My Foolish Heart by Bella Michaels

Author:Bella Michaels [Michaels, Bella]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781946510723
Publisher: Altiora Press

23

Evie

When I walk into the Wheelhouse Bakery & Deli, I look to the corner and find her easily. Zara gets up and joins me at the counter. On the weekends, when it’s busier, there’s a waitress, but on Tuesday you have to fend for yourself.

“I just ordered,” she says.

Before I moved back to Bridgewater, the last time I’d seen Zara in person, even though we stayed fairly close long-distance, was a girls’ trip nearly three years ago. Back then, unlike when we were in grade school, she concealed her face full of freckles. She had so many that there was more freckled than non-freckled skin.

But now, she’s embraced them. And is so freaking pretty I find myself staring at her sometimes. Cole must have had his socks knocked off when they met.

“Can I have . . .” I waffle. Get a salad. Get a salad. “A tuna salad on whole wheat, please.”

I mean, it has the world “salad” in it.

“Oohhh, that sounds good.” Zara grabs napkins from the counter.

After paying, I follow her to the table.

“It’s so strange to be here but not writing.”

Before she and Cole leased the building that houses his offices and her newspaper, Zara worked as a freelance writer and would often work here, just to be around people.

“I’m glad you could get away for lunch.” I push my purse into the booth. This time of year, the waterwheel just outside our window spins into the river below. Once upon a time, it served an actual purpose, but now it’s just for aesthetics.

“Are you kidding me? Scoop for About Town, straight from the source,” she teases.

Last night when I finally got around to checking my phone, after Tris dropped me off, there were multiple texts from Zara.

Not unexpectedly.

“So go ahead. Spill.”

I reach for my water. “How much of this will be printed?”

Zara puts her chin on both fists as if she’s intently curious, waiting for me to speak. “All of it.”

I laugh, knowing the exact opposite is true.

“From the beginning, please.”

So I explain. Tris, and his brother’s plan. Us seeing Lee on Sunday and his impromptu kiss.

“Hold on a second,” she says as Mrs. Snider, our retired third-grade teacher turned Wheelhouse part-time employee, puts down our plates.

“Thanks,” we murmur at the same time.

“I can see Gian DeLuca coming up with this plan. And even you guys going along with it. Actually . . .” She cocks her head. “It’s not a bad idea. Better than any press I could give you.”

Which Zara has already done in the past. One-off stories are one thing, but being top-of-mind in an ongoing and well-read piece, quite another.

As Tris reminded me.

“Right?” I ask.

She takes a bite of her cranberry walnut salad.

“Mmm.” Zara chews. “But that does not explain last night, m’dear.”

“Yeah, well,” I hedge, “that’s why we’re here.”

Although I’ll be heading just down the street to the restaurant after lunch, I needed to talk to someone.

“Let’s just say, last night made Sunday’s kiss look like a peck on the cheek.”

Zara’s jaw drops.

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