Read Always on My Mind for Free Online

the preparedness today,” he said dryly.
    She winced. “The fuses keep blowing,” she said quickly, clearly choosing to ignore their situation, and they did have a situation. “I have to be prepared,” she said, “or I ruin whatever I’m cooking.”
    Their gazes met. Aware of Ali standing within hearing range, Jack said none of what he wanted to say. Which was along the lines of: What the fuck, Leah? Instead he said, “We need to find out what’s wrong with the wiring and why the fuses are blowing.”
    “Oh, we know why,” Ali offered. “The place is falling apart.”
    “What about the new guy?” Jack asked. “The one who bought this place?”
    “He’s got the money,” Leah said. “But the inspection didn’t go well, and he’s been making a stink about the hidden problems and condition of the place. He wants the price reduced. But Mr. Lyons says he sold the place as is and he doesn’t give a rat’s ass about the problems and that Mr. Rinaldi can cry him a river. So the sale might fall through.”
    “Why is Lyons selling in the first place?”
    “He wants to retire and get a ‘chickie.’ And I’m pretty sure he doesn’t mean a chicken,” she said with a shudder.
    Jack took the fuses from her and began to change them out. “We have something else to discuss,” he said.
    Leah glanced at Ali, then back to Jack. She bit her lip again. “Later.”
    Oh, there was going to be a later.
    “There you kids are,” Dee said, coming out with the plate of pastries that Leah had made for her. Jack ground his teeth and kept working on the fuses as Dee offered the plate to Ali, who happily partook.
    “Oh my God,” the florist said with a moan as she took her first bite of a pastry. “So good. Did you know that her grandma swears that Leah somehow makes these with restorative powers? You’ll feel like a million bucks after you eat her stuff, Dee.”
    Dee smiled. “I already feel like a million bucks, but it’s not the food. It’s thanks to Jack finally getting his head on straight and being with Leah.”
    Ali stilled, and then, eyes wide, turned to Leah.
    But Leah was now choking on a scone, and probably, Jack thought with grim satisfaction, a good amount of guilt as well. She pointed to her throat, indicating she couldn’t talk.
    Ali pivoted and looked at Jack.
    Jack peered deeply into the electrical panel, wishing it would ignite. Where was a fire when he needed one?
    “Big news, right?” Dee asked Ali happily.
    “Leah dating my boyfriend’s BFF? Yep,” Ali said. “That’s big news all right. The biggest.”
    “They didn’t want anyone to know,” Dee said, completely oblivious to the fact that Leah was behind her back making a knife-across-her-throat gesture at Ali.
    “Silly kids,” Dee said. “As if you can keep a secret in this town.”
    “Silly kids,” Ali agreed, smiling widely at the still-motioning Leah. “They should know better.”
    “Yeah, well, I have to go,” Leah said. “Stuff.” She gestured vaguely to the bakery. “In the oven.” And with one last glare at Ali, she vanished back inside the bakery.
    Dee beamed at Jack and then followed after her.
    Jack got the last fuse back in. The power came back on. He turned and nearly plowed into Ali, who was still grinning. “What?” he said.
    “Nothing.” But she laughed.
    He gave her a steely-eyed stare, which didn’t appear to intimidate her in the least. In fact, she laughed again, obviously delighted. “It’s just that you spent most of last month watching me squirm as Luke and I fell in love,” she reminded him.
    “Yeah?” he said. “So?”
    “So,” she said, and poked him in the chest, “it’s going to be fun watching you squirm for a change.”
    “It’s not what you think.”
    “No, Jack,” she said, heading back into her shop. “It’s not what you think.”
    He stared at the door as she shut it gently in his face. “What the hell does that mean?” he asked.
    But the door didn’t answer