Chapter 17
Sophie
Sing-along was packed by the time we arrived, but we lucked into a two-top near the bar.
"I'm buying; what'll you have?" I asked Gwen as she settled onto her barstool.
She'd donned a cute black shirt that showed off her chest, her hair swept up away from her face, highlighting her freckles and blue eyes. I’d changed into my favorite bright yellow sweater, the one cut with a broad neckline that exposed one shoulder.
It helped me shake off the melancholy from Davis’s rejection.
I was determined that Gwen and I have a good time.
"An IPA, please."
I slipped into line behind a woman I vaguely recognized as a parent from school, nodding my hello.
That was the drawback of returning to Sing-along during more normal hours: running into parents.
For some reason, it was always awkward running into families outside of school.
Maybe it had something to do with the way they still called me Ms. Dunham.
"Sophie, I didn't expect to see you here."
The soft masculine voice startled me, and I turned.
Dallas Lachman grinned from his spot behind me. Blond and beefy, he towered over most the crowd, dressed in slacks and a thin sweater that clung to his chest. He was handsome in his own way, even if my heart whispered that he wasn't Davis.
"Hey, Dallas. How are you?"
"Better now that you're here."
I bit back my groan. Dallas was cute but still not my type, even if he weren't Taylor's dad.
"What's Taylor up to tonight?" I asked, hoping to divert him from any attempts at flirting.
"My mom and dad are watching him. What about you? Are you here with anyone?"
"Gwen and I are out for a girls’ night."
Thankfully, the line moved forward, and I was able to place my order with Trina, avoiding any additional attempts at flirting.
"I've got it," Dallas murmured as I offered my card for the tab, extending his long arm to the bartender over mine.
I stiffened and forced a grin. "That's sweet of you to offer, Dallas, but I've got to earn my airline miles somehow, right?" I included Trina in my smile.
She was much better at reading the room than Dallas, and swiftly accepted my card. "Stories over stuff, amiright?" Trina winked. "Keep it open, hon?"
I nodded. "Thanks, Trina. Nice to see you, Dallas," I said breezily, focused on returning to Gwen without spilling our drinks.
"Dallas trying to convince you to go back to his place, let him show you his tuber?" Gwen asked, taking a quick sip of her beer to cover her smile.
Scrunching my face, I shook my head. "Gwennie, come on, tuber? When a-peeling was right there?"
Any hopes for a peaceful girls' night when up in flames at the familiar voice.
"Hi, Zander," I said wryly to the big man who'd appeared behind Gwen's stool between blinks. For someone so large, he sure could move fast.
Gwen went on, pretending like he hadn't said anything, keeping her gaze firmly affixed to mine. "Dallas is cute and single. You're not interested?"
Zander pulled a stool from the next table, scraping it loudly across the tile floor. He leaned his chin on his hands, watching me intently as he wedged himself into the spot in between us.
"Watch out, Zander, or I'm going to think you're interested in me," I cautioned.
He pouted, his puppy-dog eyes round with reproach. "Can't I be one of the girls, just for tonight?"
Given that Gwen was still refusing to acknowledge his presence, I was going with no.
Her stony silence raised all kinds of new questions for me.
While their sign rivalry was a thing of legend in Campfire, Gwen didn't usually give him the cold shoulder in person.
She'd even bid on him in the bachelor auction, though she'd been close-lipped about what they'd done on their day together.
I considered her mulish expression before shifting my attention to Zander.
He watched Gwen like a hawk. Time to find out if he’d actually been paying attention. Learn if he was worthy.
She had too big a heart to bury her dreams.
She needed a push, and I needed to prove that unrequited love could lead to a happy ending. Maybe not today, but eventually.
Zander wore his heart on his sleeve, but Gwen acted like all his shirts ended at the shoulder seam. Maybe all she needed was a shove into his arms to realize what he was trying to tell her about his feelings.
Tortured metaphors weren’t always wrong.
"All right. You can hang out with us. If you can pass my quiz."
"Hit me." Zander bobbed his head, grinning confidently.
"How does Gwen take her coffee?" I asked.
"Cream, no sugar."
