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

“Um, I thought . . .” his voice faded out.

“What have I told you about strangers?” She looked so intense.

Leah knew it was directed at her, not Liam. She’d spat out the word “strangers” as if she wanted to call Leah something much worse.

“But she waved at me. I was just saying hi.” Liam whined. “It’s okay, see?”

“Why are you waving at my brother?”

“I was waving at my nieces,” Leah gestured at the playground and gave a wave. Both girls waved back exaggeratedly. “We exchanged waves too. I was just being friendly, I meant no harm.”

“Oh. I thought . . .” Liam looked upset, his lower lip slightly trembled.

Sky’s demeanor instantly changed. “It’s okay, bud,” she got down to his level. “I shouldn’t have yelled. I just wanna keep you safe.” Liam nodded and she hugged him.

The girl stood and took her brother’s hand to lead him away. She sighed and turned around, “Say goodbye.”

“Bye,” Liam gave her a little wave and they were off. A few feet away, Liam cast her one last glance over his little shoulder.

If Leah had to describe the look, it was probably the same look she had: regret.

Chapter 31

“How was the park?” Lily asked but continued talking. “Do you have any idea how much easier it is to shop without the girls? I love them to bits, you know I do. But, wow. It’s a night and day difference. I can get a coffee. I can take my time. I can hear myself think. I can check out without finding Barbies and donuts or other things in my cart I didn’t put there. It was an amazing experience!” Lily finally finished, closing her eyes and savoring the moment.

“I don’t know,” Leah teased, “Donuts actually sound really good.”

“Mmmm,” Lily agreed, eyes still closed.

“I’m going to make some,” Leah decided. She needed to distract herself from the encounter at the park.

“Wait, you know how to make donuts? Like from scratch? Actual donuts?” Lily’s eyes were now open.

“Yeah,” Leah laughed. “Well, donut holes, to be specific. Gigi taught me.”

“When? I don’t remember ever having donuts or donut holes at Gigi’s house.”

Leah shrugged, not sure what to say.

“Seriously, though. I went with you like almost every time. And I don’t know how to make even half the things you do. How did you do it?”

It felt like a trick question. The answer was simple: she learned it in her dreams. Her dreams were a touchy subject right now though. She did not want to get asked yet again about who fathered her baby.

“Well, there was the week you were at camp. I was alone with her then.” Leah mentally kicked herself. She should not have brought that up either.

“Tell me what happened. Please.”

Lily’s tone was soft and pleading. Leah felt she owed her sister this story. It was about her. And she really had kept a lot from Lily over the years. She still would not talk about Cade, but she could give Lily this.

Leah got up and started pulling the ingredients she’d need for donut holes out of the cupboards. She needed something to do as she spoke.

“I dreamt I was with you at camp . . .” Leah flitted through her mind, recalling the memory. She could remember it as clearly as if it was just last week. Dreams seemed to be that way for her. It was how she recalled recipes from her dreams so accurately. “On Thursday, it rained but there was no thunder or lightning, so we all still played outside. It was wet but still incredibly hot out. We did all the things, even swimming, in the rain.” She paused, giving Lily a chance to contradict her but her sister nodded.

“Then Friday morning, we woke to sunshine. It was so muggy, everything was still damp and wet. After breakfast, scrambled eggs and french toast sticks with strawberry jam instead of syrup and—”

“How did you know that? Did I tell you?” Lily’s eyes were wide at hearing the details.

“I was there,” Leah said, sighing.

Lily shook her head. “You were at Gigi’s,” she insisted.

“I was. But I dreamed I was with you too.”

“Hmmm . . . what else did you dream?”

“After breakfast we were all supposed to have quiet, personal time.”

Lily nodded, agreeing to the daily routine.

“But a couple of boys snuck over through the edge of the woods.” Leah watched Lily physically react to that information. Leah had heard Lily retell how she had broken her arm several times over the years, but she never mentioned boys.

“I never said there were boys!”

“But there were, right?” Leah gave her sister a knowing look.

Lily clamped her mouth shut. Her brow was furrowed. Leah continued.

“You were wearing your white shirt. The one with the giant strawberry on it and a ruffle at the bottom. Jean short cutoffs. Neon yellow Band-Aid on your right knee from when you fell playing capture the flag. Oh, and sandals.”

Lily opened her mouth but Leah kept talking.

“The cutest boy, the one with the brown curls, was showing off by climbing a tree. The stupid one with the buzz cut kept saying girls couldn’t climb trees. So you had to prove him wrong.” Leah shook her head and chuckled, “I see where Allison gets it now.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Lily laughed.

“You made it pretty far up the tree. Third or fourth branch, I think. I’d guess you were maybe ten or twelve feet up. But the tree was slick from the rain. And your sandals did not help. I saw you slip and try to catch yourself. I really thought you were gonna be okay but then you fell. I think you only fell about six or eight feet but you landed hard on your left arm. I heard it crack. The girl with the braids screamed bloody murder and the boys ran away. I stayed with you. I held your right hand while another girl went and got help. You didn’t cry.”

Leah finished recounting the