2. Charlie
Chapter 2
Charlie
Decor ideas for my new space were already swirling through my mind. Before I knew who my landlord actually was, I’d emailed him asking if it would be okay for me to paint and decorate the cabin to my liking. At the time, he seemed pretty okay with the idea, but I wondered how Deacon felt about it now.
I just won’t bring it up to him again , I thought. Do now, ask for forgiveness later. I was pretty sure that was how the saying went.
Most of the night was spent tossing and turning from images of a distant past. There were so many questions I wanted to ask Deacon. Too many unknowns that made my stomach buzz. At the same time, his standoff attitude made me feel thankful for our separation. The last thing I wanted was for his foul mood to put a damper on the excitement I had for my new home.
Taking a deep breath in, I lowered my shoulders and forced a smile onto my face. My mother always taught me that happiness was a smile away and even now, I knew it was true. In my darkest moments, I would push myself to grin and found that within a few seconds my mood would lighten, and the gloom would dissipate.
With a renewed pep in my step, I crouched next to the loveseat where I’d placed Casper’s bed and gave him some snuggles. “I’ll be back in a little bit, buddy. Hold down the fort for me, will you?” His eyes narrowed into slits; a loud purr vibrated his throat.
Grabbing my keys from the counter, I headed out the door to explore my new hometown.
The back seat of my car was filled with art supplies and various wall paints. A few bottles of red wine were stuffed between everything. I had every intention of breaking in my new little home with some pinot noir, Ludovico Einaudi blasting, and my paintbrush in hand tonight.
But first, I needed sustenance. It probably would have been the wiser decision to stock up on groceries before filling my car to the brim with art supplies, but a girl loves what she loves. Plus, it gave me the perfect excuse to stop by Sarah’s Bakery, that I saw on the drive through town.
“This is so cute!” I said to myself as I stood in front of the bakery. White and pink stripes on the awning made it feel like I was transported to a quaint café in Paris. Sweet notes of powdered sugar, fruit, and cinnamon hit my nose when I walked inside.
Dozens of eyes shifted toward me as the door snicked shut behind me. A small smile pulled at the corners of my lips, as I took in the patrons circled around small tables. Children, adults and elders were all gathered together sharing in what appeared to be hot chocolate and delicious pastries.
The scene before me was exactly what I pictured when I set my sights on living in a small town. Kiddos darted from table to table like they knew every person in here and felt safe enough to do so. Adults seemed to be holding multiple conversations at a time, many of them speaking to people at other tables from time to time.
Charlotte was very much a Southern city, but I had often felt lost in the hustle and bustle. People didn’t wave to me when I walked on the sidewalk to work. Baristas at my local coffee shop hardly knew my name, even though I’d gone there almost daily for several years. There were almost too many people. It was easy to just keep to yourself and not work toward getting to know anyone else.
Pebble Brook Falls was different. Even though I’d only been here a day, the place seemed to warm my heart. I was excited to get to know everyone and for them to get to know me.
When I made my way to the checkout counter, the crowd went back to their eating and conversations, paying me no more attention.
“Hi!” I said to the young woman behind the counter. Her long brown hair was pulled back in a high ponytail with ringlet curls draping over the side of her shoulder.
“Hi,” she beamed at me.
“Can I get a chocolate croissant please?”
“Of course.” Tapping the screen in front of her, she entered my order. “Is there anything else I can get you?”
I peeked at the glass display case. “Um…maybe half a dozen of the chocolate muffins. Those look divine.”
“They’re one of my favorites. You definitely won’t be disappointed.”
“Awesome! I can’t wait to snack on them later.”
As she entered the rest of my order, another woman came through what looked to be the back kitchen door. With similar dark brown hair and a button nose, I wondered if the two were related somehow. She peered into the back side of the glass case and took inventory of the treats.
I looked back to the cashier and extended my hand to her. “I’m Charlie by the way. I just moved into town.”
Taking my hand and shaking it, she responded, “I’m Stephanie. It’s nice to meet you, Charlie.”
When our hands parted, she asked, “Where are you moving from?”
“Charlotte, North Carolina. I just got in yesterday.”
“Did you buy a house in town?”
“Actually, I’m staying in Badger Creek Cabin. It’s a rental out in the country. ”
The other woman behind the display case popped her head around the corner. “Badger Creek Cabin?”
“Mmhmm.” I nodded. “Do you know it?”
Wiping her hands on her apron, she rose to her full height. “I helped the owner renovate it. Deacon’s one of my good friends. I didn’t realize you had already moved in.” She walked up next to Stephanie, and we shook hands. “I’m Sarah, it’s nice to meet you, Charlie.”
“Sarah, as in Sarah’s Bakery, Sarah?” My brows shot up.
“Yup! That’s me.”
“Oh my gosh, well I have to thank you for what looks to be some amazing food I’m about to scarf down.”