His prompt answer didn't surprise me, but Gwen looked startled. Not that her beverage order was a state secret, but it was one of the little things you only knew about close friends and family. If Zander was going to join us, he'd have to prove himself.
I bit my lip, searching for something harder. "What's Gwen's favorite flower?"
"Easy. Daffodils."
"Wrong."
At least that got a response from Gwen. I arched my brows.
Honestly, I thought he'd gotten it right.
One of the things I loved about spring was the driveway bordering Sprouts & Sprigs.
Gwen had blooms of every variety adorning the paths, and it made a visit feel like walking in sunshine, even on the gloomiest days.
"It's the Narcissus Actaea."
Zander rolled his eyes. "Pretty sure that's Garden Nerd for daffodil."
Gwen huffed. "Fine."
I rubbed my hands together, debating my last question. Did I want to go there? Pushing them together had to start with clearing the air.
"Why is Gwen so snippy with you?" I finally asked.
Both Zander and Gwen stilled, making me regret my nosy question. Clearly, there was history there. But getting either of them to admit to it might be impossible.
Zander drew a design on his pint glass, not meeting my gaze. "I did something unforgiveable in the throes of self-pity after my dad's heart attack," he muttered, not looking at Gwen.
Maybe he should have been watching, because Gwen seemed stricken by his admission.
"I'm not sure exactly what I did, but it must have been really bad," he added softly, gaze focused on his glass like it held the answers to my question.
"You can finish your beer with us," Gwen muttered before I could probe further.
It was hard to recapture the playful mood after Zander's confession, but Gwen shocked me by extending an olive branch and changing the subject. "How are your parents doing, Zander?"
He grinned, the first genuine smile I'd seen since I chose to be a nosy Nelly and asked about their falling out. "Pretty sure they're terrorizing my cousins in Arizona. I expect them home next week."
I grinned too. "They drove their RV down for an extended visit?"
"Yeah," he said, knocking back a gulp of his beer. "Thankfully, it's been all pickle ball, hiking, and drinks by the pool with the other retired folks. They're living their best life."
"Is that your idea of fun in retirement?" I teased, glancing between him and Gwen. "Cruising with the love of your life?"
He winked, raising his glass. "You bet. I’ll be running naked and talking dirty, twenty-four seven."
Gwen snorted, unable to let that pass. "You think anyone is going to want to see your wrinkly butt flashing them when you're their age?"
"Hey," he said, pulling back with a wounded expression. "I'm going to age like a fine wine. I work hard for this body."
He lifted one arm, then the other, kissing his biceps.
"Sweetie, you're going to age more like a dry raisin if you keep forgetting sunscreen."
"What else am I supposed to do, Gwen? We barely see the sun until April," he grumbled.
"That's how you get skin cancer."
"Baby, I didn't know you cared," he crooned, toasting her before downing the last of his beer.
He set his glass down and leaned in toward Gwen. The teasing glint in his eye, the way he and Gwen maintained eye contact. . . oof. I fanned myself, searching the crowd for a distraction. All the eye-forking going on at our table was making me restless. Reminding me of Davis.
Dallas caught my gaze and grinned across the room, and I held back my grimace. The last thing I wanted to do was send the poor guy mixed signals. He was a nice enough man, but there was no way I was dating a student's dad.
"Another round?" Zander asked. "My treat."
Gwen seemed content with Zander at our table, so I nodded. "Thanks."
He slipped away to the bar, and I arched my brow at Gwen. "Anything you want to share with the class?"
"Nope," Gwen drawled, sipping on the dregs of her drink.
"Hmm…" I leaned back, crossing my arms over my chest. "You gonna let that man make your morning coffee anytime soon?" I asked, nodding toward Zander waiting patiently for his turn at the bar with Trina.
Gwen raised her shoulders toward her ears before letting them drop, avoiding my gaze. "Zander has his moments, but he's not to be trusted."
I winced on his behalf. "I mean, he's kind of a goofball, but he's a business owner. He seems harmless enough."
Gwen snorted. "Harmless. Sure."
I examined her closely. "Did he hurt you? Like, for real?" I was already calculating the weapons at my disposal. After all, what was a little murder between friends?
