Page 23 of The Leaving Road

I stalked off toward the front and decided to just keep walking until I heard Lexie’s whistle as she pulled up beside me.

“Been on a lot of bad dates, babes, but none of them have ever made me walk home.”

I turned and glared at her while she leaned over and opened the passenger side door.

“Well, that wasfuckingterrible.” I slammed the door behind me.

“I guess we need a new contractor.” She laughed and started the drive home,

Damn.

Chapter 15

Sloan

“Is that Magnolia?” my dad asked while he, my mom, and I were sitting at our second restaurant,Yulania’s,going over some numbers but wanting a more peaceful setting for our quarterly discussion.

Opening this place hadn’t been in the plans when I was younger, so there is no way she knew this place was mine. I love Montgomery’s—it’ll always be a part of who I am—but my dad built it from the ground up, his own blood, sweat, and tears went into it. And as honored as I was to continue it, and I would continue it in his legacy for the rest of my life, I wanted something that wasmy own.

I envisioned something more intimate and cozy. A place where you wanted to go because you felt welcomed and the food was top-notch, somewhere you felt athome.

It had worked; my staff had all been here since the beginning. It was small, but we were reservation-only for the most part during the summer, and we booked up a few weeks in advance. The only time we weren’t reservation-only was in the winter months, especially since winter was brutal here. Sometimes we would have to be closed for days before we’d get plowed out. I was lucky enough that we did enough business in the summer and through the winter that I could afford to pay my employees year-round. I treated them well, and in turn, they treated me and my business well.

“She looks wonderful. You were right, dear; she’s really grown up,” my dad said to my mom and gave her a half hug, as if sensing her sadness.Fuck.I needed to come clean about why Magnolia had cut her off.

“She looks like she’s on a date,” my mom said, unable to hide her interest. Her comment made my mind snap away from my guilt, and I followed her gaze to where Magnolia was seated with herdate.

Of course, we had a decent view of where she sat.Jesus.She was so fucking pretty. Her hair fell in perfect waves down her back, her skin was sun-kissed. She was stunning. My mouth was painfully dry, and my mind was blank—other than the thoughts of Magnolia—as my eyes wandered to her date.

He looked familiar. I’d seen him around here before, I just couldn’t put my finger onwhyexactly. She reached across the table and grabbed his hand, squeezing it. They lookedcomfortable.

I was raging inside; there was a beast pounding on my chest roaring to be let out. It took everything I had not to stalk over there, rip her from that chair, and bring her to the back office, lay her down on my desk, and taste her until she came all over my face and told me she was mine.

Wait… What the fuck was that?

“It seems you’ve forgotten how jealous you used to get whenever it came to her.” My mom’s voice reared me back to reality while I sat silently fuming.

“I don’t know what you mean,” I slid out between grinding my teeth. My chest felt as though it was on fire. It was hard to watch her across the room and not be able to talk to her. Years have passed, and yeah, that’s my fucking fault. But there hasn’t been a time in my life when she’s been so close, yet so far away. I hated myself for what I’d done, how I tore our friendship apart.

“You’ve chased any boy away that showed her interest ever since she was a kid. Remember Robbie?”

I growled. I literally just growled at my mother.

And she just laughed.

“So, you do remember Robbie?”

“OfcourseI remember Robbie! Hestoleher first kiss.” I was already on the verge of making a scene and interrupting her date, and mymotherthinks it’s appropriate to bring upRobbie.

Robbie Falkens, that little shit. We were fourteen years old, sitting on the bleachers during a pep rally, when he misread Magnolia’s social awkwardness and thought she was trying to flirt with him when she was trying to let him down gently. When I saw him lean over and kiss her, all I saw was red. I didn’t remember walking down to them; I didn’t remember punching him and breaking his nose, either. All I remembered was Magnolia pulling me away, worried I was going to get expelled.

“He basically groped her in public! He deserved it.”

Mom let out a full-blown belly laugh. “You know that’s a lie, Sloan Montgomery. He had just given her a peck on the lips, and you went full-on caveman. After that, no one in town was willing to even glance in Magnolia’s direction.”

I risked a peek over at her table, only to see her date sitting there with a look of bewilderment on his face. I saw her with a pinched expression on her face; she lookedlivid.

I swear to God, if he hurts her, I’ll kill him.

---