The Accidental Encore Read Free Page A

this.” Allie reached for the embossed
envelope she’d tucked under a magazine on the coffee table. “Sharon Fowler is
getting married.”
    “So?” Melissa shrugged and tossed the invitation aside.
“You’ve gone to weddings alone.”
    Allie threw her hands in the air. “Sharon Fowler found a man
to marry her, and I can’t even get a date? Sharon Fowler?”
    “Okay, I understand what you’re getting at, but I thought
you hated the whole online dating routine.”
    “I do hate it, but what are my choices? I work alone all
day. I work with children at night. And all my friends are married or in
serious relationships.”
    Melissa pursed her lips and stared at the ceiling. “I was
just reading this article about how alumni associations are a great way to meet
men.”
    “I don’t think any Bowden alumni live in Atlanta or even the
state of Georgia.” Allie got up to pace around her den. “You know as well as I
do that I’ve tried it all. Social clubs, church singles groups, night school,
wine tastings. I’m not alone because I haven’t tried. Where are all the single
men in this town?” She stopped and faced Melissa. “And I don’t mean to sound
like a bitch when you’re listening to me whine, but seriously, Mel, you have no
idea what you’re talking about.”
    “Look, Al, calm down. I’m sorry. You’re right. I don’t know
what it’s like out there now. But I hate to see you get all worked up over
this. You were doing so great before, enjoying work and really getting
comfortable in your own skin. I’m so proud of the progress you’ve made, and I
hate to see you backslide like this.”
    Allie rubbed her throbbing head. “I know. Between the wreck
and this invite, I’ve hit rock bottom.”
    “I thought you said you didn’t have any injuries from the accident.”
    “I don’t, but my car is in the shop for weeks and the guy
who hit me is disputing my account. He insists my light was red and I know it
was green. You know what a conscientious driver I am.”
    “So what does that mean?” Melissa asked.
    Allie sat down and let out a frustrated sigh. “It means my
life sucks, all the way around.”
    ***
    “You’re late,” Leah said after slamming the door of the
rental car. “I told you this morning practice ended at five.”
    It was like talking to a pint-sized version of Mark. “I
know, and I’m sorry. I got hung up on the job.”
    Blackjack barked from the backseat in welcome. Leah reached
back and gave him a quick pat. “Hung up how?”
    Craig took a deep breath and turned out of the school
parking lot into traffic. He’d gotten too used to living alone and not
answering to anyone. “You know I’m working on that house in town? Well, when
the windows I ordered were delivered, two of them were the wrong size, and by
the time I got the bozos at the store to realize it was their fault, I barely
had time to lock the place down.”
    Leah huffed out a breath and rapped her fingers on her leg.
“This is why I need a cell phone. If I had a phone, you could have just texted
me that you were running late and I wouldn’t have worried.”
    “Did you really think I wasn’t coming?”
    “No, but that’s not the point.”
    As she dove into all the reasons why a twelve-year-old girl
should have a cell phone, Craig zoned out and snuck glances at his niece. How
had she gotten so big? It seemed like just yesterday he and Mark were
scrambling to figure out how to raise a four-year-old whose mother and aunt had
died in a car crash. And look at her. Those long legs and budding breasts.
Jesus—Leah had breasts. When the hell had that happened?
    “Are you listening to me, Uncle Craig?”
    “Huh? Uh, yeah. You said you’d be safer with a phone.”
    “Exactly. So will you talk to dad?”
    “I’m pretty sure he knows you want a phone.” And he felt
pretty sure Mark wanted to keep her as far away from becoming a teenager as
possible. Unfortunately, from the looks of her, there wasn’t a damn thing