Letters from Home (Love Beyond Reason #1)(13)

“Talking to yourself?”

Lena straightened her spine and picked up the abandoned icing. “I am making cookies for the concert tomorrow night, if you must know.”

Cat sat down at the table, a Cheshire grin on her face.

“What?”

“You left awful early last night.”

“I was tired.”

Her sister shrugged. “Funny how Zack left early, too.”

Lena gave her sister a pointed look. “You’re beating around the bush.”

Cat laughed. “Mike seemed pretty pissed, too. We could have drowned in the undercurrents, Lena.”

“You know how to swim.”

Her sister leaned in, picked up a cookie, and bit into it.

“Hey!” Lena pulled the cookie tray back to her side of the table. “Those are for the reception.”

“Did he kiss you?”

Lena forced her face not to react, even as the icing in her hand slipped. “Of course not,” she lied.

“Hmm.”

Lena set the black icing on the counter and picked up the orange. Every year, her mother—or any of the women who were home—made cookies for the town’s Holiday Concert. All the churches and schools brought the best of their musicians together and performed at the high school auditorium.

Cat had a starring role this year, singing in the grand finale.

“You nervous?” Lena asked, deliberately changing the subject. She began adding carrot noses to each of the cookies.

“Not as nervous as you were after playing pool with Zack for all of about…oh, five minutes.” Her smile feigned innocence, and Lena knew she could either fess up or have it tortured out of her. Was it really such a big deal? Hadn’t she dreamed about kissing him when she was a teenager?

The real thing had blown every fantasy out of the water. Even this morning, she could still feel the pressure of his lips against hers, his hand on her neck. Every nuance of his touch filtered through her senses if she let herself stop and think.

“How was it?” Cat persisted.

“How was what?” Mom asked as she came through the door.

“Nothing,” Lena answered curtly with a glare at her sister.

Mom came around and placed a kiss on her cheek. “You look so much better today. Every day better than the last. As it should be.”

“I feel better, Mom.”

“Good, because I have been asked to help set up the auditorium for the concert. And I need a few extra hands.”

Cat quickly stood. “I better go…practice, or shower. Something.” She was gone before either Lena or Mom could even open their mouths.

Lena laughed, “We’d have been spanked.”

“Probably true. She’s the youngest and a little spoiled.”

Lena finished the last cookie. “When do you need me?”

“Whenever you’re done with these, we’ll go.”

She set the icing down. “I’m ready when you are.”

After calling Catalina back to the kitchen to do the clean up, Mom and Lena headed for the high school. Part of her wanted to spill her guts, but she’d never been one to do that before…and her mom? What would mom think of her kissing Zack?

His touch had wrenched her from rational thought, and she’d found herself diving in, enjoying the feel of him against her. Betrayed by her own body. But she was not going to let him ruin everything.

She would just have to work around him. Avoid him for a little while longer. Hadn’t she spent years getting around her brothers? Making dates and keeping them to herself so that she’d have no one checking up on her?

But this is Zack. Smart, kind—usually—and gorgeous.

“Oh, good. Zack is here already.”

“What?” She straightened and scanned the area. “Why is he here?”

His little sports car sat in the parking lot near the exterior gym door.

“You sound horrified, Lena.”

She was! She didn’t want to see him right now…or ever. How could she face him after last night? “Mami, I can’t go in there.”

“Lena, you’re being ridiculous. Why not?”

“I just can’t. It’s embarrassing. I’m embarrassed.”

Mami turned in the driver seat and took her hands. “What has gotten into you?”

“I don’t know!” She cried, and felt the rise of a great flood of panic and uncertainty. She just wasn’t used to this. She wanted things back the way they were before she’d left for Iraq. She wanted everything in order.

She pulled her hands free of her mother’s grasp.

“Did something happen between you two?”

“No,” she answered, a smidgen of guilt riding the word. “Not really.”

Her mom studied her, and Lena hoped to God she couldn’t read her mind. “I know you’re beyond needing me.” She tapped her hand on the steering wheel, then took Lena’s chin in her hand. Just a small touch that was gone in an instant as Lena met her gaze. “But that doesn’t mean the worry goes away.”

“I’m sure it’s nothing.” Lena remained silent as they got out of the car and entered the school. There were boxes on the stage—big bins lined up along the edge, and below them, a pallet filled with poinsettias. Zack was nowhere in sight.