“That might be a good idea. We have our St. Paddy’s scavenger hunt happening. It would get some coverage, I’m sure. Might be good for the town, you know?” Sage stood and gathered all the cups and plates of now-empty chocolate pieces onto the tray she’d set to the side. “What harm could it do?”
Leah choked on the last bit of cocoa she’d taken a sip. What harm? What harm?
“Trust me, you don’t want them here.” A brief snapshot of the chaos Charmed would bring to Marietta was enough to give Leah a headache. “Sure, great marketing for Marietta and for you and your chocolates, but they want to focus it on Lonely Leah Finds Love.” She rolled her eyes. “Little too late for that.”
“Why’s that?” Sage paused with the tray in hand.
Oops. She hadn’t meant to say that out loud.
“I don’t mean to pry, but what’s going on with you and Wade?” Sage placed the tray over on the counter and came back to the table, hand on hip and looking like she had plenty on her mind when it came to her and Wade.
Everyone assumed a lot about them. They assumed they would one day end up together, that the love and friendship between them would always be there.
Heck, even she’d assumed that.
“Nothing,” Leah finally admitted. “Absolutely nothing is going on, and that’s the problem.”
“Are you sure about that?” Portia, who had sat there quiet as a ladybug on a leaf, spoke up.
“I’m very sure.” One day it wouldn’t hurt to admit that, right?
Sage’s hand rested on Leah’s shoulder. She squeezed lightly.
“Are you sure you’re leaving tomorrow?” Sage asked.
Leah nodded and was caught off guard by the hug she received from her old friend.
She wasn’t prepared at the tears that gathered in her own eyes as she hugged Sage back.
Until now she hadn’t realized just how much she’d missed her.
“If you must leave tomorrow, don’t be a stranger, okay? Come back soon and let’s keep in touch. You’ve got my number. Call me some time,” Sage said.
“It’s a date.” She might not be able to right all the wrongs in her life, but she could take care of this one. She needed friends. Friends who loved her for her, not for what she did for them. Friends who weren’t toxic…like the ones she had in California.
Truth be told, it might be harder to leave Marietta than she’d thought it would be.
Chapter Ten
Wade stepped back and looked at what he’d built with satisfaction.
That was a darn good snowman if he did say so himself.
He had no idea where Leah was, but he wasn’t leaving until he saw her. If it meant he had to fill the front yard with snowmen, then that was exactly what he would do.
He was in the middle of rolling the middle section of his second snowman when he had a niggling feeling that he was being watched.
As carefully as possible, Wade filled the palm of his gloves with snow and patted it into a snowball.
He sure hoped he wasn’t about to regret this. He tossed the snowball over his shoulder and heard the satisfying oomph from Leah.
Yes! Wade gave a small fist pump before he turned around with an innocent look on his face. He hoped.
“How did you know it was me?” Leah brushed off the snow from her coat. “What if it’d been Grams?”
“She would know better than to stand behind me.” He knelt and grabbed more snow, lobbing it at her before she had the chance to move.
She made it so easy.
“No fair.” She ran toward his truck, hiding behind it but not fast enough.
He hit her in the back. He had to admit, he was enjoying this.
He could see her fighting against the need to protest and run into the house—and the desire to hit him square in the face with a snowball of her own.
She had quite the arm, so he wouldn’t put it past her.
He caught her trying to edge closer to the front door, but there was no way he was letting that happen. Bending down so she couldn’t see him thanks to the truck she hid behind, he made his way toward to the front of it. He listened to the crunch of her feet on the snow and crouched.
The moment she made a run for it, he jumped out and grabbed her, enveloping her in a big bear hug.
A rush of laughter escaped from her, her face lighting up as he twirled her around.
Wade’s heart swelled with happiness. This was what he’d been missing. Her laughter. Her smile. The feel of her in his arms. He breathed it all in, unsure of how long it would last.
“You don’t play fair,” she finally said when she caught her breath.
“Didn’t know I needed to.” Wade winked as he casually brushed the snow off her shoulders. He tried to hide his smile as he noticed her wearing the scarf he’d made her for Christmas.
“What kind of boots are you wearing?” He stared at the bright yellow rain boots on her feet. Rain boots. What in her right mind would make her wear those? “You’ve been in California too long. Forget it snows here in March still?” He liked teasing her, enjoyed that smile that grew on her face, the way her eyes sparkled just before she laughed.
“My idiot of a brother got rid of all my snow gear apparently. It’s why I’m wearing this oversized coat.” She pulled at the hem of her jacket and then kicked her feet. “These boots are horrible. If I’d known he was going to get rid of my Merrell’s, I’d have taken them with me to California. Those were the best boots I’ve ever worn.” The frown on her face told him a lot more than she probably wanted to.
She did miss the snow. It was part of her—this beautiful country—and as much as she pretended to be a sun baby now, being a country girl was who she was. That would never change.
“Couldn’t you just order new ones online?”
She shook her head. “Why bother? Besides, my brother promised the weather was supposed to turn and all this snow was to melt.” She hid her face from him, so he moved to step directly into her line of sight.
