Wish for Love

by Daria White

  Could she handle facing the unknown with Cole? At least with Seth, it brought familiarity and comfort. Leah reclined in bed with Chip crawling beside her.

  “What do you think?” she asked her puppy.

  Chip barked.

  “Thanks for the advice.” She cuddled him closer.

  Chapter 19

  Twinges of pain made Leah bite the inside of her cheek. Her limbs trembled as she held her side plank. Her oblique muscles tightened. Sweat slid down her neck. If only Joanna would stop for the day, but they had one more minute. Leah focused on the music in the background, but her fatigued muscles quivered.

  “Okay ladies, and… rest,” Joanna said.

  Leah plopped on her yoga mat. “Wow.” She held her side and released a deep breath.

  “Whoever said Pilates is easy, lied,” Kimberly commented. She gulped the water from her bottle.

  Celeste swiped the sweat from her face with her cottony towel. “Remind me again why we’re here.”

  Leah stretched her arms above her head. “To develop a better lifestyle.”

  “I would kill for one of Miss. Adele’s chocolate muffins,” Kimberly said. She licked her lips.

  Celeste covered her ears as if to block her out. “Don’t do that to me. I’m trying to be good here.”

  Leah laughed. She felt the pleasant burn of having worked her muscles. She grabbed a few antibacterial wipes and passed them to Kimberly and Celeste. She cleaned off her mat. “I will say that sounds great right about now. I think we’ve earned it.”

  Kimberly raised her hand. “I second the motion. We’ve earned it.”

  Celeste cocked her head toward the group. “Fine, I guess we did, but don’t let Joanna see us.”

  The ladies packed up their yoga mats and headed for the door.

  “Leah?”

  She turned to find Craig striding toward her. Kimberly and Celeste waited for her by the shop area.

  “Hi, Craig.”

  “Had a good workout today?”

  She still felt the evidence in her core. “I did, and you can thank Joanna for that.”

  “I don’t mean to keep you, but I was hoping you’d join me tonight at Mack’s BBQ. My treat since we’ve agreed to stay friends. I wanted to show you I was serious.”

  “That would be nice. I’d love to.”

  “I’ll meet you at seven. That work?”

  “I’ll see you then.”

  Craig touched her forearm before he pivoted to walk away. Leah twirled around to find Kimberly and Celeste staring at her.

  “What?” Leah asked. She exited the front door, only to have them trail behind her.

  “Care to share?” Kimberly asked. She tossed her long blonde hair to the side.

  “No, why?”

  “Craig seemed a little taken with you,” Kimberly said.

  “Would you two be alright if we stopped by Tyler’s coffeehouse? I’ve been craving a caramel Frappuccino,” Celeste interjected.

  “Do the calories still count if you’re only drinking them?” Kimberly wondered.

  Leah laughed. “Let’s go.”

  They crossed the street and strolled to Tyler’s Coffee House. Local artists had painted the garbage cans to make them more appealing. Pedestrians moseyed along walking their dogs and pushing strollers, stopping along to talk to those they knew.

  When Leah smelled the bitterness of coffee, she lifted her chin to see Tyler’s business sign. The door chimed above them as they entered. The tingle of cinnamon, chai teas, and mulled ciders filled her nostrils. She eyed the long counter stacked with chrome espresso and frothing machines. A glass case holding a selection of snacks from breakfast muffins, sandwiches, and pastries had her stomach growling.

  Kimberly settled at one of the bistro tables. Leah and Celeste followed, taking the other available two seats. Leah relaxed in a padded iron chair, draping her yoga mat on its back.

  “Leah?”

  Her head jerked to Tyler, who walked over to their table.

  Leah replied, “Hi, Tyler. We were getting settled before ordering.”

  His prominent cheekbones showed from smiling. “I can get whatever you need. What would you ladies like today?”

  “I’ll take a caramel frappe,” Celeste said.

  Kimberly’s finger tapped on the table. “I’ll be good. No pastries, but I’ll have an herbal tea.”

  “I’ll take a mocha frappe,” Leah ordered.

