Intercepting Love (Second Chances #5)(12)

“So is there anything you want to talk about? I know you don’t discuss much about Scott, but I know today the emotions are running high.”

I took a sip of water and cleared my throat. “Yeah, they are, and you know I’m bound to get some kind of crazy phone call from his family saying how if it wasn’t for me their son would still be alive. Every time my phone rings I cringe, Lara. I don’t know how long I’m going to be able to handle it.”

“Have they called you today?” she asked.

“Not yet, but it’s only lunch time.”

Reaching for my hand, she squeezed it tight and huffed. “Kate, listen to me, the next time they threaten you like that you need to call the police. It’s been two years. It wasn’t your fault, and with them contacting you like that it’s considered harassment. You don’t deserve to have to listen to it.”

Taking a deep breath, I clenched my teeth together to keep my chin from trembling. If I could erase everything in my mind I would. I didn’t like seeing images of Scott on the day I found him. To this day, I still kept the letter he wrote to me; it’d been a year since I read it.

“What if I do deserve it?” I whispered. “If I’d been there for him, I could have picked up on the signs. I could’ve stopped what happened.”

Lara’s melancholy gaze glistened with unshed tears. She knew how hard it was for me, and how hard I tried to keep my emotions to myself. “There’s nothing you could’ve done to prevent it,” she murmured. “He had his mind set and he did what he wanted to do. He made his choice in life, not you. You can’t keep blaming yourself.”

We both sat in silence while the waitress came by and placed a plate of poppy seed muffins and strawberry butter in front of us. After we ordered our food and started eating, Lara gazed up at me with a sly expression on her face, staring at me in amusement.

“You know, I saw you through the window last night with our new neighbor. Care to tell me what’s going on? Did you make him brownies as a homecoming gift?”

I rolled my eyes; I knew eventually she’d make me smile. “Do people actually do that?” I asked curiously, taking a bite of my chicken salad.

She shrugged. “I don’t know, why? Do you want to try it or something? From the way he looked at you when you drove off, I’d say he would be happy to have some hot, delicious chocolate to eat off your body.”

“Not going to happen,” I gasped.

“Why not? Talk about a yummy distraction if I might say so. You need to get out there and have some fun! But, hey, if you don’t want to make him brownies I sure as hell will. He can eat them off of me anytime.”

She batted her eyelashes, trying to get a rise out of me, but it wasn’t going to work. All I knew was that she better not make him brownies.

“I really hope you’re kidding, Lara,” I said. “Anyway, changing the subject, he’s our new quarterback. The last thing I need to do is get involved with him. I have a date with Luke this Saturday, and being with two men isn’t smart. Someone will end up getting hurt.”

“Someone always gets hurt,” Lara countered. “It’s just the way of life. If you have chemistry with the football player then go for it. You can’t deny your heart what it wants.”

“What about you? Do you think you’ll ever find the time to date? I’m starting to think you live at that restaurant.”

Lowering her crystal blue gaze, she smiled and shrugged her shoulders. “I’m sure one day I will when I meet someone that blows me away. Right now I’m just focused on helping my sister get her restaurant off the ground. Now that business is booming, she’s a lot happier. It’s hard to think about myself when all I want is to see her happy.”

Lara worked hard every day at the restaurant, and I could tell she was lonely sometimes. Her twin sister had lost her husband last year and that was the reason why she moved to North Carolina. It shocked me that they didn’t live together, but Lara said she wanted to give her sister space. I could understand that. After Scott died, my family constantly badgered me and wouldn’t leave me alone. I couldn’t breathe with them around constantly.

After we ate lunch and were about to get into our cars, Lara smiled wide when she noticed the Mercedes I approached. “New car?” she asked.

Sheepishly, I smiled and opened the door. “It’s Cooper’s. We rode together this morning and he let me drive it.”

Lara gasped and spoke hurriedly, “Cooper? Oh my God, is it Cooper Davis that’s playing for our team?”

“Yeah, why?”

She grinned mischievously and bit her lip. “You know, I thought he looked familiar, but I don’t usually keep up with football. Summer is the one who’s told me a lot about him. When I saw you with him, I didn’t even think that it could be the same guy. I had no clue he was coming to play for our team.”

“Oh wow, I didn’t know your sister was a football fan,” I said.

“She’s not, but she’s really good friends with Cooper’s ex-girlfriend. They talk about every week. You should know who she is, Kate. You met her … her name is Claire. Her husband, Mason, is the detective from Charlotte who solved that huge MMA case out in Las Vegas last year. You know, the one where Summer’s husband was murdered.”