Page 59 of My Promise To Keep

‘No, it won’t hurt him,’ Bree cuts in. ‘It’ll piss him off for a bit, but he’ll get over it.’

I meet her gaze, and she gives me her chief of police look, the one that says, ‘don’t argue with me because I’m right, you’re wrong’.

Cara must read it, too, because she says, ‘As long as it’s not hurting him in any way, I’ll keep your secret, Zo. You need your friends, and we’re here.’

I smile, happy that I pretty much forced Cara into a friendship with Bree and me when she moved to town. I love her.

‘So, Leo…’ Missy pushes, smirking like she has all the answers.

‘Yeah, Leo.’ I nod. ‘He wants us to be together.’

‘Oh my god, I thought y’all were just fuckin’.’

‘Jesus, Missy, you need to get laid. You’re like a bitch on heat.’

‘I do,’ she laughs, ‘but enough about me.’

‘I told him months ago he couldn’t be a part of my life. It was a whole thing, but then when I see him, even when I don’t, I miss him so much. Then he showed up at my place the other day and asked me to go out with him, and when I said no…’

‘You said no?’ Missy snaps, and I meet her genuinely concerned gaze.

‘Of course, I did, we can’t be together.’

‘Why not?’ Cara asks.

‘Because he’s Leo. He’s family.’

‘I mean, Cara’s boyfriend is her niece’s father.’

‘You’re so helpful this evening, Missy.’ I roll my eyes. ‘One, Cara had no idea Jessie was her sister, and two, she doesn’t havedecades of history between her and our family. Leo is Doug’s best friend. He shared a whole life with us,’ I look to Bree, ‘he’s Luke’s cousin.’

‘Who’s Luke?’

The air rushes out of me at the sound of Cara’s question. She’s been in Forest Falls for months. She’s in a relationship with my brother. I just assumed she would know and I wouldn’t have to be the one to tell her about him, but somehow, in all the drama that unfolded, he never came up, not even once.

I close my eyes for just a second, then turn to face Cara.

‘Luke was my husband.’

‘Okay, so you marriedhis cousin, and Leo moved out of town the second he was old enough, but y’all stayed close, and then Luke died, and now, eleven years later, Leo wants to date you?’ Missy recaps, and I nod. ‘But you have already slept with him, right?’

I nod again, knowing Bree blurted that secret out at our first girls’ night months ago.

‘So what’s the problem? Obviously, you’re attracted to him, and clearly, he’s into you. You know he cares about you, and he’s fine as hell.’

‘Leo is the best, really. He’s an amazing man, but he’s—’

‘A whore,’ Bree finishes, and Cara gasps.

‘I mean, he doesn’t get paid for it, but he has a lot of it. He’s never had a relationship at all. He just hooks up and moves on.’

‘So…’ Missy pushes.

‘So, I’m not looking for casual.’

‘I don’t imagine that’s what he’s offering you. He knows you well enough to know what you’re looking for, right?’

I huff my frustration.

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