“So, what’s the craziest part?” Georgia joined them at the small table they’d been sitting at for over an hour.
“TheCRAZIESTpart is…” Blaire wiggled her eyebrows and looked between her two friends in an attempt to build their anticipation. “Since Cindy broke up with Brant, he askedMEto the winter formal! ME!!! Can you believe that?! Of course he’s a dreamboat. Not as dreamy as Derek Jones, but I’m not complainin’...”
“So what you’re saying is, you’ll be keeping Brant’s arm warm for Cindy until she changes her mind again?” Ryan’s sly grin lifted his cheeks like a little boy caught with candy. He loved pushing her buttons.
Blaire shoved him, nearly pushing him out of his chair. “Ugh. Rude! But also, yes. Yes, I will.” She leaned back in her chair and wiggled. “EEEEEEKKKKK! BRANT!”
As the friends laughed together, Caroline fluttered through the shop’s doors, grabbing all their attention. Georgia thought her sister’s denim dress, scarf, and tall boots looked effortlessly adorable against her own old t-shirt and ripped jeans. She admired how her younger sister always seemed put together, simple and lovely, but oblivious to her own beauty.
Ryan greeted Caroline first, “Hey, Caroline! Um, you should definitely sit here with us.” He popped up from his chair in an uncharacteristic sign of chivalry and attempted to pull out the seat next to his. However, the seat had other ideas as one of the legs connected with Georgia’s chair, clumsily pulling it along with it.
Oblivious to what held the chair in place and growing more desperate to release it from its prison, Ryan jerked the chair hard, shoving it free but inadvertently throwing Georgia off balance. She tumbled to the floor without a margin of grace just as Ryan tucked Caroline safely into the still standing chair, a blush blooming across his fair cheeks that nearly matched the strawberry blonde hair falling over his eye.
“Oh, gosh. Sorry, Georgia. You okay?” He went to give her a hand up but was interrupted by laughter at the shop’s doors and a small group of people gawking at Georgia, sprawled on the floor.
Georgia slapped Ryan’s still waiting hand but then grabbed it begrudgingly and allowed him to help her up.
“Um, hey, y’all!” she greeted them, rearranging her t-shirt and hair and trying to ignore the flush of embarrassment she felt. “I can take your orders at the counter in sec.”
Her sister jumped up from her seat and rushed to Georgia’s side, “Are you sure you’re ok? I can get them if ya want.”
She waved her off, “Nah. I’m fine. It’s my shift, and you look too adorable today to work back there behind the counter. Hang here, and I’ll be back when they’re gone.” Georgia made her way to the register and steadied herself, feeling the eyes of everyone on her.
She took note of the people in the group, realizing Derek ‘Tall, dark, and handsome’ Jones was in the small crowd, like they’d mystically summoned him with their conversation. He seemed to have noticed Caroline, though, and diverted completely to the table to talk to her as she sat back down. WithDreamboat Brantcompletely forgotten, Blaire leaned into the conversation, batting her eyes at Derek and ignoring the two girls who’d accompanied him in the shop only moments before. Ryan sat, disgruntled and nearly forgotten, at their side.
Rounding out their group was Lakeland Lovett, her pastor’s son and a dreamboat in his own right. Lakeland strutted to the counter with purpose, leaving the others behind. “Hey there, Peaches. You okay after that little tumble?”
“Lake. Hey. Um, yeah. I’m fine. That was… embarrassing, but… ummm…” She stumbled over her words, pulling her shirt down further and adjusting her hair. She always seemed to fidget nervously when Lake was in the picture.
If Lake ever approached her at school, which was highly irregular, she could barely compile two words together. And at their church services and youth group, he rarely spoke to anyone, aside from his two, equally gorgeous older brothers Griffin and Evan, when they were around. His lack of interest in communication made things easier on Georgia, but it didn’t mean she wasn’t constantly aware of him if he graced her general vicinity with his presence.
It was during their first introduction, when Lake and Georgia’s mothers had forced the Lovett and Remillard siblings toget to know one another, that Georgia’s massive, unrequited crush had commenced. Lake had met her siblings with casual indifference, giving them each a half-hearted wave, but then Georgia’s mother had pointed her out in the group.
“This is our eldest, Georgia Snow.”
Georgia had blushed slightly at the mention of her middle name, but then the others began talking amongst themselves and Lake approached. “Georgia, huh?”
“Yeah. It’s… um… kind of embarrassing.”
“Nah,” he said, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall next to Georgia. “It’s sweet… like Peaches.”
From that day on, she’d beenPeachesorPeanutor whatever little nickname came to Lake’s mind on the rare occasion that he spoke to her. Even still, Georgia’s eyes always seemed to find Lake in a crowd, and her stomach flipped at just the sight of him. His broad shoulders, mischievous smile, and perfect blue eyes had immediately drawn her to him. He stood a head taller than every other guy in their class and carried himself with all the confidence in the world. But it was something else entirely—something she couldn’t quite put her finger on, something intrinsicallyLake—that made her heart stutter.
Unfortunately, in the three years since their first introduction, Georgia had learned more about the guy of her dreams and hisintrinsicnature.
Unlike Griffin and Evan who were polite, considerate, hospitable, small town football heroes, complete with Eagle Scout badges and the ideal charm of pastor’s kids, Lake was trouble. Period. She wished she found his brothers as intriguing as she found him.
She often tried to envision Lake wearing a big, fat, flashing warning sign around his neck while sporting a stereotypical leather jacket and riding away from her on his extremely dangerous motorcycle. But, alas, despite the rumors of Lakeland Lovett’s escapades, ranging from drama with girls to fights in school, her heart couldn’t seem to catch up with her brain.
And her brain couldn’t seem to process Lake’s crystal eyes staring into her soul at that very moment. He waved a hand in front of Georgia’s face, biting on his lip to hold back a smile. “You with me, Peaches?”
Georgia blew out a flustered breath. “Uh, sorry. I’m… distracted.” She plastered on her best fake smile. “What can I get you?”
Lake leaned across the counter, resting his elbows there like it belonged to him. “I’ll take a hot chocolate. Please.” He drummed his knuckles on the counter. “But I actually came in to talk to you.”
Georgia could almost feel her eyes enlarging by three sizes. She put her hand to her chest. “Me?”
“You. Georgia Remillard. Peaches.”