“You should know your brother is rarely right, especially when it comes to snow, rain, or anything that drops from the sky. Sunny days…he tends to get those more right than wrong.”
He could see she was about to argue, to defend her brother, which was really cute, but she didn’t. It surprised him.
“You’re trying to pick a fight with me, aren’t you?” she said instead.
He shrugged. His goal was to remind her of what they had together, of why she belonged here…so any emotional response was welcomed.
“Why?” Hands on hips, she got in his face and looked up.
“Cause you’ve said nothing about my snowman.”
“Your…snowman?” She looked behind him with a confused expression.
“You’re dissin’ my snowman?”
“Dissin’?” The look Leah gave him was priceless.
“The last tour group taught me some new slang.”
Leah laughed. Actually laughed at him.
“What?”
She headed toward her front door, and he felt a moment of panic that she was leaving him.
“Wade, you’re showing your age. I don’t think anyone has used dissin’ in years.”
“Where are you going?” He rushed to the front steps, one foot on the bottom one, ready to follow her if needed. He had a date planned with her, and there was no way he was letting her get out of it.
“That snowman of yours needs a little help,” she said before entering the house and closing the door behind her.
Well, all righty then.
Wade looked at his snowman and thought it looked fine, but hey, if she wanted to dress it up, then he wasn’t about to stop her.
While he waited for her, he went back to the ball he’d been rolling for the second snowman.
He’d set the head on top just as she opened the door, her arms heavy with…stuff.
“I leave for a few minutes and now there’s two?” She relinquished a bit of her load into his hands.
“One for me
and one for you.”
He wondered if she remembered the times they would build snowmen when they were younger. The contests they’d have to see who could build the biggest one or the most within a certain time frame. Wade wondered if she ever remembered the fun they had.
“I don’t ever remember agreeing to build a snowman.” She took one of the carrots she’d brought out and stuck it on one of the faces.
“Good thing you didn’t build one, I guess.” Wade took the other carrot and repeated her action.
Within a few moments, their snowmen were all decorated.
“It’s been a while since I’ve decorated one of these. We kind of don’t get snow back home.” Leah’s cheeks were a cozy red.
“You are home,” Wade reminded her. He didn’t like hearing her talk about California like that. This would always be where she belonged.
“You know what I mean.” She gave him a sideways glance, but he pretended to not see it.
“I don’t, actually. I don’t think anyone else here would either.” He reached for her hand and pulled her toward the truck. “Come on; it’s time to go.”
She pulled back. “Time to go? Go where?”
He watched as her hand pulled out of his. It felt like she was cutting herself from him, creating even more of a distance, and he wasn’t about to let that happen.
He opened the passenger door of his truck and waited for Leah to hop in.
She just stood there, arms crossed, looking like a petulant little girl.
He scratched the back of his neck. What was it going to take to break through that wall she was building around herself? He could see it. Josie could see it. Heck, Sage could see it. Why couldn’t she?
“Hop in the truck, Leah. It’s not like I’m kidnapping you or anything. Would you trust me a little, please?”
“Not till you tell me where we’re going.”
Wade pulled out a pair of skates and held them up for her to see. “We’re going ice skating, okay? Simple ice skating.” He shook his head and dropped the skates. “Seems you need help remembering what home truly means.”
“Oh, really?” Her brow arched and that fire he knew and loved flared in her eyes. “And you aim to help with that?” The old country drawl, the one that made her voice smooth as whipped butter, came back. She only spoke like that when she was angry.
He didn’t mind an angry Leah. He’d much rather that emotion than her being all cold on him.
“That’s what best friends are for, aren’t they?” As if he needed to remind her of that.
He didn’t know what was with her, didn’t get why she seemed to be hiding from him, but it was one more thing to add to his recent list of dislikes.
“Some days I swear this best-friends business is a load of horse manure,” she mumbled before climbing into his truck.
Wade tried really hard not to react to that. It sounded to him like she wasn’t enjoying the status quo they’d held for so many years.
Was it possible those things he’d read about, her drunken confessions on the show Charmed, were actually real?
Could she really love him?
Chapter Eleven
Leah couldn’t keep up the pretense of being grumpy for long.
It didn’t help that Wade stopped at Sage’s for more hot chocolate.
Or that he’d thought ahead and brought hand warmers to go inside her mitts once at the lake.
Or that he’d even brought some thicker wool socks for her to wear.
Or that he’d somehow managed to find skates for her to use.
Not to mention the way he’d smile when he thought she wasn’t looking, or how his dimple would deepen as he struggled to hide said smile when looking her way.
She’d given up pretending to be in a bad mood and decided to just enjoy the day. She knew there wouldn’t be many more like this one—days spent with Wade having fun. In fact, it was probably the last time they’d spend an afternoon together in a long time.
Leah’s breath caught as Wade pulled up to Miracle Lake where they’d be skating. There was a legend about this lake—about how someone had fallen through the ice and drowned only to be revived and go on to live a very long life. She remembered her mom warning her when she was younger about the dangers of ice and what to look for when skating on it.
The white snow around them glistened as the sun’s rays shone down.
