Everyone turned to Leah expectantly.
She sighed and placed her hand on top. “Pine Ridge is home,” she said with a nod, not knowing what else to say. Her friends seemed satisfied with her answer, laughing as they raised their hands in the air to seal the pact.
The server brought out a pot of chocolate fondue, and they wasted no time preparing their fondue forks with an assortment of fruit, cake, and marshmallow rolled in coconut.
“How are things going with Dan, Leah?” Savannah asked, giving her a sidelong glance as she dipped a fat strawberry in the chocolate. “The two of you looked so cute together at the rehearsal dinner last night.”
“Things are fine,” Leah answered, unwilling to meet her gaze. It was the true: things with Dan were fine. Safe, friendly, and fine. He had taken her out bowling once since her trip to San Juan, and had even kissed her goodnight on her doorstep last night. It was a short, sweet kiss that left her feeling lonelier than before. Most frustrating of all, the kiss had instantly turned her thoughts to Mitch and the rejected kiss that still stung whenever she thought about it. Which admittedly, was way more than she should, considering they’d hardly spoken since that night in Puerto Rico.
“He’s still planning to be your date tomorrow, right?” Piper asked, breaking Leah from her thoughts.
She nodded. “Yes. He texted earlier to confirm what time to pick me up.”
Savannah shifted. “I’m glad he’s taking you, but I have to confess, I’m a little disappointed that the only way you can describe things is ‘fine.’” She looked at Leah more closely. “You’ve been out with him a few times now. Is it still too soon to tell if there are any sparks?”
Leah lifted a shoulder, pretending to be absorbed in skewering a piece of cake. “Probably.” She met Savannah’s eyes, conveying that she didn’t really want to talk about it.
“What about the pilot?” Piper asked. “Are you still working the same route?”
Leah’s stomach squeezed.
“What’s this about a pilot?” Jade interrupted, leaning forward.
“Leah doesn’t date pilots . . .” Olivia added, turning to Leah with her eyes creasing in question. “Do you?”
Leah shrugged, keeping her gaze on the plate in front of her. “I was kind of starting to like a pilot on my route, but he’s interested in someone else.”
There was a loaded pause around the table, and she looked up in time to catch Jade and Olivia giving the other two looks of disbelief. When Jade caught Leah’s gaze, she toned down the expression, though her eyes were still slightly wide. “Wow. How did I miss that conversation?”
“It might have something to do with the million things you’ve had going on to get ready for the wedding,” Piper said dryly.
They all laughed, and to Leah’s relief, the topic turned back to the wedding. She let out the breath she’d been holding in anticipation of any more questions about Mitch. It had been nearly two weeks now since that night in San Juan. She’d even overheard Sam telling Bonnie that Mitch had a date with Candice this weekend—possibly even tonight. Whatever feelings she’d had for him, or the stirrings he’d created in her, were clearly not mutual. It was over.
In fact, things had never really begun in the first place. So why couldn’t she get him out of her head?
Chapter Twenty
Mitch looked across the table at Candice. She wore a soft cream top that complemented her red hair and delicate features. Even though she’d sounded enthusiastic when he’d called to ask her out, and had been giving him all the signals that she was interested when he’d picked her up for dinner tonight, he couldn’t seem to relax.
They’d kept up a steady conversation over the main course—mostly about work—but he was silently relieved when she excused herself to use the ladies’ room before dessert was brought out. Now that they’d exhausted the topic of work, there had been a few awkward lulls in conversation, and Mitch had never been good at coming up with small talk. After she walked away, his phone buzzed in his back pocket. He thought he’d put it on silent, and was grateful the call hadn’t come while Candice was sitting there.
He glanced at the screen in surprise. It was Dan. Why was he calling? They hadn’t spoken since the night of the Star Wars movie. Mitch stood from the table and went to the waiting area as he answered. “Hey, Dan.”
“Mitch, I’m so glad you answered,” Dan’s voice was tight with worry.
“Is everything okay?” His thoughts flew to Leah.
