by Jae
The two women rummaged through their purses and then held out a pen, a magazine, and a scrap of paper.
Leo signed the autographs and then handed pen, paper, and magazine back.
“Hey, Holly, would you mind? I’d love to get a picture with Jenna.” The two women held out their cell phones.
Holly patiently snapped pictures.
“Thank you so much!” One of them gave a little hop like an excited teenager.
Two retirees on a bench across the street watched as if they couldn’t understand what was so exciting about the return of the Blakes’ daughter.
“You’re welcome. And thanks for listening to my music.” Leo continued down the street, walking at a faster clip. If they didn’t make it out of here, other autograph hunters would follow. “You said you had errands to run?”
Holly smiled as if she knew exactly why Leo had reminded her of the errands. “I just need a few things from the grocery store. Want to come or wait out here?”
If she stayed outside, she would draw attention. “I’ll come with you.”
The bell above the door jangled as Holly pushed open the store’s front door.
Two middle-aged customers blocked the aisle, little shopping baskets hanging from their arms. “Did you hear about Lizzy Wilmers?” one of them said. “Her dog pooped on the front lawn of the courthouse.”
“Again?” The other one laughed.
Leo struggled not to roll her eyes. What Fair Oaks lacked in size, it made up for in gossip. It was one of the many things she didn’t miss about the place.
“Hi, Sheryl. Cora.” Holly gave them a bright smile.
Leo could feel their gazes burning into her as they squeezed past. The whispers started before they even made it around the corner. She tried to ignore them as she followed Holly down the aisle.
Thankfully, Holly seemed to know exactly what she needed and was done within minutes.
The woman behind the cash register stared at Leo while she rang up Holly’s purchases. Just when Leo thought she would ask her for an autograph, the woman said, “Oh my God, Leo, is that you?”
Truth be told, Leo had no idea who the woman was. Her blonde hair seemed to be bleached, so maybe she had looked a lot different fourteen years ago. “Um, yeah. It’s me.”
“So you’re back?” the woman asked.
Leo rocked on the heels of her boots. “Just for a little while.”
The woman’s gaze raked over her. “Yeah, you look like you could use a break. I guess being a superstar and touring all over the world takes a lot out of you.” She giggled like a teenager.
Great. People in small towns weren’t any better than tabloid reporters who felt free to comment on the way she looked.
“Everyone’s going to be so excited to see you.” The woman clapped her hands. “A bunch of us get together every Saturday at the bar. You should come and catch up.”
Holly had bagged her own purchases while the cashier had been busy talking to Leo. “She’ll make sure to do that,” she said and pulled Leo from the store.
Leo exhaled sharply. “Thanks for the rescue.”
“You have no idea who she is, do you?” Holly laughed.
They effortlessly fell into step as they walked toward Holly’s Jeep. For a moment, Leo faltered, amazed to feel in sync with someone from Fair Oaks, even for a few seconds.
“Nope. Should I know her?”
“I’d think so,” Holly said with a grin. “You and Jenny were in the same class all the way from kindergarten to high school.”
Leo stared back toward the grocery store. “Jenny? That was Jenny Keller?” Great. Jenny had been the town busybody even back when they were teenagers. So much for staying under the radar. By lunch, everyone will know I’m here.
“It’s Jenny Bonnett now. She and Travis got married right out of high school.”
No surprise there.
“You know, Jenny meant it.” When they reached the Jeep, Holly unlocked it and placed her purchases in the back, next to neatly sorted medical supplies. She closed the rear hatch, turned, and leaned against the car. “You really should come have dinner with some of your old friends.”
Leo managed not to grimace out of politeness. “No, thanks.”
“What? Now that you’re a star, you’re too good to hang out with us little people?”
“It’s not that. I just… Jenny and I have never really been friends. She and her girlfriends never gave me the time of day when we were in high school…unless they could gossip about me.” When she had come out to Ashley, her best friend back then, Ash had told Jenny. The next day, the entire town had known—including her homophobic father.
“I didn’t exactly have a lot of friends in high school either, but people can change, can’t they?” Holly said softly.
“In my experience, they usually don’t.”
“After your father’s stroke, Jenny brought over her famous green-bean casserole. She and the rest of town made sure your mother ate. They were there for her.”
And you weren’t.
Holly left it unsaid, but the unspoken words hung in the air between them.
God, she was so sick of the reproach coloring Holly’s voice and the looks she’d been giving her since the moment she had rung the doorbell. She abruptly turned and marched away from the Jeep and its owner. But, of course, she knew she couldn’t escape her in this small town. Holly was her father’s nurse, so she needed to deal with her.
“Come on,” she called over her shoulder. “I need some coffee.” What she really needed was something stronger, but it was too early for a drink. Besides, she didn’t want to start any rumors about Jenna Blake having an alcohol problem. For now, coffee would have to do.
The familiar smell of grease and brewing coffee teased Holly’s nose as she followed Leontyne into the diner.
“Morning, Holly,” Ruth said from behind the long counter. She adjusted her glasses and stared. “Leontyne Blake, is that you?”
Leontyne’s shoulders heaved beneath a silent sigh.
