Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
Charlotte
I couldn’t stop my beaming smile. It was so good to see Jeremy, and to hear he had four kids already? Crazy.
“Do you want to come sit with me and Cody? Have a drink?” I gestured behind me where Cody sat. I’d jumped up to hug him and we stood chatting in what’d quickly become a very loud, bustling pub scene. When I glanced over my shoulder, Cody was watching us with a look that sent my stomach to my toes.
If I didn’t know better, I’d call it a dark, almost jealous look. But that didn’t make sense because Cody was sweet, and, well, I couldn’t imagine him being jealous. Especially not with Jer. We’d dated for like six months junior year, before he’d started dating Danielle—his wife.
“I’ll say hi, but I have to get home. I’m just on the way out but saw you as I was getting ready to go.”
He followed me a few steps to Cody and held out his hand. Cody stood and grasped it. “Jeremy. How’s it going.”
It wasn’t really a question, nor did he look like he actually wanted to know.
Jeremy remained unperturbed, more in the character of what I’d normally expect from Cody.
“It’s great to see you, man. I see you from time to time, but the wife handles our taxes.” He offered Cody an embarrassed grin like he should be ashamed of not being the one to do his family’s taxes.
Cody waved it off. “You’re not alone. Most of my clients, MFJ or small business, are women.”
From years around the Keller family, I knew “MFJ” was short for “Married and filing jointly” and for some silly reason, that made my heart constrict. There was my Cody—my nerdy sweet friend who’d been so interested in his dad’s work that he’d chatted about odd exemptions and unique cases his dad encountered as young as junior high. Maybe even before that, though I wouldn’t have been aware of it.
“Glad to hear it. And hey, congrats you two. It’s only like fifteen years in the making, right?” Jeremy glanced between us, a broad smile on his face.
“Fifteen years,” I said, still in the swing of the conversation, and it hit me. He meant me and Cody. Together. Together . “Actually, we’re?—”
“That’s right. More than.” Cody’s hand slipped around my waist and pressed me against his side. “She finally stopped running away from me.”
Jeremy laughed like this was the funniest thing that’d ever been said aloud. “Right? Well, awesome for you two. I’ve got to head out, but enjoy your evening. Glad you’re back, Charlotte.”
He gave a small salute and carved a path to the door through the packed space.
And me and Cody? We just stood there looking at him. Cody’s hand had moved to my hip, settled and firm and warm. My shoulder and arm were still pressing against his chest, and heat blazed wherever we touched.
I shifted and he didn’t immediately drop his hand. My stomach cartwheeled at the drag of his fingers against my lower back as I turned to look up at him. The man had smolder and more confidence than I remembered him ever having. He’d never touched me like this—so boldly—like he wanted to and had a right to.
“Well, that was interesting,” I said, searching his face for a hint of what he was thinking.
“Not a surprise,” he said, stone-cold serious.
I stepped back toward the bar top to grab my drink. If I didn’t, I might’ve let my hands wander and squeeze those biceps or try to get a sense for just how muscular his torso had become. But that would be inappropriate, and though he’d touched me and hadn’t let go until I stepped away, his hand had stayed respectfully still.
“Wasn’t it?” I definitely hadn’t expected Jeremy to assume Cody and I were together. It wasn’t like seeing us together was unusual. Maybe for the last few years but before that, we’d been in each other’s company constantly and no one had said anything about us being together.
He took a seat on his stool again, leaning an elbow on the bar and taking a sip of his drink. “Yeah. Jeremy was never a real details guy, if I recall correctly. Makes sense his wife would be the one to handle the taxes.”
I shot him an annoyed look because obviously that wasn’t what I meant.
He returned my glare with a pleased little smirk.
“Ugh, you’re annoying. Still.”
He chuckled into his glass. “You love it.”
