Chapter 15
Charity
Close to You – Gracie Abrams
Hand poised to put red lipstick on, I stared into the mirror. The steam from the shower had fogged the edges, and it kind of felt like my head, perfectly clear until I thought about the night before. That was when things got blurry.
Had Liam almost kissed me?
Had I imagined it?
Was it wishful thinking?
Had I really felt the whisper of his lips against my skin?
The way he’d pulled away, quick and sharp, like he’d been bitten by a snake, had made my heart thud against my breastbone.
A dull ache that had lasted for hours, the remnant of a rejection I hadn’t seen coming.
Those words, ‘friendly helping hand’, had lodged inside my head and wouldn’t disappear.
I’d replayed them, different tones, different facial expressions, a different cadence, yet each time had resulted in the same level of indifference from him.
And it hurt because I had become inexplicably drawn to him. Like discovering hidden flavors in wine, my fascination for Liam had appeared from nowhere, revealing something richer, more intoxicating. Yet those words had turned the sweetness bitter.
Letting it roll over and over in my head wasn’t helping, wasn’t making it any clearer, so maybe a few drinks with my friend Rose was the perfect antidote to Liam Brown.
So firmly shutting him and his damn emerald eyes away in a drawer marked ‘Danger – Do Not Open’, I finished putting on my lipstick.
When I walked into Marti’s Taphouse, or The Tap as we locals called it, twenty minutes later, I knew that Rose Anderson, our town vet, was just the person I needed.
We met when I organized her parents’ fortieth wedding anniversary party a little over three years ago and we’d hit it off.
I liked to call her my Soul Friend, because I couldn’t imagine a life without her in it.
She was my rational thinker, my confidence booster, my therapist, and on nights like tonight, the best drinking partner a girl could have.
“Hey, you,” she cried, waving to me from the high-top table she’d gotten us.
“Great spot.” I leaned in and hugged her, inhaling the comforting smell of her perfume that reminded me of long hot summer days.
“Figured we don’t even need to stand to put an order in.” She chuckled, deep and loud, another thing I loved about her. “We can just yell it from here.”
Right on cue, Vivi, the bartender brought two glasses and a bottle of wine to the table.
“Enjoy, ladies.” She gave us a wink and throwing her towel over her shoulder, swayed back behind the bar.
“Jeez,” Rose sighed. “I wish I had hips like that. You think maybe she could teach me how to do that?”
Feeling more at ease, I laughed and poured us both a drink. “That woman has been swinging those hips like that since junior high. I think it would take you too long to master it.”
“I guess.” Rose looked wistfully over to Vivi behind the bar. “So, how’s your week been?”
My brows rose dramatically. How had my week been?
“Long,” I told her. “What about you?”
“Stressful. A breech birth of a calf, a dog with a sock stuck in its gullet and a farmer who refuses to pay his monthly bill because apparently it was my fault his horse died of colic.” She took a long drink, like she needed it.
“Even though he didn’t call me for twelve hours.
And then I’m taking a shower tonight and find Jerome’s retainer in there.
” She shook her head. “Don’t ask, they’re staying with their dad for the weekend, so it meant I had to take it over to Andrew’s house before meeting you, because of course Andrew couldn’t come and collect it because he’s had wine with an early dinner.
” She blew out a breath, and her bangs lifted in the breeze.
“Anyway, enough of my shit week, you have that look of doom so spill the tea, how has your week really been apart from long?”
“Faith.”
That was all it took for Rose to reach for the bottle and fill my glass. By the time I’d told her everything about my sister, her arrest and the last call I’d had from her complaining about Mrs. Rodriguez, Vivi had delivered us another bottle.
“Wow.” Rose blinked slowly. “Your sister really can be a spoiled brat, can’t she?”
“I get why she feels like she does, but it’s just timing. Mom and Dad would have had her, even if Hope hadn’t died.” I threw my hands in the air. “Come on Charity…Hope …they were always going to add a Faith to the mix.”
“You know, honey. Even if they weren’t and if they did have her to help ease the pain, what does it matter? Faith should feel happy that she gave them that.” She leaned closer and peered at me. “There’s something else. What is it?”
“How do you do that?” I asked. “Know that I’ve kept something from you.”
She rolled her eyes. “Please, I have a sixteen year old and a thirteen year old. I am the Jedi Master of smelling out bullshit and secrets. So, spill.”
I’d told her Liam had helped out, which had prompted her to gasp dramatically because he was the town grump after all. What I had avoided mentioning was the near kiss the night before. It was clearly time to confess everything.
“I may have made a fool of myself with Liam.”
Rose stared at me and amid the loud chatter of the bar’s patrons, the clanking of bottle and Taylor Swift playing on the old jukebox, all I could hear was my inner voice yelling that I’d imagined it
“Please tell me that you suggested green napkins for the dinner when we all know Benny Champion hates green and not that you threw yourself at Liam.”
“See, how did you know that about Benny and I didn’t? You’ve only lived here for eight years. I’ve lived here my whole life and had no clue.”
“I squeeze his dog’s anal glands, it’s surprising what we talk about when I have my fingers up Bozo’s ass. You didn’t throw yourself at Liam, did you? Not that it’s a bad thing, he’s hot, but you need to make a guy work for it.”
“No!” I groaned. “But I thought he was going to kiss me.” I took a large sip of wine.
“We had dinner at Rafferty's. It was ... lovely. Easy conversation, actual laughter, and then when he walked me to my car...” I touched my cheek where his lips had been.
