Lean on Me Read Free Page A

nickname for everything . “Her name is Cassidy, Spence.”
    It took all of two seconds to spy Cassidy, huddled alone in a slim-fitting sweater and matching jeans as she fingered the petals of the dark purple mums. Long golden-blond hair with bangs brushed against her forehead. Pale smooth skin and big brown eyes. Slightly softer and less muscular than when he’d known her all those years ago but still with the high cheekbones that could stop his breath.
    Spence made a sound somewhere between a groan and yell. “That woman, Cassidy or The Chosen One or whatever you want to call her, is trouble. Pure trouble.”
    “She’s been back in town all of a day.” The news had increased from a whisper campaign to a roar less than an hour before and Mitch had been planning a meeting in his head ever since. Lucky for him, she walked right through the business’ front door and saved him rounds of plotting.
    He glanced at Travis Yardley, the nursery foreman, who was even now sitting in Mitch’s chair with his feet up on the desk and a stupid grin on his face. Typical of Travis, he didn’t say much but he clearly enjoyed the argument brewing around him.
    “She barely hit town and the grumbling started,” Spence said.
    Mitch wasn’t sure how that was Cassidy’s fault, but Spence didn’t seem to be in the mood for a smack of common sense. “Your point?”
    “I know you used to have a thing for her—”
    “Do you blame me?” Attraction, heat. Mitch experienced a heavy dose of both in her presence back then and right now. “Look at her.”
    “—but she’s always been a chilly one. The type to sleep alone, if you know what I mean.”
    The air blew right out of Mitch with that comment. He looked to Travis for help but he just shook his head at Spence’s cryptic remark. “I have no fucking clue what that means.”
    “I’m thinking Spence forgot some words.” Travis let his feet drop to the floor as he stared at Spence. “Or he knows less about women than we thought. Is that even possible?”
    A thought popped into Mitch’s head, and he couldn’t push it out. “Did she turn you down or something? Is that what all this The Chosen One stuff is about?”
    “Just giving you a warning.” Spence’s voice dipped into man-to-man talk territory. “That way I can say ‘I told you so’ and enjoy being right later.”
    Travis nodded. “Nice, man. Way to be supportive.”
    “You sound like a girl,” Spence joked.
    “At least I’m still young enough to know something about them.”
    “Look, she doesn’t come back for her mom’s funeral and now she shows up six months later, to what? Take the house away from Allan?” Spence ticked off her perceived sins on his fingers as his voice grew serious again and his gaze honed in on her on the floor.
    Mitch had heard all the rumors. People were more than willing to believe every terrible word about Cassidy. Still, the talk about her family had his back teeth slamming together. His parents lived right outside of Holloway and were far from perfect, but he couldn’t imagine not being there if either of them needed him.
    “Since when are you intimately knowledgeable about the Clarke-Huntsman family?” Travis asked.
    Spence spared Travis a scowl before turning back to Mitch. “We all know Allan turned into a hermit. I’m betting Cassidy is the reason behind it.”
    Thinking about Cassidy’s stepfather wiped out the energy that had been pinging around inside Mitch since he saw her across the room. “You sound like one of the old gossipy women at the church.”
    Spence nodded. “And you look like a guy on the edge of doing something stupid.”
    “Wouldn’t be the first time,” Travis said.
    “Bet you a beer you slip over the edge and into a heaping pile of stupid very soon.”
    Mitch refused to acknowledge Spence’s argument. The conversation had slid way off course and Mitch was ready to move on. “I’m getting back to work. Landscaping, tree cutting, selling