"Nothing that needs avenging," she promised, raising her hands. "I made a stupid mistake. He was part of that error in judgment. I just want to forget about the whole thing."
"The way you trade barbs doesn't look like forgetting," I chided, feeling like crap for not letting the subject go when her face fell. “Maybe you should try forgiving.”
There was a fine line between accountability and support.
"Sorry, Gwen. I shouldn't push."
"No, you're right. I can't seem to escape Zander. It's the downside of a town as freaking small as ours, especially when our businesses are next door. It's like every second is a reminder of my embarrassment."
"Gwen, we all make mistakes. We've hung out long enough for you to witness some of mine.
Remember that time, what was it, six or seven days ago, when I crashed my hot air balloon?
Yeah, that was a doozy. Embarrassment usually fades.
Is what you feel around Zander really embarrassment, or is a better name fear…
or shame? Either way, I say cut yourself some slack. "
Zander reappeared with our drinks before she could answer, but I could practically see the wheels turning behind her eyes as she considered my words.
Whatever transgression lived rent-free in Gwen's head, it was clear that Zander didn't feel the same. When he thought no one was looking, he watched her with affection verging on worship.
His feelings were painfully obvious, and I could only wish Davis watched me the same way. With effort, I buried my jealousy. For all of my envy, Gwen and Zander still hadn’t found happiness.
"Your next round, ladies," Zander said, carefully placing glasses in front of each of us.
Gwen squinted at him. "How many have you had?"
I fully expected him to turn it into a joke, but he stilled, expression serious.
"This is drink two. I promise I'll be fine to drive myself home."
Gwen nodded, a silent message passing between them, and Zander slid onto his stool.
We nursed our drinks for another hour, chatting and laughing, until Zander pushed back from the table with a sigh. "Thanks for taking pity on my sad-ass self and letting me be one of the girls for tonight. I'm going to close out, then I can see you to your car if you're ready."
Gwen nodded, and I followed Zander to the bar to close my tab. He walked us to my car, shivering in the cold.
"Where's your jacket?" Gwen scolded, snuggling into her own down monstrosity.
"I thought if I came without one, I'd convince some pretty young thing to keep me warm." He batted his eyes at Gwen, surprising a laugh out of her. "That jacket looks big enough for two, Gwen. Wanna cuddle?"
"Nah, I'd rather see you suffer."
I chuckled at his disappointed face. "Zander, like I tell my students: you can make smart choices."
"And on that note, I'm gonna head home. Remove myself from the line of fire. You ladies drive safe." He watched as we slid into my SUV, waiting until we'd pulled out of the lot before following in his truck.
Gwen seemed quieter than normal on the drive, staring out the window toward Colville Mountain. Moonlight cast faint illumination over the landscape, giving the houses and fields an eerie glow.
"You okay?" I asked.
"Yep. Just thinking about the corpse flower," she murmured.
"I looked it up online before I came to pick you up." I chuckled at the memory. They were huge. Some as tall as seven feet. And phallic AF.
“Judging by the headlights in my rearview mirror, I think you’re closer to exotic flower ownership than you might believe,” I murmured.
“Maybe,” she allowed, smiling at me when I drew up to her place behind Sprouts & Sprigs. “But if my love life isn’t dead on arrival, you should re-examine yours too, Sophie. Give Davis another chance.”
I contemplated her advice as I drove slowly home, eyes peeled for deer. The loneliness I’d avoided by hanging out with Gwen rushed back as I pondered my future. Endlessly chasing a man who didn’t truly want me would destroy me. I couldn’t and wouldn’t go that route.
If Davis wanted another chance, he’d need to earn it.
Cancelling our first real date didn’t bode well. Once I wasn’t underfoot, had he decided I wasn’t worth the effort? The thought grated.
I didn’t like the idea that only proximity made me appealing.
I wanted him to want me for me. Enough to sacrifice some of his broody alone time and spend it together, even if I was loud, talkative, and sometimes as excited as a raccoon on meth about my latest passion project.
If he didn’t like that about me, we didn’t have a future.
I was willing to give Davis another chance, if he stepped up. The sad truth was, he already had one hand wrapped around my heart, whether or not he realized it.