He swayed her back and forth, and soon the couple danced in a circle. Leah leaned her head on Cole’s chest, while one of his hands splayed across her back. The time glided like a dream. His arms held her so secure. She never thought she would feel this treasured. Was this how it was supposed to be? If only her conscience didn’t upset her stomach. Her body stiffened, and Cole tipped his head back, glancing at her face.
“What’s wrong?”
Leah peeled his hands from her waist and moseyed to the other side of her kitchen island. Resting her palms on the countertop, she faced the man who was winning her heart.
“Seth knows about… us.”
Cole stared as if to search her face. “You told him?”
“No. I met him for lunch today to… tell him how I felt. He saw us at your studio. He came by to drop off some dinner from your mom.”
Cole made a steeple with his fingers and pressed them against his mouth. “What did he say?”
“Not much, but I know it hurt him.” Leah wrapped her arms around herself.
His mouth twisted, but then he walked over and captured her hands in his. “I’ll talk to him. I was planning on it anyway, so I have to say something tonight.”
“I hate—”
“I know.” He kissed her forehead. “It’ll be fine. Once he knows the whole truth, we’ll all be better off.”
Leah sighed. “Are you sure? You didn’t see his face, Cole.”
He pulled her closer. “I’m sure. I know my brother. He might want to knock me out, but he’ll understand.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Fixing his eyes on her, he said, “It’ll be okay. We can still have a good time tonight, but if you want me to go, I will.”
Inspecting his face, she couldn’t deny the sincerity in his eyes. “Stay with me.”
“Always.”
Her heart melted like the frost in the spring. She threaded her fingers through her low ponytail. “What are we cooking tonight?”
Cole waggled his eyebrows. “Bruschetta chicken.”
Her mouth watered, and she licked her lips. “You sure you know what you’re doing?”
“How hard can it be?”
Leah’s mouth curved up.
****
“What do you think?” Cole asked, as they sat at her dining room table.
She stared at him, taking another bite. “Not bad.”
He threw his head back with a chuckle. “Okay, you don’t have to give me credit.”
She smiled. “Fine, you can cook. But this came from the back of a box.”
He held up a finger. “The recipe came from the back of a box, but we cooked and seasoned the chicken ourselves.”
Leah sipped from her glass of raspberry lemonade. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”