Because Peggy insisted, Lindy caved and filled her in on her day with Billy, the sleigh ride, and especially the dinner. Other than the kiss, she left out running into Celeste and Brian. She might have said something if Peggy hadn’t been so full of questions. Lindy had barely answered one and her friend fired off another, wanting in on every small detail.
When she’d finished, Peggy said, with that same I-know-you-better-than-you-think look, “You like Billy. Don’t bother to deny it.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. It’s obvious he feels the same way about you. Anyone with half a brain can see the two of you have chemistry.” She raised both hands and made explosion signs.
“You mean like Romeo and Juliet?” she teased. “Bogie and Bacall?”
“You think I’m joking. I saw the way you two looked at each other the other night. It’s sweet and makes me wish there was a man in my life.” She heaved a sigh loud enough to make Lindy laugh out loud.
The server delivered their salads. After all the indulgences of the day before, Lindy ate sparingly. Peggy was both tall and thin, and seemed not to worry about calories. Lindy envied her friend’s ability to eat any-and everything and still maintain her trim figure.
“You showed me your pictures from high school. How is it you weigh the same now as you did then?” Lindy asked.
Peggy shrugged. “Good genes.”
“Well, I have skinny jeans and they won’t fit if I continue to eat like I did yesterday.” She mentioned the dessert she’d had after the German dinner and how decadent it was.
“That sounds delicious.”
“It was.”
Peggy’s gaze narrowed. “You’re changing the subject.”
“Not on purpose. I had a great time with Billy, but that’s as far as it goes. Remember, I’m in town only until after New Year’s, and then I need to return to Seattle. Billy knows that, too. Whatever this is can last these two weeks and no longer.”
“Do you have to go back to Seattle?” Peggy pushed out her bottom lip in a pout with the question.
The question caught Lindy up short. She hadn’t given moving back to Wenatchee a thought. To her surprise, she was immediately drawn to the idea. Reconnecting with Peggy and Billy, too, held a lot of appeal. As quickly as the thought came, reality set in. If her proposal was accepted, there was no way she could leave Media Blast, not after the hours and effort that had gone into the project.
“It’s a good thought,” she said, “but my life is in Seattle. I’m six months into a year lease on my apartment. I can’t up and move now, even if I wanted. Besides, I have a great job.”
“Didn’t you tell me how underappreciated you are?”
That was true. Still, Lindy was determined to prove herself, and she hoped this latest proposal would do it.
“I’ve been thinking,” Peggy said, growing serious. “I looked at what you did for Billy’s website and, Lindy, it’s fabulous. Have you ever thought about doing freelance work?”
She hadn’t, and shook her head.
“I know several businesses that would like to have updated websites. You’d fill a real need.”
“I can’t do that, Peggy, not when I work for Media Blast.”
“Then don’t work for them. Move back to Wenatchee and go out on your own. Without a doubt you’d be a success.”
That would be a Jack-and-the-Beanstalk giant leap of faith, and not one Lindy was willing to take. “I don’t have the connections to do that.”
“But I do. I can help; I have lots of connections,” Peggy told her, as if what she suggested was a small thing. Lindy would be risking everything.
Lindy shook her head. “Sorry…Maybe sometime down the road.”
Peggy reluctantly accepted her decision.
Once her lunch hour was over, Peggy returned to the office, and Lindy picked up a few items her mother had asked her to collect for dinner. She was walking into the house when her phone dinged.
It was a text from Billy.
Found your glove in the truck. You home?
Yes.
See you in a few.
This was an unexpected surprise. She’d missed the red glove when she’d left to meet Peggy. The only place it could be was in Billy’s truck. She meant to ask him about it but had decided to wait until later. She would have saved him the trouble and collected it herself. Seeing that he wanted to deliver it himself was even better.
“You’re back,” Peter said, running as fast as his legs could carry him as soon as she walked in the door. Beau barked his greeting and raced alongside Peter. Whenever she returned, Beau acted like she’d been gone forever and he’d been anxiously waiting for her to come home so she would pet him.