Chapter 34
Chapter Thirty-Four
FLETCHER
“ More flowers?”
Casey nods seriously and struggles to fit the new bouquet into the shopping cart. It’s currently stuffed to the brim with a mix of fresh and fake flowers—pretty much every one the store has. My hand shoots out to grab it before it can topple to the floor, and I gently tuck it into the last remaining pocket of space.
“You sure these are the kinds she likes?”
Casey nods again. “She likes all of them.”
He trudges forward down the aisle, and I push the cart after him as he points to other things we need—shimmery garlands, balloons, a happy-birthday sign.
I can’t stop thinking about the flowers.
How do I not know her favorite flower by now?
When we reach the baking section, at least there I have a better idea of what I’m doing. Chocolate cake, chocolate frosting, chocolate sprinkles. I grab some little chocolate candy bars to add to the top for good measure.
“You wanna help me bake the cake when we get back?” I ask.
Casey’s eyes light up. “Can I lick the spoon?”
“Of course.”
Chris’s birthday isn’t for a few more days, but today’s the last day she’ll be busy helping Jacks study since Jacks is going to give the test a go tomorrow. And Casey’s going to be with his dad for the next few days. Leaving today as the perfect—and only—opportunity for us to prepare.
Especially after seeing her abilities, this surprise party is probably going to be incredibly underwhelming in comparison, but at least I have Casey’s help. I’m hoping the talent is genetic.
“What else do we need, Case?” I ask.
He purses his lips, considering. Then, very seriously, he says, “Games.”
“Games?”
He nods. “Parties have to have games.”
Of course. Genius.
Unfortunately for Casey, we take so long at the next store meticulously considering every game on the shelf that Christine and Jacks are done before we have a chance to get started on the cake. I make a mental note to save a little batter in a Tupperware bowl for him.
We wait on the porch as Christine drops off Jacks since the kitchen is currently a disaster zone with all of our finds from today and I can’t risk ruining the surprise.
“How’d the studying go?” I ask Jacks as she climbs out of the passenger seat.
“Fine,” she mumbles, already heading for the front door.
Chris gives me an amused smile through the window. “She aced her practice test.”
“Jacks!” I whip around, but she’s already slipped inside.
“What did you two get up to today?” Chris asks.
Casey’s eyes go comically wide.
“Afraid I can’t tell you that,” I say as I open the door and help Casey into his seat.
Chris’s mouth falls open. “We’re keeping secrets now?”
God, she looks beautiful today. Her hair is pulled back in a messy ponytail, and she’s not wearing any makeup—at least, I think she’s not. I can see her freckles better than usual.
But I can’t afford to convince her to spend more time with me the way I want to. There’s far too much left to do.
I clip Casey’s seat belt and pat him on the head. “Don’t give in. Stand your ground.”
He gives me a determined little nod.
I shoot Chris a wink before closing the door. I wave and linger on the sidewalk until her SUV disappears around the corner.
When I head back inside, Jacks is poking around at the various bags piled on the kitchen table.
“I was about to get started on the cake if you want to help,” I offer.
She lifts an eyebrow. “ You’re making the cake?”
“I’ll try not to take offense to that tone.” I grab the bag of ingredients on my way to the kitchen, then search for a mixing bowl. “I made you a few birthday cakes over the years, if you remember.”
“Yeah, and they were awful.”
I sputter and stand up straight. They were not ? —
She smirks at me over the island. “So how are you planning on getting her out of the house to set up?”
I duck into the fridge to search for the eggs. “Gracie’s job is to occupy Chris for a few hours, then bring her to the party. I think she’s taking her to some kind of spa. Li, Leo, and Case are gonna help set up. I’d love another set of hands if you want to join. And your company, of course.”
She rolls her eyes, slides onto a barstool, and tears into the cake mix box. “She doesn’t really have any friends, right? Don’t you think a mostly empty house will be a bit of a downer?”
I rear my head back. “I—no, I don’t.”
Sure, Chris doesn’t have the widest circle of friends around here, especially since the majority of the people she used to call friends bailed on her once the divorce hit. But she has people. Liam, Asher, Gracie, Leo, Keava—and baby Rowan—me, Casey, Casey’s friend Erin and her mom Gloria, Gracie’s friend Carson—that’s more than enough people for a party, isn’t it? Plus, everyone knows they’re welcome to bring a plus one.
I stare down at the mixing bowl in my hands. Is this a bad idea? The last thing I want is for something that’s meant to make her feel special to do the opposite.
She blinks up at me and shrugs. “I’m sure it’ll be fine. I just couldn’t help but notice when she and I were out how people around here kind of…” She trails off with a wince.
“Yeah,” I mutter. You’d think people would’ve moved on by now. How fucking bored with your own life do you need to be to?—
“Okayyyy, I’m just gonna take these.”
