Chapter Six Charlie
Chapter Six
Charlie
I washed my hands in the sink and packed up my supplies. I’d dropped Harper off at her best friend Lily’s house earlier, and I was looking forward to a few hours to relax alone, because it didn’t happen often.
But here I was dealing with the aftermath of a dude who’d binged on chili dogs.
And why does the entire house smell like a Christmas tree now?
I was drying off my hands just as Violet came around the corner.
Blond waves fell around her shoulders, and I tried not to stare at the way her white sweater outlined her perfect tits like pieces of art. Or the way her jeans hugged her cute little ass.
Or the way she continued to light up every room she entered.
Even the shitter.
Damn. I needed to get laid.
It had been a while.
Dating wasn’t easy, considering I was balancing a busy work schedule with raising my little girl. But I had a few women I occasionally got together with.
They knew I didn’t have much to offer outside a good time every now and then, and they were fine with it.
“All fixed,” I said, pulling the strap of my duffel bag over my shoulder.
Violet glanced around the bathroom and gaped at me. “You didn’t need to clean up the mess. I was going to come in and do that.”
“It’s fine. Better I end up covered in shit than you. You’ve got a wedding to pull off tonight.”
“Why are you being so nice to me? Are you up to something?” Her voice was laced with humor. “You got a hot date tonight, Charles?”
“Nope. I just can’t wait to see you tie hundreds of pink balloons and pay me back. I’ll see you later.”
She was still watching me as I walked backward toward the door, and she smiled as the words left her mouth. “I’m going to head out to my house tomorrow morning and check on the progress.”
“No more changes, Firefly.” The name slipped from my lips without a thought. She looked at me, but I kept talking like it was nothing. “We’re trying to stay on track so you can get back in your house.”
“Sick of me already?” she said with a smirk.
No, actually. I didn’t mind her staying in the guesthouse in the backyard, even though I liked to pretend I did. Nor had I minded her using my oven. She’d been patient about the fact that the new oven had arrived damaged, and I’d had to ship it back and reorder another one all over again.
So I’d told her to just use my kitchen as often as she wanted.
“Don’t change the subject. I’m serious about not making any more changes. I feel like you’re up to something.”
“Then you know me well, Mr. Huxley.” She chuckled as Montana came running around the corner, looking a little frantic.
Violet informed her that the bathroom was fixed, and she thanked me before telling her best friend that the groom’s brother had just puked all over the groom’s tuxedo.
“That’s my cue. I’ll see you ladies later.” I made my way out to my truck.
My phone rang, and it was Jeanne McAffrey, Lily’s mom. “Hey, Jeanne, how are the girls doing?”
“They’re great. Um, Lily asked if Harper could spend the night. I know she’s never slept away from you, but she seems like she wants to give it a try. I could always call you if there’s an issue.”
I rubbed my face. The McAffreys were good people. I’d known Jeanne since elementary school, and her future husband, Tim, had moved to Blushing when we were in high school.
But my daughter had never spent a night away from me. I didn’t have much family, so she didn’t have grandparents. She’d been close to my cousin when she’d stayed in the guesthouse, but she hadn’t spent the night with her.
I was all she had, and I never wanted her to feel abandoned or not cared for, so it had always been her and me against the world in a way.
I wanted to shield her from every hard lesson life would throw at her.
And so far, I’d been able to do that, to an extent.
“She wants to spend the night?”
“She said she does. But why don’t you speak to her so you can feel it out?” Jeanne said.
“All right.”
Harper’s voice came through my Bluetooth in the truck: “Hi, Daddy.”
“Hey, baby girl. Are you having fun?”
“Yep. So much fun. Lily wants me to sleep over, and she got those bunk beds for Christmas.”
I chuckled. “That’s cool. Do you want to sleep over?”
“I do want to sleep over. But will you be sad if you’re by yourself?”
I’ll never figure out how an asshole like me got lucky enough to have this sweet angel as my daughter.
“You never need to worry about me, Harps. I’m just fine. I want you to have fun.”
“Mrs. McAffrey said if I change my mind, I can call you and go home anytime.”
“Anytime, baby girl. I’ll have my phone on me, and I can be there in five minutes if you get homesick,” I said. “Do you want me to drop off a bag with your pajamas and your toothbrush?”
“Lily has a pair of jammies that I can wear, and Mrs. McAffrey said that they have extra toothbrushes. We’re going to have a slumber party, Daddy.”
I pulled into my driveway after the short trip from downtown and turned off the engine. “Have the best time, and if I don’t hear from you, I’ll be there first thing in the morning.”
