Chapter 2
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I’m the last one in line, so I have plenty of time to think of something to say to Charlie. It doesn’t help.
Sorry for sending you a picture of my dick. It was meant for your dad.
I choke back a laugh. Definitely not.
Chuck and I joke around all the time. He might see the humor in it.
Minni will not.
It was an honest mistake. I’d been texting with Chuck all morning. And rereading Charlie’s texts from the night before. Which might explain getting the first text wrong. But every text after? And the phone call?
Sure, I was distracted by the hot presenter. And adding Charlie to my contacts as Chuck Jr. made sense months ago when I didn’t want to confuse him with Charlie from the lumberyard.
Still, I should have recognized Charlie right away. Hell, I’ve known the kid all his life.
But this guy, talking and laughing casually with the others in line, is a man, not a kid.
The last time I saw Charlie was the night of the Dundy County Fair. How did he change so much in five years? His long hair and short beard are new. And he calls himself Chas now. Not a fan. I like Charlie much better.
Charlie stumbled at the start of his presentation, but then he got his confidence back and took my breath away. Charlie knows his stuff, and it’s sexy as hell.
I’ve never seen Charlie so confident.
Way too soon, it’s my turn, and I’m standing in front of Charlie with no idea what to say. When he sees me, his eyes widen a fraction and his breath hitches. Otherwise, he’s the professional Charlie I didn’t know existed.
“Hiya, Charlie,” I say with a nervous smile, trying to ignore the fluttery feeling in my stomach. What the hell? I’m forty-seven, not an adolescent teen. My confidence has fucked off somewhere, and I need it back.
He swallows and nods. The scent of strawberries from his shampoo must have hijacked my brain. I want to slide my fingers through the strands of hair on the side of his face. Are they as silky as they appear? I blink away those inappropriate thoughts. This kid is twenty years younger than me.
“How ya been?” I stuff my hands in my pockets because touching him is not allowed, but my body is having difficulty remembering that. “Last I heard, you were living in Kansas.” When did he move back? And why didn’t anyone tell me?
He nods a few times. “Yes, I was. Now I’m here.
And I’m good. Mostly good. I mean, my apartment is nothing but boxes, and being back and starting a new job hasn’t been worse than getting a root canal, but it’s close, and at least no one asked me what a boning rod is because then I would have looked even more like a kid than I am. Not that I—” He clamps his lips shut.
I can’t help but grin. This is the Charlie I remember.
The nervous rambling, but now with an air of defiance.
The adult version. And fuck, it’s charming as hell.
I lean in, taking the opportunity to be close to him, and breathe in his scent.
Desire stampedes through my body. “They’re used for leveling trenches. ” I wink. “Now you know.”
He laughs, and it’s deeper than I remember. “Thanks.” He presses his lips together again as if he’s afraid of what will come out.
My eyes are drawn to his mouth, but I don’t linger like I want. This is his work. I catch his gaze. “No need to censure yourself, Charlie. I could listen to you talk all day.”
He snorts. “That’s not what you told me during wrestling practice. ‘Charlie, can you stop talking for five minutes?’ I think were your exact words.”
The bubbly feelings in my stomach pop. What am I doing? This guy used to be my student. “Things change. You’re not fourteen—” I stop before I make things more awkward and clear my throat. “I won’t keep you. Just wanted to say hi and welcome home.”
When I get to my truck, I bang my head against the steering wheel. What the hell? This is Chuck and Minni’s kid. And I’m twenty years older than him.
Should I quit the project? But I can’t. This is something near and dear to my heart.
My sister Harper was without housing for a while.
Of course, she didn’t ask us for help. Too proud.
This project will help people like her keep their dignity.
I can’t quit because I’m attracted to the guy in charge.
The talk with Charlie hadn’t been too embarrassing. I scroll through the text messages, imagining Charlie, not my best friend, reading them.
Fuck. Each text is worse than the last.
I’d drop to my knees for this guy.
Does he realize I was talking about him?
Would he let me?
My body reacts favorably to that thought, and I tell it to fuck off.
This is Chuck and Minni’s son. I taught him how to wrestle at fourteen and drive a car at fifteen. I feel like a dirty old man.
I swallow the bile in my throat and shake my head. I’m not attracted to the kid I once knew. I’m attracted to the man he is now. Sometimes confident. Sometimes shy. And sexy as fuck.
But others won’t see it that way. His parents certainly won’t.
And neither will the town.