13. Bryce
Bryce
I’m outside of the library pacing and questioning my sanity when I feel her presence. Slowly, I turn, and I can tell I’ve spotted her before she’s seen me.
Hadley is breathtaking today. Her hair is pulled up in some neat twist thing, leaving her neck exposed. She’s wearing a flowy skirt that swishes around her ankles as she comes down the front steps, and a soft pink blouse that should clash with the red tone of her hair, but doesn’t.
“Hadley,” I call out.
She turns her head, and when her eyes meet mine, it’s…
It almost feels like that time I grabbed hold of the electric fence back at Apple Blossom Ranch as a kid.
But better.
“Hey,” she says, meeting me halfway and throwing her arms around me for a hug.
I cradle her to me, and the restlessness I’ve been feeling settles. Which is wild, because I haven’t even known her very long.
“I feel like I should warn you,” I say. “My sister will probably ask a thousand questions so she can report back to my mom.”
Hadley grins. “I expected as much. I’m an open book.” She giggles. “Get it?”
I laugh along with her, feeling lighter than I have all day. “I love your sense of humor.”
She bats her eyelashes at me and makes ?exaggerated puppy-dog eyes. “That’s because it’s the best.”
I laugh harder and take her hand in mine, and we start walking in the direction of the diner. “Hungry?” I ask.
“Starving. I didn’t have time to make breakfast, so I’m surviving on a yogurt and protein bar at the moment.” She rubs her stomach with her free hand. “Not quite the breakfast of champions, I’m sure.” She stops in the middle of the sidewalk. “Wait, what do you eat for breakfast?”
I chuckle and nod for us to keep walking, keeping our pace leisurely.
“Depends. When I’m in game mode, I tend to focus on protein and carbs. When it’s the off-season… give me all the cinnamon French toast!”
Hadley nods. “Cinnamon French toast sounds really good right about now. What’s your favorite food?”
Sometimes I forget we’re still learning about each other. Talking to her never feels awkward. It’s like we skipped the get-to-know-you stage without even noticing. “I like pasta, steak and potatoes, and, of course, pizza.” I grin. “What about you?”
She shoots me a look that makes me think this is another one of those things you don’t ask a woman. Maybe it’s like asking about their age.
“There’s not much food I don’t like, but I think my favorite is chicken cordon bleu.”
“I’ve never had that before,” I reply. “Maybe you can show me how to make it.”
I glance over just in time to see her mouth fall open. “First,” she says, holding up a finger, “how have you never had chicken cordon bleu? Second,”—she adds another finger in the air—“you cook?” She slaps a hand over her heart. “Why, Bryce Chambers, I do declare, you’ve been holding out on me.”
I chuckle. “You’ve never asked. I’ve lived alone for a while now. It was either learn to cook or eat out. And eventually, you get tired of takeout.”
She gasps. “You take that back! Takeout is my favorite cooking method.”
We reach the front of the diner, and she suddenly hesitates.
“Are you okay?” I ask. “You don’t have to go in, you know. I can say you came down with a stomach bug and couldn’t make it.”
Hadley laughs and shakes her head. “No, I’m okay. I guess I’m just nervous.” She smiles, and it doesn’t feel like the genuine smile I’ve gotten used to. It’s more forced.
I squeeze her hand in mine. “Thank you for coming today. I should have led with that. If at any time you’re uncomfortable, tap your nose twice and I’ll get us out of there.”
“Seriously, Bryce,” Lacey’s voice says from behind me. “You still rely on that tap your nose trick?” She leans in and gives me a crushing hug. “You know that’s way too obvious, right?”
“No way,” I say when she lets go and I can breathe again. “See,” I say, tapping my nose. “Totally inconspicuous.”
Hadley snorts beside me. “It looks like you want to pick your nose, but you can’t because you’re in public.”
Lacey laughs… hard. “That’s exactly what it looks like.” She puts her arm around Hadley’s shoulder. “I think you’ll fit right in.”
Hadley glances at me, her cheeks flushed and her eyes wide.
I tap my nose twice.
She laughs, and just like that, the nerves disappear as I follow them inside.
The diner is a seat-yourself establishment, so I follow the ladies to a booth off to the side. Lacey slides in on one side, and Knox follows her. It’s as natural as breathing for them.
I want that.
“Do you want the inside or the outside?” I ask, hoping she chooses to sit on the inside, but not wanting to make her feel trapped.
She bites her lip, the only tell that she’s still not completely comfortable.
“Take the inside,” Lacey says, tapping the table in front of her. “That way we can talk. I can tell you embarrassing stories about my brother.” She wags her eyebrows up and down and smirks. “I’ve got all the dirt.”
“Lacey,” I warn, giving her a stern look that I know darn well she won’t heed.
“Inside it is,” Hadley says, sliding into the booth.
The waitress is at the table passing out menus before I’m even all the way seated.
“Welcome to Sunny Side Up. I’m Lynn, I’ll be taking care of you this morning. Today’s special is biscuits and gravy. Can I get you something to drink?”
Lacey grins. “Feels like home,” she says. “Do you have sweet tea?”
The waitress smiles. “We do. Best sweet tea in town.”
“Only sweet tea in town, apparently,” Knox mutters before asking for his own glass.
“And for you?”
“A glass of water with lemon, please,” Hadley says.
“I’ll have the same,” I say when it’s my turn.
“Great. I’ll just give you a minute to look over the menu while I get your drinks. Just wave me over if you need anything.”
Hadley picks up the menu and starts scanning it as if her life depends on it.
“Have you been here before?” Knox asks, casually looking at the laminated offerings.
“Once or twice,” Hadley says. “It’s close to work, quick, and decent.”
