15. Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fourteen
Noah
M iss Esmeralda Stanton was a hoot.
No two ways about it.
“So lovely of you two boys to come and visit me.” Her distinctive accent wasn’t one I could pin down, but she found our Tennessee twang charming.
I wouldn’t be sorry if I lost some of that to something more neutral. I didn’t like being defined by where I’d come from—I wanted to be defined by my character. By my ability to do the right thing. By my trustworthiness.
Things I couldn’t say about many of my ex-boyfriends—or my mother’s.
So did we pick losers because we didn’t believe we deserved better?
That appeared to be Christian’s theory. I wasn’t so certain.
Except I couldn’t say Leroy had been the exception—because he’d been one in a long line of guys who I’d thought might be the one only to turn out to be duds.
“Is he courting you right?” Miss Esmeralda placed a clearly arthritic hand on Christian’s.
“Is who?” He gave her a startled look.
She gestured her chin toward me.
“Oh, I’m not—”
“Oh, he’s not—”
We both stared at each other.
“Oh hush, you two. I have my ways of knowing things. You’ve been seen at the Blue Star Diner on several occasions.”
I arched an eyebrow. “We’re friends. Friends eat meals together at restaurants.”
She pointed a finger at me. “That’s not all I’ve heard. Millicent’s daughter is friends with Soren’s uncle, and he said that Soren said that you two were together.” She squinted. “Or that you should be together.”
I blinked. Okay, a tad indiscreet on Soren’s part…
except we had kind of ignored him at dinner last week.
And whoever Soren’s uncle was…along with Millicent’s daughter…
? I didn’t know any of these people, but I was soon discovering people were the same everywhere.
Back home, we’d been in a medium-sized town.
All centered around the factory, though, so that made the place a hotbed for gossip.
Knowing Foggy Basin was small—and actually realizing what that meant—made me feel embraced. Yes, I was living under more scrutiny. But I also had people looking out for me. For Christian. That was worth everything.
“He’s treating me just fine, Miss Esmeralda.” Christian didn’t look at me. “The way friends do.”
“Friends with benefits, you mean.”
My jaw dropped.
“Shut your mouth, my dear, or you’ll catch flies. I know what you young ones say these days. And I understand, when one is lonely, how one might choose to have a physical relationship with someone. But you’re risking your friendship.”
“I would never do that.” I had to make her understand.
“See that you don’t. Friendship is so important. I had my friend Lucinda—until she passed...a long time ago.”
For just a moment, I wanted to ask how close she’d been to her friend Lucinda. Except, even if they had been closer, that was really none of my business.
Christian finally met my gaze. “We’ve only had twenty years so far. I want another sixty or so.”
That would take us to eighty-five. I wasn’t certain I’d live that long, but I’d certainly give it a try. I also wasn’t certain Christian would want me around that long. Especially when he met someone new.
“There isn’t anyone else for me.” He said the words low—for my ears only.
My chest seized in panic. I couldn’t be the man he wanted me to be. He needed to move on with his life and find someone who would appreciate him. Because, in the end, he’d grow tired of me. My mother had. Many of my boyfriends had.
You picked bad ones to begin with. Did that ever occur to you?
It hadn’t. Not until Christian had put the idea in my mind. Now I saw the series of train wrecks for what they were—my fault. Partly, anyway. If I’d been more careful—more discerning—I might’ve wound up with someone special. Someone who cherished me.
Someone like Christian.
I sighed .
“Young man, that was quite a sigh.” Esmeralda held my gaze. “Perhaps you need to be cheered up.”
“No Miss Esmeralda. I’m fine. Just…pensive.”
“Pensive my patootie. You’re brooding.”
Christian burst out laughing. “I’ve never heard that expression before.”
“Because you’re too young, my dear. Now, run along. Did I hear you have dinner plans?”
I sat a little straighter. “Yes, that fine dining establishment over in Hartsville.”
“You realize we have perfectly good dining establishments in Foggy Basin?” She narrowed her eyes at me.
“Of course we realize.” Christian—always willing to course correct. “It’s just that we wanted some privacy—not to have everyone goggling at us through the window. Or even inside the restaurant.”
Yes. That. Privacy. No busybodies getting in our business.
“Well, that’s lovely. I hope you boys have a wonderful time.”
“We plan to.” Christian rose, then gathered the lady’s hands in his. “I’m so glad we got to meet you. To have you in our lives. I hope we may call on you often?”
