17. Chapter 17
seventeen
A lthough Annie’s mind and heart had wrestled with her growing affection for Julian, the following long day of uninterrupted work had been a productive one.
She'd texted Julian so he'd have her number, but they hadn't talked much otherwise.
Lying in bed that night, wrapped in her blankets and quite satisfied, she read the unanticipated but very sweet goodnight that Julian texted:
She drove to Julian’s just before ten. She’d pulled her short bob into two ponytails at the base of her neck, and almost yanked them out to curl the ends of her hair instead, but hadn’t wanted to keep Julian waiting.
Just show up as you , she told herself.
She gulped down the flustered feeling in her gut when Julian walked out his front door.
He locked up and strolled to her car. It was warm enough that neither of them wore a jacket, and he was wearing a gray crewneck t-shirt.
She observed that he’d shaved off his facial stubble, his skin smoother than it had been the day before the chainsaw accident .
Julian hopped in the car, grinning, and she realized how long it had been since a man had smiled at her like that. It set her heart aflutter.
“Ready to get those groceries?” she asked, driving away from the cabin. Good, my voice didn’t shake.
“And a coat for you.”
“Yes.”
“And I can show off the war wound to Rich.”
“Rich?”
“He owns the grocery store.”
Annie smiled. “Oh yeah! Are you friends with him?”
“Him?” Julian hesitated, but then said, “Yes.”
Annie immediately pictured Rich’s disgusting spittoon, but it was better to reserve judgment; after all, this was the first time Julian had called anyone his friend.
It reminded her of his hesitancy to call Ellie and the others at the diner “friends,” and his refusal of her help.
It seemed like Julian just wasn’t apt to beg for favors from anyone, if he hadn’t thought to ask Rich for help with his hand.
Maybe Julian was just scared to invite more people into his world.
And who am I to judge him over that? I could definitely improve on my people skills.
“Am I a friend?” she teased him.
“I’d hope so,” Julian replied, snorting. He was quiet for a moment. “Though, I don’t kiss my friends, really, either.”
Annie blushed, regretting saying anything. She snorted, feeling squirmy. Dammit, what did I get myself into?
“How about some music?” she said after a second. She wanted to move on to something else, but she hoped she wasn’t hurting his feelings at the same time.
They chatted lightly. Annie had gone to bed late, but she couldn’t recall the last time she’d felt so energetic.
She listened while Julian recalled facts about the various songs that played on the radio.
Eventually he moved onto the seedy and adventure-filled mining history of Northgold, weaving in minor details that Annie knew never would’ve made it into a standard history book.
They stopped at Buckeye's first. Annie picked up what she needed and helped Julian bring his items to the checkout counter. They put Julian’s things up first. While ringing them up, Rich’s chin tilted up and his eyes shifted between the two of them, but he didn’t say what he might have been thinkin’.
“Word was we oughta get a new Paul Bunyan.” Rich nodded to Julian’s bandages. “You gonna live?”
“I think so.” Julian winked at Annie as he pulled his wallet from his back pocket.
Before Annie spoke up, Rich added her items to the same transaction. Julian lay on the counter more than enough to cover the full cost.
“Oh! Julian.” Annie threw him a modest smile to bury her concern. Paying for her groceries was charming, but unnecessary. “I can pay for my things. Don’t worry about it.”
“You drove us to the store and took care of me.”
“That I did. But–”
“It’s for all the trouble I’ve caused.”
Annie snorted. “Trouble? You mean nearly losing a hand?”
Rich raised an eyebrow, then grabbed his spit jar. He hocked a wad into the glass before continuing to check out the groceries under Julian’s transaction.
They left the store and loaded their groceries into the back seat of Annie’s car. She grabbed the receipt and subtracted Julian’s items from hers, doing the math in her head.
“It’s no problem, Annie.” Julian smiled .
With that grin, it was tempting to accept the gift, but she couldn’t.
He’d seemed super keen on not taking advantage of her earlier.
No lingering debts to be owed. We’re just ships passing in the night.
She got her wallet from her purse and had enough cash to spare.
“I appreciate the gesture… It’s very sweet, but our agreement was one trip into town and one ruined coat.
” She handed the crisp bills to him, smiling.
With a bemused frown, Julian accepted the cash. “Okay...” He stared back at her and raised a brow. “For now?”
She smirked. “Are you going to let me cook for you?”
A big belly laugh escaped him as he threw his head back. “I s’pose I have to.”
Annie got into the driver’s seat, hands resting at the bottom of the wheel. Julian buckled up. She tapped a finger. “Where do you even buy clothes in Northgold?”
“Greg’s Hardware and Department Store. They have coats.”
The corner of Annie’s lip turned up.
“What? Everyone in town shops there.”
“They have women’s coats? That aren’t for blue collar workers?
” Annie checked her phone. It had been quiet for a couple of days, but with an upcoming fertility doctor’s appointment, she expected Molly would be chattier than usual.
