12. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

JUSTIN

T he curly-haired woman sitting at Colton's table kept tearing my attention away from the baseball game on Colton's massive television. Her headphones were in and her eyes were narrowed on the screen in front of her as she hunched over, tapping furiously away on the keyboard. It had been a few weeks since our hiking trip to the falls and Riley was back for a ten day stay. She had gotten in on Tuesday and it was now Saturday. When Colton had invited me over, I hadn't wanted to intrude on their time together but apparently Riley was on deadline for her book and needed to write so I was over ‘keeping Colton company' while she was lost in her own world.

From the opposite end of the couch, Colton glanced back at Riley. His face softened as if he was reassuring himself she was still back there. Colton was happier than I had ever seen him. A weight settled in my chest, longing maybe. All I wanted was for Colton to be happy. Colton was an amazing guy, always with a smile and a kind word and a helping hand for as long as I had known him. He had taken in the outcast in kindergarten and made a friend for life. We had tried dating briefly in college and it was the best few months of my life but I knew that I would only drag Colton down with my baggage. He needed to be with someone that made him happy, someone like Riley. Yet I had never been able to let him go over the years and he never pushed me away either.

Colton met my eyes and smiled, tipping his beer at me to silently ask if I needed another. My mostly untouched beer sat on the table beside me and I shook my head. Colton turned his attention back to the game and I tried to do the same.

Movement behind us had both our heads turning back around. Riley sat up in her chair, stretching her arms out overhead. I winced slightly when I could hear her back pop from here. That position couldn't be good for her spine. She removed the headphones from her ear and typed a few more things on the laptop before closing it.

"All done?" Colton called to her.

"For today, yes." She said, standing and twisting her back. Colton and I both winced when her back cracked in multiple places and she laughed at our expressions. "Best to get used to it, boys," she teased, her blue eyes dancing with laughter. "It only gets worse from here."

"That doesn't sound healthy," I pointed out. It didn't seem like she took care of herself very well. Or if anyone ever took care of her.

Riley shrugged as she rounded the couch to sit next to Colton. He lifted up his arm and she snuggled underneath it, feet stretching towards me. Colton adjusted them so she was lying half against his chest and half against the arm of the couch. She laid her head on his chest and Colton pressed a soft kiss to her hair before turning his attention back to the game.

I hadn't expected Colton to come back from his forced vacation with a girlfriend. To be honest, I don't think Colton really expected Riley either. But the two of them seemed to fit so well together. Colton had dated a few women over the years but none of them seemed to fall into his life as easily as Riley did. From our few conversations, I knew she was extremely smart with an attention to detail that rivaled my own. I had caught her a few times staring off into the distance, like there was always a story playing in her mind. I had looked her up after Jake had commented the name of her series. She had definitely been modest when she said her books did okay. There were entire fan clubs dedicated to her Meira Quinn mystery series. She had seriously downplayed her accomplishments. Was Colton right about thinking that someone hurting her in the past? I didn't see why anyone would. In addition to her brilliant brain she was gorgeous with thick curves and brilliant blue eyes framed by curly brown hair I just wanted to run my fingers through.

Stop, I scolded myself. She's not yours.

No she wasn't mine. She was my best friend's. A familiar twinge panged in my gut as Colton drew his fingers up and down her arm. I simultaneously wanted to be in Riley and Colton's place at the same time. Or maybe with Riley sandwiched between us but it wasn't in the cards for me. I wasn't built for relationships, I only hurt people in the end, I knew that from past experience. And it wasn't like I had the greatest early models for them either. My mom disappeared when I was little and my dad… well he was a piece of shit I didn't mind never hearing from again. No, relationships weren't in the cards for me but that didn't mean I couldn't be happy for Colton.

Riley shifted and her feet brushed my thigh. The soft touch sent a spike of heat down my spine. "Sorry," she whispered, pulling her feet away.

I placed a hand on her bare ankle and tried not to think about the softness of her skin underneath my palm. "It's fine. Stretch out. You need it after cracking your back six ways till Sunday." I knew my voice was gruff but I couldn't help it. I forced my eyes back to the TV when I felt Riley look at me curiously. The game played in front of me but I couldn't tell you what was happening. I glanced back down at her feet now pressed against my thigh. There were goosebumps on her skin from the ceiling fan above. It was only June but summer had come with a vengeance early in Kentucky.

Twisting slightly, I grabbed the afghan thrown over the back of the couch. It was an ugly thing, pink and brown, but Agnes, Colton's mom, had made it from yarn that was in the clearance bin. "Just because someone else doesn't see the beauty in front of them doesn't mean everyone doesn't," she had said while knitting it. I still thought it was ugly but Riley looked grateful when I draped it across her legs.

"Thank you," she said with a sweet smile that had my heart clenching. I had to get it together.

Colton turned the game down a bit. "How was the writing? How many words did you get done?"

"I got around 4500 words I think."

