Free Beyond the Cherry Trees: The Cook Brothers Series by Heather D'Agostino Page A

right?” I grinned at her and begged her with my eyes to smile at me. “I think we used to be pretty good at the friends thing.”
    I waited for a few beats and soon her lips began to twitch. “I remember,” she murmured. “We were pretty good at being friends.” She nibbled her lip as she blushed. “Hey Ty,” she tugged at where I was still gripping her hand, and tried to loosen it from my grasp. “Friends don’t hold hands like this,” she teased.
    “Right. Sorry,” I grimaced as I released her. Right then Carrie reappeared with my food and the coffee that I thought she’d forgotten.
    “Good to see things never change,” she teased as Mia tucked her hands in her lap.
    “Oh, we’re not,” Mia stumbled over the words her face getting redder by the second.
    “We’re friends,” I grinned as the words slipped out.
    “Sure,” Carrie teased. “Ok,” she giggled slightly as she turned and disappeared once again.
    We sat and talked in comfortable conversation as the minutes turned into hours, and before I knew it the morning had turned into afternoon. Mia had had so many coffees that I stopped counting after four, and when my stomach growled signaling that I’d failed to eat lunch I wondered how she could go all day without eating anything.
    “No wonder you’re built like a twig. Want some lunch?” I attempted to flag Carrie down. We’d been the only ones in the diner for the last two hours, and it seemed she was taking a break. The place closed before dinner, and it saddened me to know that I was going to have to come up with another reason to continue to spend time with Mia.
    “No thanks,” she shrugged, and her sweatshirt slipped off her shoulder again. She tugged it up, and began slipping into her coat. “I need to get going anyway. I’m sure my parents are freaked out that they haven’t heard from me all day. I kinda left and didn’t really tell them where I was going.”
    “Oh, ok,” I glanced around begging my muddled brain to come up with something. We were finally talking, like really talking, and I was desperate to keep the connection with her. I hadn’t felt this at ease with anyone in years. When I peered out the window an idea hit. “Hey! Are you planning to come to the tree lighting tomorrow night?” I grinned at her as she froze in the middle of putting on her jacket.
    “I don’t know. I really haven’t thought that much about it,” she shrugged.
    “You should come. Taylor’s having some friends over to the house. Cider, coffee, hot chocolate, a real kegger,” I chuckled and she smiled. “I could pick you up? We could go together? Hang out at Tay’s after?” I wagged my brows as she rolled her eyes at me.
    “That sounds like a date, Ty,” she narrowed her eyes on me.
    “Not a date,” I shook my head at her as she wiggled out of the booth and hopped on one foot adjusting her crutches. “We’re just two friends hanging out.”
    “Ok,” she sighed. “But I’ll meet you at the tree lighting.” She tipped her head to the side as she waited for me to answer.
    “You are so stubborn,” I teased.
    “I’ve always been stubborn. You know that,” she grinned as she turned. She hopped toward the door before turning and attempting to wave.
    “See you tomorrow,” I smirked.
    “Friends, Ty,” she scolded before slipping out the door.
    I watched as she hopped across the street. The roads still looked like shit, and I worried about her making it home, but I knew she’d never let me take her. She jerked open the door and grabbed a snow brush as she wrestled with the crutches while trying to clear the snow that had gathered on her windshield. Just as I was ready to rush out to help her, Taylor came walking by the front of the store. He scolded her as he shook his head before taking the brush from her grasp and finishing the job. She climbed in as her head bobbed a few times, and then the car came to life. Taylor handed the brush through the window before waving to