Page 80 of Beneath the Stands (Sugarlake 2)

She walks toward her father’s desk, stepping behind it, her hands hovering over the top. Shaking her head, she glances up. Her eyes are swimming in something vulnerable—a way I’ve only seen one other time—the day we skipped our lesson after the phone call with her mom.

Just like then, I want to sweep away her sadness.

And that pisses me off more than her mouth ever has.

“Can y’all…” She clears her throat. “Do y’all mind if we move this to a different area?” She glances at the desk again and grimaces, stepping further away.

My eyes narrow, trying to figure out what her problem is.

Sarah smiles, jumping from her seat. “Lead the way.”

She links their arms and Becca stiffens, her eyes growing round as she glances back at me, and then down at their crisscrossed elbows. I smirk, pleased with how uncomfortable she seems at Sarah’s friendliness.

We walk to a conference room off the hall and settle in at one of the round tables in the corner.

“So, what are y’all thinkin’?” Becca tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, flipping open a notebook and picking up her pen.

I stay quiet because I’m not thinking anything other than getting this fiasco over with, and going back to Florida. I’m ready to start the next phase of my life. One that does not include anything here in Sugarlake. The only thing I’m taking with me is the memory of Ma, and knowing I’m giving her what she wants. I don’t need any other reminders of this town.

Sarah sighs, patting my knee with her hand. “To be honest, I don’t really have any clue, other than I want it here and I want it in a couple months.”

Becca’s pen stutters on the paper. She peers at me through her lashes before angling her head back down. “A couple months?”

I bite the inside of my cheek to distract from the sting in my chest.

“Yeah, didn’t I tell you that on the phone? We want to have the wedding in August. I want to start the next school year as Mrs. Elliot Carson.” Sarah beams, her eyes tender as they meet mine.

I hold her gaze, but I feel the burn of Becca’s stare. My hands grow clammy, and I shift in my chair.

Becca twirls a strand of hair around her fingers, the line between her brows creasing. “Oh, I must have missed that part. I thought y’all were just in town to scout the area.”

Irritation spikes through my veins. We don’t owe her any explanation for how we’re doing things.

“Nope,” I interject. “More of a wham, bam, thank you ma’am kind of thing. Being here once is more than enough. Too much, really. I’m surprised you don’t agree.”

Sarah’s elbow nudges my side, and I lift my shoulders, my brows rising. “What? I’m just saying.”

Becca’s eyes laser into me. “Who says I don’t agree?”

I huff out a laugh. “You tell me. You’re the one living here.”

“You don’t have to love a place to live there.”

“True.” I rub my chin. “If you loved it, you’d probably leave.”

Sarah’s hand clamps down on my knee, and I jerk from the pressure, glancing at her. Her face is frozen in a pinched smile, her gaze full of questions. I don’t bother pacifying her, my eyes already drawn back

to Becca, needing to see her reaction.

Becca’s nostrils flare, the fire I used to love about her raging on her cheeks.

Butterflies erupt in my stomach, the energy building until it spreads to my chest.

Becca’s eyes become slits. “Mighty presumptuous of you to think you know anything about what I love.”

Sarah laughs, her hand finally easing off my knee. “Jeez, you two fight like siblings.”

My gut jolts from her words.

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