“Absolutely. Does this old broad good to see healthy, handsome men strutting around. Keeps me young at heart.”
Strutting? Okay…
Handsome I could agree with. Christian’s boy-next-door charm came across in spades—aided by the red hair and green eyes.
I waved my goodbyes when the care aide came to settle Miss Esmeralda. Apparently, dinner would be served shortly.
Heading out into the fresh air, for just one fanciful moment, I considered holding Christian’s hand. Ridiculous notion. You’re not boyfriends. It’s absurd. Yet it would’ve also felt right in that moment—I was certain of it.
As we made our way to his SUV, he caught my gaze. “We don’t have to go to dinner.”
“I know we don’t.” I grinned. “But I landed six more clients this week—four in Hartsville. I’ll be going there for a good chunk of Wednesdays.”
“What about the puppies?”
“We can either crate them or set up a space for them and pen them in. Maybe in the family room? They’ll be fine—they have each other and Stormy. I mean, they’re home alone right now.”
He pursed his lips. “I know.”
“And it’s stressing you out.”
He sort of screwed up his face in that adorable way he did when he was trying to make a monumental decision. “Well…”
“They need to learn to be alone. You work. I work outside of the home sometimes. We don’t want them to become too reliant on me being home all the time or able to take all three with me. You knew the score when we rescued them—that they’d have to learn to be alone.”
“I suppose. You’re right, they have each other and Stormy.”
We’d put River and Sable in a large wire crate with Stormy loose. We’d also put her bed next to the puppies, and as soon as she got the lay of the land, she plopped onto her bed. Clearly, either at Paxton’s or somewhere else, she’d learned being alone was okay.
Once we were secure in the SUV, Christian pointed us toward Hartsville, and I rambled on for almost the entire drive about my new clients, my lesson plans, how I was considering going to San Francisco for some advanced trainer training in about a month, and how I needed to figure out how to get more paying customers .
“You’ll work something out.” Christian pulled into a parking spot near the restaurant. “You’re resourceful.” He patted my knee. “You’ve gotten out of tough places before—and this isn’t even a tough place.”
I cocked my head.
“You’ve got me.” He grinned. “I’ll always take care of you.” Then he exited the vehicle.
I’ll always take care of you .
Those words swirled in my head as we entered the restaurant. They chased me as we ordered shrimp cocktail appetizers, grilled chicken on a bed of mushroom rice and asparagus for dinner, and peach flambé for dessert.
The meal was phenomenal. The dessert lit on fire truly spectacular. The bill was a little high, but nothing I couldn’t handle.
We spoke of inconsequential things. Relived some of the better moments from our past—things I could cling to.
I’d called my mother and left her a message that we’d arrived safely.
She’d texted back and said to keep in touch.
Then she hadn’t responded to my next two texts.
Some days I wondered why she’d had me at all.
Except maybe if my father had stuck around then we would’ve been a true family.
As things stood, he’d taken off, and Mom was involved with a new guy.
Maybe if that relationship fizzled out, she might find the time to call me back.
Christian, on the other hand, had changed his phone number entirely and, as of yet, he hadn’t shared the new one with his parents.
Ginny, a trusted friend of his, had his new number.
She was also the center of all gossip in our old town.
If anything happened with the Carters, she would give Christian the heads-up.
Eventually he’d contact them. He could be dutiful. He could also be stubborn.
Case in point—his having decided he was in love with me .
I couldn’t dissuade him. Couldn’t cajole him. Couldn’t do anything to veer him off this course of action.
Admittedly, I wasn’t trying very hard. Regular hand jobs, blow jobs, and sleeping together? Pretty fucking sweet. Especially the no-strings part.
Of course there are strings. There are always strings. You’re using him and that’s bad. The time will come when you’ll have to pay the piper .
Sure…but that was something I could worry about down the road.
As I directed Christian to drive to the homes of my new clients, I caught a glimpse of his profile.
Strong jaw, high cheekbones. Eyes the color of dark moss.
Objectively, the guy was damn handsome. And not once, in the last twenty years, had I thought he might be gay or that he might be interested in me romantically.
I’d just never gone there. Had never had to because he was always by my side.
In all these years, we’d never had a true fight. We’d disagreed on a few things during the intervening time, but never anything major. Never anything that couldn’t be easily remedied with a serious conversation and a meeting of the minds.
Until Leroy.