Chapter 23

I closed the cabinet door and then opened it again to make sure it wasn't too tight. Mrs. Jeffries had hired me to do a few things while we waited for the wood to come in for her shed renovation. So far I had fixed a drawer that was off-track, replaced the kitchen faucet and tightened a few loose cabinet drawers.

She'd scheduled me to come back on a day when Mr. Jeffries wasn't home. Apparently she'd gotten tired of waiting for him to get to all the items on her honey-do list.

"Thank you so much for coming by." Mrs. Jeffries patted my shoulder as she walked by. "When you get older, it's hard to keep up with all these things."

"Of course. I'll let you know when the wood is in so I can start building your shed out back."

As I packed up the last of my tools, it struck me how different the past few weeks had been. After our day of demolition therapy, I had started working full-scale on Charlie's renovation.

Since I'd already patched and painted one section of drywall downstairs, I'd finished painting the main living area before moving on to repairing the porch and the steps. The upstairs bathroom was now almost done with a clean white subway tile that updated the look of the room while still working with the existing tub and fixtures. We'd fallen into an easy routine: going about our days separately and then working on various projects together at night.

Okay, Charlie's version of helping was more like chatting while I worked and keeping me company but I wasn't complaining. I was getting free rent after all and this was the most fun I'd ever had on a renovation project. After working on the house, we'd cook dinner together and watch episodes of one of the many reality shows she was obsessed with.

In short, we just …lived.

It was easy.

Almost too easy.

As I left the Jeffries house, I thought about how simple things were with Charlie. For the first time I wasn't stressed about what the future held at all. I wasn't worried that the woman I was with was secretly plotting to get me down the aisle or trying to change me into her idea of husband material.

I almost laughed out loud at the thought. Charlie definitely wasn't trying to get me down any aisle. She was the only person who never expected me to be someone else. Apparently all those summers had taught her to accept that I was going to annoy the hell out of her.

But lately I didn't feel like I was annoying her at all. We had reached a level of comfort where we didn't even have to talk and it wasn't awkward. Sometimes we just existed in the same space, me working on something or eating and Charlie playing with the dog or reading.

Even the most boring things were fun with her.

All of which made me feel even worse when I remembered how I'd reacted when she saw my painting. One of the main reasons I preferred to keep my art private was because people always pushed me to sell it. Why did it have to be about selling? Couldn't something just be done for the love of it?

But Charlie had always been the cheerleader type. When Tana had been debating whether she was ready to start her own salon, Charlie had been one of the main people who had told her that she should do it.

With the benefit of hindsight I could see that she had genuinely been excited to find out something new about me. I had misjudged her enthusiasm to be about the money when really, she had been trying to find ways that I could share my art with others.

And instead of taking the compliment, I had thrown it back in her face and accused her of being a sellout.

I winced.

Even though she'd accepted my apology afterward, I still wanted to make it up to her. The thing was, this was Charlie. None of the usual things I would do for a woman to apologize felt right. Flowers were too generic. We already had dinner together every night and it wasn't like I could really take her out. The closest nice restaurant would take an hour to drive to and we definitely couldn't go to the diner without being interrupted by everyone in town.

I pulled out of the Jeffries driveway and glanced over at my parents' house. The drive was empty so they were probably both working at the store. I headed back to town still mulling things over.

The only thing Charlie cared about lately was getting this renovation done. As the weeks passed, we got closer to the date when she expected her mom and sister to move in. Someone was coming in a few days to deal with the mold damage in the laundry room and I'd called in a favor from an electrician friend to give her a good deal on updating the outlets in the kitchen and the bathroom so they were up to code.

As long as everything stayed on track, the house should be ready for her family by the middle of August. But she'd had to scale back the projects on her list to the bare essentials once she'd seen how much needed to be done. For example, she'd originally wanted to update the small bathroom on the main floor. That was something I could handle easily.

I grinned as the idea took root. It probably wouldn't even be that expensive since I could build a cabinet to replace the chipped pedestal sink in there myself.

