Because I Love You Read Online Free Page B

yesterday.”
    Leah made her way around the table, saying hello to Sally, her sister, and cautiously greeting her brother and his wife. Things still weren’t right between them, although she was trying. Last, she leaned over and kissed her mother.
    â€œYou could have stayed at the house last night,” Mom whispered. “Unless, of course, you got a better offer.”
    Gobsmacked
wasn’t a word Leah used often, but the words that just came out of her mother’s mouth did just that. Unable to respond, Leah locked eyes with her mother, and in the crystal-blue depths, she could see her mother already knew the answer. How did she do that? Was there some psychic tie between women and their children—their daughters specifically?
    â€œI probably should have. Remind me next time, okay?”
    It was the best nonanswer she could give. Yet her mother still grinned knowingly. But there was no way. None.
Jesus. She did not need this.
    The only seat left was one between her mother, at the end of the table, and Nate. At least her mother would talk to her. Since the blowup over the summer, Nate, whom she’d always been close to, had barely spoken to her. Not that she didn’t deserve it. She did. She deserved every bit of the cold shoulder he dished out. But this was hurting both of them, it was hurting the whole family, and she didn’t want it to go on any longer.
    Nate nodded a greeting and passed her a plate of sticky breakfast buns. She could smell the cinnamon and sugar in the glaze.
    â€œSo,” he said with a wink, “did you have a better offer?”
    Her brother and his wife had seen her leaving with Tristan. And unlike the others who just saw their casual exit, Jenna and Nate saw Tris pulling Leah to his car.
    â€œI don’t know what you mean.” Leah shrugged. Taking a bite of the sticky bun, she chewed happily, unable to answer.
    Her brother’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Fine. If you want to play it that way, go ahead. I
will
find out.”
    She swallowed before engaging. Nate had barely spoken to her in four months, and now he was going to be the protective big brother?
    â€œFind out what?” Did he not understand he was playing with a trained litigator? “Look, you obviously think you know something, so I wish you’d just come right out and ask me what it is you want to know.”
    The look on his face was priceless. There was no way he would ever ask her about something so personal, especially in front of their parents. The man was a rank amateur, and she’d called his bluff. It was a good thing he was getting out of Reliance before the company went public. When that happened, shit was gonna get real, and Nate just wasn’t the guy to deal with it. He was the perfect person to take over the family’s horse farm, but he wasn’t a suit.
    â€œWell, missy. I’m glad you made it in one piece.” Sally was technically their housekeeper, but she was more like a member of the family. “So did the Brit just drop you home then? No hanky-panky?”
    She shouldn’t have come. She should have feigned sick and avoided the nightmare. “I’m not talking about this.” Another bite of the sticky bun.
    â€œYou said to ask straight out, so I’m askin’.” Sally would not be deterred.
    Not knowing how to answer, she picked up her menu. “So have we ordered yet? What looks good?”
    She knew the family was curious. Hell, she was almost thirty-one and not married—they were more than curious. It wasn’t that they didn’t respect her independence. That was one of the things her parents always said they most admired about her. Leah could take care of herself. Which was one of the reasons she hadn’t told them the truth about what had happened at her old job. They’d be disappointed. They’d question her judgment. It would change how they saw her—they might not respect