Diamonds sparkled on the snow as Leah followed Wade along the pathway.
Ever since the wind had lifted earlier, the day turned out beautiful and full of promise. Just like her brother had predicted. She wasn’t the only one to think so either. The area surrounding the outdoor ice rink was full of town people out enjoying the weather.
A group of children off to the side were busy building snowmen while their mothers stood to the side and talked with each other. Leah tightened her grip on her cup and raised a hand in greeting. She recognized a few of the faces, but she wasn’t sure if what she saw was welcoming smiles or gossiping grins.
Her steps faltered as the temptation to turn around and head back to Wade’s truck grew strong. He must have sensed it because when he turned, he reached out for her and placed his arm around her waist.
“Come on, no backing out now. Let’s see if you still remember how to slide around on ice,” he said gently.
Leah breathed in deep. Grams told her she’d have to make amends. Face the storm of gossip. Running back to Dylan’s place wouldn’t be doing that.
“They have ice rinks in California, I’ll have you know.” Leah didn’t even bother to keep the sarcasm from her voice.
“Do they now? Well, I guess we’ll see if you’re still worthy of your title, Twinkle Toes.” He gave a very saucy wink before leading her to the benches around the lake.
She knew what he was doing and appreciated it more than he could understand.
With her head down, Leah laced up the skates Wade had brought, sipped on the last bit of her cocoa, and waited for him to lead her out onto the ice.
There was no way she was going on there without him. Not with the way people were watching her and whispering amongst themselves.
They’d either all seen the magazine articles or they’d heard about them. Either way, it was time to face the music, so to speak.
“Are you ready?” Wade’s gentle voice reminded her she wasn’t in this alone.
“Do I have much of a choice?” she asked. Even though they hadn’t talked about this…he got it. He understood. Truthfully, she shouldn’t be surprised.
“You always have a choice.” He looked around before giving her his hand. “The decision is up to you on what you choose.”
“What are my options?” She placed her hand in his and let him help her stand.
“Way I see it, you can do one of two things. Forget what’s going on around you and just enjoy the day or assume all the whispering is about you and get all stressed.” He led the way toward the ice. “Personally, I vote for enjoying the day. Your brother says tomorrow is supposed to be sunny with no chance of snow so you know what that means.”
Once on the ice, he skated backward, a large and obnoxious grin on his face.
“It means it’ll be a sunny day with no chance of snow.” Her brother was almost always wrong, and yet she’d stick up for him every time.
“Not if you want to go on that trip, it won’t be.” He wiggled his brows before turning and skating ahead of her.
She hurried to catch up, enjoying the way it felt to glide across the ice. This was how she learned to skate—on Marietta’s frozen lake, where the ice was uneven and red pylons indicated areas of thinner ice. Not like the ice in California that was man-made smooth.
“I have a feeling you’ve already won enough to pay for that trip,” she said once she finally caught up to him.
“Maybe,” he said with a smile and a shrug. He’d slowed down so they could skate side by side. When he reached for her hand, she was more than happy to place it in his.
Enjoy t
he day. That was what she chose to do.
“Oh, look at you two,” a voice gushed behind them. “Holding hands like a regular couple. It’s about time, too. Guess you’re no longer Lonely Leah, isn’t that right?”
Leah went to pull her hand from Wade’s, but he held on tight as they slowed down to talk to the person behind them.
Make that people behind them.
Jay and Jen Patterson were there, wide smiles on their faces along with two children, Justin and Jasmine.
“Hey there, guys. Great day for skating, isn’t it?” Wade greeted them with warmth.
Leah plastered a smile on her face, standing there awkwardly. Why hadn’t she thought of some snappy responses to this name she’d been given?
“Why on earth would they call you Lonely Leah to begin with? All they had to do was ask anyone here in Marietta and we could have told them about you two.” Jen gave what Leah knew to be a genuine smile, but it only made Leah want to turn and run as fast as she could out of there. Or rather, skate.
Leah wrapped her arms around herself.
Wade broke the silence. “Sage…” He cleared his throat. “She, uh, wanted me to let everyone here know that she has free cookies to go with her cocoa if you stop by.” He looked down at Leah. “I snagged some for later. Don’t worry.”
She meant to laugh, but the sound came out more like a snort. “I wasn’t worried. But I think you should do a couple of laps around before you eat any cookies.”
Wade wrapped her arm through his, nodding to the other couple in acknowledgement. “True enough.”
They skated ahead, and Leah didn’t speak until she knew they wouldn’t be overheard.
“I hate that name,” she mumbled.
“It’s only a name. Don’t let it bother you.” He patted her hand before he pushed himself forward, turned, and skated backward.
“Show off.”
He gave her a thumbs-up, and then wiggled his fingers in a come-and-get-it move.
Her brow arched.
So did his.
She sighed and put some speed into her movement until she caught up to him and skated around him.
“There she is. Miss Twinkle Toes herself.” He held out his hand and pulled her alongside of him so that they skated next to one another.
Charmed by Chocolate (Love at the Chocolate Shop Book 6) Page 9
