Текст книги "Paper Thin"

Автор книги: Jennifer Snyder

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Текущая страница: 2 (всего у книги 16 страниц)

“WILL. HEY, IT’S GREAT to see you,” Sadie piped in. Jeff and Will might not have noticed it, but I could hear the nervousness enter her voice. She never was one who could handle silence, especially not the awkward kind.

I understood her nervousness. My heart was already pounding out of my chest from knowing he was behind me. Forcing myself, I twisted around to glance at him, while plastering a smile on my face. “Hey! How was Haiti?”

“Great. Wonderful.” The corner of his lips quirked upward. It was the same sexy little grin I’d come to love over the last year. “Inspiring. Good for the soul.”

I knew right away he meant every word in its truest form and wasn’t being sarcastic. Will was appreciative of the experiences tossed his way. Maybe that was why I liked him so much. Where I was all hard edges and sarcasm, equal parts stubborn and independent, Will was warm and loving, genuine and motivational. We would be the perfect balance. If only.

“That’s awesome. I’m glad it was everything you thought it would be and more. I’m actually sort of surprised to see you back so soon. Wasn’t it supposed to be for four months?”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” And there it was again, that slight lift of his lips that made him sexy.

“No. Never.” I paused to take a sip of my drink, hoping the move would make me appear far less flustered by his presence than I actually was. “I just thought the trip was for longer is all.”

“I’ve been gone a little over two months.” His hand moved to wipe at the back of his neck. “Was that not long enough for you to miss me?”

My pulse quickened, something I wasn’t aware it could do, considering how fast it had already been pounding through me.

“Oh, she missed you,” Sadie muttered under her breath loud enough for me to hear. I glanced at Will, wondering if he had heard her as well.

He arched a brow at me. His blue eyes seemed even more intense and endless than I remembered them to be.

“Of course, I still need help with business calculus. I completely bombed the last test.” I forced my hand to steady so I could take another sip of my beer. Damn you, Sadie. She really needed to not say things like that.

“You telling me your grades have slipped since I left?”

“Yup. Not intentionally though.”

His grin grew. “Of course. Nothing is ever intentional with you. Is it?”

“Nope.” The witty comeback resting on the tip of my tongue died as the beautiful dark-skinned girl I saw with him earlier stepped to his side. I hadn’t seen her heading toward us or I would have been better prepared for her presence. Instead, I was sure my face twisted into a bitter, bitchy expression at the sight of her. I hurried to smooth out my features before their attention shifted from one another to me.

“There you are.” Her voice was sweet. Too sweet. If it was sultry and sexy, I could degrade her in my mind and place Will in a category I thought I would never put him in, but it wasn’t. It was too pure, too nice, for any of that. “I went to the restroom, and when I came back you were gone.”

“Oh, sorry.” His arm reached for her, pulling her to him—again—as if forced by some magnetic energy unseen by the human eye. “I saw Char and Sadie sitting over here and had to come say hello.”

The girl’s honey-brown eyes seemed to widen at the mention of my name. A sick sense of satisfaction slipped through me at the sight. She’d obviously heard about me. “It is so nice to finally meet you.” Her hand extended to reach for mine as her sticky sweet voice slipped over me.

I wanted to hate her. I wanted to find something about her I couldn’t stand, and latch onto it as though it were my life preserver. But as I looked at her, as I replayed the sound of her voice in my head and stared at her charming smile, I couldn’t find anything to hold on to.

This girl is perfect for Will.

“Candace, this is Char. Char this is my girlfriend, Candace.” Will introduced us properly. I didn’t wince at the mention of the G word like I thought I might. Somehow, I was beyond wincing. Will and Candace were great together. Picture-perfect, in fact. “This is Char’s roommate, Sadie, and I’m sorry, but I don’t know your name.” He nodded to Jeff.

“I’m Jeff, Sadie’s boyfriend.” He held out a hand. They shook, and all I could think about was if Will noticed how weak Jeff’s handshake was.

“So did you two meet on the mission trip?” How the words managed to form in my head and then slip past my lips in a normal voice was amazing.

“Yeah.” There was a twinkle in Will’s eye when he answered. The memory of their first encounter must have surfaced front and center in his mind. “The group was a mashup of loads of people from all over the world, and by some crazy coincidence, Candace was actually from here. How we missed meeting each other for the last two years is beyond me.” He laughed. Candace laughed. Sadie laughed. Jeff laughed. So, I did too, even though I didn’t want to.