"That's amazing." Colton said and I nodded. I didn't know much about writing or the process but I remembered how much of a struggle it was to write even one paper in college. She had gotten about 2500 words done the other day from what I remembered Colton saying so she had almost doubled it.

Riley shrugged, "It's okay. I'm still behind."

There it was again, that subtle put down of her own accomplishments. If she was mine, we'd be having a discussion, maybe over my lap about putting herself down.

"It's still amazing," Colton said softly, placing a soft kiss on her lips. I watched them smile softly at each other, lost in each other's eyes. I didn't realize I was staring till Riley nudged me softly with her foot and I realized Colton had asked me a question.

"Sorry," I shook my head, "Was thinking about that batten board wall this week."

From the look on Colton's face, I knew he didn't buy it but Riley frowned. "Batten board?"

I huffed, playing along with the story. "Freaking nightmare wall it should be called. "

Colton laughed. "You're just irritated that you didn't catch Cody doing it earlier."

"I'm still confused as to what it is?" Riley said, curiously.

I pulled up a picture on my phone and leaned over, trying not to breathe too deeply of the sweet floral scent that drifted off her.

"Oh that's pretty," she said, taking my phone and studying the wall. We had made it out of boards from an old barn on the client's property. We sanded the boards down and mounted them to the wall to form a checkered pattern. "I don't understand, is it a complicated project?"

"Not for Mr. Attention-to-Detail over here," Colton teased. "But I gave it to Cody because I had Justin on something else. And Cody apparently didn't check to see if the floor and ceiling were level before starting, he just started at the floor and went up and well, it ended up with a very obvious last plank starting at six inches on one end and two inches on the other so the entire room looked crooked."

Riley's eyes widened. "Oh I bet the clients were not pleased with that."

"That's putting it lightly. But luckily they were friends of my parents. But Justin ended up having to redo all of it."

"Yikes," Riley looked at me with sympathy in her eyes. "That sucks."

"It did," I agreed. "I'm still getting nightmares about it."

"I feel like every client you've had recently has been friends with your parents," Riley mused.

Colton laughed. "Honestly, most of the town probably is."

Riley still looked confused. "Colton's dad was mayor of the town for like twenty years."

"Oh, wow!" Riley's eyes widened. "So they really would know everyone."

"Yep, Forrest was technically the mayor but we all knew it was Momma A that ran the town," I laughed thinking of my adoptive parents. Agnes Anderson was a firecracker that was for sure. "

"You said they moved down south, right?" Riley looked up at Colton. When he nodded and she looked at me, I knew what question was going to come out of her mouth before she asked it. "Do your parents live around here?"

Colton tensed almost imperceptibly and his eyes flashed to mine. I could feel a muscle in my jaw tick and I saw Riley's eyes sharpen as she noticed it too. She opened her mouth, likely to stop me from answering but something made me want to share. Maybe just to squash the flicker of interest I would catch in her eyes when I saw her look at me. She didn't need to look at me at all, just focus on making Colton happy.

"My mom disappeared when I was twelve. My father left town shortly afterwards." I said shortly. It had been over twenty years but the sharp ache still went through me when I thought of my mom. She had been a petite woman and her Japanese heritage was strong. After my father left, I took her maiden name so I wouldn't have to be reminded of the bastard. Mom had disappeared one day after I came home from school. All that was left was a hastily scribbled note that she couldn't take it anymore. My father had destroyed the note after he read it. Everyone assumed she left because she didn't like America but I knew she left because of the bastard that was my father. I didn't blame her for getting out, but twelve year old me had spent more than one night crying that she hadn't taken me too. I wasn't stupid, I knew it had messed me up especially when it came to getting close to anyone.

I waited to see what Riley's response would be. Most people replied with some version of "I'm so sorry that must have been hard for you." Instead her eyes darkened with understanding. "That sucks, I'm sorry you went through that," she said softly. "I've learned through my research that not everyone is meant to be parents."

I bet money that the pain in her eyes wasn't just from her book research. Colton hadn't mentioned anything about Riley's parents but as her eyes darkened with shared understanding, Was there a story there? Something inside of me clicked into place and I squeezed her leg before I realized what I was doing. Colton's eyes were soft and filled with an emotion I didn't want to analyze as he looked between Riley and me. I hadn't been the warmest to his past girlfriends so he was probably thrilled Riley and I were getting along even if it was bonding over something shitty.

"Let's put on a movie," he suggested.

I looked over at the TV. The game had ended and the screen now had some sports commentators talking about the players. "I should probably go–"

"No, stay," Riley nudged me with her feet. "We have no plans other than being lazy on the couch right?" She looked up at Colton.

"None at all," Colton agreed. "Was thinking of doing burgers later."

I thought about my empty house waiting for me. It would probably be smarter to leave but I didn't want to. "Alright, burgers sound great."

Riley snuggled deeper into Colton's chest, shuffling so both feet were pressed against my leg. My stomach clenched but I ignored it. I had only myself to blame but maybe one day it wouldn't be so hard to see the man I loved curled around someone else. Even if that someone else was the most intriguing woman I had ever met.