“No. I’ve got a situation and I need your help.”
“What’s going on?” Mitch’s chest tightened. It took physical effort to keep himself from demanding to know if it had something to do with Leah.
“I agreed to be Leah’s date to her friend’s wedding tomorrow. She’s a bridesmaid, and I went with her to the rehearsal dinner last night, but I’ve had something come up with work that I can’t get out of.” He paused. “I hate to cancel on her last minute, but then I remembered you and I wore about the same tux size when we rented them for prom—” He paused, letting that sink in.
Mitch straightened his shoulders, able to relax somewhat now that he knew Leah wasn’t in danger. “You . . . want me to go in your place?” he finished.
“Dude, you have no idea how much I would appreciate it,” Dan said on a rush of air. “Are you in town? Is there any way you could swing it?”
Mitch squeezed his eyes closed. Dan had no idea what he was asking. Here he was on a date, finally taking the initiative to erase Leah from his thoughts—not that it was working.
He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m not sure. What time is the wedding?” Dan gave him all the details, and Mitch felt a little guilty for making him squirm. He knew he had nothing on the schedule tomorrow, but he needed time to process. “Are you sure she wouldn’t mind having me take your place?” He bit the inside of his cheek.
“I’ll ask her, but I’m sure she won’t. The two of you know each other from work, and you seemed to get along fine a few weeks ago.”
They’d gotten along better than fine. Mitch thought back to the night in San Juan . . . the moment in the hallway he’d relived a thousand times, each time choosing to pull her into her his arms and kiss her, instead of giving in to his doubts. It seemed highly unlikely she wanted him for her date after that. He shifted. “Why don’t you talk to her and see what she says. If she’s okay with me filling in, I can make it work.”
“Thank you,” Dan’s voice held unmistakable relief. “I didn’t want to bail on her on such short notice without having a backup plan, you know?”
“Yeah.” But why wasn’t Dan bailing on the work thing instead of Leah? “Let me know what she says, and we’ll take it from there.”
“Will do. I owe you one,” he said before ending the call.
Mitch pocketed his phone and made his way back to his seat, his heart a conflicted mess between soaring hopefulness and gut-wrenching dread. What would Leah think about this change of plans? Would she be too polite to turn the offer down, or come up with an excuse of why Mitch didn’t need to be her date? Or—he hardly dared consider it—might she be open to the idea?
He took his seat just before Candice returned from the ladies’ room. She smiled at him, and Mitch kicked himself. He was here with Candice, and she deserved his full attention. He silenced his phone and forced himself to focus on his date, asking her questions about her family and interests. She had a fascinating background, and Mitch willed himself to be interested in her beyond a friendly acquaintance, but the chemistry simply wasn’t there.
His phone seemed to burn like a live coal in his pocket but he resisted the impulse to check if Dan had called or texted back. He wouldn’t be one of those dates who paid more attention to his phone than the girl in front of him, so he waited until he’d dropped Candice off at her apartment with a slightly awkward hug, and gotten back in his car. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked the screen. There was a missed call from Dan, and he’d al
so left a text. Mitch read the first line over and over, his mind churning in hopeful disbelief.
Leah’s cool with you taking her. Call me and I’ll give you the details.
He shook his head as he swiped the screen to return Dan’s call. Somehow, he felt like he should be the one doing the thanking. Fate was handing him another chance with Leah, and he wasn’t about to waste it.
Chapter Twenty-One
Leah paced in her living room, the satin skirt of her pink bridesmaid gown swishing with the movement. She was doing her best not to melt into a puddle of stress. Her mom’s friend Patty was supposed to be here to stay with her so Leah could attend the wedding, but she’d called an hour ago to say she’d been held up at work. She wouldn’t be able to make it until later in the evening. Everyone else Leah trusted to stay with her mom, including Olivia, was invited to the wedding. She’d had no other choice but to ask her mom to put on a nice dress and come with her. At least Jade had already included Carol on the guest list, in case she was lucid enough to attend the wedding. Mercifully, she was somewhat lucid today, and Leah prayed her calm state would continue.