Go figure, Will’s perfect girl had been here at Bradly University after all. She just wasn’t me.

“Like I’ve said before, it wasn’t the right time. Fate is funny like that.” Candace moved a hand to rub against Will’s chest.

Fate? Screw fate. Fate hated me. This was proof.

“That’s so funny.” My words sounded genuine. I was glad.

“Why don’t you two have a seat?” Jeff offered. “I’d love to pick your brain. Going on a mission trip is something I’ve always wanted to do.”

My throat felt like it might close. Sitting with them was not something I wanted to do. I glanced at my beer. It was nearly half-full, which meant to be polite, I would have to tolerate listening to Will and Candace talk until I finished before I could leave.

“We were actually getting ready to head to the movies.” Will glanced over his shoulder. The group they were with was standing and tossing money on the table as though they were preparing to leave. “Maybe tomorrow night? Raincheck?” His eyes were on me. Why were his eyes on me? I wasn’t the one who invited him to sit.

“I won’t be here, but I’m sure you could set something up with these two.” I motioned to Sadie and Jeff.

“Where are you going?”

I was so glad I had something real to give as an excuse. It made things so much easier. “Home for the weekend.”

Concern darkened the sparkle Candace seemed to spread through Will’s features. Maybe that had always been our problem; I was too dark for Will. He needed someone who was more sunshine and rainbows like him. “Is everything okay?”

He asked because he knew about my mother. I loved his concern. I wanted to bask in it. “Yeah. Everything’s fine. My sister is having her engagement party.” I smiled because this was happy news. At least it should be. For some reason, I felt nothing when I said it. The words were flat tasting on my tongue. Maybe that would change when I met the guy.

“Oh, that’s great! Congratulations to her,” Candace automatically replied. Her enthusiasm for my sister, someone she had never met before, irked me.

“Good. I’m glad you’re going home for something good,” Will said. He meant it. The concern left his eyes, and the Candace glimmer effect took over once more.

“Thanks.” I took another sip of my beer, and then pushed the glass away. “I should finish packing and get some sleep. I’ve got a long drive in the morning.”

“Are you sure?” Sadie wanted to add more, but she didn’t. We’d been friends long enough now for me to know there were hidden questions within her look and tone.

I nodded as I stood. “Yeah. I’ll see you later.” Even though I didn’t want to look at the two of them again, I shifted my gaze to Will and Candace. “I’m glad you made it back safely. And it was nice to meet you, Candace. We should catch up and all hang out sometime after I get back.” I hoped we wouldn’t, but it was a nice thought anyway.

“Yeah, definitely.” Will leaned in and gave me a hug. The sensation of his arms around me felt wrong with Candace there. It wasn’t the same. “Have a safe trip.”

“I will. Thanks.”

And then I walked out. Packing. That was what I needed to focus on. Not Will. Not Candace. Not how it still wasn’t our time, or that it might never be. Packing. Emma. Her mystery fiancé. That was what my mind needed to be on. So I forced it.

BY THE TIME I made it to my dorm, the heartbreak from seeing Will with someone else had already made me numb. He wasn’t mine and more than likely never would be. We were friends, and friends was better than nothing when it came to Will. I had decided somewhere along the ten-minute trek I was fine with being nothing more than friends forever with him.

Let. It. Go. That’s what I continued to tell myself. Packing. Focus on packing. I hated packing, almost as much as I hated Parish Cove.

It wasn’t a place anyone found and decided to make their home. It was a place everyone tried their damnedest to get away from, but there was always something that pulled them back. For me, it was Emma and our mom. They were my ties to the dreadful little speck of a town.

Maybe now that Emma was getting married she wouldn’t care if I came home again. From the things I learned about Mom’s sickness online, it wouldn’t be long before my being gone didn’t faze her in the slightest. Hope bloomed through my mind, causing instant guilt to trickle through my veins. When had I become such a horrible daughter?

Emma didn’t need my help with Mom. She had things under control. It was what she was best at. Organization. Structure. Taking charge. That was Emma in a nutshell. I was as far from any of those descriptions as could be. It wasn’t that I tried to be; it was just the way things were.

Emma and I were like night and day.

Back when we were little, our mom would joke about it. I was the wild one. A tad bit clumsy and harbored no fear as a child. Emma was a careful worry wart. She thought too much about things and rarely ever did anything to upset our mom. She was the goodie-goodie, while I was the risk taker.

