Coming Home(21)

The waitress came back to the table with their main courses, and the conversation continued to flow effortlessly between them. Leah was the perfect mixture of snarky and sweet, confident and shy. By the end of the meal, Danny felt oddly comfortable with her, like he had known her for years.

Once he had paid the check, despite the objection from Leah, he helped her on with her coat and followed her to the door, holding it open for her as she exited the restaurant.

“Where are you parked?” he asked.

“In the parking garage two blocks down,” she said, motioning with her head.

“I’ll walk you,” he said, grasping at any attempt to prolong the afternoon with her.

He didn’t want it to end. But it shouldn’t have even started. And he knew that.

“Thanks,” she said, wrapping her scarf around her neck, and Danny resisted the impulse to reach for her hand as they started down the block.

By the time they arrived at her car, his chest felt heavy.

She turned to him, bouncing slightly on her toes with a shy smile. “Well, thanks again for lunch. I had fun.”

“Me too,” he said hollowly.

Her brow pulled together slightly as she tilted her head, but she quickly replaced the expression with another smile. “Okay, so…”

She looked up at him in that way that made him want to hug her. Something momentarily flashed across her eyes, and as soon as he pinpointed what it was, his chest tightened further.

Hope.

She looked hopeful, staring up at him like that.

End this. Now.

“So…get home safe,” he said, taking a step back from her.

Her expression dropped at the same time her shoulders did. It was the tiniest change in her appearance; he would’ve missed it if he hadn’t been watching her so closely.

“You too,” she said politely before she got in the car and pulled the door closed. He watched as she started it up, rubbing her hands together in front of the vents.

There was no way he could allow himself to see her again. Inviting her to lunch had been a momentary lapse of judgment, but to consciously pursue her? That would be completely reckless.

Not to mention selfish.

As Leah carefully backed out of her parking space and continued down the exit ramp of the garage, Danny dropped his head back, covering his face with both hands.

She didn’t look back.





“Do they sell those chicken-cutlet titty boosters in this store?”

Leah whipped her head toward her friend, laughing as she pressed her hand over Holly’s mouth.

“You do realize this dressing room isn’t soundproof, right?”

“Why? Because it’s a secret that I’m rocking the chest of a prepubescent boy?” she asked, cupping her small breasts and giving them a squeeze.

“Stop,” Leah said, swatting at Holly’s hands. “You’re proportional.”

“And you’re delusional,” she said. “Turn around, I’ll zip you up.”

Leah turned, and as Holly zipped up the dress behind her, she felt the form-fitting bodice tighten around her torso. As far as bridesmaids’ dresses went, she really had nothing to complain about; it was truly beautiful—a deep rose-colored gown with a strapless sweetheart neckline. The snug bodice transitioned into a soft, sinuous silhouette that flowed delicately to the floor.

“See?” Holly said. “Now that’s how knockers should look in a dress.”

Leah looked over her shoulder at her friend. “You should really think about teaching a class on social etiquette.”