Change of Heart Read Online Free PDF Page B

conversation. If Bailey was concerned with his love life, she wouldn’t pry into the real reason for his visit this time around. If she started asking questions, he knew her suspicions would only get stronger. Then again, he wasn’t sure he wanted any of the Hart women trying to play matchmaker for him, the way they were all prone to do, and Bailey would likely read far more into his distaste for Leah than she should.
    “I’m not that shallow. Besides, you know I only have eyes for you,” he teased, hoping she’d drop the subject altogether.
    “Ah-ah-ah!” she scolded playfully, holding up her hand and wiggling the diamond engagement ring his friend Chase had only recently placed there. “I’m off the market. You missed your chance.”
    “Darn it.” Gage winked at her. “Just when I was going to make my move, too.”
    “So, what has this terrible woman done to offend your delicate sensibilities? You get along with everyone.”
    Gage took a deep breath, but instead of answering, he simply shrugged. Now that he thought about how he’d explain his reasons why, they sounded petty and ridiculous. The circumstances of their meeting hadn’t exactly been primed for pleasantries. And, while it was a misunderstanding, he could see where his comment could be misconstrued. He was basing his opinion on what would have been a pretty bad day for anyone. Maybe he was being too harsh in his estimation of her. If nothing else, he should at least apologize for calling her bitchy in the midst of a rough day.
    Bailey grinned at him and stood up, slapping her hands on her thighs. “Good, then you can walk over to the main house with me. Chase has to work late tonight, and that means I’m flying solo.” She held her hand out to him. “Come on, stud muffin, I’ll protect you from the big, bad therapist.”
    Gage rolled his eyes but couldn’t help but smile at Bailey’s antics. He tossed back the last sip of beer in his bottle and stood up. “Lead the way, hot stuff.”
    When they reached the house, Bailey opened the back gate, dragging him through it into the party already in full swing. “Look who I found!”
    Seven sets of eyes turned toward them, every pair welcoming except one. Leah’s gaze fell on him, and it didn’t take a genius to read the only emotion in her face: irritation.
    Gage realized too late that he hadn’t misjudged anything.
    T HE PARTY WAS loud, far louder than Leah imagined nine people and two infants could ever be. But with three big dogs added to the mix, it was barely controlled chaos, and although everyone was having a good time, she needed a breather. She eyed the back gate and wondered if she could sneak out for just a moment of silence. With everyone concentrating on getting the fire going in the pit in the center of the lawn or moving chairs closer, Leah edged closer to the exit, sneaking out without being noticed.
    She took a deep breath and tucked her hands into the pockets of her jeans, the gravel of the path between the main house and hers crunching quietly under her boots. Turning right, she made her way past the other cabins toward the corral where two horses munched on hay. The sun had dipped below the horizon and pinks and oranges streaked through the sky before deepening into dark blues, looking much like the picture hanging on her wall. The first stars were just beginning to twinkle high in the sky, and Leah marveled at the sharp turn her life had taken.
    She’d never been anywhere like this before. Her fingers wound around the railing of the corral and one of the horses glanced up at her before turning back to its dinner. Growing up in the central valley of California, she’d seen plenty of farms along the outskirts of town, but it had always seemed like a different world. When you grew up in the slums of the inner city, even the outskirts seemed foreign. Her world more closely resembled the war zones she saw on television, with everyone struggling and fighting for every scrap they