Night and day was the perfect way to describe us.

An old memory of how our mom used to define me to others flashed through my mind. She used to say I was a free spirit, her flowerchild. The one who made her stop to smell the roses without looking for bees and worrying about the thorns. Warmth bloomed through my chest at the memory.

I missed my mom.

Darkness settled in on my thoughts as I remembered how different things were now. It wasn’t because I had grown up. It was because Mom was different now. The sickness had latched on to her, and there was no way it would ever let go.

I hoped whoever Emma had said yes to understood the issues surrounding our mother. I hoped he would be there for her when she needed support the most, when the days with Mom seemed never-ending, and Emma wasn’t sure she could stomach another one, because I couldn’t be there. I couldn’t be the person she leaned on for support with this. I refused to see our mother slip away, becoming someone unrecognizable while tarnishing any good memories I had left of her.

Mom’s sickness had turned me into a weak, sacred little girl. Only I was too stubborn to admit it to Emma. Instead, I kept my distance and avoided her calls. I let her believe I was selfish and cold because I didn’t want her to know the truth—that I couldn’t do what she did, because I would never be as strong as her.

I reached for the jade green suitcase Emma had bought me before I left for Bradley University and tugged on the zipper. The suitcase had been meant for me to use while I traveled between school and home, but two years later, it was barely broken in. I never could bring myself to return home except for the major holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Until now.

My sister was getting married. I could pack my suitcase and head home, pretending I hadn’t gone to Bradley University because it was the farthest I could drive without any stops to hide from the life I had left behind.

I grabbed the black dress with the white polka dots I bought forever ago but hadn’t worn yet, and held it up. Was it a bad thing to wear black to a person’s engagement party? Or was black still considered a classic, chic color choice for such occasions? Damn it, I needed Sadie’s help. I reached for my cell and shot her a text. My phone chimed with her response seconds later.

I’m headed your way. I knew you’d need me.

A smirk stretched onto my face. She knew me so well.

I tossed the dress aside and flopped across my bed to wait for her. My eyes closed and I let my mind wander, thinking of who my sister had said yes to. There weren’t many decent guys to choose from in Parish Cove. At least not many who would meet Emma’s standards. I knew the majority of mom’s doctors were in Easton, which was a city about an hour and a half from Parish Cove. Maybe Sadie had been right when she’d suggested Emma could have met someone at one of mom’s appointments. A doctor seemed right up my sister’s alley.

“Okay, I’m here. We can start packing your bags now,” Sadie sang as she burst through the door.

“Why did you ditch Jeff so fast?” I asked from where I was lying. I didn’t open my eyes. “You two didn’t even finish the pitcher of beer yet, did you?”

“No. That beer was horrible.” I could hear her moving around the room, but I still refused to open my eyes. “I used you as an excuse to dip out on him early tonight. Don’t worry though, I’ll make it up to him tomorrow night.”

Her insinuation had me fake gagging and sitting up in bed. “Gross. And please keep all that on your bed while I’m away, not mine.”

“Who said anything about a bed?” she teased. “I was thinking about the floor, or our desk, maybe even up against the dresser a few times.”

I rolled my eyes, but didn’t respond with anything. It would only egg her on. “So, is a black dress too depressing to wear?”

“Depends on the style of the dress.” Sadie moved to stand beside my bed. Her eyes skimmed over the articles of clothing I’d tossed around. “No. None of those will work if you intend to impress anyone.”

“I didn’t say I was trying to impress anyone.”

“Oh, come on. We both know there are people who will be at that party you’ll want to impress. Anytime someone heads home, they always want to impress at least one person.” She picked up the black and white polka dot dress I had been debating on earlier and hung it back up in the closet.

“What was wrong with that one?” I really liked the dress; I just hadn’t been able to find the right thing to wear it to.

“It’ll make you look twelve,” she insisted, her back still to me. “Trust me, looking younger than you already do at this party is not something you want.”

“Okay, so what do you suggest, then?” I hung my feet off the edge of my bed, trying to see past her. She was browsing through her side of our shared closet, which made me nervous. Sadie had good taste in clothes, but sometimes they were a little too sexy for me.

“Something like this.” She pulled out a black number I’d seen on her more than once. It was tightfitting and low-cut in all the right places. The dress looked fabulous on her, but I wasn’t so sure people would think the same about it on me.

