Lia tried not to feel defensive. Failed. “I’m just being a…friend.”
“To which one?”
Lia couldn’t quite take her gaze off them. Sammy was gesturing wildly. Fury was written all over her face. Gard was still, calm, maybe stoic even, but Lia could see the muscle tick in his jaw. “Both.” No use denying it. Besides, she could be friends with both. She could…worry about them both.
“Well, I’ll be in the kitchen. You can deal with…that.”
Sammy threw her hands up in the air one more time and then stormed inside. She saidnothingto Lia standing there behind the counter, but when Gard tried to say something to her, she didn’t let him even get half a word out.
“Ihateyou,” she yelled. Sammy slammed into the back room. Gard winced. Then looked apologetically at Lia.
“I’m sorry. Maybe I should have let her stay home…” He trailed off, raking a hand through his hair. “I just don’t want her alone right now. I know that’s not your responsibility, but—”
“It’s not my responsibility because it’s my pleasure,” Lia said firmly.
Gard snorted. “I can guarantee you it won’t be a pleasure today.”
No, probably not. Lia skirted the counter, feeling like she needed to…help somehow. “She doesn’t hate you.”
“No. I know. Family therapy for the win,” he said, heavy with sarcasm. But he looked absolutely miserable. “We probably need some time apart anyway but please call me if she gets to be too much. I’ll get someone to cover my shift. I’ll…”
She put her hands on his arms, gave him a reassuring squeeze. “I’ve got this, Gard.” She needed to impress that upon him.Shecould do this. For Sammy. For him.
He smiled. Or tried. “Thanks.”
He didn’t pull his arms away from her hands and he just looked so damn miserable—and exhausted—she didn’t know what else to do except step closer, move those hands up his arms and around, and…just offer a supportive,platonichug.
He seemed so alone right in this moment, and God knew she understood being alone, standing alone, handling it allalone.
His uniform was stiff. She could feel the hard press of his vest underneath the shirt. He smelled like laundry detergent. He felt tall and strong and sosturdy, but she knew he wasn’t feeling all that sturdy right now.
“It’s going to be okay,” she said reassuringly, taking an awkward step back. Why had she given him ahug?
“Can I get that in writing?” he asked, a tiny bit of humor in his eyes that were otherwise very direct and very blue.
Her stomach jittered. Not that usual, easy flirty attraction. No, this was far more complicated a feeling. Sheknewthis was alldangerous. She could feel it in every reaction inside of her, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself.
“I need you to call me if things get to be too much though, okay?” he said, oh so seriously. “Promise me.”
“All right. I promise.” But she also promised herself there wouldn’t be anytoo much. No matter how bad it got.
He nodded. “Good. I’ll be back at three.” He shot one helpless look in the direction of the kitchen then shook his head. “Good luck in there.”
“Thanks.”
Gard strode out. And Lia gave herself a minute, because her heart felt…weird and bruised in what was not a totallybadway. She just didn’t understand what way it was.
When Lia forced herself to go into the kitchen, Albennie had her headphones on and was kneading dough. Sammy was staring at the open dishwasher. Her first job of the day was to empty it, but she wasn’t doing that. She was just standing. Staring. A step up from looking at her phone, but only a step up.
“Do you want me to help you with that?”
Sammy fixed her with the most scathing glare. “I think I can handle unloading dishes,thanks.”
The morning went a lot like that. Sammy dawdling—not in her normal ways though. There was no texting, no internet videos. There was a lot of standing around staring off into space. But if Lia suggested a job, or asked if she needed help, Sammy snapped her head off with cutting teenage sarcasm.
The bakery was packed today, like everyone had decided to enjoy one last outdoor day before winter swept in. Sammy refused to work the register, even though that was usually one of her favorite things to do.
“Oh, I didn’t know we got to justdecideto not do part of our jobs,” Albennie said under her breath. Lia pretended not to hear it.
