Chapter 8
Scottie
“House of Chaos,how can I direct your call?” My sister answers her phone.
I laugh. “Hey, Steph.”
“Please tell me you’re calling because you’re visiting Asheville, and by visiting, I mean coming to babysit while I have a spa day.”
“I’m pretty sure when you were pregnant with Winnie, you said three kids can’t be that much harder than two.”
“I was wrong. There. Are you happy? Three kids—three girls—under six is the definition of an early mid-life crisis.”
“Is it a bad time? I don’t want you to lose one of my nieces because I’m distracting you.”
She sighs. “Winnie’s still sleeping, and Avery and Mable are eating breakfast. I have maybe ten minutes of calm before the next storm. Tell me something exciting. Let me live vicariously through you. And if you don’t have anything, make something up.”
I open my glass jar of overnight oats and sit at my table. “Oh, I have quite the update for you. Guess who showed up at the store?”
“I slept three hours last night and said I have ten minutes tops. No time for guessing.”
“Fine. You’re no fun. Price Milloy.”
Silence.
I’m not sure if she heard me or if she’s still on the line.
“Steph?”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes. I know you gave me the option to make something up, but I’m not making this up. He lives in Austin. No job. No family. And something’s really off about him. I can’t explain it, but it’s a feeling. Kind of a dark feeling.”
“Like he’s up to something?”
“No. Well, maybe. I’m not sure yet. But I definitely feel something.”
“You would know. I don’t know how you’re so in tune to people’s auras or whatever you call it, but you’re usually right. Have you told him?”
“No. I can’t. Not yet.”
“How does it feel seeing him after all this time?”
“Weird. In some ways, it feels like it’s been a lifetime, but in other ways, it feels like we’re back in Philly, like I should be scoping out local concerts and new restaurants to try.”
“Do you think you’ll develop romantic feelings for him again? I mean, is this fate?”
“Okay, this is where it’s getting complicated. Yes. This felt like fate until … I had a customer fix me up with his grandson. His name is Koen, and he’s a welder. He’s sexy. Steph, I’m talking about the kind of sexy that’s making me think about sex nonstop.”
“Now, this is what I’m talking about. Go on. I’m listening.”
I giggle before taking another bite of my oats. “He has a cute little dog,” I mumble before swallowing, “that he takes to work with him. And he’s funny and confident. And sexy. Did I mention that?”
“Ugh, Winnie’s crying. Hurry up.”
“You can call me back later, but I’m in quite the conundrum because, in a matter of days, my life went from perfectly uneventful to having two guys I like. My feelings for them are quite different, but there is some overlap, and that’s the part that’s making this hard to navigate. But it’s a good problem. I hope.”
“Okay. I’m excited for you and can’t wait to hear more. Go have really hot sex with one of them and tell me all about it. I can’t remember the last time I had it.”
I laugh. “Kiss the girls for me … and Dax too.”
“Will do. Bye, Scottie.”
I finish eating and get ready to open the shop. Koen messages me several times in the process. He’s been texting me while he’s out of town. Sometimes, it’s a simple “hi” with a goofy emoji; sometimes, it’s a photo of something he’s welding. In return, I send him the occasional “hi” and pictures of products I’m unloading or my progress on the puzzle.
On Tuesday,Herb’s my first customer of the day. He’s a great start to any day.
“Good morning, young lady.” He tips his fedora, which covers his thick white hair, while grabbing a small cart to use as a walker. He chose a navy cardigan today instead of his usual gray. He’s a dapper man at nearly six feet tall but stands closer to five-nine with hunched shoulders.
“Morning, Herb. Are you having a good day?”
“I am now.”
I smile because I always ask him the same question, and he always gives me the same answer.
“The boy said I did a good job.”
Refilling the soda syrups, I shoot him a curious glance. “The boy?”
“Koen. He said you two met. And you’re …” He scratches his jaw. “What was the word he used?”
I don’t know, but the anticipation is killing me.
“Unethical?” He shakes his head a half dozen times. “No. No. That’s not right. My brain’s still asleep.”
I hold back my giggle, relieved that’s not the right word.
