And Then One Day

by Samantha Chase

  “Mr. J, don’t say that…”

  “The last few weeks, I saw a difference in Dean–a lightness–that I swear I hadn’t seen since he was a boy. Since before my wife died. We talked about the two of you the night Asher was born and you have to know, even before that, he was struggling with this whole car situation as well as his feelings.” He paused. “I don’t think he was ever expecting any of this. You. Just…give him a chance to explain.”

  She couldn’t speak, couldn’t utter a single word even if she tried. So she hugged him one more time and walked out the door.

  The house was dark and he didn’t care.

  Courtney was gone and he didn’t do a thing to stop her.

  He knew it was all going to come back and bite him in the ass; he knew it as soon as Scarlett proposed this ridiculous scheme. Why the hell did he listen to her? Sure, most of her life she had known exactly what to do or say to get him to do what she wanted, but why did he do it this time? Especially when he knew it was going to hurt Courtney if she found out? Why did he put his sister’s needs first?

  “Because I’m an idiot,” he murmured.

  Sitting on his sofa in the dark wasn’t exactly the best way he could handle the situation, but he literally had no idea what to do. For the first time in a really long time, he felt lost.

  Much like he had when his mother had died.

  He remembered not having time to grieve because he’d been too concerned with his siblings and wanted to make sure they were all okay. He’d gotten through it then and he knew he’d get through it now, but…it was going to take some time.

  The house was quiet and lifeless and he realized how much those few weeks with Courtney living here changed that. The silence never used to bother him, but it did now. All the nights he’d come home after work and relish the peace and time to himself, he now knew he was going to dread them.

  “You have no one to blame but yourself.”

  If he were spiteful, he’d blame Scarlett too, but he knew she was suffering just like he was.

  At least she had Mason and the baby to help her, though. He had no one.

  Resting his head back, he wondered where Courtney was and how she was doing. Her trailer was still here and he wanted to offer to hook it up for her, but she had pulled out of the garage parking lot like the hounds of hell were after her.

  That meant she was still here in Magnolia, but…where?

  She wasn’t talking to Scarlett, her parents were still away…granted, he knew she had a ton of friends here in town, but…

  The urge to get in his truck and go look for her was strong and he knew he wouldn’t be able to rest until he saw for himself that she was someplace safe and okay. Getting up, he grabbed his keys and decided he’d drive all night until he knew where she was.

  He made it to the front door when someone knocked on it. Praying it was Courtney, he pulled it open and groaned.

  Hunter.

  “Dude, this is not a good time.”

  But his brother wasn’t paying any attention and walked in. “I heard what happened with Court and wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

  Still holding the door open, he glanced at his brother. “Did you talk to Scarlett?”

  “No. Courtney.”

  “What?!” he cried. “Where is she? Is she all right?”

  Hunter held out a hand to stop him. “She’s pretty damn upset and seriously hating you and Scarlett right now.”

  “Where is she?” he repeated.

  “I promised her I wouldn’t tell.”

  Rage, pure and simple, coursed through him. He slowly advanced on his brother with every intention of beating the shit out of him if he didn’t tell him where Courtney was. They were almost toe to toe, when Hunter grinned.

  “I’m just here to get the trailer, so…let’s not do this,” he said firmly. “You screwed up and you know it. Court’s a good friend, and right now, I’m one hundred percent on her side.”

  “How can you even say that? You know how I feel about her!”

  “I thought I did, but the fact that you let her go says otherwise!”

  “This is ridiculous,” Dean murmured. “Just tell me where she is so I can go make this right.”

  “Nuh-uh. Not going to happen. Unlike you and our sister, I’m no liar. I told her I would keep her secret and I will,” Hunter stated.

  “Dammit, Hunter!” he yelled, lunging forward.

  But his brother was faster and–honestly–a little stronger. He shoved Dean away without batting an eye. “You need to calm the hell down! She’s devastated that two of the people that mean the most to her lied to her! Give her at least tonight to calm down. If you care about her at all, you’ll do that!”

  “What if she leaves? What if you bring her the trailer and she takes off, huh? Then what will I do?”

  Hunter’s shoulders sagged slightly. “She’s not going anywhere tonight, I swear. Just…give her a little time, okay?”

  All the fight left him. Collapsing onto the couch with his head falling forward, he felt completely discouraged. “I waited too long,” he said, his voice gruff and quiet. “I meant to come clean–meant to confess about it all–but…”

  “But you didn’t,” his brother said, sitting down beside him. “You know, we may tease you a lot about being overly cautious, but this time, you really were. You were afraid to take the chance and tell her how you felt and look what happened.”

  Lifting his head, he looked at Hunter. “What if I tell her that I don’t want her to go and she leaves anyway? What if I tell her I love her and it’s too late?”

  “What if none of that happens and it all works out, huh? Dude, you are usually a very confident person. What is it about this situation that has you so freaked out?”

  “Because it’s not just me this time,” Dean confessed. “And Courtney’s not some random woman who doesn’t mean anything. She’s been a part of our lives since…forever. If things don’t work out, it’s going to be awkward forever. Her friendship with Scarlett would be ruined…”

  “I’m thinking Scarlett’s responsible for that one more than you. And you know how many times the two of them have had horrendous fights and then got over it? Do you not remember the screeching and crying and dramatic exits when they were in high school?” Hunter asked, laughing. “It was like a soap opera once a week in our living room! And they always got over it and are still friends. Well…not today, but we all know they’re going to make up.”

  But Dean wasn’t so sure.

  “Look, all I’m saying is that you need to stop being so damn afraid here. If you really love her, then you’re going to have to man up and say it and to hell with the consequences!”

  “Tell me where she is.”

  Hunter stood and shook his head. “Not tonight. Tonight, I’m going to get the trailer.”