As I parked in front of the hardware store, I pulled out my phone and made a quick list of the things I would need. It would be tricky to pull this off without Charlie figuring out what I was up to but it was doable. There was no way to hide that I was repainting but I could say it was extra paint from the living room. Then I could build a vanity cabinet for the sink off-site until I was ready to install it.

All I would need was a solid three hours when she was out of the house to install the new toilet and bring in the new vanity. Maybe I would ask for Tana's help. She could find new towels and bring over some of those girly soaps she liked.

As soon as I had the thought, I scrapped it. Tana would just blow it up into some big thing.

Better to keep it low-key.

* * *

It took a few days for all the things I ordered to come in. I was just leaving the diner when I got a message from Van that my order had arrived. I paused. The stuff I'd ordered for Charlie had come in at the same time as the wood I needed for another job. On a whim, I decided to see if Carter was around to help. It was weird. He was now living in town and I felt like I saw him less than when he was living in DC.

Hendrix

Hey, are you busy?

Carter

No. What"s up?

Hendrix

I got a large order at the hardware store. I could use some help loading the truck.

Carter

Wrong number.

Hendrix

I'll buy you a beer after.

Carter

Unsubscribe.

Hendrix

:laugh emoji

Carter

Since when do you need my help with an order? Back trouble already, old man?

Hendrix

Better your back than mine. Meet you at the store.

Carter

Be there in five.

* * *

As I entered the hardware store, my brother looked up from behind the register. "Hey! You got here fast."

"I was already in town when I got your message."

Van disappeared into the back and then came back out wheeling a big box on a dolly. He paused in front of me and then looked at the box with a smirk. "A new toilet. Very romantic."

I shoved him aside. "There should have been a mirror, too. Make yourself useful and find it."

While he was looking for the mirror, I wheeled the dolly outside. Van came out just as I was lifting the toilet into the bed of the truck. He carefully placed the mirror beside it. The mirror's box was pretty thin so I grabbed the bungee cord I always kept in the back to secure it so it wouldn't slide all over the place while I was driving.

"How is the renovation going?" Van asked.

"Main bathroom is finished. We just had the electrical work done. This is for the downstairs powder room. I want to surprise her."

Van raised one eyebrow. "You're redoing her bathroom? That's quite a gift."

I didn't meet his eyes. "It's no big deal."

Before he could respond, someone called my name. We both turned to see Mr. Donald parked a few spaces over.

Van raised his hand in greeting. "You're here for the weed whacker attachment, right?"

While Van disappeared inside to find his order, Mr. Donald wandered over to look into the back of my truck.

"Ah, fixing up the bathroom. I heard you worked quite a deal with Charlie in exchange for a room."

I smiled, unsure where he was going with that. He knew I was working on her house since I'd told him myself. But who the hell was going around town talking about my financial situation?

"Well, I'm not sure if you know that I just bought a house over on Magnolia Avenue. One of my daughters just moved in with her boyfriend and well, let's just say I give it six months or less."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."

He scowled. "That boyfriend of hers is a real piece of work. Anyway, I thought it would be nice if I had a place for her if we can convince her to move back home. Just in case. The place needs a lot done. I thought after you're finished fixing up the Everett place, you might do the same for me."

I must have just been staring at him blankly because he waved his hand.

"You know, live on site and fix it up in exchange for free rent."

"Right. Well, I'm not sure when I'll be free, but I'll let you know."

Luckily Van came out then. Mr. Donald tipped his hat and walked over to take his order. Just as he was driving off, Carter pulled in to the space right next to me. He got out, peering down the road after Mr. Donald's retreating vehicle.

Van greeted him with a handshake that turned into a hug. "What's up, man? Haven't seen much of you since you got back in town."

Carter ran a hand over his hair. "Yeah. Dealing with my dad has been a full-time job. I found a bottle hidden behind the couch cushions the other day."

Van winced. "He's still drinking?"

"Apparently." From the tone of his voice, it was obvious this was an ongoing problem. Considering his father's track record with sobriety, I knew he was fighting an uphill battle.