Knox nods. “Anything beats hospital food.”
Hadley’s brow crinkles in confusion.
“He’s an ER doctor,” Lacey says in explanation. “What would you recommend?”
“Oh,” Hadley says, “Uh, I like the breakfast platter. For lunch, I usually order the grilled ham and cheese with fries.” She blushes. “It’s good.”
“That sounds perfect,” I say, pushing the menu away. “I haven’t had a grilled cheese sandwich in a while.”
Lacey laughs. “Did you tell her about the time you refused to eat your lunch because Mom cut your grilled cheese into squares and not triangles?”
Hadley chuckles. “Did you really?”
“He did,” Lacey says before I can get a word out to defend myself. “Mom wouldn’t give him anything else, either. So he just sat there pouting until she said he could get up.” She wipes a tear from her eye.
“Laugh it up,” I say, smirking at her. “Two can play this game.”
Lacey’s eyes go wide.
“Have you had enough time to decide?” Lynn asks, returning to the table to take our order.
“Perfect timing,” Knox says, chuckling.
As soon as everyone’s ordered, Lacey starts talking. She’s probably hoping I’ll forget to get her back.
Not. Gonna. Happen.
“Did you know,” I say, interrupting my sister. “Lacey shoved a bead up her nose when she was three. She blamed it on the cat.”
Lacey groans. “I was little!”
“We didn’t even have a cat,” I say. “You could’ve come up with something better than that.”
Hadley chuckles. “My niece broke a vase and tried to blame it on the dog. Which was outside at the time.”
“See,” Lacey says, pointing at me. “You always blame the pet.”
I laugh and hold up my hands. “Even the imaginary ones, apparently.”
Knox snorts and tries to cover with a cough.
“I heard that, mister.” Lacey shoulder-checks him.
“Sorry, sweetie,” he says, placing a kiss on her temple.
Lacey sighs.
Hadley blushes.
And now I’m wondering what it would be like to feel free enough to lean over and kiss Hadley in public.
“So,” Lacey says, drawing everyone’s attention away from the sweet moment. “Hadley, did you grow up in DC?”
She shook her head. “No, but close. I grew up about an hour away in Maryland. My parents still live there, actually. I came to DC for an internship. I thought I was interested in politics. Turns out, I am absolutely allergic to it.” She shudders.
There’s a story there. I tuck it away to ask about later.
“But you stayed in DC?” Knox asks. “Which is basically politics central, right?”
She nods. “Yeah, I fell in love with the city. I met my best friend, Paige, and decided to go back to college to get my Master of Library and Information Science degree.”
“Wow,” Lacey says. “That’s impressive.”
Knox takes her hand. “Honey, you own a business. That’s also impressive.”
She shoos him away. “We aren’t talking about me right now.”
Hadley laughs.
I tap my nose twice and wink.
She throws her head back, laughing even harder. “You’re too much sometimes,” she says, dabbing at her eyes with a napkin.
“Only sometimes?” Lacey asks, one brow raised. “Girl, stick around. He’s too much all of the time.”
“Hey!” I say, tossing a balled-up straw wrapper at her. “You take that back.”
Hadley smiles. “I think you’re perfect the way you are,” she says before turning a vibrant shade of red.
“See,” I say, reaching out and taking her hand in mine. “Hadley sees how amazing I am.”
Our food arrives, interrupting the moment. And I take the opportunity to ask Knox about work, giving Hadley some time to recover. I don’t think she meant to say that out loud.
But man, am I glad she did.
Hadley sees me. Not the goofball hockey player. And that… it’s not something I’m ready to give up.
The rest of lunch passes in a blur of teasing, embarrassing stories, and conversation. Hadley fits right in, giving a few well-placed jabs of her own. So I’m not surprised when my sister gives me a thumbs up when she thinks Hadley’s not looking.
“Do you need to get back?” I ask, looking at the time on my phone. “Shoot! I need to get going. We have practice at three. I wanted to walk you back,” I say to Hadley. “But, it doesn’t look like I’ll have time.”
“Aww,” Lacey says. “How sweet.” She makes some weird heart shape with her hands.
“I’ll be fine,” Hadley says. “Go. You don’t want to be late.”
I hesitate, torn between walking her back and making it to practice in time.
“Go,” Knox says. “Lacey and I can give her a ride back in our rental. We need to head to the airport soon, anyway.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” Hadley says. “It’s close. I’ve walked it before.”
Lacey grins. “That’s before my protective big brother became your boyfriend.”
Boyfriend? I haven’t been someone’s boyfriend in a long time. I glance at Hadley. Yeah, I could be her boyfriend.
If she’d let me.
“Boyfriend?” Hadley asks, her eyes wide. “I don’t think… We haven’t… It’s not…”
The fact that she doesn’t outright deny it gives me hope. Maybe she’s feeling this pull, too.
Lacey and I make eye contact. “I think that’s exactly what this is,” she says, daring me to deny it.
“I’ve got to run, but we’ll talk later,” I say, suddenly grateful for the out.
“We’ll walk out with you,” Knox says, reaching for his wallet.
“I’ve got it,” I say, dropping some money on the table. Way more than our lunch is worth, but I believe in tipping well. And Lynn was great.
“Thank you for lunch,” Knox says and reaches out to shake my hand. “I’m glad we could make it out.”
Lacey hugs me too tightly. “I like her,” she whispers. “Don’t mess it up.” Then she steps back and winks.
I pull Hadley in for a hug. “Thank you for coming,” I say. “I’ll text you later, okay?”
She nods. “Okay.”
For the first time, maybe ever, I don’t even care that I might be late for practice.