  Tyler winked and left their table.

  Leah heard the murmur of voices, laughter, and spoons clinking on the sides of mugs. The hum of machines filled her ears.

  “Tyler looks smitten,” Kimberly commented.

  “We’re friends,” Leah corrected.

  “It looks like Tyler and Craig are both of her friends,” Celeste said, sounding playful.

  “Nothing more and nothing less,” Leah reiterated. Her fingers loosely clasped on top of the table.

  Celeste bobbed her head.

  Kimberly clapped her hands. “I can’t wait for Phoebe to have her first pictures. I wanted them when she was three months, but Will wants us to wait until she’s six months.”

  Celeste shook her head. “Why does your baby girl need a photo shoot?” She tucked in an unruly deep brown curl behind her ear.

  “Memories, what else?” Kimberly answered. “I wonder would Cole be available to do them.”

  “I wish you could have told me. I saw him with Seth at PV’s,” Celeste said. “I could have mentioned something to him then.”

  “I’ll ask him at church.” Kimberly then squinted her eyes at her friend. “So, you saw Seth? Did he talk to you?”

  Celeste’s rubbed her forearms. “No, he left.”

  “Here we go, ladies,” Tyler announced as he distributed their drinks on their table. Afterward, he resumed his place behind the counter. Celeste frowned and excused herself to the restroom, leaving Kimberly and Leah alone at the table.

  “Is she okay?” Leah asked.

  Kimberly gave half a smile. “I hope so, but I think this is another case of unrequited love.”

  Her eyes bugged. “That so? I don’t mean to pry.”

  Kimberly’s blonde eyebrows drew together. “I don’t think she would mind me telling you, but she’s had a thing for Seth Parsons since he came back into town. I don’t know why she hasn’t told him how she feels. Celeste can be a little shy.”

  “And I’m assuming he doesn’t know.”

  “Men never know,” Kimberly said. “I ended up starting my first kiss with Will. He’s the love of my life, but he’s better with horses than people.”

  Leah’s lips turned upward. “He’s gotten better over the years since you guys have been together. He’s helpful during my riding lessons.”

  “Again, that involves a horse. Will is an expert, so it’s nothing for him to teach.”

  Celeste came back to the table. “So, what are we talking about?”

  Leah swallowed but Kimberly interjected.

  “I was about to order a pastry.” Her metal chair scraped the floor as she stood.

  Leah savored a sip from her mocha Frappuccino. Celeste did the same and sampled her drink.

  “Feeling okay?” Leah asked.

  Celeste fiddled with her earring. “I’m okay.”

  “I heard you’re going back to school for a master’s degree.”

  Celeste’s eyes lit up. “Yes, in creative writing. Thankfully, I can attend online.”

  “Didn’t want to leave home?”

  Celeste leaned forward, resting her hands on the table. “Uncle Albert has been like a father to me since I lost my dad. Mom remarried when I was a teenager. I don’t want to leave my family. Plus, this place is home.”

  “I know the feeling. Some things you can’t replace, and that’s home.”

  Celeste’s hands fidgeted, twisting her fingers back and forth.

  “Are you sure you’re okay, Celeste?”

  “Well… I wanted to ask you something, but it’s no
ne of my business.”

  “Like?”

  “Is there anything going on between you and Seth? I know you two were an item in my sophomore year.”

  Leah sat back in her chair. “We’re still friends.”

  Celeste leaned in closer, resting elbows on the table. “You two seemed to have a good time at my uncle’s place.”

  “We did.” Leah couldn’t forget it since Seth had poured his heart out to her. Her decision turned out to be harder than she assumed. She had avoided it for the last few days, but with the knowledge of Celeste’s affection for Seth, it wouldn’t be fair to put the conversation off with him any longer.

  “Maybe…” Celeste said. “It’s nothing, you know. I guess I always felt bad about what happened to him. He was always so nice to me in high school.”

  “You know what I think?”

  “What?”

  “I don’t think you should give up so easily.”

  “There might be hope, you think?” She smiled hopefully.

  “I know so.”