“He almost kissed me. I mean, he did kiss me. My cheek. But it felt like more, you know? Like he wanted more.”
“And?”
“And then he stepped back and said he’d just been giving me a friendly helping hand. Like the whole evening had meant nothing to him, when I’d had all these ideas and thoughts and…made a fool of myself.”
“No way.” Rose’s expression darkened. “You’re not blinkered, Charity, he must have given you mixed signals. You did not make a fool of yourself. He clearly needs to work on his game if he’s not making it clear how he feels.”
I was about to respond when movement across the bar caught my attention.
My stomach dropped as Liam, Sheriff Harley, Cole, and Nate Jenkins walked in looking like some kind of rugged boy band.
They strutted through the bar each with a confident swagger as women stopped mid-conversation to watch them.
They were like a walking, talking candy store, one for every taste.
They sat at a corner table, close to the pool table, placing their bottles down with almost practiced precision. Laughing about something, even Liam looked relaxed, happy even. Nothing like the closed off, conflicted man I’d spent time with over the last few days.
He glanced over and our eyes met through the Friday night crowd. For a moment it felt like maybe we were both holding our breath. Then he raised his hand in a casual wave, the kind you’d give an acquaintance, before turning back to his conversation.
That casual wave felt like a slap.
Like a punch.
Rose frowned. “What’s wrong?” She followed my gaze. “What happened?”
“He waved like we’re barely acquaintances.” I shrugged. “I guess he worked on his game and how to show his true feelings.”
“Waving doesn’t mean anything.” She leaned forward. “He’s with his brother and his friends. Maybe he’s shy.”
“Why are you being so easy on him?” I asked. “You’re supposed to be on my side.”
“I am but he does kind of have that lost little boy, grumpy thing going on. Unlike his brother. You know he coaches Theo’s soccer team?”
“No, I didn’t. I mean I knew he coached soccer but not Theo’s team.”
“Yes, he does and while Liam has the mean and moody going on, Cole is like glitter in a unicorn fart.”
Busting out a laugh, I glanced over at the four men before turning my attention back to Rose.
“Yeah, they’re very different. I guess losing a child does that to you.
” Watching Liam take a drink of his beer while the other three men joked about something, it was clear he was still balancing on the ledge between grief and acceptance.
He was looking over his brother’s shoulder to an empty corner of the bar, like he was picturing something different there, something that would never be in his life and sympathy tugged at my heart.
About to turn back to Rose and suggest we move on to the Maple Hotel bar, I was startled by my phone exploding with a shrill ringing. Turning it over, my heart stopped when I saw Mrs. Rodriguez’s name flashing on the screen.
“I have to take this,” I said, answering quickly. “Mrs. Rodriguez? Is everything okay?”
“Charity, honey, I’m sorry to call, but Faith is missing.”
The words hit me like ice water. “What do you mean missing?”
“She was in her room, but when I went to check if she’d like some supper she was gone. Her window was open, and her things were missing, most of them at least. She’s an adult and I can’t make her stay, but she clearly didn’t want us to know, otherwise she’d have just walked out the front door.”
The bar tilted around me. Faith was out there somewhere. Probably drinking. Maybe she was in danger, why else would she run without telling anyone. Why else wouldn’t she say goodbye? Like Mrs. Rodriguez said, she couldn’t force her to stay, and Faith knew that.
“I should have been the one to help her,” I managed to force out through trembling lips. “It shouldn’t have been down to you.”
“Nonsense.” Mrs. Rodriguez’s tone was firm but gentle. “If anything, it’s down to Faith, all any of us can do is facilitate that.”
“I need to find her. She could be in trouble.”
There was silence on the other end of the line. One that swallowed up the air and filled my veins with dread. “She did mention she owes someone money but wouldn’t say who. I’m only telling you that because that might be why she left. It might help you to find her.”
“Thank you,” I whispered, knowing that the older woman was right. That was exactly why my sister had run.
“I need to go,” I told Rose after I’d ended the call. I flicked to the Uber app on my phone, but my fingers were too shaky, and I couldn’t see properly through salty tears threatening to fall.
“What happened?” Rose waved to Vivi, gesturing for the bill.
“Faith ran away. I mean officially she doesn’t have to stay, but she sneaked out, so I need to find her.”
“How?” Rose asked, rubbing a comforting hand down my arm. “You can’t drive. You’ve been drinking wine.”
“It’s okay. I’ll take you.”
At the sound of Liam’s voice, I whipped around. He was pulling on his jacket and waving his phone at me. “Mrs. R just called me. Said you might be glad of some support.”
I bit back that I didn't need another friendly helping hand, but I did. I needed his support. I needed his strength, and I needed… his friendship.
For a moment, I hesitated. His green eyes held genuine concern, not the distant politeness from his casual wave earlier. My heart wavered between accepting his help and protecting what was left of my bruised feelings.
“I'm fine, thanks. I've got it covered.”
“Charity, why don’t—”
“I’m fine, Rose. I’m just sorry I ruined our night.” I leaned in to hug her goodbye. “Will you be okay getting home?”
“Of course.”
“Charity, let me take you,” Liam protested. “I’ve had two sips of beer.”
I gave him a tight smile. “Thanks for the offer, but honestly, I’ve booked an Uber. It’s just two minutes away.”
Rose's eyes flicked between Liam and me, a knowing look crossing her face.
It didn’t matter, I didn’t want to have to rely on him any longer, so fumbling with my phone, I bolted out the door, with something thick and sticky stuck in my chest that felt a lot like regret.