10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

L ight streamed through plantation shutters on the windows, waking Cleo. Her stomach flipped when she opened her eyes and saw Clark lying just inches from her head. His face held that delicious scruff she’d spied yesterday before he shaved it off. Cleo wished he would leave it there for today. It made him look even more attractive. She sighed inwardly and flipped off her blankets to go use the bathroom.

When Cleo emerged from a rejuvenating shower, she smelled coffee and heard bacon sizzling. Her stomach growled like her dog Fenton when he wanted her to sit so he could drape himself over her. And now she was missing her puppy.

Dale flipped pancakes and worked the skillet with hash browns while Clark monitored the bacon. His arm muscles rippled just enough to be obvious as he used a fork to turn the meat. Cleo licked her lips. Had a forearm ever looked so good doing something so mundane before? Forearms? Really, Cleo?

Dottie was nowhere to be seen. Cleo doubled back to tap on Dottie’s door, letting herself in when Dottie faintly called that it was open.

Dottie was on the bed, still in her flowery pj’s, a look of defeat showing in every line of her body and even in her hair that lay limply on her shoulders. Cleo hadn’t seen it anywhere but in a perky topknot ‘do that fascinated her. She secretly wished she could watch Dottie do it.

Cleo sat next to her, the mattress sagging underneath them. “The boys are cooking up quite the breakfast,” she started.

“I can smell it,” Dottie replied. “It makes me miss my ladies even more.”

“Well, it might not be your farm fresh eggs, but I’m sure it’ll still taste delicious.”

“I cain’t go out there,” Dottie whispered. “I cain’t face him.”

“Whyever not?” Cleo asked. “He knows you’re here now. The surprise is over. You don’t have to hide anymore.”

Dottie picked at the quilt. “You don’t understand. I was horrible to him.”

“How so?”

“I dropped him so fast that it made his head spin like a top.”

“But you said you kept in contact after you left.”

“We did, but Dale–he’s hard to dissuade, I guess. He put up with a lot from me over the years. We only lived less than an hour from each other, but after he graduated from Knoxville, he wanted to move to Beaudell to be near me.” Her eyes dropped. “And I told him no.”

“Why?”

“I don’t rightly know. I thought I’d be doing him a favor. He’d studied accounting, and I knew he’d have a lot more opportunities in a town the size of Jackson. Beaudell is so tiny, I worried he wouldn’t find any clients and he’d suffer, and he’d blame it on me. I–I just couldn’t take that kind of rejection.”

“So you preemptively ended things with him so that he wouldn’t have a chance to, and so your heart wouldn’t get broken?”

“It was so silly. Of course Beaudell needs accountants. He could’ve found work.” She rubbed her chest. “And of course it didn’t spare either of us from heartbreak at all.”

Cleo had wildly misjudged Dottie McIntire. She’d seen only a silly middle-aged woman, possibly a cougar on the prowl, but that was just a front. There were hidden depths to Dottie. She supposed that was true of everyone.

“Dottie, the day I met you I was running away from my own wedding, so it may seem like I don’t have any right to offer advice when it comes to relationships. But as an impartial third party here, maybe I can give my perspective.” Dottie didn’t look up, but she didn’t stop Cleo either.

“Dale might have moved on from you after you made it clear there was never going to be anything between you. But a lightning strike couldn’t have affected him more than hearing your name last night did. He’s not over you. And if you don’t take the chance to remedy things with him right now, you won’t get another one.” Cleo had Dottie’s full attention now.

“So this is what we’re gonna do. We’re going to go out there like the adults we are and eat breakfast. Then Clark and I are going to figure out where there’s a garage open on a Saturday, and we’re going to get the car into it. I don’t know if we’ll steal Dale’s truck keys or what we’ll have to do, but we’ll take care of it. And while we’re gone, you’re going to use the opportunity to explain yourself to Dale. You’re going to tell him you’re sorry, that you made a mistake all those years ago, and that you wished it could be different. And then you’re going to pray like mad that he feels the same way as you. I have a feeling he will.”

Dottie’s mouth hung open. “I cain’t say all that! What if he’s married?”

“I asked him last night, and he said he lives here alone. I’m pretty sure he isn’t married.” She paused before adding, “But you might lead with that question before bearing your soul, just to be safe.”

