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He freed his arm and wrapped it around her. “Well. Life and stuff to you, too. It’s gonna be okay. Promise. Just ride that wave and don’t look back.”

She popped her chin up and regarded him. “Do you surf?”

“Course I surf.” She should have known. There was nothing Leocouldn’t do. “Now get out of here. We got this under control. It’s close to wine time.”

“Wine o’clock in fifteen,” she said to the dining room. “We’re about to try hard for sophistication. Get ready.”

Before heading home, Jamie sat with a glass by the window and watched the sun touch the tops of the buildings, her favorite moment of each afternoon. The peaceful winding down of the day helped her harness her thoughts and rein in her worries. She and Leighton had stepped out of bounds, and as two consenting adults, that was okay. They’d regroup and refocus on the business and all they had in front of them. And maybe, just maybe, they’d find a way to build upon that friendship they’d discussed. Jamie was working on letting go of the past, and believing that people truly could change. Leighton wasn’t a bad person, she decided, sipping her merlot. She just couldn’t beJamie’sperson. So, maybe that meant Jamie didn’t have to fight the draw, but instead, channel it. She could do that. In fact, she wanted to. “A new friend,” she murmured to herself. She caught the breathtaking last sliver of the pink and orange sunset. There was a parallel there. A new shop. A new partner. A new version of her and Leighton. The ending of one thing and the beginning of another. Poetic and perfect.

Jamie decided not to be afraid of what was ahead.

She sipped her wine and exhaled.

Chapter Fifteen

Leighton clicked off the call with the representative from the Hope and Help organization. The event had been a smash success, but she knew that Carrington’s could do more and had personally arranged for the department store to partner with the group to outfit the women with the clothes they would need once ready to seek employment. The phone meeting had been beneficial and productive, and now she was ready to fall on the floor of her office and end what had been a long day.

She’d been going hard lately on purpose.

“Who’s working late and why?” Leighton spun around in her chair at the sound of a very familiar voice. She laughed at the silly face her cousin pulled. “Ta-da.”

“Courtney. What? You didn’t tell me you were coming.”

“And miss out on the look on your face right now? Never. I asked Mindy to clear your calendar and keep my secret. I was on a store visit and took a few meetings. Surprise!” Courtney in her high heels and gorgeous tan business suit scurried toward her, arms outstretched. Leighton stood and moved immediately into them, relishing the embrace, thrilled to see Courtney. In this moment, she realized just how much she missed the concept of family, having a tether. With her mom gone, Courtney served as an important link.

“It’s really good to see you, Court.” The emotion rose up in her throat.

“We have waited too long to cross the country this time.” She grabbed Leighton’s chin the way she used to when they were kids. “Ilove it when you’re caught off guard. It goes against your very serene, thoughtful nature.”

“I’m turning into a sap is what’s happening.”

“Nothing wrong with that. It looks good on you. How’s the new coffee investment coming along?” Courtney leaned her chin in her hand from the chair across from Leighton’s desk.

“Amazingly well. I stay in the background, just checking in here and there, but they were scheduled to paint today. Jamie is supervising.”

“TheJamie.” Courtney bounced her eyebrows. “Back in your life.”

“It’s not exactly like that.” Leighton let her head drop. “I probably shouldn’t have told you about the night of the charity event. I just needed to confide in someone, and you’re my person for that kind of thing.”

“Are you kidding? Of course you should have. I’m just sorry there weren’t more juicy details provided. Did I ever tell you what I once did in the middle of a strawberry farm?” She offered a wink.

“No, but you’ve certainly sung the praises of life in small towns. Now I know why.”

“I’m just saying that if you can find yourself a small town girl, I highly recommend it.”

“Oh, I’m not giving up on the city quite yet.”

“And we all know why,” Courtney said with knowing eyes. On cue, she fluttered her lashes.

“We’ve actually turned over a new leaf, and it’s going well. We’re working on an actual friendship, and it feels really good.”

“You prefer a friendship to happily ever after?”

Leighton raised a finger. “You should have been a lawyer. You ask the hard questions.”

“Are you going to answer? Either way, I was hoping to take you to dinner. I have reservations at Four Charles.”

“Well, well. It really pays to have the Carrington last name, doesn’t it?”