When We Fall by Emily Liebert Page B

Charlie. It’s not like they’re going at each other.” She took a bite of her tuna fish sandwich and finished chewing before continuing. Among the many things her mother had taught her, proper manners were at the tippy-top of the list. “It’s more like they’re strangers.”
    â€œThat’s unfortunate.”
    â€œShould I feel weird being friends with both of them?”
    â€œI don’t think so. As long as you don’t get caught in the middle. I know Charlie is an old friend and that he’s aconnection to Jack. But girlfriends are important. Do you like this Charlotte? Is she someone you see yourself becoming closer with?”
    â€œI definitely like her, and I think there’s a lot more to her. Under the surface. I told you she invited me on this trip to Canyon Ranch, so I’ll see how that goes.” Allison sipped her cold lemonade, savoring its tangy bite. “That’s the other thing. When she invited me, her
sister
was sitting right there. I mean, how awkward is that? And then when Charlie said he’d take Logan while we’re gone, I thought Charlotte was going to keel over from shock. Very quickly, the whole thing reached an unrivaled level of get-me-the-hell-out-of-here.”
    â€œSounds like she could use a real friend.” Allison’s mother crunched a piece of yellow pepper. “This salad is enormous. Do you want some?”
    â€œSure.” Allison handed her mother her plate. “Taste the tuna. It’s delicious. I wonder what they put in there. The flavors are amazing.”
    â€œCarrots, onions, and sweet relish. Now you have the secret.” Dempsey appeared at the side of their table, seemingly out of nowhere. “Are you ladies enjoying yourselves? Mrs. Taylor, may I say you look beautiful as always?”
    â€œYou may.” Allison’s mother blushed like a teenager in the face of her first crush. “And I’ve told you to call me Caroline, what, a million times now?”
    â€œWait, you two know each other?”
    â€œOf course. I come in here three times a week. Dempsey is a gem. This is my daughter, Allison. She and our grandson, Logan, just moved back to Wincourt.”
    â€œAli and I go way back.” He pushed his wavy dark brown hair out of his beguiling blue eyes. “We went to high school together.”
    â€œYou never told me that!” Allison could see her mother’s wheels start to spin.
    â€œTo be honest, I didn’t make the connection until now. Taylor’s not exactly an uncommon last name.”
    â€œRight.” She looked back and forth between the two of them. “Ali and I were just talking about how nice it would be if she had more
friends
up here.”
    â€œMom! I’m sure Dempsey has plenty of friends.”
    â€œActually, no. I’m kind of a loser.” He laughed easily. “I’m kidding. But I’d love to get together sometime.”
    â€œUm, sure, yeah. Maybe once I’m settled in.” Allison fidgeted with her straw, poking at the bobbing ice cubes in her lemonade.
    â€œWhatever works. You know where to find me.” He took Allison’s mother’s hand in his, dotting it with a kiss. “Caroline, always a pleasure. If you ladies need anything, give a shout.”
    â€œThank you.” Her mother smiled bashfully and watched as Dempsey disappeared behind the counter.
    â€œWhat happened to ‘girlfriends are important’?” Allison whispered, leaning across the table so no one else would hear.
    â€œI didn’t say a few handsome and single men in the mix could hurt, did I?”
    â€œI’m not ready for that.” Allison waved her hand dismissively.
    â€œAli, I’m not suggesting you marry him. Dinner wouldn’t be the end of the world, though. We don’t mind babysitting.”
    â€œDon’t
mind
?” She sniffed. “You’d have me out every night if it was up to