"Don't get all soft on me Colton Fraser." She said covering her grin with her glass of water.
"That boy is sweet on her and she can't see it." Evan said as Cammie waved Colton off. "Like mother like daughter I suppose." Scarlett shot him a glare from over the top of her book. "What? It took you forever to say yes to me, now what would you do without me?"
"I would be a miserable mess without you." She answered honestly. "Now hush, I'm reading." Scarlett tucked her head back down into her book.
"Hey Cameron?" Evan questioned as he flipped the burgers.
"Yeah?" She said moving towards him.
"What do you think about having Colton over to dinner sometime?"
"That's fine." Cammie said slowly. "Why?"
"Just a thought. He's been really helpful with everything... and a good friend." He added. "I thought it might be nice to have him over."
"Sure," Cammie said more confidently. "I'll text him."
"Rather Colton than anyone named Jackson." Evan said to his burgers and heard Scarlett laugh in agreement. "Eliot what Marvel movie are we up to?" Evan called as he saw Eliot reach into the cabinet for cookies.
Once or twice a week they would all watch a Marvel or DC movie. Since Eliot was now old enough to watch them all without getting scared or completely grossed out by the romance, Scarlett and Evan thought might as well start from the beginning. Build up to Endgame.
Four days later Colton was sitting across the table from Cammie shoveling food into his mouth. He felt like this was a big step forward in their friendship even though he talked to her mom and dad regularly and played video games with Eliot all the time. Family dinner... Colton was thrilled to be a part of that.
"Everything is delicious. Thank you." Colton said, his plate scrapped clean.
"You are welcome. I'm glad you like it. Feel free to take more," Scarlett pushed the bowl towards him.
"Thank you," he scooped more noddle kugel on his plate eagerly.
"Is no one going to address the elephant in the room?" Eliot questioned out of nowhere and looked over to Colton. Scarlett and Evan shared confused glances. "Colton looks like the black freaking panther!" Eliot exclaimed and Scarlett let out a relieved breath, while Evan chocked down his drink a grin on his face. Eliot looked to Cammie, "well doesn't he?" Cammie observed Colton grinning in his seat.
"I suppose so, but the other guy is hotter." Eliot rolled his eyes at the comment, unimpressed.
"We watched Black Panther last week, I didn't see the movie before so now I see the comparison." Eliot said smiling.
"Comparison, very nice choice in wording." Scarlett said proud that Eliot's reading had improved his vocabulary.
************
"Mom got the flu and is sick like crazy and we were going to go to together," Amber said over the phone the morning of the concert. "Aunt Scar would you go with me?"
"You sure you don't want to ask a friend?" Scarlett questioned as she packed Eliot's lunch for school.
"No my friends aren't country fans like us," Amber said picking up four different shorts unable to decide which would look best. "Besides it's been a while since we did something just us two." Amber added.
