2. Chapter 2
Chapter 2
James
“H ey, can you hurry it up a bit, old man? I’d actually like to eat before next Tuesday.”
I hoisted the ratty old recliner I’d been carrying into the back of the moving truck, wiping my brow with the back of my hand as I shot daggers at my friend. “Piss off, Jack. You know, this city has turned you into an even bigger asshole than you already were.”
“Guess it’s a good thing I’m leaving then, before I turn into you,” Jack said, capping the rebuttal with his usual exaggerated wink.
“You wish.” But I couldn’t help laughing. Jack and I—along with our friend Jesse—had been giving each other shit for almost our entire lives. And we weren’t likely to stop anytime soon.
It was one of the many reasons why they were really more like brothers than friends by this point. Given how small my inner circle was, I wouldn’t risk my bond with them for anything.
And now, having Jack back with us where it all began—up north, in our hometown of Dearing Creek—maybe I’d stop feeling so unsettled, like I couldn’t find my footing. Maybe I’d even start listening to those nagging thoughts at the back of my mind, nudging me to go after what I wanted instead of treading water where I was.
Maybe, I’d start feeling happy again.
Because if I were being honest, I hadn’t really felt that way in quite some time.
Jack shut and latched the rear door to the moving truck, turning back to look at me. “Seriously, James, I’m starving. Where do you wanna go? La Cucaracha? Leaning Tower of Pasta?”
“Nah… let’s grab happy hour somewhere. I could use a beer.”
Twenty minutes later, we were just about to walk through the entrance of Mac’s Bar when a voice called out behind us.
“Well, I’ll be damned… is that two of the Three Js I see?”
We turned in unison at the sound of our old nickname, spotting a familiar face. Brooke Christenson quickly closed the distance between us, wrapping us up in a quick hug before pulling back with a smile.
“What are you boys doing here in the cities? God, I feel like I’ve gone back in time about a decade.”
Jack laughed. “You’re actually catching me on my last day here. I’ve been living and working in Minneapolis for the past nine years.”
“ Seriously? I’ve been here for almost seven. How have we never bumped into each other before?”
“Guess you and I were running in different circles for once, Christenson. Gone are the days of Lake View High,” he said, grinning. “Anyway, I’ve been working in finance, but… I recently decided to make a switch. How about you?”
She tucked a strand of her pale blonde hair behind her ear, quite a bit shorter—and lighter—than the long hair she’d sported in high school. “PR. I actually just got promoted to director at Ayvers Agency.”
“Hey, congrats, sounds right up your alley. I bet you’re great at it.”
“Not too shabby.” She shrugged—nonchalant, though she looked secretly pleased by the compliment. “So, where are you headed now? And you,” she said, directing her attention towards me, “Never thought James Tate would be caught dead hanging out in Minneapolis.”
“A one time offense, trust me,” I said, chuckling. “I’m just here helping my boy pack up and finally move back home.”
“So the Three Js will truly be back together again. Better warn my family,” she said, shaking her head with a grin. Then she glanced down at her watch. “Shit, I’m going to be late meeting Lizzie. Do you remember her? She and her family used to come up to their cabin a lot during the summers.”
I cocked my head. “Not really. But if she’s part of that crew you ran around with back then, something tells me she’s trouble.”
She snorted. “Lizzie? Hardly. But she might just kill me if I make her sit at the bar by herself for much longer.” She pulled us in for another quick hug. “So good to see you guys. Let’s get together for drinks the next time I’m up north, ok?”
“You bet.”
I caught Jack watching Brooke as she strode off down the sidewalk, heels clicking along the pavement and hips swaying in the snug bootcut jeans she wore. “Didn’t you two date back in high school?”
Jack snorted out a laugh as he started again towards the bar door. “A senior dating a freshman? Not likely. And you know Trent and Dustin would never have let me live if I’d tried.” He wasn’t wrong—everyone in Dearing Creek knew enough not to mess with the Christensen brothers—especially when it involved their baby sister.
Following him inside, we grabbed the last couple of spots remaining at the bar. This place was just as I’d remembered it—dimly lit but cozy, with a handful of booths and tables spread throughout the room, old Minneapolis photos and local sports mementos lining the dark paneled walls. I hadn’t been to Mac’s Bar in a couple of years, but I knew without a doubt what I’d be eating tonight.
The bartender walked over to us, wiping his hands on a bar towel. “You two ready to order?”
“Yeah. Juicy Lucy with fries, please, and a tall Stormy Weather IPA.”
Jack gestured towards me. “I’ll have the same.”
A short while later, we were working our way through steaming baskets of greasy fries and molten cheese-filled burgers—along with our half-drained beers—as we sat reminiscing about the old days. Seeing Brooke had definitely triggered a lot of memories for both of us.
More than anything, it was good to see my old friend looking like his happy, relaxed self again. I knew his time in the cities had run him through the wringer in more ways than one—and I was damned glad that soon he’d be back where he belonged. I chuckled under my breath, remembering one particular memory stirred up by our earlier conversation.
“What’re you laughing about over there?”
I took a sip of my beer. “Just the whole ‘Three Js’ nickname. I haven’t heard that one in a long time.”
Jack looked amused. “I still say it was Jesse who made up that damn thing in the first place. Mostly to irritate the hell out of you.”
“Yeah, well, I think he did a better job of irritating you . I actually find it kind of… endearing.”