“The word’s not there.” He sighs, wheeling the cart toward the produce section, where he’ll pick out one orange, one ripe banana, and two green-topped carrots.
He’s a creature of habit, buying only what he needs for one day. I’m not sure if he likes his produce as fresh as possible or if he enjoys visiting with me. “I’m going to ask him,” he says. “Otherwise, it will drive me crazy.”
“It’s fine. No need to check with him.”
Too late.
Herb has his phone out of his pocket. “Siri, call Koen.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t get that,” Siri replies.
“SIRI, CALL KOEN!”
I die.
Covering my mouth to muffle my laughter, I feel my cheeks burn with embarrassment. I’m so glad no one else is in the store.
“Hey, what’s up?” Koen answers.
The fact that he’s on speaker makes it so much worse. I hide around the corner, shaking with silent laughter.
“It’s your grandpa.”
Koen chuckles. “I know. What’s up?”
“What did you say about Scottie? You know, the girl from the general store.”
“Uh … what do you mean?”
“You used a word to describe her, but I can’t remember. It wasn’t unethical. But it started with a U-N. My brain’s not working right today.”
“Grandpa, what do you need to know this for?”
“I’m visiting with Scottie, and I was telling her what you said, but I couldn’t remember.”
“You’re …” Koen clears his throat. “You’re at the store?”
“That’s what I said.”
“You didn’t tell her I said she’s unethical, did you?”
“I took the word for a test drive. But as soon as it came out, I told her that wasn’t the right word. That’s why I’m calling you.”
“Oh, Grandpa.”
I can feel Koen deflating on the other end of that call while I shake with silent laughter, trying to keep from crying.
“Unusual isn’t the right word either,” Herb says.
“Unexpected,” Koen replies quickly—desperately. “I said she’s unexpected in a really great way. But I’m not thrilled that you’re sharing what I told you in confidence.”
“Oh, my boy, if I don’t tell the girl, she’ll never know because you’ll never say it.”
The boy. The girl.
“Can you just get your groceries and go home? Leave the conversation to me. I’m not as inept as you think.”
The door chimes with another customer. “Good morning,” the young mother with a baby wrapped to her chest says before kissing the little one’s head. I feel a pang of envy.
“Am I on speaker?” Koen asks.
“Yeah. It’s too loud at my ear with my hearing aids.”
“Jesus. I gotta go. Bye.”
Herb picks out his produce and pushes the cart to the counter. “Unexpected. That’s what he called you. He said you were unexpected in a really great way.”
Biting back my grin, I nod. “That was very kind of him. The feeling is mutual.”
“I knew you two would hit it off. Aren’t you glad I set you up on a date?”
I am, even though our date isn’t until Friday. “You’re a good man, Herb.”
By the timeFriday rolls around, I’m a mess of anticipation. Koen ended up staying out of town longer than expected, so I haven’t seen him in over a week.
“Are you sure you don’t have any more questions?” I ask Price for the third time.
He grins with a headshake, making flavored sodas for a guy and his two kids. “It’s my fourth day. I’m sure.”
“Call me if you have any questions. My number is taped to the phone.”
“Got it.”
“Okay. Good. Thanks. I know you have it, and I’m not worried at all. I appreciate your help.” I’m not worried about Price. It’s my date that has me feeling anxious.
It’s ridiculous. After all, “my date” pulled me out of a pond and stripped me down to my bra and panties. He’s washed my dishes. And he’s confessed to his grandpa that I’m unexpected in a really great way.
“Scottie?”
“Yeah?”
Price glances at me over his shoulder while he makes the last soda. “Go.”
It takes me a few seconds to think past my nerves. Then I nod. “Got it. Yep. I’m leaving.”
I change my clothes twice. I’d probably change them again, but I don’t own that many things. Simplicity has been my friend, but tonight, I’d love something that feels special, not just comfortable and familiar. Settling on wide-legged jeans and a cream sweater, I slide on my Birkenstocks and recheck my hair.
I pull it back.
Put it down.
Back again.
Down again.
Then, there are three knocks on my door.
Blowing out a slow breath, I open it. “Hi.”
