Free Just Desserts by Jeannie Watt Page B

Derek’s fire academy training.”
     
    “And who never smiled,” Sam said, starting for the door. “Think about that.”
     
    Layla did think about that. For the rest of the day. She also fought fear of never being gainfully employed again, and anger at having her lessons stolen. And shame. She fought the shame. How was she going to explain to people about losing her job?
     
    Perhaps she could say she was going back to grad school. This would be the perfect time. For one tiny insane split second she thought about begging Ella for a second chance. That was the old Layla talking. The new wounded-yet-determined-to-grow-stronger Layla told her to shut up. No begging.
     
    She thought about Sam’s advice to date a guy just for fun instead of searching for The One. Layla wondered if she could do that. Dating in that way seemed to lack purpose. Why waste time just having fun with someone who was going to disappear from her life? Such as Justin.
     
    Why not?
     
    She could come up with a few pat answers, but the fact remained that Justin stirred something in her, made her believe that there were adventures to be had merely for the experience—something she’d never considered before. Experiences needed to serve a purpose. Be built upon. Be sensible.
     
    That was how she’d lived her life—which was crumbling around her—up until now.
     
    Could it be that, for the first time in recorded history, her sister was more in line with reality than she was? That she honestly did need to discover a life in which she smiled more?
     
    JUSTIN LEFT THE KITCHEN eight hours after arriving. It was one of those rare days when he didn’t have to stay late to get everything on his list accomplished. He stood next to his car for a moment and rubbed the tense muscles in the back of his neck.
     
    Did he go home and deal with the nagging anxiety and dark thoughts in the way he was most tempted to—with beer? Give his friend Donovan a shout to see if he wanted to do something? Head on down to Ceol, his favorite Irish pub, to see what was shaking on a Tuesday night?
     
    Really torture himself and drop by Reggie and Tom’s place and play with his niece?
     
    He’d go home. He didn’t like the way Reggie had been studying him of late, as if trying to figure out what was wrong with him. He’d never kept many secrets from his sisters—serious ones, anyway. The only secret he’d kept was this one, because at what point did he tell? Years had passed, years during which he’d assumed things would get better for him.
     
    He drove to his condo and let himself into his very empty place. This was what he wanted, though. A private space. A retreat. So why did his home feel so uninviting?
     
    Because he lived here alone with his thoughts, which were getting out of hand.
     
    He was on his way to the fridge, to see what he had in the way of nonalcoholic beverages, when someone knocked on the door. A light, almost tentative sound. Probably that kid from the third floor selling cookies or wrapping paper—a one-girl sales machine.
     
    He opened the door and found himself facing Layla.
     

 

     
     

    CHAPTER FIVE
     
    “THIS IS A SURPRISE,” he said, standing back in case she wanted to come inside.
     
    One corner of her mouth lifted slightly at his ironic tone. “No doubt. We’ve seen each other maybe five times in the past five years and three of those have been in the last week.”
     
    “Exactly. Did you lose something else?”
     
    She didn’t answer immediately, but instead stood studying his face, as if trying to find the answer to some riddle. Or perhaps a clue to what exactly had happened the night before.
     
    “I want to apologize for last night,” he said. It seemed the proper thing to say. It might even be the reason she was here, but somehow he didn’t think so.
     
    “Then it follows that I should do the same,” she said, eyeing him calmly. The breeze lifted her straight dark hair, ruffled her bangs. She pushed away