“He was nice.”
Callie makes a sound and picks up another s’more. “My gynecologist is nice. That doesn’t sound promising.”
Leighton’s smile drops.
“He was funny and kind and good-looking. He asked me about Hazel and didn’t seem put off by me being a mom. But…”
Leighton nods. “Just not for you?”
I shake my head and reach for a s’more.
“Anything else?” Callie asks.
“Like?”
“Like you were comparing him to someone else the whole time?” Her eyebrows rise.
I figure if they’re going to be my friends, if we’re building something real here, I might as well just tell them the truth.
“I compared him to Decker the whole time.” I drop chest-first onto the cool stone counter. “I’m pathetic.”
Leighton glances at the back door, then back at me. “You are not.”
“Yeah, Leighton was pining over my brother for years.” Callie shakes her head.
Leighton gives her a look that says shut up. “And she hate-fucked Foster and got pregnant.”
I hold up my hands and chuckle. “Okay, ladies. This is not a competition, and whatever it was that kept you two from your guys, you cleared it up fast enough.”
Callie quirks her lips. “If you consider decades fast.”
Leighton picks up a chunk of graham cracker and tosses it at Callie. The two of them laugh. Then the room sobers, and I prepare for another round of Confessions from Penelope.
“You thought of Decker the whole time?” Leighton frowns.
I break a graham cracker in half. “Pretty much. Elias was telling me about a delivery that went sideways. It was a great story, and I was nodding along, but in my head, I was thinking about how Decker would’ve told it differently. Decker would’ve imitated the voice. And then I hated myself for it and tried to pay better attention.”
“Did it work?” Callie asks.
“For about one minute.”
Leighton makes a sound I think is her trying very hard not to laugh.
“It’s not funny,” I tell her.
“It’s a little funny.”
“It’s a disaster, is what it is.” I put the cracker down without eating it. “Elias is a perfectly good man. He’s handsome, he’s kind, and he brings babies into the world for heaven’s sake. And what do I do? I spend our entire first date mentally comparing him to a baseball player who has never once chosen me.”
“To be fair,” Callie starts, then stops.
Leighton looks from me to her. “What am I missing?”
“It’s not my story to tell.” Callie raises both hands. “But you should tell Leighton your history. She can feel the tension between you two. Then again, I’m pretty sure the people down under can feel it.”
I toss a piece of chocolate at her, and she picks it up and eats it.
I look at Leighton, who has the expression of someone trying to look casual and failing completely. “How much do you know?”