Koen grins, giving me instant relief because he’s in jeans, another flannel shirt, gray and green this time, and his brown boots. But he’s not wearing a hat. His hair’s a little damp and wavy around his ears and forehead like he recently showered—with a bar of his man-smelling soap.
“Ready?” he asks.
“I’m nervous.”
“Nervous? Why? Did your grandpa call you on speakerphone to ask what word you used to describe your date? And in the process, did he reveal that the first word he used was ‘unethical’?”
I glance up after sliding on my jacket. “That was the best.”
“The best?” His face sours. “Complete humiliation is the best?”
“I might decide to date your grandpa.” I grab my purse and follow him out the door.
“What do you like so much about that old man?” Koen laughs and opens the passenger door to his truck for me.
I climb inside. “I can’t do this.”
“Date my grandpa? God, I hope not.”
I relinquish a grin. Koen has an addictive sense of humor. He has a lot of things I find irresistible, and that’s why I can’t do this. “I can’t go to dinner with you.”
His brows draw together.
“I don’t want to get to the restaurant and sit across from you and suddenly feel at a loss for words. I don’t want anything to feel forced or awkward. I don’t want a waiter to interrupt us every five seconds.”
Koen blinks a few times. “I see. So you’re saying you want to go to Home Depot with me to get copper wire?”
I don’t love him. But right now … I love him.
“Yes. Of course. But I’m hungry.”
“We’ll pick up a pizza.”
I shake my head. “I’m thinking falafel.”
“That’s what I meant. We’ll pick up falafel.”
My grin inflates to embarrassing proportions. “I must be back by eight to close the store.”
Koen glances at his watch. “Doesn’t leave much time for making out in my truck. So we’d better get going.”
My jaw slowly unhinges. “Really. I don’t know why Herb said you were shy.”
Koen smirks. “Yeah? Well, he said I called you unethical. It’s possible Herb’s not that great with words.” He shuts my door.
When we reach Home Depot, Koen takes my hand and leads me inside.
I feel it way beyond my hand, a fluttering in my tummy, a hitch in my breath, and warmth spreading everywhere. “Can I ask why you think I’d make out with you when we’ve known each other for less than two weeks?”
“That’s easy.” He guides me past the carts and the garden center. “Making out happens before undressing. Since I had to undress you at the park, we’re now ahead of schedule. Just like babies should crawl before they walk, we were supposed to make out before getting naked. Therefore, we need to step back and hit that milestone.”
The way he glances over his shoulder to grin at me while I purposely hang back a step is sexy beyond words.
“I’m hungry.”
He laughs. “This won’t take long.”
“Yes. But you’ve added making out to our plans. And I won’t want to make out after I’ve eaten falafel unless I brush my teeth.”
He suddenly turns right and then left until we’re in the corner of the store, by the flooring and a mammoth hanging display of area rugs.
Then … he kisses me. It’s intense yet too short. With my face in his hands, he lingers a breath away from my lips. Surely, he’ll kiss me again.
“I knew it would be good,” he says with a grin.
“Me too,” I whisper with what little breath I have left.
“Must be that foreplay perfume.”
I grin. “I’m wearing Tease Me tonight, not Foreplay.”
He leads me back toward the wire. “Is there a difference between foreplay and teasing?”
“Of course. Tease Me has citrus with a hint of vanilla. It should make you curious but not ravenous.”
Koen can’t entirely hide his grin, but I enjoy watching him try. “Not what I meant.”
“I know.”
He plucks a spool of wire from the shelf, and we don’t say another word while heading to the self-checkout, but we exchange plenty of sexy glances and knowing grins.
“What is falafel anyway? Isn’t it like lamb balls?”
I snort while he pulls out of the parking lot. “I can’t say for sure. I haven’t had lamb balls. Do lamb balls taste like chickpeas with herbs and spices? Do you eat yours with tahini sauce, tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, and onions?”
“Have you finished that puzzle?”
“So we’re jumping from lamb testicles to the puzzle? You’re not boring.”
“You’ve met my grandpa. The Sikes men are never boring.”
“Just awkward and creepy.”
He smirks. “Exactly.”
We get our lamb balls and hummus to go and return to my place with the unfinished puzzle.