Carol sat in front of the TV, watching an episode of a gardening show with a content expression on her face. She’d even put on her makeup the way she’d used to, and Leah’s heart squeezed. She missed her mom. And sometimes the ache caught her off guard. Her eyes stung and she took several deep breaths. There wasn’t time for sadness. Mitch would be here any moment and she needed to pull herself together. But thinking of Mitch didn’t help to calm her nerves at all.
Leah couldn’t believe it when Dan called last night while she and her friends were driving to Piper and Savannah’s. They’d all been in the car, listening as she’d assured him it was fine that he couldn’t make it to the wedding, her face heating with irritation and disappointment. She’d barely had time to process those feelings before he dropped the bomb about asking Mitch to take his place. In a flustered moment of confusion, she’d heard herself saying that would be fine. Fine?! It was as if her mouth had taken on a mind of its own. Agreeing to go on a date with Mitch Harrison—a pity date, no less—was anything but fine.
As soon as she’d hung up the phone, she’d regretted not coming up with an excuse as to why Mitch didn’t need to take her, but her friends insisted that she couldn’t do that without sounding bratty. Or imbalanced. She’d almost taken that risk, but something inside wouldn’t allow it. A part of her wanted to go out with Mitch—probably a bigger part than she was willing to admit. Yes, he’d turned her down that night in San Juan, and yes, he was interested in Candice. But did that mean they couldn’t still be friends like they’d talked about that night? She hoped they could at least try.
The doorbell rang and Leah let out a loud exhale.
“Who is that, dear?” her mom asked.
“It’s my friend, Mitch. He’s going to take us to Jade’s wedding.”
Carol nodded absently before returning her attention to the show.
Leah’s heels clacked on the wooden floor of the entry before she opened the front door. Her heart stopped at the sight of Mitch standing on her front porch. His athletic frame was enhanced to perfection by his black tuxedo, his piercing blue eyes taking her in with a sweeping glance before he gave her a sideways smile. “You look beautiful.”
Her shoulders relaxed a fraction. “Thanks.” She shook her head slightly, causing her hair, styled in long waves, to sway. “Thanks so much for doing this. I’m sorry Dan roped you into it,” she added with a small laugh.
“I’m the one who should be thanking him,” he said, his smile reaching his eyes as he slid his hands into the pockets of his slacks. “He doesn’t know what he’s missing.”
Leah’s heart pounded, her face growing warm under his gaze. “Please, come in. There’s been another little change of plans, and I hope you won’t mind.”
His head tilted to the side. “Okay.”
After he stepped into the entry, Leah explained in quiet tones about her mom, nervously twisting her hands as she watched his expression for signs of annoyance. He’d already come here out of pity, and now he was getting the happy news that her mom would be joining them. What must he think? To her relief, he didn’t look annoyed after her hurried explanation. He straightened and the corners of his mouth curved up in a reassuring smile.
“It sounds like I’m lucky enough to take two dates to the wedding,” he said. “I’ll be happy to keep your mom company while you stand in the line during the ceremony.”
She could have kissed him. In fact, she had the strongest impulse to throw her arms around his neck and do just that—except she’d tried that before and only succeeded in making a fool of herself. So instead, she put her hands behind her back and gave him a grateful smile. “You have no idea how much I appreciate this. I could even pay you for helping with her.”
He made a face. “Don’t be ridiculous. This is what friends do.”
Her shoulders relaxed. They were still friends. That was what she’d hoped for. Granted, it was hard to think of him as a friend with his musky cologne tickling her senses and his dark hair cut to just the right length above his magnetic blue eyes.
Thankfully, her mom stepped into the entry, allowing her a much-needed distraction. “Hello, Mitch,” Carol said cheerfully. “Have you come to mow the lawn again?”
Leah sucked in a breath. Her mom remembered Mitch? She’d only met him that one time, so this was a big deal. She felt the backs of her eyes prick with heat again so she swallowed down the emotion as Mitch chuckled and stepped forward to greet Carol.