My heart thundered in my chest for no good reason, and before I thought better of it, I kept talking. “But seriously, why would he assume we’re together? We’re sitting here at the bar, not touching when he said it. I get that we were best friends in high school, but…”
When I saw how his little smirk had faded—not just away, but into the depths of the earth, pulling his lips into a downturned frown so severe it should’ve been a joke—I frowned. “What?”
He scrubbed a hand over his face and his eyes skated over the crowd of people like he was searching for an answer out there. After a few more seconds, his gaze returned to mine. His chest deflated, and he grabbed his glass and downed the last half of his beer.
“If it’s that much of a surprise, then I definitely can’t explain it to you.” He gestured to the bartender, some quick succession of movements I couldn’t follow or make sense of, and he was out of his seat. “I’m going to head home.”
And then he left.
I stood frozen in place for one, two, three beats before shaking myself loose and waving down Kieran while my mind tried to figure out my next move. I felt like the minute I let myself reflect on what’d just happened, I’d lose it. In one way or another, I’d lose something , and I wouldn’t do that in this crowded space surrounded by strangers.
I’d go home—to where I now lived next door to Cody—and I’d do whatever I needed to do there. For now, I had to shove all that aside and get out of here.
“Can I go ahead and cash out?” I said, practically yelling to him to make sure he heard me.
“You’re all set.”
He nodded to where Cody had disappeared out the door, and I gathered whatever motions he’d made before leaving had meant something about him paying for my drink.
“Okay. Cool. Thanks.” What? I mean, great, he’d paid. That’s nice, and annoying, but why did he storm out of here after I asked a simple question?
As I made my way to the door, it occurred to me maybe he’d just left to get some air. Maybe I’d find him right outside, hunched against the cooling October night and ready to explain to me what the heck had just happened.
But no. A small group stood around a heater and chatted, beers in hand, but no Cody. So I started walking. It was about a ten-minute walk to his house, and I’d planned to do it with him. I hadn’t imagined grabbing drinks tonight would result in him storming out. Had he ever stormed out on me like that?
Sure, he’d gotten mad here or there, but overall, Cody was a steady guy. He wasn’t fiery or flashy. Sometimes, it drove me insane that he’d stay so calm when I got upset or that he seemed completely unbothered by the fact that I was leaving, or that I had a boyfriend, or any of the things I thought he should at least have some reaction to.
But tonight had been different. He’d seemed borderline jealous of Jeremy, and he’d put his hand around me—not around my shoulders, but around my waist and settled that big, warm palm on my hip.
He got mad. Or hurt? Upset at least.
I’d said I didn’t get it, why Jeremy would think of us as a couple, which was a stupid thing to say. I mean, why? Why did I say it like that, like it was this unbelievable thing? It had been more like, what in that moment had made it seem like we were together? I thought we could laugh at the assumption, but he’d hit me with, “if it’s that much of a surprise…”
Ugh. I stomped my foot on the sidewalk in a mini-fit of frustration, glancing around to make sure no one had seen my small tantrum. The sky was dark now, insane stars glittering overhead, and I exhaled a little cloud of warmth into the night. Walking to the house gave me the perfect view of Silver Ridge Peak and her sisters, and despite all my messy emotions over whatever the crap had just happened, my heart glowed at the sight.
I loved these mountains. I missed them when I was gone—and trust me, that realization had come as a kind of slap across the cheek because I’d been so ready to blow this popsicle stand when I left, I’d never imagined wanting to be back here. I knew I’d miss the people—of course I would. But the place ? Never. I truly never realized how much I loved my hometown and all its oddities and charms until I’d left.
Being back here felt good. It did. And having this realization came at the right time, because our moment had arrived. I hadn’t planned on confronting Cody about the dynamic of our friendship since I’d left years ago, but after whatever that was just happened and my apparent ignorance, I’d decided.
I stomped up the stairs making no effort to tread lightly on the wooden deck that led to both our doors and knocked loudly on his.
Cody and I were going to chat whether he liked it or not.