Chapter 15
fifteen
Cash
W hen Lorne walked away, tail tucked between his legs, I was on cloud nine. Charlie would be a free woman in ten days. Not months. Days . I couldn’t hear everything they said in the middle of the riding ring—and I still didn’t know exactly what went down between Charlie and Lorne—but the apology Uncle Holden made Lorne give her was the most vindicating thing I’d ever witnessed.
My excitement was short-lived though. When I got home, Charlie was in her room—and that’s where she’d spent every minute of downtime since. At least she was playing her guitar and singing. When she did leave her room, she was closed off.
I thought maybe she’d crawl out of her hole when Holden stopped by two weeks later to tell her she was no longer Mrs. Lorne Green. She was Charlotte Elise Dupree again. Nope.
“She just needs time,” Mom had said. “She’ll come around.” But I wasn’t so sure.
Even now, on the final day of filming the music video, she would hardly look at me. All week, everyone noticed. The director loved it. Said Charlie’s stiffness made it look like she was the inexperienced one, and I was the confident, worldly heartbreaker leading her into temptation. You know, ‘cause that’s the vibe I was going for.
I didn’t know how her standoffishness was going to translate today with the pool scene. Charlie and I had hardly touched so far. Nothing more than her trailing a fingertip down my forearm as she raced by to catch a ‘firefly.’ We wouldn’t be able to get away with that today though. The decision had come down from the top—meaning Dad and Bennett—and a kiss was happening.
“Hey, sweetie,” Mom said, shoving a loose piece of hair off my forehead and spraying it in place. My parents owning the production company meant they were jacks of all trades. And today, Mom was my hairstylist. “I think Charlie’s nervous. You might want to go talk to her before she’s forced to make out with you in front of the entire crew.”
She wasn’t the only one. Kissing Charlie? Heck yes. Doing it in front of cameras, knowing the entire world would see it? That was like winning the lottery but being forced to cash the check in my underwear on live TV.
I walked down the basement hall of Anna and Blue’s house to the guest room that the production crew had Charlie set up in. The Bishops had a sick black rock-lined, Olympic-sized swimming pool. Blue used it for his quarterback training business but it was also for the family. They were generous enough to let us use it today.
When I got to the end of the hall, I pushed the door open. “Hey, Charlie. Are you—” My mouth parted and I was paralyzed. At first, because she was topless, though I saw nothing but her back. But then, because there was a splash of angry red across her skin.
“Cash!” she shrieked, hugging a towel to her chest.
I automatically shut my eyes and pulled the door closed. Crap. “Sorry!” I called from the hall. “I didn’t see anything. No lady parts…” I let my forehead crack against the wooden door. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know why I didn’t knock. Can I talk to you?”
What I didn’t ask was ‘what happened to your back?’
“Give me a second,” she huffed and I couldn’t blame her.
Where was my brain? I wouldn’t open my mom’s door like that. But that’s because you never knew when my parents were doing the hippity dippity. I swear, even after eight years of marriage, they acted like newlyweds. I’d learned not to go throwing doors open very early on with those two.
“Okay!” she called cheerfully, like she was over it. “I’m decent.”
I pushed the door open more slowly this time. To make her laugh, I shut my eyes again, hand out like a blind man feeling his way.
She giggled, though it sounded forced. “I told you I’m decent, silly.”
I pried one eye open to find that she was indeed clothed. Well, in a black tankini top and daisy dukes. Her makeup was all bronzed and shimmery, her mascara purposely smeared under her eyes. It would look great in the pool. But Charlie looked great anywhere, even without makeup.
“Sorry,” I said again. “Is your back okay? It looks painful.”
She nodded but her eyes darted away, probably still feeling awkward from flashing me. Which was totally my fault. “I’m having an allergic reaction. You know Virginia. Pollen, hay, you name it. Super itchy.”
“Do you want me to see if Anna has some Benadryl?”
She shook her head. “I’ll be too sleepy to film.” She tugged the hem of her jean cutoffs lower down her thighs. Mom was right. She was nervous. Her shoulders locked up nearly at her ears, licking her lips frantically, and she wouldn’t keep eye contact for more than a second or two.
