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Both girls had made something out of themselves. In Nashville they were stars, in Dallas they were sweethearts. The Texas Heart’s Band was the best, most well-known … so many tours and open mic concerts. They had hit platinum records just recently and also sang internationally. I knew all this because I followed them on social media and bought every one of their albums.
Leah and Danielle had what they wanted when they left Dallas.Fame.They had it all in their hands now, so why was Leah back home with a duffel bag and no guitar? I looked at her again and saw the worry lines etched into her face and how she shifted her weight from one foot to the other.
Why didn’t she have a place to stay? She most definitely should have thousands of dollars in her bank account, right? Or was she one of those stars that lived outrageously expensive and …
It’s none of your business, Tommy,I cautioned myself then sighed.
“Let’s toss a coin on who gets the bed,” she said before I could say anything else.
“That’s the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard.”
“It’s not,” she insisted. “I’m not leaving the cottage and you don’t want to leave either. We toss a coin and decide who gets the bedroom. I choose tails.”
I laughed for a moment, then folded my hands over my shoulders too. “All right, fine … I’ll take heads.”
Leah reached into the back pocket of her jean shorts and took out a coin.
“Do you walk around with that all the time?” I asked her but she simply eyed me, then flipped the coin. It landed on the front of her palm, and when she opened it, it was tails.
“What! You cheated,” I shrieked.
“How?” she replied in the same elevated tone, then burst into a loud cackle. I watched her sashay past me, pick up her duffel bag, and head up the stairs before I blinked. Leah Maureen might have changed physically, but she hadn’t changed in reality. She was still the same mischievous little girl that used to run around my house a few years back.
The only difference was that now, she aroused a tingle in me that shouldn’t be there.
Chapter Two
Leah
Myfirstnightbackin Dallas passed like a breeze. I had nothing to eat for dinner because I was too exhausted to drive out and there were no groceries in the house to speak of. By morning when I returned from my morning run, Tommy was in the kitchen fixing himself some waffles and I noticed he had only two pieces on the plate in front of him.
I rubbed the back of my neck and waited till he would acknowledge my presence, and when he didn’t, I cleared my throat.
“Morning,” I greeted and forced on a smile.
Tommy raised his head to look at me. His gaze narrowed down on mine, and his lips formed a thin line. “Oh great, you’re still here,” he commented, then turned to the kitchen sink and turned on the faucet. The kitchen smelled of caramel and nuts. I inhaled deeply because I always loved the scent of coffee, and my craving spiked.
“Yes, I’m still here,” I replied and pulled out a chair to sit, “How was your night? Did the couch hurt?” I asked because I wanted to tease him a little, but he ignored the question.
“There’s this fancy bed and breakfast in town. They make the best pancakes and I know you love those. Why don’t I book you a month there? Or two? It’s luxurious … It has a good garden view and even a pool. You’ll love it.”
I smiled, then waited a minute before I shook my head. “That’s very nice, but I’d rather keep a low profile while I’m in town.”
“Why are you in town?” his question came unexpectedly, and his scrutinizing gaze pierced into mine till I nearly squirmed in the chair. “I’ve also noticed you don’t have your guitar with you. The Leah I remember would have played a song or two this morning, but instead, you went for a morning run. You were never a sporty person.”
I licked my lips and pulled my gaze away from his even though it took will and effort.
“I’m here on a vacation.”
“And of all the places, you chose Dallas?”
“I wanted to come home.” He arched a brow and slanted me a questionable look that made me bolt out of my chair. “It’s none of your business. Are you making waffles for me to or not?”
“Not,” he answered before he turned away from me again. “We’ll toss another coin tonight, and I take tails this time.”
I rolled my eyes, leaving him in the kitchen to grab my keys from the bedroom so I could leave out of the house and go grab breakfast from Belly Row’s pastries. The drive from Bedford Drive to Belly Row was a short one, and once I got out of the car, I spotted Harper Dubois, a high school friend.
“Harper!” I called when she walked past me without noticing me. “Harper Dubois.”