  ****

  “Hello, everyone,” Leah greeted her patrons outside her boutique.

  “Leah? Please tell me you have this dress in stock?” a female customer asked.

  Another woman waved her hand for Leah’s attention. “I love your website. Any chance you have this in coral? I couldn’t tell online. You know how some pictures aren’t true to the color.”

  Leah’s head roamed from customer to customer as she entered her store doors. Thankfully, Amber met her to grab her purse. From there, Leah and her employees assisted her customers with their purchases.

  While she wanted to bounce on her toes, she held her squeals inside. All her registers possessed lines. Clothes practically flew off her racks, and she even sold out of a few of her items. Though she took breaks in between to rest her tired feet, fresh energy filled her as more patrons entered the store.

  For a moment, she sunk into her office chair. I need a break. Then a knock on the door made her cock her head toward it. “Mom?”

  “You have a full house out there.” Her mother said. Then she held out a lunch bag. “Thought you could use this. I made meatloaf last night.”

  “I’m sorry. I meant to stop by after work,” Leah replied. She clutched the leopard print lunch bag.

  “I know, and I understand. You’re not working too hard, are you?” Her mother settled in a seat across from her.

  Leah slipped off her heels, sighing with relief. “It worked, so I might be busier than usual.”

  Her mother nodded, but her eyebrow furrowed.

  “Are you okay, Mom?”

  “I am. I was missing you at first. You’re our only child, what can I say? But…” A gleam showed in her mother’s eye. “I’m proud of you.”

  “Thanks, Mom.”

  Then another knock on her door grabbed her attention.

  “Come in,” Leah said.

  Amber popped her head in. “You’re being requested outside.”

  Her mother gestured Leah to the door. “That’s your cue but at least eat a little.”

  She nodded as her mother gave her a quick hug.

  ****

  Leah gazed out her glass doors and windows. Tapping one foot on the floor, she rubbed her forearms. Today had been a revelation. Business boomed, and her conversation with Celeste… mind-boggling. She sensed Celeste liked Seth, but how was she going to handle her relationship with him? He seemed so hopeful that night on the lake.

  He had taken her hands in his. His eyes beamed with affection and awe. Leah’s heart used to swell with love when he stared at her that way in high school. Once he expressed his feelings, she’d cowered. It raced through her mind to tell him about Cole, but she couldn’t do it. They were brothers. She scratched at her temple.

  The one who dried her tears as a teen… Cole. He escorted her to their senior prom—after she had begged him. The corners of Leah’s mouth turned up, recalling that night. She had been nervous about her strapless plum prom dress making a debut.

  Cole’s eyes had stared. “You look amazing.”

  She had pointed to him. “You’re supposed to say that as my friend.”

  He adjusted the lapels of his tuxedo. “I could say it to amuse you.” His grin had given him away.

  Leah looped her arm through his, and he escorted her to his father’s pickup truck. Arriving in a pickup to prom hadn’t fazed her, even when a few other classmates had pulled up in limos.

  When Gemma and Chase suggested they eat afterward, Leah stayed by Cole’s side, despite the assumptions of them being a couple. She had denied it without hesitation. She didn’t want another Parsons’ brother experience. Finally, they had called it a night, and Cole drove her home.

  “I had fun tonight,” Leah had said. “I’m glad you came with me.”

  Cole clasped her hand. “I only had fun because I was with you.”

  She had leaned over and kissed his cheek. Despite the woodsy cologne that filled her nostrils, she pulled away and exited the car. She still felt the sensation in her hand when he clutched it, but it had been nothing. Right?

  Leah flipped the open sign from “open” to “closed” on her boutique’s front door. Had it been nothing? She paced back to her office. Grateful the sun hadn’t set yet, she quickly locked up. A walk in the park would do her some good.

  On the way, Leah passed by the flower shop and Mr. and Mrs. Clancy’s bookstore. She decided on an ice cream cone, stopping by the parlor on the corner. She relished in her choice of cookies and cream and she watched from the sidewalk cars driving past, hearing the occasional honk of a horn.