I blink back to the room as Jacks extracts the eggs from my bone-crushing grip.
“Mixing spoon?” she asks.
I turn and rifle through the drawers.
“So.” I clear my throat. “Chris said you aced your test today.”
“It was just a practice test.”
She pours the cake mix into the bowl while I add the rest of the ingredients. “That must feel good though, right? Make you feel ready to take the real thing?”
She shrugs, attention entirely focused on the bowl. “I guess.”
I sigh inwardly, wishing Christine were here to translate teenage girl for me. Jacks starts mixing while I preheat the oven. I can’t gauge her expression at all—can’t tell if she’s in some kind of mood or this is her default.
She’s the same in a lot of ways from when we were kids, but also, so much has changed. There’s so much about her that I don’t know anymore. And not from lack of trying. I’ve asked her questions about what her life in our time apart was like, but she’s even better at deflecting than I used to be. And I’m worried the more I push, the more she’ll pull away. Maybe I should do what my parents did for me and find her a therapist.
“You’re coming to the party, right?” I try. “I mean, we’ll have to celebrate after your test tomorrow too, so you may already be partied out… But at least swing by to get some of this cake.”
Her eyes flick up to meet mine. “I’m invited?”
Is that what this is about?
I smile. “Of course.”
She refocuses on the cake batter.
My smile falls. “Well, no pressure. I can hitch a ride with Liam or something so I can leave the car here for you. I’m thinking I might end up staying with Chris, so I don’t want to leave you stranded.”
Her head snaps up. “You’re going to stay there?”
I blink at the intensity in her voice. “I—well, it’ll depend on how Chris feels about it, but maybe, yeah. Unless…if you’re not comfortable spending the night here alone, I can come back.”
“Forget about me. You don’t think that’s a bad idea? With her having a kid and everything?”
Truthfully, I don’t know. I’ve never dated someone with kids before. I know me staying over is much more complicated, and ultimately, it’s up to her, and I’ll respect whatever she wants. But it’s not like I haven’t already spent a ton of time around Casey, and she and I are on the same page that this isn’t some casual thing. Hell, I’m not above sneaking in and out of her window so Casey doesn’t know, if that’s what she wants.
“I don’t know. You clearly think it’s a bad idea though. What is going on with you?”
She shakes her head and sticks the spoon upright in the batter. “Nothing.” She turns and heads for the stairs.
“Jacks!” I call after her.
She pauses at the foot of the stairs, her eyebrows pulling together as she looks at me over her shoulder. But all she says is “I’m just tired. I’m gonna go lie down. You can count me in for the party.”
“You remember those snacks?”
Jacks glances at me sideways from the passenger seat. The weird mood from last night seems to be gone. She hasn’t mentioned it, so neither have I. She shuffled downstairs this morning as she has each day since she got here, eyes barely open as she scavenged the kitchen for a cup of coffee. She even accepted the omelet I made her without any snarky comments about my cooking.
“You mean the five-course meal you packed?” She holds up the brown paper bag. “Yeah, I’ve got it.”
I bristle in my seat. “It’s an eight-hour day. Just thought you might get hungry.”
She smirks but is gentle as she tucks the bag in her backpack. “It’s not a prison. We’re allowed to take breaks between the tests and leave.”
“How are you feeling about the tests?”
She shrugs and frowns at the building in front of us through the windshield—the local community college. It’s a gray, dreary morning, with heavy layers of fog lingering in the air. A good day to be trapped inside all day, I guess. “As ready as I’m going to be.”
“Well. No pressure. Just do your best, and text me when you’re done. If I can’t pick you up, Chris said she could.”
“Fletcher.”
“Yeah?”
“You don’t need to dad me.”
I clear my throat. “Right. Uh, get the hell out of my truck.”
She taps the tip of her nose with a smirk, throws the door open, and climbs out.
I drum my fingers against the steering wheel as I wait for her to make it inside. I think I’m more nervous about today than she is. But I was never a good test taker. School in general wasn’t my strong suit. Something about it always made me feel…restless. Just the thought of being stuck at one of those tiny, rigid desks all day has my skin crawling. If I hadn’t come to Sweetspire—if I hadn’t ended up with my parents—honestly, I probably would’ve not finished school like Jacks.
If she’s nervous, she doesn’t show it. She hunches beneath the hood of her sweatshirt and strides through the doors without looking back.
My phone buzzes in my pocket.
Christine: Just dropped Casey off. Julian was actually there *gasp*
Christine: Do you want me to make a reservation to celebrate Jacks tonight?
Christine: Or do you think she’d rather do something at home
Christine: Or maybe she’d prefer just the two of you
I grin like an idiot and shake my head as the notifications flood in rapidly.
Fletcher: Please be there too. A reservation’s a good idea. Something nice, but not too nice, you know?
Christine: I’m on it