Page 23 of Her Goal
“Are you going to get fired if you continue to hide behind this knight?”
“I’m not hiding.”
I point to the statue she’s wedged behind, pink-cheeked, and reminding me of when we were younger.
“Ah, then you’re on a covert mission.”
She slants her eyes at me as if to say,Don’t be dumb.
I widen mine, suggesting she explain herself.
Opening and closing her mouth, no words come out.
“It’s nice to see you, too. Been a while.” It sounds a bit more sarcastic than I mean.
She murmurs, “Not long enough.”
I splay my fingers across my chest. “Ouch. You break my heart, Leah.”
It’s her eyes that get me, striking against olive skin.
“You’re blonde now. I like it.”
She snorts. “You would.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Looks like table six could explain. I have to get back to work.” And with that, she brushes by me, shoulder knocking into mine.
Leah is tall but has delicate features. No way could she body check me and send me spinning … but I am anyway.
I drop a quarter into the jukebox, then click the button for a Guns N’ Roses song before I seat myself at a table on the other side of the vintage machine.
Instead of Leah as my waitress, the woman who takes my order introduces herself as Emerson. I cannot help but track Leah as she moves around the room, dropping off plates, refilling drinks, and alternately laughing politely and boldly with her various guests. I don’t so much as get a nod in my direction.
Even though she was Hunter’s so-called best friend and wanna-be girlfriend—which I never understood—I relished hearing the sound of her genuine laugh and was jealous that he was the one to draw it out of her.
I never really noticed how much she talked with her hands. But I was aware of how she moved so fluidly, gracefully on those long legs. Her silky hair swinging behind her and those hips …
But it was never meant to be. Hunter called dibs. She came with an unspoken off-limits sticker.
However, finding her hiding behind the knight—and that nervous laugh—is so unlike the Leah Smith I knew. Nothingspooked her. Nothing stopped her. She was the black cat in the neighborhood—beware when she crossed your path or came at you with a bicycle or hockey stick.
Except for Hunter. She had a soft spot for my brother and defended him. While he led her on, she let him stomp all over her heart. I’ll never forgive him for it.
Cobbiton is the last place I want to be, but I have a hunch that there’s unfinished business between me and whoever writes those emails. Perhaps Leah knows something. Maybe it’s been my brother all along.
9
LEAH
My focus skipsfrom Hudson’s email to his visit, then crashes into Heidi’s proposal, all while keeping my eye on the older woman who keeps sneaking bits of her sausage into her purse. I’m pretty sure there’s a small dog in it.
After Hudson leaves, we get a lull. For once, I’d rather we remained busy. The full restaurant rush is a great distraction.
Heidi has a few pieces of paper spread out, along with a clipboard when I bring her a soda refill.
She twirls the straw. “So that was weird.”