  The minute she arrived at the park, she relaxed in a bench on the grass. Leah then crossed her legs, resting her cheek in her palm. She inhaled the aroma of fresh-cut grass, though her relaxed state did nothing to calm her nerves. It had been a question sprinting through her mind, but the answers remained the same.

  Did she have to choose? She’d been enjoying her dating hiatus. There were a few times at home Leah would turn on her radio and dance to salsa music in her kitchen. She’d flip her hair as her socked feet coasted across her tiled floor. Her own personal walls were coming down. She never would have done that when she was with Brian.

  Her lips parted at the realization. In her past relationships, one common denominator rang in her ears… passive. The last time she voiced her honest opinion. Seth and he left. The last time she had been herself with a man. Cole.

  Leah raised her chin and gazed at the clouds. Even her last failed relationship with Brian didn’t compare to her current dilemma. She threaded a hand through her low ponytail. No easy answer came to mind, so it all boiled down to who made her happy? She had enjoyable moments with Seth. He could put a grin on her face easily, but being with Cole—

  Her head jerked, hearing her buzzing phone. Leah scurried to answer. “Hello?”

  “Hey, Leah. I’m on my way.”

  “Craig?” She face-palmed herself. “I lost track of time.”

  “Where are you?”

  “The park.”

  “You’d rather I meet you there?”

  “No, I’ll be there. I’m leaving now. Leah hung up and hustled down the street for home.

  Chapter 20

  “I told you I didn’t feel like talking,” Seth said to Cole over the phone.

  “You’ve been in a funk almost all week, even before you left town. You go too long without answering my calls, and you know I will keep calling until you answer.” Cole picked up the menu to peruse his choices. “I think I’m going for the barbeque ribs.”

  “You’re at Mack’s BBQ?” Seth sighed. “I guess I brought it on myself.”

  Cole’s eyebrows knitted together, confused by the lack of segue. “Brought what?”

  “I rushed things and now it backfired.”

  “Not following.”

  “Leah.”

  Cole opened his mouth to respond but refrained from speaking.

  His brother continued.
“We’ve been hanging out, and I acted on impulse. I took her to the lake. She didn’t respond like I hoped.”

  Cole kneaded his neck to relieve the tension. “Have you talked to her since then?” How should he handle this now? He hadn’t talked with Leah since the wedding. Is that why she agreed to keep seeing Seth? Did their almost-kiss scare her off?

  “She says she needs time, but you and I both know what that means,” Seth said.

  “Yeah. Dad taught us to know some things about women.”

  “He’s been married to Mom long enough. He must know something.”

  “At least he talks to you,” Cole grumbled, not wanting to go down this road.

  “When are you two going to come to an understanding?”

  Cole shrugged his shoulders. “I’d be all for it, if he didn’t hate what I do.”

  “He doesn’t hate it, little brother. Dad…”

  “What? I would love to know what his issue is with me.”

  “Dad’s always pictured in his mind the life he wanted for us. Going against his plans and finding something better only proves him wrong. What man you know enjoys being wrong?”

  “So, success outside of what he wanted is wrong for him. Got it.” Cole bit back the scream he wanted to unleash but refused. The days trying to please him were over. He needed to handle other things.

  “I can’t figure Leah out, bro. She is the most amazing woman I know.”

  “Look, Seth, I need—”

  “Hi, Cole,” Celeste greeted, giving a little wave.

  “Hi,” Cole replied.

  “Who’s that? It sounds like Celeste.”

  Cole asked her, “You eat barbeque?”

  She dismissed his comment with a wave. “It’s for my mom and stepdad. I’m partial to the truffle fries here though.”

  “How are you?

  “Oh, I’m great. I got into an online master’s program. I’m excited to begin my classes,” she said as she scanned the room. “Seth’s not with you?”

  “No, he’s out of town on business.” Cole pointed to his cell. “I’m on the phone with him now.”

  Celeste’s hands fidgeted clinging to her takeout bag. “No worries, tell him I said hi. Well… I’ll leave you to your dinner. Goodnight.”