“Not today. It seems I’m the lucky man who gets to take you and Leah to the wedding.”
Carol’s face softened. “I knew the moment I saw you that you would be part of our family someday.” She clasped his hand in hers, her mouth pressing into a line. “But my goodness, I hadn’t realized your wedding was today.” She put a hand to the side of her face and turned to Leah. “Sweetheart, you need to get into your wedding dress! A bride can’t wear pink.”
Mitch’s eyes darted to Leah’s and she felt her face turn five shades of red. She kept her tone calm and even. “It’s not my wedding, Mom. It’s my friend, Jade Foster. It’s probably best if we get going so we’re not late.” She reached for her clutch on the entry table, unable to meet Mitch’s eyes.
“Right this way, Ms. Hunter,” he said.
“Please, call me Carol.”
Leah turned to see that he’d taken her mom’s arm in his. He glanced over his shoulder at Leah and smiled before leading Carol to a sleek silver sedan. “Where’s your truck?” Leah asked as he helped her mom into the passenger seat.
He shrugged, looking sheepish. “I borrowed one of my dad’s cars for the night. I didn’t think you’d want to climb up into my truck in your dress.”
“One of his cars?” She raised an eyebrow, though she was touched by his thoughtfulness. Especially since her mom would have had an even more difficult time getting into the lifted truck.
“With the car lot, it seems like he’s never driving the same car twice,” Mitch explained as he paused near the back door. “I feel bad making you sit in the back. Would you like to drive? I’m fine to take the backseat.”
She shook her head. “I don’t mind one bit.” She leaned closer, lowering her voice even though her mom’s door was closed. “I’m sorry about the mix up with the wedding and everything. She gets confused.”
He gave her a steady look. “I’ll let it slide if you promise me one thing.”
She raised an eyebrow, her heart skittering under his gaze. “What’s that?”
“That you stop apologizing. You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for.” His eyes warmed as he took a step closer. “And just so we’re clear, I’m here because I want to be. Dan didn’t beg or bribe me to come—I came because I wanted to.”
She blinked, realizing that she’d forgotten to breathe. She managed a nod. “Okay.”
“Good.” He smiled and helped her in
to the back seat, making sure she’d tucked her satin skirts in before closing her door. She watched as he circled around the front of the car, his stride somehow both easy-going and confident at the same time.
“He makes such a handsome groom,” Carol said wistfully from the passenger seat. “He’s the right man for you, Leah. I knew it the first time I saw him.”
Leah closed her eyes, her emotions strung too taut to correct her mother again, but that didn’t keep the words from echoing in her ears for the rest of the car ride.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Mitch had never been to Crystal Lake before. It was set in the Rocky Mountains above Pine Ridge, but still accessible by paved road. The glacier-fed turquoise blue water was an amazing backdrop for a wedding. According to Leah, this was where the bride and groom had shared their first kiss as high school sweethearts.
A string quartet played soft music as the guests arrived. The June wildflowers were out in full bloom. The entire setting was a feast for the senses, but Mitch couldn’t keep his gaze from straying to Leah. She was heart-stopping gorgeous in her light pink gown, with her blonde hair falling down in waves past her shoulders. Every time she talked to him, he felt like a tongue-tied idiot, so he focused his attention on keeping up a light conversation with Carol as they approached the seating area.
Rows of white chairs were set facing a rustic wooden arbor covered in flowers and greenery where the marriage vows would be exchanged. A few people were taking seats, but most still mingled around.
“I should probably find Savannah to see if she needs help with anything,” Leah said, searching the surrounding area. She turned to Mitch. “Do you mind keeping my mom company while I go look for her?”
“Not at all.” Mitch gave her an easy smile, pretending he was unaffected by her deep brown eyes. “We’ll find our seats and enjoy the scenery.”
“Yes, go ahead, dear,” Carol said, waiving Leah off. “Mitch and I will continue our chat.”
When Sparks Fly (Pine Ridge Romance Book 2) Page 10
