Cole frowned. Why did these women think he wouldn’t be interested in Angie? Were they blind? Angie was the most sensual woman he knew. He could see it in every move, every smile.
“Want something to eat?” Angie suddenly asked, obviously determined to change the subject. “Danish?”
“No thanks.” She held her hand up. “Food allergies.”
Angie rested her arms on the table and leaned forward. “So what’s this about you and Heidi being frenemies? Was it because of her drug use?”
Cole reached up and grabbed the tip of her ponytail. He gave it a sharp tug and hoped she understood his message. There were times when Angie’s straightforward attitude was a disadvantage. She couldn’t bulldoze her way into delicate discussions.
Cole could see Robin look at Angie with caution. “How do you know about that?”
Angie shrugged. “I’ve heard the rumors.”
Robin sighed and made a face. “Brittany could never keep a secret.” She looked around the café before she bent forward and spoke softly. “Yeah, Heidi made my life miserable in college. The lying, the stealing. I thought she had cleaned up, but then she winds up in the hospital after a drunken night. I guess I was wrong.”
“Sounds like a lot of drama,” Angie said sympathetically. “I can’t imagine Brittany putting up with that.”
“She wouldn’t normally, but Heidi was more a groupie than a friend. Brittany is always on the lookout to add to her entourage.”
Angie pursed her lips. “She wanted a minion.”
Cole gave another tug on Angie’s ponytail. Angie silently responded by pulling her hair over her shoulder so he couldn’t reach it. He flexed his fingers and held back.
He wished he could interrupt the conversation. Angie was getting Robin to talk but she was skating on thin ice. It was like watching someone on a tightrope. One wrong word and Robin would stop talking. Or worse, she would notice their interest in Heidi.
When he first took on this case, Heidi’s family only wanted to locate her. He had been able to track her down so easily that he wondered if the family had even tried. Once he gave the information to his clients, he soon realized that finding her was only the beginning. What they really wanted from him was to do surveillance. He was supposed to follow Heidi and see if she was still having trouble with drugs and alcohol.
He didn’t have a definitive answer and he needed to be sure before he gave his report. What if the family didn’t welcome Heidi back because they didn’t like the answer? Would they only repair the relationship if Heidi met certain conditions?
He needed to know the truth. A lot was at stake. Unfortunately, the investigation wasn’t going as planned. The people who knew Heidi best only seemed to remember how she used to be. They gave no insight into her life today.
“Brittany knew that Heidi would put up with a lot of crap to be friends,” Robin explained as she took a sip of her coffee. “I think Heidi wanted to be part of everything.”
“That’s why she agreed to be maid of honor even though she knew it was going to be an ordeal.” Angie tapped her hand on the table. “I wondered why anyone would willingly take on that role. Especially after getting that very demanding email that listed all of Brittany’s expectations.”
“Oh, I bet Heidi jumped at the offer,” Robin said with feeling. “If anyone should be maid of honor, it should have been me. I’m the closest sorority sister to Brittany.”
Angie clucked her tongue. “You should have gotten the honor.”
Cole winced when he heard Angie’s sarcastic emphasis on the word honor, but Robin didn’t seem to clue in. He was beginning to wonder what had happened in the past year that made Angie bitter about weddings.
“I should have,” Robin agreed, “but I don’t take orders very well. Heidi will do anything for Brittany and she knows it.”
Angie nodded slowly. “I’m sure that’s it.”
“I should go see Heidi before visiting hours are up. Thanks for the coffee,” Robin told Cole before she gave him a speculative look. “Will you be at the wedding?”
“Yes, I insisted.”
“Interesting.” Robin seemed confused as she cast a look at Angie before returning her attention to him. “Save a dance for me,” Robin said before she strode away.
Cole waited until she left the café before he spoke to Angie. “That was a close call,” he said, his gaze still on the doorway.