“Are you nervous?” I asked, hoping if she could admit it, it would help.
“What?” Her hands flailed. “No. I’m f-fine,” her voice cracked.
“It’s okay. I’m nervous too.”
She tossed her head back and laughed, overdoing it. “Why would you be nervous? You’re Cash Dupree. You probably dated hundreds of girls in college. Kissed double that. This pool scene is nothing.”
“Not really.” I scratched my eyebrow. “I mean, yeah, I dated a fair bit the first year or two but then I kind of gave it up. It was…exhausting…being Ford Dupree’s kid and all. I never knew who wanted to be my friend for real and who just wanted free tickets to Dad’s concert, free vacations, selfies to make a reel go viral.”
High School Charlie would’ve teased me and said something like, “Poor Cash. Your life must be so hard.” But World Traveler, Graduate of the School of Hard Knocks Charlie swallowed and said, “Like Millie?”
“Yeah. Like Millie.”
She looked down and fumbled with the button on her cut-offs. Her hands were shaking. Convulsing actually. A 9.8 on the Richter scale. Okay. Time to try something else.
“Hey.” I closed the distance between us and tugged her against me, wrapping my arms around her back.
“What’re you doing?” Her arms were stiff at her side. “You know I’m not a hugger.”
“Shhh,” I whispered into her hair. “Did you know it’s a proven fact that if you hug someone you care about for at least twenty seconds, it reduces cortisol and releases oxytocin?” I could already feel the hormone slipping through my veins, calming everything in me.
“Did you learn that in college?” she asked in a hush.
“No.” I tucked her under my chin. “My mom. And we both know she’s right about everything. So go ahead and relax and hug me back.”
“Okay.” She slid her arms around my waist. Her cheek pressed into my shoulder, her breath warm on my neck. She smelled like vanilla and I recognized it as the shampoo Mom kept in the guest suite.
We stood there, melded together, peace swirling around us. At least it was swirling around me. I hoped it was doing the same for her. I could’ve stayed there for an hour, it felt so good.
“Could you be honest?” she asked. “We’re good enough friends to give each other a breath check, right?”
I chuckled. “Sure. Lay it on me.”
“Okay. But you have to tell the truth.” She pushed up on her tiptoes and blew a quick burst of air straight up my nostrils.
I held her gaze. “I suddenly have a ridiculous craving for peppermint hot chocolate.”
Her head cocked to the side. “You’re being serious?”
“Yeah. I need to know what gum that is because I’m buying it as soon as we’re done here.”
She giggled. “I had Andes Mints.” She gestured to the open package on the dresser. “Because I know they’re your favorite.”
Holy crap. I had to wait until the pool to kiss her? Because I wanted to right now—and not just because of her breath.
I winked. “So what you’re saying is I should’ve had chicken nuggets just now?”
“Oh, please no.” Her nose scrunched. “Can you imagine that? Chicken nugget flavored gum?”
“McDonald’s and Chick-fil-A are missing a big opportunity there.” I grinned. “Okay. My turn.”
I already knew my breath was great because I’d brushed twice, mouth washed til my gums were on fire, chewed two sticks of gum, and made my mom check it three times in the last half hour. Charlie pushed up, letting me get under her nose. I did the honors.
She rocked back on her heels. “You did that for me, didn't you?”
I pressed a hand to my chest, being dramatic. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I love cinnamon gum. Always have, always will.” Absolutely disgusting.
She put a hand on her hip. “I very distinctly recall you saying that chewing cinnamon gum is like licking a candle and pretending it’s enjoyable.”
I shrugged. “People change. I’m way more refined than I used to be.”
Finally, she belly laughed. It was the best sound I’d heard since the day Jeff hauled Lorne into that barn.
Mom poked her head through the door. “You two ready?”
I looked at Charlie, my eyes wide in question.
She smiled and I realized her hands weren’t shaking anymore. “We’re ready.”