She giggled. “Don’t mention it. Steph, give her this one on the house.”
“Oh no.” I waved my hands. “You don’t have to do that.”
Giving me a stern look under her long eyelashes, she said, “If you’re staying at Badger Creek Cabin with Deacon Calhoun as your landlord, I insist.”
Twisting my lips to the side I couldn’t help but wonder what was in store for me if it was known across town how much of a grump Deacon was. I slipped my credit card back into my wallet and slid onto one of the barstools next to the display case.
“I take it I’m not the only one he’s grumpy to then?” I asked, partly not wanting to know the answer but also letting my curiosity win over.
“Oh yeah, that’s just how he is,” Stephanie said with a smirk.
Sarah responded, “He’s one of my best friends.” Then she bumped Stephanie with her hip. “But that does not mean I condone his…poor demeanor.”
I slipped the chocolate croissant out of the paper bag and took a bite. Eyes rolling into the back of my head, I couldn’t help but moan. It was a perfect combination of flakey bread with just the right amount of melted chocolate. “Oh my god,” I said around the bite. “I don’t think I’ve ever tasted something this good in my entire life.” I picked up the croissant and shook it once to make my point. “And I’ve had about a dozen of these in Paris.”
Sarah’s face lit up with pride. “Well, I don’t think I’ve ever received such a wonderful compliment. Thank you, Charlie.”
“Don’t let it go to your head, cousin.” Stephanie rolled her eyes playfully.
“Can’t make any promises.” Sarah winked back.
Cousins. Definitely made sense given how much they looked alike.
“So, you’re really best friends with Deacon?”
“Yeah,” she drew out the word. “I’m a sucker for the broody ones. Don’t let the sourpuss attitude fool you though. He’s one of the most loyal and selfless people I know. He’d give the shirt off his back to his enemy if they were in need. I just think he’s been through some things in life that created his hard shell. But once you crack the exterior, he’s really just made of fluff on the inside.”
Stephanie snorted. “Don’t let him hear you say that.”
“Eh.” Sarah shrugged. “I can take him.” Then she turned her attention back to me. “Has he given you any trouble? ”
My throat went dry. How did I explain that my new landlord had saved my life when my apartment building went up in flames and when I saw him for the first time since then, he slammed his front door in my face? Sarah was his best friend. I definitely didn’t want to make it seem like Deacon was a bad guy to her. The last thing I wanted to do was make enemies in my new hometown. News traveled fast in Southern cities, and I imagined it traveled even quicker in small towns.
So, I settled on, “He was fine. I can tell what you mean by a rough exterior. He hasn’t said much to me, but it’s almost like I can tell he is thinking a lot about having me stay on his property… Maybe even regretting it.”
Sarah slid her eyes to Stephanie. Some secret language passed between them, and I wanted to know what they were thinking, but decided I’d probably already said too much.
“Any thoughts on how I might crack that exterior?” I asked quietly.
Sarah’s smile was warm. “I don’t know you well, Charlie, but you seem like a really great woman. Just be yourself and I know he’ll come around. He just…” She nodded her head side to side. “Takes a little time to warm up to people. I wouldn’t take anything he says or does right now too personal.”
I looked down at the croissant in my hand, studying the flakey layers. What Sarah didn’t know was that I had a striking feeling the way Deacon acted toward me was incredibly personal. While it didn’t make sense to me, there was something about the day we first met that he struggled with. It wasn’t normal for someone to have such a striking reaction to the person they saved. Maybe something happened after I passed out from the pain of my burn that I wasn’t privy to. Or maybe he was just a grump like Sarah said and he really would come around in time.
Either way, I was going to make it my mission to find out because I knew there was something more than disdain hiding behind those green eyes. Something I couldn’t quite pinpoint, but I felt it in my heart when I looked at him. A sensation that only people who were bonded by the same trauma experienced.
I just had to figure out what, exactly, it was.
“I’ll definitely do that. I really appreciate you giving me some guidance and it was nice to meet you both.” Shoving the rest of the croissant back into the paper bag, I slid off the stool.
“Of course! I’m glad we were able to meet, Charlie. And if you ever need anything, you know where to find me.” Sarah gave a little wave before she disappeared through the back door.
“Nice to meet you, Charlie!” Stephanie said as I gathered my food and set toward the exit.
“You too, Stephanie!”
The bell chimed above the door as I swung it open. The temperature had dropped at least a few degrees while I was inside; it was refreshing after feeling stifled from thinking about Deacon and I’s past.
Tilting my head back, the gray sky reminded me of darker times. Moments that I had to crawl away from to save myself. Moments that left a mark, but also made me stronger. Deacon might be holding onto something from our past, but that didn’t mean I had to let his poor mood impact me. I’d worked too hard to let anything get in the way of my joy, including a devastatingly handsome man who was starting to occupy my thoughts more than I liked to admit.