I can’t stop thinking about the kiss, but I also can’t stop thinking about Price Milloy in the building just outside my trailer. I’ve been perfectly content with my stagnant love life for years, and in a matter of weeks, I have two men in my life who evoke powerful emotions.
“Is something wrong with your food?” Koen asks while I stare at my wrap.
I quickly shake my head. “No. I was just thinking about the new employee.”
“Do you want to check on them?”
I take a bite of my wrap. Do I want to check on Price? No. He’s fine. I know him too well. “The new employee is a man I dated years ago when I lived in Philadelphia.”
Koen eyes me, pausing his chewing for a second. “Oh.”
Yes, “oh” is the best response.
“Did he reply to a job listing?”
“No. I gave him a job he didn’t want or ask for.”
Koen continues eating. No more questions. No visible response.
“He showed up out of nowhere. We went to dinner to catch up. And when he came into the store again, I suggested he work part-time.”
Koen reaches for a puzzle piece, sliding it into place.
I don’t have to tell him anything, but I like him. And I don’t know what Price coming back into my life means. Something’s off with Price, and I think he needs something from me, but I don’t know what it is, and I’m afraid to ask.
“Did you offer him a job because you need help or want to ensure you see him more often?” Koen briefly glances at me. He seems a little uneasy.
“I don’t own the general store, but I run it. And I’m the only employee. So yeah, I need a little help so I can go to Home Depot with men who pull me from ponds.”
A grin touches his lips before he resumes eating.
“But I’d be lying if I said I don’t enjoy seeing him. He made me rethink my life when I felt conflicted. My friends were in college. And my sister was engaged. And on top of that, my parents were waiting for me to figure out what I wanted to be in life. It was just a summer but the best summer of my life.”
With a thoughtful glance, Koen swallows and clears his throat. “What happened?”
That’s a complicated question I don’t have the answer to.
“He continued with his schooling, eyes set on conquering the world. And I ran as far in the opposite direction as possible. I didn’t want to conquer the world; I wanted to exist in it as peacefully as possible. Goals felt like fifty-pound weights on my chest. I’m sure most people use goals to move them forward, but I couldn’t handle the pressure of waking up each morning with the same goal. After all, what happens when you stop chasing it? Are you a quitter?”
“So if you don’t set goals, you can’t be a quitter?”
I laugh a little. “Are you regretting the kiss? A woman in her thirties who has no goals, doesn’t own a home, has never been married, and works at a general store. Is there a voice in your head saying you can do better?”
He shrugs a shoulder. “Are you content?”
“Yes,” I say without hesitation. “I like the moment. I’m passionate about the moment. And sometimes I feel like I know a secret that everyone else is working themselves to death to figure out.”
“And what is that?” He stuffs his wrapper into the sack.
“We’re here to enjoy life. To enjoy each other. We don’t know how long we’ll be here, so why chase anything? And I’m not saying that goals are bad, that chasing something is bad if you’re passionate about it.”
Koen eyes the door and nods toward it. “Did you have passion with him?”
So much.
“Not enough.”
“No?” he asks, sliding the puzzle pieces closer to him while I continue to eat my dinner one slow bite at a time.
“At the end of that summer, we let each other go.”
“Maybe this is a second chance.”
I wait for him to look at me, but he doesn’t. “It’s not.”
“How do you know?” He gives me another glance.
“Because I just do. He’s … dealing with something.”
“Is that what he said?”
“No. I just know him.”
Koen nods. “Why are you sharing this with me?”
“Because you kissed me tonight, and I hope you do it again. But I’m not good at lying or hiding my emotions.” I check the time. “And speaking of Price, I need to close the store.”
“Do you want me to leave?”
“I want you to stay.”
His expression leaks vulnerability and maybe … pleasure? “Then I’ll be here when you get done.”
I add my wrappers to the bag and toss it in the trash. “Thank you.”
“For staying?”
“Yes. For staying.” I slide on my shoes, pausing at the door before opening it.
Koen eyes me. These two men coming into my life simultaneously might seem like bad timing. But what if it’s perfect timing? What if one of these men is here to give me more, and the other is here to give me perspective?