Van pointed at the store. "Well, I have to get back inside. I'm the only one on-shift today. But Rix, the rest of the wood you ordered is in the stock room."

After he walked back inside, Carter turned to me. "What was going on when I drove up? You looked even more pissed off than usual."

"Nothing. Mr. Donald just bought a house over on Magnolia that's in bad shape. He was wondering if I could fix it up the same way I'm doing for Charlie. You know, labor in exchange for free rent."

"Are you going to do it?" Carter asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know."

"Because that sounds like exactly what you've been looking for. More time for you to save your down payment."

"I know. I just…"

For a moment, I tried to imagine packing my bags and moving out of Charlie's place. The thought of not seeing her every day hit me like a truck. But that was the plan, right? To fix the place up and then move on? But for some reason, I suddenly couldn't picture it. The house, the lazy evenings, even the poop presents Meatball left in my boots randomly – I couldn't imagine that not being my life.

I didn't want to imagine it.

My life had been perfectly fine before, or so I'd thought. I hadn't even realized how much happier I'd been over the past month until I thought of moving out. But when I contrasted my current life with what had come before, it was no contest.

When I looked up Carter was watching me with a knowing look on his face. "Does she know?"

My brain was still stuck in the wasteland of imagining a Charlie-less world. "Know what?"

"That you're in love with her."

Even though it was in line with what I'd been thinking, hearing it out loud was so jarring that I actually took a step back.

Carter laughed. "Did you know? Maybe we should start there."

"I'm not in love with her," I muttered.

"Keep telling yourself that."

I peered at him. "You seem pretty chill about this."

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Look, I knew you had a thing for her in high school."

He sighed and rested his hands on the back of his head. "It's not like that with Charlie and me. It never has been."

He's still not looking me in the eye which only makes it more obvious that we need to talk. This is a conversation that should have happened years ago, but back then it felt like the kind of thing that didn't have to be said. We were two teenage punks, both in love with a girl who was out of both of our leagues. Then Charlie left town and it had been just one of those things we never talked about.

But now we had to talk about it. No matter what else happened, Carter was my oldest friend. We couldn't keep avoiding each other in town. Violet Ridge wasn't big enough for us to keep this up forever.

"You've been avoiding me ever since the bonfire," I said finally.

He sighed. "I've been busy. It's not just dealing with my dad. It's my job. It's everything."

"Carter. This is me, man. You can't bullshit me. I saw how you were looking at her that night."

He laughed suddenly. "I adore Charlie. We understand each other. She knows what it feels like to be an outsider in this town."

"How are you an outsider? You've lived here your whole life."

"Yeah. As the son of the town drunk. As the kid who had to take odd jobs to get by since my dad would drink away his whole paycheck instead of buying groceries."

"Carter–"

He held up a hand before I could even finish. "I know it wasn't my fault. I know people would have helped if they'd known. I know. But I didn't want to be the kid who needed other people's parents to buy him new shoes. I didn't want to be the kid who was so fucking grateful your parents let me sleep over so much because they knew I was going home to an empty house otherwise."

Stunned, I leaned against the side of my truck and watched as he paced around the parking lot. It wasn't like what he was saying was a revelation. I knew the shit his father had put him through growing up. But he'd always seemed so calm. Like he was just biding his time until he could leave town anyway. I never would have known how isolated he felt, despite being right in the middle of everything with us.

He finally stopped moving. "Look, it may not make sense but when Charlie looked at me, it was like she understood how separate I felt from everyone else. And despite having money, she carried that same isolation inside of her, too."

I shook my head. "It was supposed to be a casual thing. Just fun, you know?"

He closed the tailgate to my truck. "Casual, huh? And how is that working out?"

Frustrated, I pushed my hands through my hair. "I've fucked this up, huh? But I know Charlie. If I suddenly say I want more, she'll get spooked and run."

He laughed. "So don't tell her you want more. Show her."

"I don't know how."

"You know her. What does she want? Better yet, what is something that she's always wanted but doesn't think she can have?"

