“Greedy, I guess.” She slumped back in her chair, shaking her head. “He’s raised the rent on us for the last two years, another bump every three months.”
“What? I had no idea!”
“Because we didn’t tell you.” Sad little smile. “We’ve been going back and forth for weeks, trying to buy it outright, but he won’t budge, and now he’s going to officially put it on the market. Your dad and I have talked to the bank about a loan, but things have been so tight lately with the rent increase. And our credit’s not the best.” She seemed to shrink down into herself as she spoke, folding like dry paper. “We can’t buy it. Hell, at this point, we can’t afford to buyanyplace.”
“God, Mom.” Leah felt her eyes stinging again, and dashed at them. “I’m so sorry. What can I do?”
“Nothing, sweetie.” Through the tired lines of sadness, Marie’s face shone with love for her. “This is our mess to fix. I don’t want you to worry about it at all, okay?”
Leah knotted her fingers together in her lap. “Okay,” she said, mind already racing.
~*~
Carter debated skipping what had become his usual evening stop at Cook’s Coffee after his session with Elijah. He hadn’t seen Leah since the dinner at Ava and Mercy’s, when there’d been all this new, strangetensionbetween them. He didn’t want to call it aspark, orattraction, but he knew that’s what it had been. He didn’t want things to be awkward now; didn’t want to meet Leah’s gaze across the shop and feel the urge to go crawl in a hole somewhere.
He’d been with three women at once a few weeks ago, but the thought of a little eye contact had him nervous as a teenager again.Idiot, he scolded himself, parked at the curb, and went in.
Leah was at her usual table – Carter half-wondered if her parents put a reserved sign on it, or if the regular customers had come to realize it was hers and steered clear – tapping away at her laptop, hunched low over the screen, lip caught between her teeth as she squinted, concentrating fiercely. He frowned to himself, and stood a moment, waiting for her to glance up in automatic response at the sound of the bell. She never did.
His stomach growled, and he headed for the counter – only to pause again when he caught sight of Leah’s mother standing behind it. Eyes puffy and red, face splotched, it was obvious that Mrs. Cook had been crying. Family drama? he wondered. An argument with Leah? That didn’t seem likely, but something had upset her, and he found himself wanting to soothe her, somehow.
She glanced up at his approach, and smiled – as full and sincere as normal, if a little stiff through the cheeks. Dried tear tracks, he thought. “Hey, Carter! You’re just a regular these days, aren’t you? Marshall says you’ve been coming in every night.”
“Oh, um, some nights. Most nights.” His face heated, and he willed himself – probably unsuccessfully – not to blush too much. He felt caught out, and again couldn’t believe his reversion to teenage-era jitters over a girl. “I really like y’all’s sandwiches.”
She beamed. “Glad to hear it! Turkey or ham?”
“Oh, turkey.”
“Grab a sandwich and a green tea for Carter, Sarah,” she instructed one of the teens working alongside her, before turning her smile back to him; folding her arms, tilting her hips. Getting settled: a Southern matron ready to set down roots and talk a while.
Shit.
“We haven’t had a chance to chat, you and me.” She cocked her head and gave him an assessing once-over. “How you been? You coming from the gym?”
“No, ma’am. I’ve been doing some coaching.” That felt disingenuous, but better thangiving free quarterback advice.
“Oh, over at the Boys & Girl’s club?”
“No, uh, private coaching, actually. I’ve been helping out Elijah Henry.”
Her brows went up. “Oh, Elijah! Hometown hero. He’s so talented. We can’t wait to go to the games in the fall.” She went off on a tangent about the team, and the upcoming season, while Sarah brought his order up. Her expression seemed brighter, and he was glad to have offered a distraction from whatever had caused her tears.
When he pulled out his wallet to pay, she waved him away.
“No, it’s on the house.”
“Let me pay,” he insisted.
“I wouldn’t dream of it. Go sit down and enjoy your food.” Her expression shifted, becoming sly. “There’s a spot open over there with Leah.”
“Uh…yes, ma’am.”
“You two seem to be reconnecting now that she’s back home.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He gathered his tray and hurried off before his cheeks could grow too warm again and give him away.
He hesitated on his way to Leah’s table, willing her to look up and notice him; he wanted a chance to read her reaction to him before inviting himself down into her personal space. But she remained fixated on her computer screen, so he finally steeled himself and sat, as quietly as possible.