“Love you more than all the stars in the sky, Daddy.”
“Love you more than monkeys love bananas,” I said, which I knew would earn me a fit of giggles.
Jeanne came back on the phone, and she was laughing now too. “You’re a good dad, Charlie Huxley.”
“Thank you. And thanks for having her. If you need anything, just give me a call.”
“Hey, there is something I wanted to run by you.”
“Sure. What is it?”
I heard Tim say something in the background, and she told him to stay out of it, but they were both laughing. “I think you know my hairdresser, Julia Warren?”
I groaned, knowing where this was going. “I know Julia. Our town is the size of a postage stamp. She’s been living here for a while now.”
“Just hear me out. She thinks you’re . . . What did I tell you she said, Tim?”
Tim grabbed the phone from his wife as I was making my way inside my house. “Hey, Charlie.”
“Why do I feel like I’m going to regret this call?”
“I don’t know?” He chuckled. “But I believe Julia called you a ‘hot daddy.’”
“Give me that phone!” Jeanne shouted, and soon she was talking to me again. “She thinks you’re good looking.”
“Thanks. Good to know.” I cleared my throat, because I didn’t like being set up. That type of thing came with different expectations. “Listen, Jeanne, it’s nice of you to think of me. But I’m not looking to get into anything serious.”
“Neither is she. It’s dinner and drinks. We were thinking we could double-date. You and Julia and me and Tim. That’ll make it more casual. Just four friends out having a good time.”
I roughed a hand through my hair. “It’s tough to get a babysitter, so how about we play it by ear.”
“I’m sure Abigail Howard would happily babysit if it meant you could go out and have some fun,” she said, as if she had it all figured out. Abigail was my neighbor, and she adored Harper, and she was always offering to babysit for me.
Tim shouted into the phone that he had nothing to do with this.
I groaned. “I’ll think about it.”
“We could just do dinner and a beer at the Moose Brew. It doesn’t have to be a big deal. When was the last time you had some fun?”
“You don’t need to worry about me. I’m doing just fine.” I chuckled.
I usually grabbed a drink with my friend Myles at the Moose Brew once or twice a month, and I played poker every couple of weeks with Benji and a few other guys.
“Fine. Do it for me. I want to get out. Tim and I haven’t gone to the Moose Brew in a while, and I can’t get him to go anywhere, but if we were going with you and Julia, he’d be much easier to convince.
” I heard Tim teasing her in the background that she was being a little dramatic.
“You can just go as friends and see if there are any sparks. No pressure at all. How does next weekend sound?”
“Fine,” I grumped, not happy that she was forcing my hand.
I’d run into Julia several times, and she always came on real strong.
I just didn’t feel an attraction there, so I made it a point to avoid her whenever I saw her out.
And now I’d be trapped at a table with her.
“I’ll meet for dinner and a drink, but I like to be home to put Harps to bed. ”
“You do remember those crazy nights we used to have in high school, right?” Jeanne said. “You’re still young, and according to Julia, you’re still hot.”
“Good night, Jeanne,” I said, and I held the phone away from my ear when her loud laughter boomed through the phone. “Call me if Harper gets homesick.”
“Thanks, Charlie. I’ll text you the details this week. Julia is going to be thrilled. We didn’t think you’d agree to go.”
“I feel like you kind of forced me into this, if I’m being honest.”
More laughter.
We said our goodbyes, and I fixed myself some dinner.
It was quiet in the house, which wasn’t the norm.
My phone vibrated with a text.
Myles: Hey, any chance Abigail could hang with Harper tonight?
Me: Nope. Harper’s having her first sleepover. What’s up?
Myles: Want to meet at the Moose Brew for a drink? Montana has the wedding so she’ll be late.
Me: To think you were a bachelor not that long ago. Now you’re lonely when your lady is gone for a few hours?
Myles:
Myles: Am I to believe that you aren’t twiddling your fucking thumbs sitting on your couch alone?
I had to laugh. He knew me well.
Me: I’ll meet you there in fifteen minutes.
The snow had finally melted, and it was a nice night for a walk, not that downtown was too far from my house.
I slipped on my coat and made my way outside.
This was my favorite time of year, with winter on the way out and spring not quite here yet.
It was still cool in the evenings, but not so bone chilling that you couldn’t be outside.
When I opened the door to the bar, Myles was already there, talking to Dakota, one of the bartenders who worked for Benji, and Dean Walker was standing beside them.
I groaned internally.