Chapter 1
“I don’t know how to tell you this,” he said.
Leah raised an eyebrow at Brian, her wonderful mood evaporating. When she’d sat down to dinner with him, looking the best she ever had if she said so herself, Brian had given her one of those stiff, distant smiles. No kiss, no asking about her day. Now he had greeted her with a cryptic preface.
Steeling herself against potential bad news, Leah nodded in encouragement at her boyfriend. “Brian?”
“I’m… moving,” he stated.
Leah’s blinked. “Excuse me?”
“I got a job offer in Chicago.”
Brian’s eyes sparked with passion when he talked of journalism. He never denied the chance to write, but she didn’t take him seriously when he said he wanted to apply at the Chicago Tribune.
What does this mean for us? She slipped her hand out of his, feeling sweat surface on her palms.
Brian said, “I know this is a shock—”
“You got that right,” Leah snapped back. She relaxed in her seat, aware she needed to settle down. If she didn’t stop, she would ramble, an unwanted trait she possessed. “What about us? How long have you known about this? Am I supposed to—”
“Breathe, Leah,” Brian interrupted.
Leah did, exhaling deeply. The look of patient calm on his face reassured her and sent butterflies of excitement through her stomach. Was he working up to a marriage proposal? That had to be it.
She smiled as she looked at him, sure now he had noticed her strapless A-line black mini cocktail dress she’d picked out for him. Despite her petite frame, the dress made her look like she had legs for days, helped mightily by her peep-toed stilettos. Her cinnamon brown, smooth skin glowed next to the sparkling fabric and she couldn’t help but notice Brian looked just as good. She took in his dashing appearance with his dark blue suit, sporting a silver tie. She loved his trimmed beard, his smooth dark brown skin, and a bright smile.
This was definitely a man who dressed for a special occasion. Ambiance lighting and decor tied into the trendy Italian restaurant. She smelled the garlic and robust wine in the air. Silverware clinked while other patrons murmured and talked.
She brushed her hair behind her ears. “I’m fine.”
“Honey,” Brian responded. “I know how much you love this town, but I want to see what else is out there. Piedmont Valley will always be my home, but it’s time for me to take some risks. I want to see where this job takes me.”
Still smiling, Leah leaned forward expectantly in her seat. “So… where does that leave us?”
Brian took a sip of his water. He scratched his beard but finally answered. “You want marriage and kids, Leah. I’m not ready for that.”
His pronouncement sat like a stone in her stomach and she sank back into her chair, barely able to breathe. She choked. Perhaps she heard wrong. He had to be joking. “What?”
“I know it’s a lot to take in,” he said.
“So what? You want a long distance relationship?”
Brian’s shoulders drooped. He appeared uneasy as if the conversation wasn’t easy for him. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. It wouldn’t be fair to you.”
The lump in her throat swelled like a summer’s ocean. “You’re… breaking up with me.” Had she not been supportive of his career?
“I’m sorry, Leah,” Brian apologized.
He was sorry? She stared at him, ready to cry at how she had been picturing their wedding only a few seconds ago. She practically planned the whole thing in her mind. She had mentally pictured them growing old together, with children and grandchildren to follow. She could hear her dreams crashing like priceless china. Her breathing quickened. Her pulse slammed in her neck.
Leah jumped to her feet. “I can’t believe you. We’ve been dating for almost two years and now you’re calling it off? I thought we wanted the same things?”
“I never said I didn’t want them. Leah, I told you from the beginning I wanted an established career. This is my big chance.”
His last sentence made her acutely aware of her surroundings. The stares of the other diners bore into her, as she stood rigid beside the table. Her stunning dress no
w made her feel foolish instead of beautiful. While she wanted to yell, throw her water in his face, her pride saved her from lashing out. She tried that much harder to make it work with him. It mattered to have a lasting relationship. Was his career more important than her? She supposed so since it was over.
Leah straightened her back and grabbed her clutch off the table. “If that’s what you want, good luck. I wish you the best,” she said, despite her cracking voice. She turned her back and took several steps toward the door. However, when he called out her name, Leah turned to face him one more time.
“Leah, I loved you. I always will,” Brian stated, his tone filled with regret.
Those last words stung more than anything else he’d said. “Goodbye, Brian.” Leah dashed out of the now silent restaurant and hurried to her car, determined to neither cry nor wobble on her stilettos. She could still feel the stares as she unlocked her car, the pressure of the attention only melting away when she sunk into the driver’s seat and closed the door, sealing herself in the car’s silence.
She allowed the weight of her crushed dreams to come flooding out of her eyes. Leah wiped her nose. She then crossed her arms to hold on to her shoulders. The soreness in her throat increased. Why didn’t love work out for her? She would have made a good wife to Brian. They were happy. Why didn’t that matter to him?
She probably shouldn’t drive, but she’d rather die than stay in the parking lot, waiting for some well-meaning older couple to knock on her window to ask if she was okay. The news of her break-up would spread from the local bakery all the way to Mayor Burns’ office by morning. In a town like Piedmont Valley, it was inevitable.
As she put her car in gear and sped out of the parking lot, Leah accepted who she was now—publicly dumped girl.
Chapter 2