The Perfect Couple (Last Stand #4)(71)
Author: Brenda Novak

"Who’re you talking to?" Colin asked. "Is someone staying at the motel with you?"

The jealousy in his voice disturbed Zoe but it wasn’t overt enough that she could call him on it. "No, I’m–" She caught herself. She didn’t owe him an explanation. Her relationship with Jonathan was none of his business.

"Is it Anton?" he pressed.

"Colin, stop."

"I’m just wondering if you two are back together."

"We’re not."

There was a pause. "You didn’t pick someone up…."

Filled with fresh irritation, she tightened her grip on the phone. "I really don’t feel like talking right now. Maybe I could call you back later."

"Are you mad at me?"

"No, of course not. I’m grateful to you. I’ve been meaning to thank you for yesterday. I really appreciate all you’ve done. It’s just that…today’s going to be hard for me, you know?"

"Right. Of course. I understand."

"Great. I’ll talk to you later," she said, but he didn’t respond with goodbye. He surprised her with another question.

"It’s not Jonathan, is it?"

Zoe glanced up at the man in question, who was now scowling.

"Excuse me?"

"The man you’re with?"

"Colin, stop. I’m not with anyone."

"You might as well tell me. I’ll find out eventually."

"Why are you so interested?"

"Because it’s not fair."

"Fair?" she echoed.

"You haven’t even given me a chance."

"You’re married!"

He burst into laughter. "I’m kidding."

She let go of her breath. "Oh. You had me going for a minute there."

"I know. You think every guy wants you."

She stiffened. "No, I don’t."

"Then why couldn’t you just answer the f**king question?" he said and hung up.

Too shocked to move, Zoe stared at her phone.

"What’s wrong?" Jonathan crossed the room.

She looked up at him. "It’s Colin Bell," she said. "He just…screamed at me. It was weird." But no weirder than that snatch of dream. Or was it a dream? With Colin’s sense of humor, she wasn’t sure what he might consider funny.

"What’d he say?" Jonathan asked.

Shaking her head, she put her phone aside. "Nothing." She couldn’t explain her former neighbor’s odd behavior. And she certainly didn’t want Jonathan to accuse her of what Colin just had: You think every guy wants you.

He nudged her knee. "You hungry?"

Did they really have to face the day already? It was Sunday. Mother’s Day. They wouldn’t be able to get any more rental records, wouldn’t be able to talk to people without the risk of interrupting family celebrations. What could they do to find Sam?

Nearly a whole week had passed, and they didn’t even know where to look.

She reached over to smooth the hair out of his eyes. "Can we just go back to bed?"

He studied her for a moment. Then he swept her into his arms and carried her into the bedroom.

That was stupid.

Closing his eyes and shaking his head, Colin shoved his phone into the middle of the table so he wouldn’t chuck it across the restaurant. He shouldn’t have lost his temper with Zoe. He’d worked too hard to become her friend.

And now she wouldn’t trust him anymore.

"Shit!"

The old woman in the next booth had been gaping at him since his outburst on the phone. He glared back, but when she wouldn’t look away he flipped her off.

Her eyes bugged out and she insisted her husband get up and move to a different table with her. She was complaining to the manager when Tiffany returned from the restroom.

Leaving forty dollars on the table to cover their check, which hadn’t come yet, Colin got up and motioned for his wife to go out ahead of him.

"We’re leaving?" she said in surprise.

"I’m standing up, aren’t I?" He spoke quietly so he wouldn’t be overheard. He’d drawn enough attention.

She glanced longingly at her plate. "But I wasn’t done."

"You are now." He wasn’t about to stick around so some stupid, overweight manager making fifteen bucks an hour could waddle over in a grease-stained tie and reprimand him for his language.

"Why?" Tiffany asked. Then she noticed the tension in the room.

"What’s going on? This was supposed to be my Mother’s Day celebration. I get to eat whatever I want today. You said so."

"I changed my mind." He waved her through the door but she didn’t move.

"I only had a couple bites."

"So? You’re not a mother," he whispered.

"Because we’ve chosen not to have children. But I’m a woman. I could be a mother if you wanted children."

"Just shut up. You had enough to eat. It’s all I can do to keep you from turning into a whale. Now move your ass!"

"Colin–" She eyed the old folks and the manager conferring together, and lowered her voice. "What’d you do?"

He didn’t answer. "If you don’t come now I’m leaving you," he ground out.

Finally, she walked outside, and he used the button on his key to unlock the car doors. They were about to get in when the manager poked his head out of the restaurant.

"Next time you come to this establishment, please remember your manners," he said.

Colin wasn’t about to put up with any shit. "That’s what I think of you and your establishment," he said and flipped him off, too.

The manager came out farther–but not far enough to constitute a real challenge. "Hey, mister, don’t ever come back!"

"You couldn’t pay me to eat here again!" Colin said.

Tiffany, her face bright red, ducked into the car. "What’s gotten into you?" she asked as several of the waitresses came to peer out at them, too.

"We’re in public."

"Yeah, well, I hate this dump."

"It’s not a dump. It’s a nice restaurant. You’re the one who chose it."

"That was before I tried their lousy pancakes."

He started to back out of the parking space, then realized he’d left something behind. "Son of a bitch!"

"What now?" she asked.

He pulled in again. "Go get my phone. It’s on the table."

Fortunately, she didn’t argue because he wasn’t in the mood to tolerate it. But when she returned, he could tell by her expression that she was upset.

"You called Zoe," she said as soon as she got in.

"So what?"

"So what? We were lucky last night, to get out of the mess we were in. Why can’t you leave her alone? We have her daughter, Colin. Isn’t that enough? What is it about her?"