What the heck was wrong with her? It couldn’t really be so horrible to be back in Fair Oaks and talk to the locals for a while, could it? Or was it because she was just Leontyne here, Sharon and Gil’s daughter, instead of superstar Jenna Blake?
Somehow, Holly had a feeling that wasn’t it.
“How’s life treatin’ ya in the big city?” Ruth asked.
“Can’t complain too much,” Leontyne said.
Ruth smiled. “That’s what your father always said when I asked him how he’s doin’.” Her smile waned, and she glanced from Leontyne to Holly. “How is he, honey?”
“Hanging in there,” Holly answered. “And he says thanks for the pie you sent home with me last time.”
He hadn’t really said that, and they both knew it, but Ruth grinned and nodded anyway. “I’ll get you a piece to take home with you—blueberry, his favorite. Take a seat anywhere you like. I’ll be right with ya.”
Leontyne stepped past the glass-enclosed pie case without giving the displayed desserts a glance.
The other patrons of the diner watched as she settled into a booth along the back wall. Holly nodded a greeting in passing before sliding into the booth opposite her. She leaned her forearms on the table, and it took her a moment to realize that Leontyne had done the same. They were unconsciously mirroring each other.
She slid one arm off the table and leaned back.
The swirling of the ceiling fan overhead and the chatter in the background were the only sounds interrupting the silence between them.
She was grateful when Ruth stepped up to the table, pulling a small notepad from her apron pocket. “What can I get you, honey?”
“Just coffee,” Leontyne said.
“For me too, please.”
Ruth pressed her notepad to her ampl
e chest. “No breakfast? But, honey, we’ve got biscuits and gravy as our daily special today.”
The mention of her favorite breakfast made Holly’s mouth water, even though she wasn’t hungry at all. “I know, but I already had breakfast with Sharon and Gil…and Leontyne.”
“Are you sure?”
Holly nodded and patted her belly. “I’m still stuffed to the gills.”
“All right. Just holler if you change your mind.” Ruth marched away and returned with their coffee. She flipped over the white mugs on the table and poured coffee from a glass pot.
Leontyne doctored her coffee with creamer, took a sip, and then grimaced. Probably not the low-fat decaf latte she was used to. She put down the mug and looked across the table at Holly. “Leo.”
“Um, excuse me?”
“You called me Leontyne. Other than my parents, no one calls me that. If you’re going to judge me, you might as well call me Leo.”
Blood rushed to the surface of her skin. “I…I’m not judging you.”
“Oh yeah? Totally feels like it.”
Holly opened her mouth, but before she could answer, someone stepped up to their table.
Chris, who worked in the kitchen, shyly grinned at her and placed a chocolate milkshake onto the table in front of her. “Your mother mentioned you were on night shift when she dropped by earlier. I thought you could use this.”
“Uh, thanks.”
“I made it extra-thick.”
What was she supposed to say to that? She didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but she had no desire whatsoever to go out with him—or anyone else. Even without glancing up, she could feel Leontyne’s…Leo’s grin. “Thank you, Chris. That was very, um, nice of you.”
He smiled broadly and lingered next to the table for so long that she started to fear he would ask her out again, but then he tipped an imaginary hat and went back to the kitchen.
Holly slumped against the back of the booth and stared at the extra-thick milkshake.
“That was Chris?” Leo asked, staring after him. “Chubby Chris with the braces?”
“Yes, that’s Chris. He lost the braces—and forty pounds.” Which didn’t make her any more interested in him.
“You know,” Ruth commented as she passed their table with a couple of dirty dishes, “you should really give him a chance. That boy is crazy about you. A pretty, young thing like you shouldn’t be alone.”
Holly bit back a groan. Not that again. She ignored Ruth and stirred her milkshake with the straw. “Want some?” she asked Leo.
“Nah. He’s so not my type. Wouldn’t want him to think I want a piece of his extra-thick anything.”
Holly’s first sip of milkshake nearly shot out of her nose. She sent her a glare but couldn’t help chuckling. Leo might be a spoiled egomaniac, but she had a great sense of humor. “He’s not mine either…my type, I mean.”
“No?”
Leo studied her, clearly waiting for her to elaborate, but Holly didn’t want to get into her complicated love life—or lack thereof—with Leo, so she shook her head.
“Maybe you should tell him that…him and Ruth.”
“I did—repeatedly—but…” Holly shrugged.
“Don’t you mind that half of the town is poking their noses into your business?” Leo ran one hand through her honey-blonde hair. “It used to drive me crazy.”
“I’m not a fan of their matchmaking attempts, but that’s their way of showing they care.”
Leo snorted into her coffee. “That’s their way of satisfying their curiosity.”
“Wow.” Holly regarded her with a shake of her head. “You really hate this town, don’t you?”
“Let’s just say the feeling’s mutual. There’s not much love lost there for me either. I never fit in.”
That wasn’t the way Holly remembered it. She knew what it felt like to be an outsider, and she had never thought of Leo as one. The locals talked about her with pride.
They drank their beverages in silence for a while.