She found a text from Peter, and her heartbeat spiked for a good few seconds before she opened it. It read:
“I hope you’re having a great time! Let me know what day you want help moving.” (sent at 11:09 am)
“If you hate all the coats, I’ll give you your money back. ”
“Is that a guarantee?” Annie replied as she put her phone away. She’d reply to Peter when they were done shopping.
“As a former employee, I’d want you to be a happy customer.”
She smiled and put the car into drive. “You’re not just talking this up again, are you? You tend to do that. You’re going to raise my low expectations.”
He shook his head. “I promise. I’ll find you a coat.”
What Rich didn’t peddle at Buckeye's was likely sold at Greg’s, and thankfully more variety had been added since Julian had quit.
Most things hadn’t changed, though. Mr. Murray owned the store, but just like back then, he was nowhere to be seen.
The building’s open interior spread out widely like a warehouse with mottled, white floors and tan metallic displays that had known better days, even decades ago.
It felt like one was walking into the early nineties.
Julian led Annie through the aisles, meandering a few minutes before they found the women’s coats.
Annie squeezed the fabric of a few coat arms. Her head was on a swivel as she took inventory. Julian’s determination sparked. She would have a coat that she loved by the time they left, so help him, but after five minutes, without so much as a double-take, his confidence began to slip.
“Whatchu thinking?”
She shrugged and looked back at him apologetically. “Umm... these aren’t my style... They’re a little... too old for me?”
“How so?”
“My mom would love ‘em. ”
A coat was a coat was a coat. It kept you warm. The round displays bulged with ladies’ coats. “Wasn’t the one I ruined a Northface? Here’s one just like it.” He plucked it off the rack.
Annie puckered her lips into a bashful smile, glancing sidelong. “It was a hand-me-down. From my mom.”
He blinked. No other coat departments were in the store, and he didn’t know any other places in town to get one — other than the biker shop.
“I’m sorry...” Annie sighed.
“Sorry?”
“I don’t mean to be picky.” Annie gently touched a coat sleeve and thumbed the light purple fabric. “I don’t want you to spend money on something that’s gonna rot in the back of my closet.”
Fair enough. “What colors do you like?”
“Anything that’s not a color? And I’d like something form-fitting?”
“You wore pink the other day?”
“I borrowed that from Molly.”
Julian frowned. He’d worked in tools, not apparel. And, clearly, the apparel associates hadn’t adjusted their hands-off approach to customer service. But he’d tasked himself with finding Annie a coat, dammit.
He more scrupulously studied the coats.
Spending time with Annie versus getting her something to wear were two completely different animals.
He had no sisters, and all he could think of were all the unhappy looks his past girlfriends had given him when he’d presented them with clothing they wore a couple times then never wore again.
Even his own mother had congenially accepted his gifts, while asking him for the gift receipt in the nicest way possible.
“Er, what about this one? ”
“Hmm?”
He showed her a black coat. It had stitched details that reminded him of a nice quilt his mom had given him as a boy.
Annie smiled and shook her head. “I’d like it to be longer.”
Julian put the coat back, then scratched his head. He found another coat rack. He plucked another and he held it up to Annie. It went to her knees. The gray coat was padded with stuffing and had a hood that was lined with fur.
“This looks warm.”
She squeezed the sleeves, holding them out like it was a doll and touching the fur in the hood. “I’m not a big fan of camo.”
He hadn’t even noticed the design. It looked like the coat also came in plain brown and black. “This?” He yanked the black one out.
Annie’s face lit up. She slipped out the hanger and tried it on. It looked like it fit snuggly when she zipped up the chest. There was a mirror nearby. She modeled for a moment, swinging from side to side. Her smile was bright until she found the price tag.
“Oh.”
She took the coat off like it had burst into flame and was about to engulf her in a ball of fire.
“What?”
Her eyes bugged out. “It’s way too much,” she rasped.
“But you like it, right?”
“It’s almost three hundred dollars!”
The price made him cringe, too, but the smile on her face was priceless. He could afford it. “Don’t worry about it.”
“But–”
“I don’t mind.”
“Let me pay half then. ”
Julian smiled. He wanted to treat her, but he knew she was seconds away from calling him a hypocrite. Part of him wondered if they’d argue every time one of ‘em tried to show the other a kindness.
The other part wondered how many more opportunities they’d have to do so. His heart grew heavy.
“Half?”
“Yes. Or we put it back. And I cook for you.”
“Deal,” he said. “So long as you can swing that?”
Annie smiled and nodded.
At the checkout, there were few people were ahead of them. After a moment, Julian remembered something.
“Be right back.”
Annie gave him an odd look. “Okay...?”
He dashed off and found the hardware section. If she’s going to cook for me, then I’m going to fix that leaky sink.
He dug through some sink parts before he walked back to the checkouts. He found Annie.
Annie hugged the coat in her arms. When she saw him, she turned and beamed. It made everything feel set straight, like life wasn’t nearly so hard and lonely.
He smiled back, pushing mentally against the bittersweet feeling that this probably couldn’t last forever.
He just wanted her to be happy, and at the very least, he would enjoy every damn second of today.
Guilt-free.