“No.” I shook my head. “Not gonna happen.”

“Why not?” she demanded. “You would look so hot in this dress!”

“It’s too sexy. I’d feel like everyone would be staring at me.” Which was the last thing I wanted. While I’d never been one who enjoyed being the center of attention, I damn sure didn’t want it at this party. It would be another thing Emma could toss in my face later. I would be labeled as someone who had stolen her thunder at her engagement party.

No, thank you.

“That’s sort of the point. You want to impress and appear sophisticated.” She waved the dress in the air. “This dress will make that happen for you. Trust me. Try it on.”

“I’m not trying it on.”

“Yes, you are.”

“No, I’m not.” I laughed at her persistence.

“Charlotte, try the damn dress on!” She pushed it in my face. “What’s the matter, are you scared you’ll like what you see?”

“No. I don’t think it’s an appropriate dress for my sister’s engagement party. It might be too much.”

“Text her and see what the attire is,” Sadie demanded.

I rolled over until I found my cell. After scrolling through and finding Emma’s name, I typed out a quick text.

Hey. So, what should I wear to your party? Jeans and a T-shirt or a dress? ~ Charlotte

I hit send and waited for her to reply. Sadie began browsing through my other clothes, mumbling to herself about what matched and what didn’t, while tossing things on my bed she seemed to like. I flopped onto her bed since mine was covered with clothes now, and let her pack my suitcase for me. Fashion was never something I cared much about. I wasn’t a tomboy or a girlie-girl; I was stuck somewhere in between. I was normal, I guess.

My cell chimed with a new text.

No jeans. Please wear something nice. It’s not black tie, but at least wear a cocktail dress.

“She said it’s not black tie, whatever that means, but to wear a cocktail dress.” I sighed.

Okay. Thanks. See you tomorrow. ~ Charlotte

Emma replied back in seconds.

What time are you planning to get in?

I’m not sure. Late afternoonish? ~ Charlotte

I knew she wanted me there well before six, considering that was when the party started. Six o’clock Friday night.

Okay, be careful driving. Love you.

Love you too. ~ Charlotte

“Now I’m torn between this one and this one. Which do you like better?” Sadie asked.

I set my phone on the bed beside me, and pushed up onto my elbows. She was holding out the black dress she wanted me to try on earlier and a coral one that was sleeveless. “The coral one.”

“I’ll pack the black one.” She grinned.

“Why bother asking which one I like, then?” I chuckled. She always did that. If she asked for my opinion about something, she went with the opposite of whatever I said. I didn’t know why I thought this situation would be any different. I should have picked the black one, then she would have chosen the coral. Maybe.

“How about this. You take them both. That way, when you get there early, you can ask your sister who all she invited, and decide if there is anyone you really want to impress. If there is, you wear the black dress. If not, then wear the coral. Either will look great on you.”

“Okay.” Coral. I would definitely be wearing coral. There wasn’t anyone in Parish Cove I wanted to impress with her black dress. The only person I had ever wanted moved on from the tiny town years ago. In fact, I was sort of shocked Emma was having a formal engagement party. Most people in our town didn’t host such things. They threw a bonfire and stood around listening to country music while tossing back cheap beer. The attire was never cocktail dresses and slacks. It was always sundresses with cowboy boots and Wrangler jeans paired with flannel shirts.

Whoever this guy was Emma planned to marry, he must come from money. Unless Parish Cove had new residents I didn’t know about, she had to have found someone in Easton during one of Mom’s appointments.

I guess I would find out soon enough.

EVERYTHING LOOKED THE SAME. As I rolled through the streets, I realized there wasn’t a single thing about Parish Cove that had changed in the time I had been gone. It was late April and Mrs. Martian still hadn’t taken her Christmas lights down. The fountain in the town square continued to run at barely a trickle, creating a tiny spout that looked pathetic. It was as though it had given up long ago on pleasing anyone in this town, same as I had.

As I continued toward my childhood home, my stomach knotted. While I might not care what those living here thought of me, I could only imagine the things they would say behind my back the entire time I was here. Gossiping was about the only pastime the majority of the townspeople had, especially the women. When I came to town, they all seemed to kick it into full gear. Our story was as tragic a story as Parish Cove had seen in a while. Dad left when we were little, abandoning our gorgeous mother and forcing her to work outside the home. Then about two years ago, Mom had gotten sick, adding more heartbreaking chapters to our story. I knew they had to have gossiped until their lips were numb when I left for school at the same time, leaving Emma behind to carry the weight of taking care of our mom alone.

