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“I don’t know. I thought I was okay. I felt as if for the first time I was moving on, trying new things on my own. Now with Cole in the mix, Brian’s only complicating things even further.”
Leah’s mother rubbed her back. “All I can tell you is to know your heart.”
“What does that even mean?” Leah brought a shaky hand to her forehead.
“Know what you want and go for it. What’s the best decision for you? Who do you see as a part of your life?”
Letting out an uncontrollable whimper, Leah leaned against the counter. “I need time to think.”
Her mother pulled her into a side hug. “You’ll do the right thing. I know you will.” With one final pat, her mother returned to her cooking station. “In the meantime, let’s get these cookies going, or I will have to explain to Mrs. Hartley why we’re short a few dozen.”
Leah dabbed her eyes, releasing a giggle. “Yeah, let’s finish.”
****
“Thanks, Chloe.” Leah cuddled Chip in her arms as she said goodbye to her dog walker.
Chloe’s baby blue eyes beamed. “You’re welcome.” She scratched behind the puppy’s ears. “He’s such a sweetie. See you tomorrow.”
Leah waved goodbye using Chip’s paw. Once alone with her puppy on the porch, she dragged her feet inside. Setting Chip down, she paced the kitchen. Her thoughts scrambled around, and her body was as restless as a blue-bottle fly on a warm summer's day.
She took in a small intake of breath. She could hear him out. Tapping her foot, she reached inside her purse grabbing her cell phone. Pacing back and forth, she listened to the ringing.
“Hey, Leah,” he said.
She brought a shaky hand to her forehead. “You wanted to talk?”
“How are you?”
She licked her lips. “Wondering why you called.”
He sighed heavily. “Leah… I’m sorry.”
“I’d rather not go through this again.” She then placed a hand on her hip. “What do you need to tell me?”
“I want you back.”
Her body stiffened. “What?”
“I was wrong, Leah. You were right all along.”
“Brian, I—”
“I know I’m in Chicago now, but you can come with me. I’m sure you’ll find better opportunities here than in Piedmont Valley.”
“Brian, you’re”—
“I love you, Leah. We can get what we had back. It’ll be great for us. We can live in Chicago, and you can work on your stuff”—
Her hand falling from her hip, she clenched her hand. “It’s not stuff, Brian. It’s my career. I love what I do.”
A beat of silence signified his surprise that she would even try to interject, but it didn’t last long. “I know. I know, but I’m saying you can always try something different, more practical.”
“Do you even know how lucrative the fashion industry is?”
“It’s great for some people, but I think what’s best is”—
“Brian, stop! Do you hear yourself right now?”
