No Reservations - Megan Hart [18]
Are you kidding me? She'll be lucky to have a hand left to open anything with if she doesn't keep them off Dix.' 'But to answer your question, no. He hasn't asked. God. I don't want him to. I need time to figure this out. . .' Leah trailed off as Brandon called her name from downstairs. 'Kate. I need to get out of here, seriously. I just. . .'
'So get out of there,' Kate said. 'To tell you the truth, I think I might need to get the hell out of here, myself. How's Vegas sound?'
'Are you serious?'
'Would I lie to you about Vegas?'
Brandon called her name again. Leah stood. 'Yes. I mean no, you wouldn't lie. Yes. Let's go.'
There were details to be discussed, tickets to book. A hotel room to reserve. But for now, this minute, just knowing they were really going to do it lifted Leah's spirits. The knowledge of escape made everything else seem bearable. Well.
Maybe not another plate of Caroline's homemade broccoli and processed cheese casserole, or another BeDazzled baseball cap. She disconnected the call and thumbed the controls on her phone to bring up the airline website. In moments she'd checked out the flights. One left tonight, just after eleven. She sent Kate a quick text message to let her know. Then she went downstairs.
'There you are.' Caroline beamed as Leah came down the back stairs into the cosy, homey kitchen where Brandon and his dad were digging into the huge plate of chocolate cake Caroline must've just finished icing. 'I thought maybe you decided to take a little nap up there.'
'Oh, no ... I was just looking at all of Brandon's memorabilia.' That wasn't an outright lie. She had looked.
Caroline chuckled and poured Brandon a glass of milk, which he took without a second glance from her. 'Nobody would blame you if you took a little nap, Leah. I know you can't be getting much of a good night's sleep.'
Leah, who'd been easing towards the lure of chocolate cake, looked up. Oh, no. Oh, gross. Caroline didn't mean what Leah thought she meant, did she? Brandons mom did not just reference their sex life . . . did she?
'I keep telling Caroline we need a better bed down there for guests, rather than that old pull-out. Or heck, finally get rid of all Bingo's junk up there and make that room a real guest room. Now that it looks like we'll need it,' Bill said with a grin that locked Leah's smile tight to her mouth, frozen. 'But then again, I guess you kids might like your privacy, huh?'
Oh, God, no. No. Not him too.
'Dad,' Brandon said, and Leah was sure he was going to tell his parents to lay off the innuendo. 'Pass more cake.'
Her appetite for it had fled, which surely meant the Apocalypse was coming. But, faced with the three smiling faces, she found herself unable to tell them she was leaving. Cowardice tasted a helluva lot worse than gooey chocolate cake, but she couldn't have forced herself to eat even a bite.
'You know what?' she said faintly. 'I am tired. I hope you don't mind if I really do take a nap.'
'Of course not. You go right ahead. But don't sleep too long,' Caroline said. "We'll be having dinner soon.'
Dinner. Leah's hands went automatically to her belly, still full from lunch. The Longs ate constantly. 'Great.'
'And don't forget the Monopoly tournament later,' Bill added, snagging another piece of cake for himself. 'It's my turn to kick all of your butts.'
Brandon snorted. Big talk, old man. But we'll see.' Leah fled.
It wasn't that she didn't like board games, or cake, or even dinner for fuck's sake . . . she did. And she liked Brandon's family. She really did. But it was all so foreign to her, this constant living in each other's pockets, the fond inside jokes, the casual acceptance of her as one of them. More than just acceptance, the full-on immersion of Leah into their family, as if she'd always been a part of it.
Leah couldn't remember when she figured out that she hadn't exactly been considered a bundle of joy, but she felt like she'd always known. Not that her parents didn't care for her, or protect her. Not that they didn't love her. But they were older when she