Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Polly

After stomping off and slamming the door—something I hadn't done since I was a teenager—I did the only other thing that made sense and called my best friend Savannah.

It rang half a dozen times and I'd just about given up, assuming she was too busy taking care of her family's diner in North Carolina during what would have been the dinner rush.

My finger was hovering over the ‘end call' button when she picked up, sounding happy to hear from me, but out of breath.

"Pollyanna!" She sang into the phone using a nickname only she could get away with using. "Girl! I miss you so much and I feel like I haven't heard from you in ages. Oh shit. I didn't miss your birthday, did I?"

Before I could even get a word in edgewise to tell her the reason for my call, and remind her that my birthday was still several days away, she continued.

"Fuck. I'm sorry. I'm such a bad friend. It's just… shit. It's been crazy here. My brother's wife left him, so he's moved back home with his three kids, and they are hellions on a good day but of course it's not a good day because their mama just up and left them, with like no real explanation. And my oldest niece, she's just beside herself. She doesn't do anything but cry. Christ, what kind of mother does that? Like yeah, my brother is a stupid asshole sometimes, but he was a good dad and husband. I hate people who are never fucking happy, you know? Always thinking the grass is greener around the corner. Fuck. Those people will never be happy."

"Yeah… that sucks."

As if realizing she'd gone off on a tangent and monopolized the conversation, Savannah swore again. "Fuck. I'm so sorry. I was a sucky friend while trying to apologize for being a sucky friend. I can't believe I missed your birthday. I promise I'll make it up to you."

"Savannah! Stop!" I nearly choked on my own laughter. She was in rare form tonight. "You didn't miss my birthday!"

"I didn't? Oh, thank god. Girl, it's been so crazy lately that I don't even know what day it is. So… in case I forget, happy birthday early! Twenty-one! I hope it's the best!"

"Thank you." I giggled, then turned serious. "It won't be the best though. It might be the worst instead."

"What? Why?" Her voice rose, sounding angry on my behalf and I grinned. There was no one more loyal than Savannah.

"Calm down," I teased. "You don't need to go all scorched earth on my behalf. Jared has a work emergency, that's all."

"Oh of course he does," Savannah scoffed. "I love that brother of yours, I do, but he is obsessed with work like no one I've ever met."

"You're not wrong." I hummed into the phone. "And he doesn't want me going alone so I'm screwed. He promised we could make the trip ‘sometime this year.'"

I could practically hear Savannah rolling her eyes. "It won't be your birthday then! Ugh. Seriously, what a jerk. If you'd known he was going to flake out you could have made other plans, but now it's too late. Everyone's gone for the summer."

"I know." I sucked in a breath, dread pooling in my stomach as I wondered if I should mention the Cas thing. I could only imagine how she'd react. Cas was hot and Savannah was a hopeless romantic.

But fuck it, because there was a part of me that was considering it and I needed to talk to someone about it before I went crazy and started talking to myself.

"He did give me one alternative to waiting…" I admitted slowly.

"What alternative?" Savannah's voice was thick with skepticism.

"Apparently Cas is willing to make the trip with me."

Her screech nearly pierced my eardrum, and I had to hold the phone away from my face to hear what she said next.

"Girl, what? Talk about burying the lead! That man is capital H-O-T hot. You said yes, right?"

I sighed and pulled my hot pink suitcase out of the closet, knowing she would probably talk me into it. "I said I'd think about it. Then I stomped off to my room and slammed the door. I know, real mature, right? It's just… Cas makes me crazy, Sav. Can I really stand being in close quarters with him for several weeks?"

"Of course he drives you crazy! It's all that pent-up sexual tension." She paused for a full beat, then gasped. "You slammed the door? You never slam the door! Not since… Oh my god, he followed you down the hall and spanked your ass, didn't he?" she asked, referencing the long-ago threat.

It was my turn to roll my eyes. "Oh please. That was just… He probably doesn't even remember. And besides, Cas is like an annoying, bossy older brother. There's absolutely no sexual tension between us."

"You live in denial, girl. Cas is always undressing you with his eyes."

"You live in delulu-land. He treats me like I'm a child and he's a father figure."

"A Daddy," Savannah all but purred. "He treats you like you're a naughty treasured babygirl and he's a Daddy Dom. That's how he treats you."

I scoffed. "I can see how you've been spending all your spare time up in North Carolina. Reading dirty books. Maybe I'll ask you for book recs since I'm going to stay home and be bored out of my mind."

"Girl. Don't. You. Dare. If you don't take this trip, I swear I'll spank you myself."

I glared at my phone. "And if I go and wish I hadn't? What then? Do I get to spank you?" I laughed so she would know I was joking, but she didn't seem to care.

"Sure," she agreed. "If that's what it takes to get you to take this once in a lifetime opportunity, I'll gladly bend over and let you get a few whacks in. That's how sure I am that I'm right. And even if I'm not… sounds kind of hot."

I shook my head, but I was grinning and the knot in my chest wasn't as big or tight as it had been when I'd dialed her number. "You're deranged."

"And you love me. So… does that mean you're gonna go?"

I unzipped my suitcase, flipped it open on my bed and stalked over to my dresser where I opened the top drawer, tossing in a handful of underwear and socks. "Fine. I guess. It's not like I have anything better to do."

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Savannah screamed.

I held the phone away from my ear. "If it sucks, I'm hopping on a plane to North Carolina the second I'm home and I'm bringing a hairbrush with me." I knew it was an empty threat but Savannah didn't seem to care.

"Deal." She smacked her gum in my ear. "Now go get packing. And text me updates every day. I want to live vicariously through your hot forbidden romance."

"God, you're ridiculous,'' I said as I ended the call.

Pausing for just a moment to question my sanity, I straightened my shoulders, pulled my door open and stalked out to the kitchen where my brother and Cas were still standing. They'd each cracked open a beer and were huddled over a bag of chips and a bowl of salsa.

I marched right up to Cas until we were standing almost toe-to-toe. "Fine, you can go with me," I said as if it wasn't a condition of my being able to go in the first place.

Then, before he could respond, I flounced away, and back to my room, stopping just short of slamming the door behind me.