Been There Done That (Leffersbee #1) - Hope Ellis Page 0,8

be able to scrape together enough other funding to help everyone.

More and more, it looked as if I wouldn’t be able to save everyone myself.

Erin frowned. “I know this isn’t easy. I’ll back you, either way.”

“Thank you.” I rubbed my eyes. “I need to think. If I decide to see him, I’ll let you know.”

We exchanged more words before I could finally usher her out of my office. Closing the door behind her, I slid to the floor and hugged my knees. I thought of the brief, self-satisfied smirk on Nick’s face when Nellie mentioned his involvement with the surgical residents.

This was fishy. What scheme was he planning? What part did he expect me to play? And after all these years?

I hypothesized that they, like I had, would soon learn Nick couldn’t be trusted.

Chapter Three

Nick

“Whatcha thinking, handsome? What’ll you have?”

Startled, I looked up. The waitress frowned, hands on her hips, head tilted when I didn’t immediately respond. “Haven’t had a chance to look at the menu yet. It changed much?”

“Since when?” She took a few steps forward. The amount of space left between us could only be classified as intimate.

The strings of her apron cut into a figure more ample than I remembered. She’d been a landmark in my childhood and teenage life, and as much a part of Daisy’s Nut House as the ancient light fixtures and gently worn booths. A sigh fought its way out of my chest. I shrugged. “You got any recommendations?”

She went still. Her expression approximated the one on Zora’s face earlier that afternoon. “I know you,” she said, her face inching closer to mine. “Just can’t figure out how.”

I gave it up then and met her gaze straight on. “Yes. We once knew each other very well, Miss Rebecca. You’d sneak me free doughnuts ‘cause you said I needed filling out. You were always good to me.”

I was surprised by the sudden hitch in my breathing. What the hell was wrong with me? What was this place doing to me?

See, this here? More evidence of my recent rash of questionable judgement.

What had possessed me to pull the rental car into this place’s parking lot? To actually go inside and fold myself into the now ill-fitting booth?

I wasn’t known for having bad judgment, let alone succumbing to it. Cautious experimentation and careful strategy had served me well since my Green Valley days.

Something like recognition crept across Rebecca’s face in slow degrees. Her lined face broke into a grin as she let out a whoop. She plopped down beside me on the booth and surrounded my upper body with her soft arms.

“Nick Armstrong! Oh, God! I can’t believe this!”

I cleared my throat, attempting to surface from her cleavage. “Yep, it’s me.”

The hugging continued, her arms tightening even more around my shoulders. “Why didn’t you say anything? You come in here like you’re just anybody and just sit there. What are you doing here?”

She pulled back, holding me at arm’s length. “Does Zora know you’re here?” She whispered it, with a reverence reserved for the quiet intervals in church.

I thought of Zora. Holding on to her desk, legs unsteady, eyes wide and glistening with hurt. “Yeah. I’ve seen her.”

Rebecca tapped her foot on the black and white checkered linoleum tiled floor.

I smiled. There was little I could say to satisfy her curiosity. I didn’t want to inspect my motives for returning to Green Valley too closely.

“I can’t believe you’re really here.”

I pulled out of my thoughts in time to see Rebecca swiping a tear away with a shaking finger.

“God knows I missed you. I prayed for you after you left.”

Left. Well. That was a polite, sterile word for what had actually happened.

“And look at you!” she said, taking a step back to accommodate the all-encompassing sweep of her gaze. “I guess you filled out, huh?”

“I guess so,” I said, giving a half-hearted chuckle.

“What did Zora say? When she saw you?” Her voice lowered. “You know, that girl just adored you. Thought you hung the moon and stars. I always figured you two would end up married young, no matter what anyone had to say about it. Couldn’t keep the two of you apart since you were kids. I used to think you could read each other’s thoughts. I wouldn’t be surprised, y’all knew each other so well.”

She wasn’t wrong. The plan had been to get married, to elope right out of high school. Go to the nearby university. Live in married housing. Finish our degrees. My gaze