"All she's ever wanted is to belong here. To feel at home in Violet Ridge."

Carter nodded. "Exactly. So what's something that she never got to do much since she was usually only here in the summers? Something that is conveniently only a week away?"

When it finally dawns on me what he's suggesting, I flip him the bird."Oh fuck you."

He shrugged. "She would love it and you know it. Now let's get this wood loaded. I need to get back to work."

* * *

It was a struggle to keep things quiet over the next week. Everywhere I went in town, people stopped me to chat about our plans.

All the attention just reminded me why I usually went into hiding on this day but when I imagined Charlie's reaction, I decided being civil was worth it.

Even if it felt like the fake smile on my face was frozen after the seventeenth conversation.

When I finally pulled up in front of the house after a long day, I rested my head on the steering wheel. It was time to shake this funk off because I was going to be forced into seventeen more conversations over the next few hours. I groaned.

Charlie looked up when I came in. Her laptop was open on her lap and Meatball was dozing in his little bed by her feet. He'd taken to dragging his bed closer to wherever we were. If we were cooking, then he'd sit by the entrance to the kitchen and watch. While we were watching TV, he was right by the couch. And of course, he slept in Charlie's room every night. I still wasn't entirely comfortable having him around while we were naked but if we put him in another room he howled like his heart was breaking.

The little cock block just liked to watch.

Pervert.

"Hey! You're home early." Charlie closed the lid on her laptop and stretched.

"Are you done for the day?"

"I am now. You know, I thought you were bad but Earl doesn't even have one place to keep his receipts."

I snickered. Earl was the barber in town and known for two things, being cranky as hell and his crush on Dot down at the diner.

"My toolbox isn't looking so bad now, huh?"

She leaned over and held up a loose receipt. "This one was in the cash box. He had others in the backseat of his truck. Then there were the ones he couldn't find but just sort of remembered the amounts."

"Well, if you're done I want to show you something. But you have to change clothes first. Wear something you don't mind getting dirty."

She narrowed her eyes. "Change my clothes. Why?"

"No questions. Oh and put your hair up."

"Okay this is getting weird. We're not going camping right?"

I gave her a look. "You hate camping."

She peppered me with questions all the way upstairs. I held fast and didn't say anything as she changed out of her sweatpants and into some old shorts and a ratty T-shirt. As she gathered her hair up into one of her usual messy buns, she bounced on her heels.

"Okay I'm ready. Where are we going?"

Without a word I walked back downstairs. I was already wearing shorts and an old shirt since I hadn't wanted to bother with changing clothes. I got the small teething bone I'd bought for Meatball from the pantry and tossed it into his bed. That should keep him occupied while we were gone. All the while, Charlie hovered on my heels bouncing excitedly.

Once we were outside and in my truck, she finally broke.

"Come on! Give me one hint."

I sighed. "Okay I'll give you a hint. What is today?"

She sat quietly as she thought about it. "The only thing I can think of is that it's your birthday."

Shocked, I looked over at her. "You know today is my birthday?"

She rolled her eyes. "Of course. But you never do anything for your birthday. Are we meeting Tana?"

When I shook my head, she sighed. "I hate surprises."

"No, you don't. You just haven't been surprised enough by the right people."

While she continued to think, I drove the familiar route until we turned onto the newly paved road leading to the water. As we got closer, Charlie sat up straighter.

"This is the way to the creek," she said.

As we turned into the dirt lot where several other cars were parked, she finally noticed the group down by the water. A second later, a shriek carried through the air.

"Why are we at the creek? You hate the creek." Her voice shook slightly. Then she grinned. "Birthday dunk?"

I groaned in acknowledgement. "Birthday dunk."

Suddenly she squealed and threw her arms around my neck. Even though the next hour was going to be nothing short of torture, I found myself laughing right along with her. She put a hand on my cheek and grinned at me and I swear my heart flipped over.

"Come on. I'll race you to the water!" She kissed me softly before opening her door. She was gone before I even got my seatbelt off.

"Cheater!"