Dottie looked torn. When Cleo’s stomach growled again, she rolled her eyes and pointed at it. “Honestly, do you ever feed that thing?”

Cleo smiled and stood. “I’ll expect you in the kitchen in five minutes. If you’re not there, I’ll come back here and haul you out there by your earlobes.” Dottie touched her ears and stood quickly.

Returning to the kitchen, Cleo asked where she could find the plates and forks to set the table. Look at all these domestic things she was doing! She monitored the clock, and with seven seconds to spare, Dottie’s door opened. Dale paused for a moment. He put the last pancake on a stack and then brought the plate over as Dottie took a seat at the table next to Cleo. Cleo reached her hand under the table and found Dottie’s hand, squeezing it to pledge her moral support. The guys joined them and they ate their delicious breakfast, with Clark and Cleo carrying the conversation. Dottie didn’t look up once, and Dale mostly pushed his food around his plate.

After the dishes were brought to the sink, Clark looked ready to tackle them when Cleo grabbed his arm and whispered, “Leave them for Dottie.” His brows furrowed but she added, “Trust me,” and pulled him away from the sink.

Facing Dale, she said, “Clark and I found a garage and we’ll drop the car off if we can borrow your truck.” Dale scratched his head and fished the keys out of his pocket, handing them to Clark, who also grabbed the rental car keys. Then Cleo hurried him out the door and explained the situation to Clark once they were outside.

“You’re just throwing them to the wolves,” he scoffed.

“Who’s the wolf in this scenario?” Cleo asked.

Clark paused. “Both of them?”

She handed the keys to Clark. “I hope your metaphors are better than that when you write. They’ll be fine. They just need some time alone together, and maybe it’ll be an easier conversation to have while they’re doing the dishes. Then they don’t even have to look at each other.”

“Do you often play matchmaker?” Clark climbed into the truck effortlessly as Cleo hauled herself up.

“No, but it’s not like the chance has ever been handed to me on a silver platter before, either. I’m telling you, it was destiny that caused the car to break down twenty minutes from Dale’s. They were meant to find their way back to each other.”

“I thought you didn’t believe in soulmates,” Clark smirked.

“I still don’t, but I do think those two have some major unresolved business.”

“So, where are we going?” Clark asked.

Cleo realized she still hadn’t even looked up car garages. They really should have the rental company tow the car, but it was already hooked up to the truck, and Cleo was impatient to get it into the garage. So using Clark’s phone, they spent the next five minutes calling all the garages in the immediate area until they found one who could get to their car this morning. Clark dragged the car behind them without causing any accidents, and while they were waiting for the mechanic to look the car over and give his initial analysis, Cleo read a magazine in the waiting area. She’d felt so removed from everything these past couple days that it felt strange to do something that was part of her normal routine in a place that was so opposite of her pre-wedding day life.

The mechanic delivered the bad news: some part or other that Cleo had never heard of before was broken, and it would take a couple days to get the car in, since it was the weekend. He could keep the car there while they waited for it to get fixed.

Clark told him that wouldn’t be necessary, since it was a rental. Then he told Cleo he’d finally gotten someone from the rental car company on the phone. “They berated me for not calling them last night, even though I explained that we tried multiple times to contact them but got a busy signal. That’s when the guy sheepishly admitted that their system had been down for a few hours.”

“See?” Cleo interjected. “It was down so that Dottie and Dale could meet again.”

Clark didn’t comment but continued, “They’re going to send us a replacement car so we can get back on the road. I’ll have them deliver it to Dale’s house.”

As they took the truck back, Cleo worried they hadn’t been gone long enough for Dottie and Dale to resolve everything that needed resolving, so she stalled. Spying a bookstore on their way home, she made Clark pull over and let her out.

“What are we doing here?” he asked as he followed her inside.

“I’m sick of having little to do while we drive,” she answered, going to the first table display she saw. She eyed the covers on display, because she absolutely did judge a book by its cover. “Besides, this way you can show me where to buy your books.” Cleo looked sidelong at Clark for his reaction, but he simply continued to pick up books and read the backs, then replace them.

“Are you afraid to let me read your book?” she finally asked.

“Who said I wrote a book?”

“You said you’re a writer.”