“ ‘Endearing’? Who the fuck are you, and what did you do with my best friend?”
I chuckled. “Maybe I’ve softened my edges the last few years. I’ve been sending all of my asshole energy to you, remember?”
“Nice try. You’ll always be a grumpy bastard, James. Don’t fight it.” He took a bite of his burger before wiping his mouth on a napkin. “So, are you ever going to tell me what happened with those boxes of my files earlier? They look like shit.” He narrowed his eyes as he looked more closely at me. “Come to think of it, so does your forehead.”
I smirked, recalling my run-in with the redhead at the coffee shop earlier in the day. Honestly, I’d found her running through my thoughts more than once as we’d continued our work moving Jack out of his condo. With the way she’d looked—both beautiful and chaotic—it had been nearly impossible not to. Especially watching her get all worked up, her green eyes shooting out daggers that I’d have taken gladly, just to keep her focus on me.
But it also made me realize I would’ve deserved every bit of the resulting pain, acting the way I had. My exhaustion from another long workday—coupled with a two-hour drive to get to Jack’s place the night before—had me running on some seriously grumpy energy by the time the two of us crashed into each other. Simply put, I’d behaved like a jackass. And it was far from her fault.
Well… maybe a little bit her fault.
“Yeah, I had a collision with a woman outside the coffee shop near your place this morning. She… kinda hit me with the door.”
Jack cocked an eyebrow. “What do you mean, she hit you?”
“Well, she whipped the door open on her way out. I just happened to be walking along at that exact moment.” I paused, recalling the scene as Red scrambled to retrieve her tampons, finding myself struck more by the delicate flush of her cheeks than the door itself as she stood up to face me. “And I, uh, might’ve implied that she was the one at fault.”
“Dude.”
I gave him a sheepish look, rubbing at the scruff along my jawline. “Yeah, I know. It was hard to see while I was carrying your huge ass boxes. Guess I wasn’t really watching where I was going.”
Jake shook his head, chuckling as he reached for his beer. “I hope you apologized to her, at least.”
“Well, no… but I did help her to pick up her tampons. That’s got to count for something, right? Although, I might’ve tossed in a lecture on littering there at the end…”
He groaned, covering his face. “I say this with love—you’re sounding more like my father every day. If you don’t watch it, Jesse and I will soon be the only ones who’ll tolerate your sorry ass.”
I shrugged, a small smile playing across my lips. “Yeah, we’ll see about that.” But my mind wasn’t focused on anything my friend was saying—instead, I was replaying those few minutes I’d shared with that woman, knowing I wasn’t likely to forget it for some time. There’d even been a brief second where I’d had to hold myself back from brushing the hair from her face after it had fallen from that crazy little updo of hers. I hadn’t wanted to miss the electricity I saw in those eyes, doling out her final retort before storming off.
In hindsight, she likely would’ve hauled off and slapped me for it—and I must be some sort of masochist, because I couldn’t help grinning at the idea. Even though it would’ve been worth it, I supposed one smack to the face per day was probably enough.
I shook my head, wondering what the hell had gotten into me. I wasn’t the sort of guy who had his head turned easily by any woman, much less some city girl.
Not that I had cause to think about anything along those lines, anyway. My workload back home with Aaronson Construction had me putting in long hours most days and didn’t leave room for much else. I didn’t even need much else, other than my friends. Besides, I already had a woman in my life that I loved. And despite questioning where my life was headed lately, I knew I was damn lucky.
Come tomorrow morning, I’d be putting Minneapolis in my rearview mirror for the foreseeable future. And I couldn’t get home soon enough.
“Hey, man… Can I ask you something?”
I glanced over to Jack, who was eyeing me as he played with his french fries. “Are you wondering if Dearing Creek is ready for Jake the Hot Shot? Because the answer is probably not…”
“Cut it out. I’m actually being serious.” He tipped back his beer, draining the glass before continuing. “Am I making a mistake, abandoning a successful career to go off and start something new? I mean… I’m leaving a lot behind here.”
I knew his question was about more than just quitting his cushy, six-figure job in finance to pursue his dream of running high-end guided fishing tours up north. My mind drifted to how messed up he’d been over the last few months, ever since his girlfriend of three years, Dana, had broken up with him. Moving back home would be like cutting the final cord to the secure life he’d been building for almost a decade.
It was hard for me to imagine feeling so affected by a woman in that way—mostly, I guess, because I’d never really allowed myself to go there. But I was happy keeping things casual, way less messy. And it definitely made it easier to walk away when I needed to.
“No, you’re not making a mistake. You’ve thought it through and planned ahead, plus you’ll be building something you’re passionate about—that’s never a bad thing. Honestly, I really envy you, man. Both Jesse and I are proud of you.”
“Thanks.” He flashed me a quick smile, nudging me with his elbow as he went back to his food. “You could finally take the leap too, you know.”
I snorted. “What, start my business? I’ve got enough on my hands right now. Like getting your ass out of this god-forsaken city.”
Jake grinned. “Dearing Creek will rejoice at having the three of us back together again. Just like old times, eh?”
I nodded, reaching for my beer. “Like old times.”
It’s not like I was lying when I said it—but beneath the words lay the thoughts I’d been stewing over for what seemed like forever.
Why do I feel like all that I have isn’t enough anymore?