Things might make me look bad, but that wasn’t how they were. When I was finished with school, I planned to come back and take over with Mom.

At least that’s what I told myself. It was what I told Emma also. But we both knew it would never happen. The only difference in our opinion on the matter was the reasons why. To her, I was selfish, inconsiderate, and cold when it came to our mom. To me, I was weak and scared. I wanted my big sister to take care of it all. It was what she was good at. It was what she had always done. I would only screw something up.

I pulled into the station on the corner of Clyde Street and Main. My car was almost on E, not to mention, seven hours of driving had my legs feeling like noodles and my butt so numb it hurt. I smoothed my hands over my rear, hoping to bring circulation back to the area faster.

“Charlotte, is that you?” a familiar voice called to me. My teeth clicked together, because it wasn’t someone I cared to see. Ever.

I straightened my shoulders and turned to face Millie Green, the biggest bitch in all of Parish Cove. At least that was how I remembered her from high school. From the tone of her voice, I was willing to bet she hadn’t lost the title yet. How I had managed to miss seeing her the last few times I was in town I wasn’t sure, but it looked as though my luck had run out. Here she was, calling out my name again in her nasally voice.

“Hi, Millie.” I didn’t bother to plaster a fake smile on my face as I turned to face her. She knew I didn’t care for her, and I knew the feeling was mutual. Which had me wondering why she’d even bothered to say hi. “How are you?” I didn’t care, but figured I would be polite and ask. That was about all she was going to get from me.

My jaw dropped when my eyes landed on her. It wasn’t that she didn’t look drop-dead gorgeous still, because she did. Her hair was done up in a high bun and her makeup was perfect. She had gained a few pounds since high school, but not enough to be considered fat. If anything, the added weight made her even more attractive. It was the fact that she was holding a baby on her hip and the hand of a tiny little girl as well.

Millie Green was a mom. At least I thought she was. The kids looked just like her.

“Are they yours?” The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could stop them. Was that even a question someone asked? It didn’t sound right. Who referred to kids as though they were inanimate objects? Me, apparently.

“Of course they are.” Millie laughed. She wasn’t offended like I thought she would be. Instead, she found my question funny.

“This is Mallory, and this little chunk—” She bounced the baby on her hip. “—is Mathew.”

Not only was Millie a mom—to two kids mind you—she had given them both names that started with the letter M, just like her name. Cute.

“They’re adorable.” Wasn’t that what I was supposed to say, even if they weren’t, even if I was so shocked to learn she was a mom I couldn’t breathe?

“Thank you.” Millie smiled wide. She was proud of them. My thoughts softened. Maybe she was a good mom. My eyes skimmed over her kids again, taking in their appearance this time now that the shock of their existence had worn off some. They were well-dressed and groomed. Her daughter’s golden locks had been braided into a crazy pattern that made her hair look like little bows. I wondered how long it had taken to do such a thing, and if it had hurt. It looked like it had hurt like hell. “What about you? Any kids?” Millie asked.

I lifted my gaze back to her. She was giving me a onceover, obviously trying to gauge my answer based off my hip size. I hadn’t gained a pound since high school. Thanks to my mother’s good genes. “Nope. Not me. No kids.” The words were laced with a tinge of relief even I could hear. Kids were not on my radar. I could barely take care of myself; there was no way in hell I could raise a kid.

But here Millie was with two.

This was what Parish Cove did to you. It forced you to pop out babies at a young age, because there was nothing better to do, and settle. Thank God, Emma was smart enough to not settle like this.

What if she was pregnant? What if that was why she was suddenly getting married?

Oh my God, what if I was going to be an aunt?

I needed to get home. I had to know what the hell was going on in my sister’s life. Suddenly, it was dire.

“Well, it was good catching up with you. You look like you’re doing great. Cute kids.” I turned, and reached into my car for my wallet. “I should get going. I’ve got to get home in time to change for Emma’s engagement party.”

“Right. I nearly forgot about her engagement.”

“Yup. She’s getting married.” An awkward chuckle made its way past my lips. I hoped she couldn’t tell she most likely knew more about who Emma was marrying than I did. My heart picked up pace. I did not want to learn who Emma had said yes to from Millie Green.

