Colleen a one-eyebrow-raised, pointed look.Brant had a feeling that look definitely meant Colleen was going to be answering some questions sooner rather than later.
They had eaten their dinner on the floor again, CC leaning against the other pillar, their feet randomly rubbing together as they smiled at each other.If someone had ever told him he would be playing footsie with Colleen Chandler on the floor of her gym as they were eating catfish, he would have laughed them out of the door.But it happened…and he loved the smile it brought to his face.