First Kiss Last by Sara Miller (read e book .TXT) 📗

squeezed her hand and she squeezed his back. He drained the last of his coffee as well. His coffee mug gave a final thud on the table, reminding her of a judge’s gavel. It was decided.

“You ready to get outta here?” His husky voice sent shivers down her spine. And other places too. Leah could only nod. She was having an out-of-body experience. That was the only logical explanation.

With a light tug, he pulled her up. Leah quickly grabbed her jacket with her free hand. As he pulled her toward the door, she attempted to put her jacket on one-handed. Cade stopped, took the jacket from her and held it open. Leah quickly put in one arm and the other, self-conscious at being helped with her coat. She fiddled with the jacket, then her hair, wishing there was a mirror.

“You look great. Come on.” Cade took her hand again and led her outside to the passenger side of a large extended cab truck. It was black and recently washed. She laughed out loud. He quirked an eyebrow and she knew she had to explain.

“You drive a truck.” Stating the obvious, however, did not clarify her laughter. Leah chuckled. “Of course you drive a truck . . .” She shook her head. “I’ve always had a thing for guys who drive trucks,” she confessed.

“Well . . .” his sexy smirk was back in place. “Lucky me.”

Instead of opening the door for her as expected, Leah suddenly found herself backed against it. Cade had one hand on the window and the other on her hip.

“Last chance,” he growled.

She did what she had wanted to since she was fourteen: she kissed him. Cade tasted of bitter coffee and tobacco, a combination that until this moment Leah never would have guessed she’d like. She wanted more but the kiss ended too soon. She searched his face as if trying to read his thoughts. His face clearly asking her what next.

“Do you live close?” More than shocked at herself, she barely got the words out.

He smiled broadly, kissed her quickly, then opened the door for her. As she climbed in, he smacked her butt. And heaven help her, she laughed. She liked it. She liked him. She liked this moment. Leah felt brazen and free and could not wait for what would happen next. She wanted to remember it all forever, Cade’s smile and the way he made her feel as he closed the truck door.

The slam of the door jarred her to her soul. Leah sat up, drenched in sweat, heart pounding hard.

“Sorry, babe, I didn’t mean to wake you.” She was in her bed, in her nightgown. Her husband stood by the bed.

“Eric? Where . . . what day is it?” she asked, totally confused.

“It’s Sunday, but you have another hour before you need to get up, assuming you still wanna go downtown for brunch. I just got back from working out.”

“Sunday?” Leah felt completely disoriented. The last thing she remembered was a truck. Oh God, she thought. What did I do?

“Yeah, Sunday. Are you okay? You were tossing and turning in your sleep before I left.”

“I was?” She couldn’t help it, she started to cry.

“Babe,” Eric looked at her with concern. “You okay?” He sat on the edge of the bed and wiped the tears from her face.

“I . . .” She looked around wildly. “Yesterday . . .”

“Yesterday what? You made us spend the whole day with your sister. Picnic at the park. You pushed your nieces on the swings. Leah, you are scaring me.”

“Oh yes, of course. I remember! Oh, my goodness. I just . . . I had this dream and it was so real. I was confused for a sec. I’m fine. Seriously.” She laughed and could tell how fake it sounded.

“Um . . . okay then. I’m gonna hit the shower.” He leaned over and kissed her forehead.

Leah watched Eric walk away. Eric Douglas: her husband. Not Cade.

Trying to shake off the remnants of the dream, she laid back down. She put one hand on her heart, feeling how hard it was beating. The dream had been so real. But she remembered the park too: sandwiches, sunshine, a light breeze and the sound of the children’s laughter as they begged to be pushed higher and higher.

She breathed a sigh of relief. She had not done the unthinkable. Yet, she remembered the coffee and could still taste it. The truck, the kiss. Leah remembered it all. She had lived two different Saturdays. Thank God they could not both be real. She hadn’t had dreams that felt this real since . . .

“No,” she said aloud as a thought occurred to her. Before she could process it, her phone went off.

Leah pulled it off the charger expecting to see pictures of yesterday from her sister. Instead, she saw a name. A friend request from someone she had not seen or talked to in almost twenty years. Cade Emerson. Her calming heart went back into a frenzy.

Another ping. With shaking hands, Leah pressed the button to see the private message Cade had just sent.

Hey hun, long time no talk. Had the best dream about you last night. We should catch up.

She stared at the screen. Just a coincidence, right? Another ping.

If it helps, I drive a truck. ;)

Chapter 2

Leah dropped the phone.

She had a dream.

Cade had a dream.

The same dream.

And he remembered it.

How? Why him? Why now?

She could not deal with this. Leah set the phone aside.

She got out of bed and made coffee, hoping it would make her rattled brain start to work. But the coffee only made her more on edge.

When Eric finished in the shower, Leah took her turn. She was still so distracted by the dream, she washed her hair twice. She gave up and turned off the shower. It took her frazzled brain too long to do her normal tasks. Eric was annoyed and she found herself apologizing repeatedly until she was ready to