“There are lots of ways to be a writer.”

“So you didn’t write a book?”

“I didn’t say that, either.”

Cleo rolled her eyes and went in search of a book that would distract her on the drive. She was in the Mystery/Suspense section when Clark joined her again.

“You won’t like that one.” He motioned to the book Cleo was currently looking at.

“How do you know what I’d like?”

Clark studied the neighboring shelves. “I bet I could find a book for you that you would like more than one you chose for yourself.”

Cleo cocked an eyebrow. The arrogance was astounding.

Clark continued, “I have an idea. You find a book for me to read, and I’ll find a book for you.”

That got Cleo’s attention. She liked games and liked to win. She just wasn’t sure she could trust Clark. “How do I know you won’t get me the book Everybody Poops or Curious George Goes to Sleep ?”

Clark smirked. “The point of this isn’t to torture the other person. It’s the opposite; we’re going to see who knows the other person the best by how well we find a book we think the other would like.”

“And how will I know whether you like the one I buy for you?” Cleo asked.

“Well, we’re obviously going to have to trust each other and be completely honest.”

“But we hardly know each other. You couldn’t possibly guess what I like to read.”

Clark hmmm’d and moved to another shelf. “I know I can find a book you’ll love. I can’t help it if you’re not confident in your abilities to do the same.”

Oh, he was going to play it like that, was he? Clark had tossed a figurative cheese round down a hill, and like those crazy people in England who chased after it, she was going to win. Even if she bruised every bone in her body.

Her eyes narrowed. “You’re on.”

She started to move away when Clark added, “Winner gets what?”

Cleo cocked her head. “How do we even appoint a winner? This is completely subjective.”

“We let Dottie choose. She’s known each of us as long as we’ve known each other.”

“And the winner gets something from the loser?”

“Yes.”

“Anything?”

“Anything the winner chooses, within reason of course.”

Cleo nodded in agreement. Clark stuck out his hand to shake, and when their hands touched, Cleo shivered. She pulled her hand back quickly. Uh uh, she did not feel one solitary thing out of the ordinary. Not one spark or tingle. It was exactly like shaking her dad’s hand. If anything, it felt gross , not nice. These goose bumps all over were because it was creepy.

Lying to herself got easier all the time.

Cleo pivoted and made her way to the Fantasy section before her traitorous body betrayed her again. She could feel Clark’s eyes on her the entire way.

Clark was probably a lover of the classics, but if he was as into books as she suspected then he’d probably already read all of those. Cleo definitely had not. Her tastes were eclectic. She mentally reviewed some of her favorites from the last year and kept coming back to one she hadn’t expected to like but had: The Martian . She was pretty certain Clark would like it too.

She purchased her book and then found Clark in the section labeled Middle Grade.

“I look young, but hopefully not this young!” she said.

“I’ll have you know, Middle Grade has some truly awesome book choices,” he replied. “Don’t knock ‘em ‘til you’ve tried ‘em.”

“Is that what you’re getting me then?”

“Not this time, but someday I’ll introduce you to Wonder and Holes .”

Cleo’s gaze dropped to the bags she and Clark held in their hands. “Should we exchange these now?”

Clark opened his bag and handed her a red book with orange lettering that read Hope Was Here . A teacup sat in the foreground on a diner table next to salt and pepper shakers.

“Have you already read Hope Was Here ?” Clark asked.

“I have not,” she replied. “Is it YA?” At Clark’s nod she said, “About a teenager?”

“Yes, but it’s for adults as well as teens.”

“Is it sad? I hate sad stories.”

Clark’s forehead furrowed. “It is sad, but it’s also full of so much hope and bravery as she overcomes adversity and learns to believe in herself despite her lot in life. It’s always been one of my favorite books.” Cleo was fairly certain she would hate it, but that meant it would be easier for her to win. No way was Dottie voting for Clark on this one.

“Let’s see what you got me,” he said. After removing The Martian from her bag, the corner of his mouth twitched up in what might have been the start of a smile. “You got me an alien book?”

“It’s not an alien book exactly. It’s really good!”

Clark studied Cleo’s face. “I’m excited to read it,” he said.

Now that they had found books, they returned to Dale’s house where Cleo hoped they would find Dottie and Dale in the throes of love.