From behind the counter, Ruth lifted the coffee pot invitingly. “How about a refill? Or some breakfast after all?”
“No, thanks. I think we should get going. Looks like we’re going to get wet if we don’t hurry.” Leo waved her hand toward the diner’s large front windows.
A curtain of dark gray clouds loomed directly overhead, blocking out the sun.
Holly’s eyes widened. Oh shit. How had she missed that? If they didn’t make it to the car within the next minute, they’d get drenched.
They put some money on the table, scrambled out of the booth, and rushed to the door.
“What about that piece of pie for Gilbert?” Ruth called out.
“Next time,” Holly shouted back before the door closed behind them.
Side by side, they hurried toward the Jeep. Leo slowed a little so she wouldn’t leave Holly with her shorter legs behind.
The air was thick with the threat of impending rain. A gust of wind rolled a Coke bottle down the sidewalk. Thunder rumbled not too far off in the distance.
As they crossed the street, the first drop splashed on her head and then trickled down her scalp. Leo winced. Then the second droplet hit her nose. Within seconds, the sky opened up, and rain pelted down on them.
“Run,” Holly shouted.
They sprinted the last few yards toward the town square. Holly blindly pressed the button on her key fob, and they tore the doors open and dove onto the Jeep’s front seats.
Breathing heavily, they sat in the car. Water dripped down Leo’s hair and trickled into her shirt. Not that it mattered. She was soaked to the bone anyway.
Holly hadn’t fared any better. Her wet T-shirt clung to her full breasts.
Leo tried not to stare. She really tried. But Jesus… No wonder good, old Chris was so smitten. Holly might not look like a runway model, but there was something about her that captured Leo’s attention—and it wasn’t just her breasts.
Unlike Leo, Holly didn’t seem to have a problem keeping her eyes to herself.
Her poor gaydar, which normally was very reliable, was having some kind of early midlife crisis since she had met Holly. At first, she had assumed Holly was straight, but when they had talked about Chris in the diner, Leo’s gaydar had insisted that Holly wasn’t interested in him because she was attracted to women. But then why didn’t she even glance in Leo’s direction? Maybe she’s just got better manners than you do.
Holly started the Jeep and carefully backed out onto the street, where large puddles were quickly forming.
The windshield wipers slashed back and forth across the glass, set to top speed. Holly’s knuckles turned white as she clutched the steering wheel. She leaned forward and squinted through the rain-smeared windshield.
Leo hoped Holly could see more than she could. She could barely make out the road in front of them.
A flash of lightning burst through the clouds, and thunder boomed above them.
No way would they make it home in this weather.
“Why don’t you pull over?” Leo raised her voice over the thunder and the low music playing on the radio. “You can’t see a thing. We’re going to end up in a ditch!”
Holly stopped the car at the side of the road. She waited a few seconds, but when the thunderstorm showed no signs of letting up, she turned off the engine.
They sat in silence, which was interrupted only by the drumming of the rain on the Jeep’s roof.
Under different circumstances, it would have been a strangely romantic moment. This would make a good song. The thought surprised her. She hadn’t written a new song—a least nothing worth recording—in what seemed like forever.
Holly ran her hands through her short hair, which now stuck to her head in sodden, dark auburn strands. She shook herself like a dog, showering Leo with raindrops
.
“Hey!”
“Oops.” Holly flashed her a mischievous smile. “Sorry.” She still had barely glimpsed in Leo’s direction, instead watching the play of lightning outside.
Leo peered down at herself. Her white T-shirt was nearly see-through now, revealing the outline of her bra and her hardened nipples. The paparazzi all over the world would have paid a fortune for a snapshot like this, as would her fans, men and many women alike.
But Holly wasn’t interested in her involuntary wet-T-shirt contest. It was a refreshing change from being ogled twenty-four/seven, but it stung that Holly didn’t seem inclined to help pass the time by talking to her.
“What exactly is it that you don’t like about me?” The words burst out of her almost without conscious thought.
Holly turned her head and stared at her. “What? I don’t…”
“Is it that I got out of here,” she swiped her hand in a gesture that included the entire town, “and you didn’t?”
“Who said I didn’t get out—or that I wanted to?” The thunderstorm nearly drowned out their voices, so they had to shout at each other to be heard. “I got my bachelor of science in nursing at Mizzou. I chose to return, as hard as it might be for you to understand that.”
“What is it, then?” Leo shouted over another bout of thunder. “My music? My sexual orientation? My—?”
“Nothing. I like you just fine.”
“Could have fooled me.”
Holly’s knee bumped into the middle console as she whipped around to face Leo. “If you really want to know… I hate the way you abandoned your parents.”
“Abandoned? I’m here, aren’t I? Stuck in Fair Oaks, in this car. How is that abandoning them?”
Holly let out an unladylike snort. “Yeah, you’re here, but for how long? I bet my meager paycheck against your millions that you haven’t even unpacked your suitcase so you can hightail it out of town all the faster.”
Leo had already opened her mouth for a snide response, but what could she say without lying?
“Come on, admit it.” Holly’s gaze pierced Leo, her vibrant blue eyes relentless. “This is just another one of your drive-through visits.”