A glimmer lit Millie’s blue eyes, letting me know she was nearly on to me. “So are you okay with her marrying—” Someone blared their horn, interrupting what she was about to say. They had pulled up behind my car, waiting to use the pump next.

Thank goodness there were still impatient assholes in Parish Cove.

Mathew started crying then, obviously startled from the noise, and it was the perfect excuse to cut our conversation short.

“It’s okay, sugar,” Millie cooed to him. “I should get going. It’s time for his nap.”

“Okay. I should probably pay for my gas. This place is filling up, and it looks like this pump is needed.”

“Right.” Millie tipped her head to the side as she bounced up and down, soothing the screaming baby on her hip. “I’ll tell Miles you said hello.”

Miles. Millie had married Miles Harmon, her high school sweetheart. They became a family of M’s. Miles, Millie, Mallory, and Mathew. Gag.

“You do that.” I smiled. Judging from her stare, she was trying to get a reaction out of me. Unfortunately for her, I couldn’t care less who she had married. “I’m sure I’ll run into you again at some point while I’m here.”

“Sure.” A kilowatt smile plastered itself on her face. It was the same one I remembered from high school. It was fake, big, and held a creepy quality to it that put me on edge. “Be sure to tell your sister I said congratulations. And don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll make a great bridesmaid. Someone will come along for you one day. You’re still so adorable.” Her eyes skimmed over me once more.

Was that a backhanded compliment? Did she not think I was attractive enough to land someone to marry? What a bitch. “Thanks.” I started toward the station, ready to put some space between myself and Millie, as well as her screaming kid. How could she be so calm with that wailing happening right in her ear?

I pulled a crumpled ten from my wallet as I found a place in line. All I needed was a little gas to get me to my mom’s house. I would fill up before I left town again on Sunday.

“Charlotte Rose Montgomery, look at you.” Goose bumps erupted across my skin at the same time my heart picked up its pace. I remembered that voice, even though it was a little deeper, a little older now. How could I ever forget it?

“Dawson Phillips.” I spun to face the only guy I had ever wanted more than chocolate.

Good God, time had been good to him.

He definitely hadn’t peaked in the looks department during high school like so many others he had hung with. His baby blue eyes locked with mine, and those perfect lips I’d always daydreamed of kissing again twisted into his famous smirk that would forever be etched into my memory.

“How have you been?” he asked in his rich baritone of a voice. It made my stomach summersault in a good way, and my toes curl. “The college life being good to you?”

His southern drawl had been something I adored about him. It wasn’t so thick that he cut the G off any ing word, but was still there, slowing his words down like sweet molasses. It seemed to have gotten thicker with time. I sank my teeth into my bottom lip, swearing he had left Parish Cove last I had checked. Which I had done more often than I cared to admit, waiting to graduate high school. I had wanted him to get out of this town after he graduated three years before me. There were better things for Dawson in the world besides what he could settle for here, if he wasn’t going to settle for me. His accent had me worried he hadn’t left for long though.

I’d been gone for two years. That would have been five for him, which should have been plenty of time for that southern accent of his to die down. But it hadn’t. Had he been forced to move back here, or had the ties that always seemed to keep people here pulled him back?

“College is good. Life is good outside of Parish Cove.” I smiled, hoping he would agree and tell me where he had been the past few years. I didn’t want to have to ask. Wouldn’t that seem as though I were being nosy? It wasn’t my business, but good grief, I wanted it to be.

Why had I stopped scouring his Facebook page?

Oh, right, because Sadie had caught me and claimed it was unhealthy and stalkerish. It was. Even though stalking someone on Facebook was the thing to do now. People always treated their pages like diaries, which made it so easy.

“Good to hear.” Was it me or had his eyes dipped to the little bit of cleavage I had showing? I would have to thank Sadie for this top. She’d insisted on picking out my driving clothes, swearing you never knew when you would run into someone from the past you wanted to impress.

I’d have to call her later and tell her thank you. She would eat my words up, especially if I tacked on a ‘you were right.’

“Miss, can I help you?” the cashier asked from behind me.

I glanced at her. Apparently, it was my turn in line. “Uh, yeah.” I moved to the counter. “I need ten on pump two please.” I passed my wrinkled ten across the counter, trying not to focus on the heat sweeping along the backside of my body from Dawson’s nearness.