  “Then I’ll just follow you and see where you take it,” Dean countered.

  “Then you’ll be following me to my house because that’s where I’m taking it.”

  “She’s staying with you?” Jumping to his feet, all the rage was back.

  Laughing, Hunter clapped him on the shoulder. “No, she’s not staying with me. I’m just getting the trailer for her and keeping it at my house so she can get it when she’s ready.”

  “Hunter…”

  “We’re not talking about this anymore. Do yourself a favor and get your head out of your ass. I promise to call you tomorrow and let you know what’s going on if anything’s changed, okay?”

  “Why are you being such a prick?”

  With a smile, Hunter turned to walk out the door. “Because I care about you both. But you deserve to suffer a little.” With a wave, he left.

  Dean walked out the door behind him and together they got the trailer hitched to the back of Hunter’s SUV.

  “It’s going to be alright, Dean,” Hunter said solemnly. “Try to remember that.”

  “I can’t force her to stay,” he said, hating to admit it out loud
. “There’s nothing here for her–no job, her family’s gone…”

  Rolling his eyes, Hunter said, “They’ll be back in like eight weeks or something. It’s not permanent. The job thing is a big factor, but not something that she can’t overcome. Although…”

  “Although what?”

  “She did mention that she got a couple of job offers from dental offices in Raleigh.”

  “Shit.”

  “Yeah, I know. Maybe you mean more to her than a job?” Then he laughed. “Probably not right now, this moment, but…basically…”

  “I hope so. I really do.”

  Hunter was quiet for a long moment. “What if…she doesn’t feel like she has a choice and still wants to go?”

  His heart squeezed hard at the thought of her leaving Magnolia and, therefore, leaving him. “I honestly don’t know.”

  15

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Hunter told me where you were.”

  Groaning, Courtney stepped aside and watched as Scarlett, with Asher in a carrier, walked into the hotel room. “He said he wouldn’t tell.”

  “No, he said he wouldn’t tell Dean where you were. He made no such promise about me.”

  “Awesome. Lying by omission. Great family trait,” she mumbled before going and sitting on the bed.

  Scarlett carefully sat on the small sofa in the corner of the room and adjusted the carrier she was wearing with Asher snuggled against her chest. She rubbed his tiny back as she got settled. “You can’t just leave town like this.”

  “Oh really? What are you going to do, go out and slash my tires?”

  With a small smile, Scarlett replied, “Fine. I deserve that. But that’s not what I meant.”

  “Then what did you mean?”

  “If you want to be mad at me, fine. You and I both know we’ll get over it. But don’t take this out on Dean, okay? It’s not his fault.”

  “You don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.”

  Scarlett’s smile grew and took on an almost mischievous quality. “Oh really?”

  “Yeah, really.”

  “Care to explain?” she asked, hoping she sounded bored, even though she was beyond curious.

  “It’s no secret that Dean is the one we all turn to when we’re in need. Hell, sometimes we don’t even have to go to him; he just sees a need and does what he can to help out.”

  This so wasn’t helping…

  “He spends so much time taking care of everyone else, that he rarely does anything for himself,” Scarlett went on. “But he never ever did anything that would hurt anyone.”

  Until now…

  “The day I asked him to lie about your car, I knew he was going to tell me no. Like…before I even picked up the phone, I knew he was going to say no. You see, for all the times I brag about getting my way, especially with him, his sense of honor always prevails. So when I got him to easily agree, it made me wonder why.”

  In no mood to play this game or prolong this conversation, Courtney interrupted, “You want to know why he agreed?” she asked sarcastically. “I’ll tell you why, it’s because…”

  “Because he’s in love with you,” Scarlett said confidently.

  “No. Because he was sleeping with me. Big difference.”

  Neither said a word for several long moments.

  “I hate that you kept it a secret from me,” Scarlett finally said. “That you wouldn’t tell me what was going on.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Do not put this all on me to try to excuse your bad behavior.”

  “That’s not what I’m doing!” Asher jumped a little in her arms before she quietly repeated, “That’s not what I’m doing.”

  “I’ve had a crush on your brother since I was like fifteen years old and you never once noticed. And really, it’s none of your business.”

  Chuckling softly, Scarlett smiled again. “You honestly think I didn’t notice? You’re no James Bond, Court. You were always asking about him or staring at him and of course I knew! I’ve been waiting for the two of you to get your acts together and figure it out because I knew he was into you too! Granted, not as long as you were into him, but…still!”

  “Wait…what are you…I mean…why didn’t you say anything?”

  With a shrug, Scarlett explained. “At first, I figured it was just you being you. Back when we were younger, you had a new crush every week. Then as we got older, I just figured you’d eventually move on. Then I noticed a change in my brother and thought ‘Finally!’ but he’s a doofus who moves at a snail’s pace.”

  It was hard not to agree.

  “I saw you kiss him the night of the rehearsal dinner.”

  “What? Why didn’t you…?”

  “Say anything?” She shrugged again. “If you remember correctly, I had all my own drama I was dealing with–like fitting my beachball belly into my wedding gown.” She rolled her eyes. “I still can’t believe I did that.”

  “Oh, stop. You looked beautiful and you know it. Maybe in a year or two you and Mason can renew your vows and you can wear a normal-sized gown.”

  “Maybe. Not that it matters. That whole ceremony was really for everyone else.” She paused. “I meant what I said though, Court. I wish you would have talked to me.”

  “We both thought you’d freak out–and not in a good way,” she corrected. “At the time, it seemed easier not to say anything.”

  “Wow.”

  “Then we were going to tell you Saturday night when you and Mason came for dinner.”

  “You were going to be at Dean’s?”

  She nodded. “I was staying with Dean.” Then she figured she might as well spill it all. “I never stayed at your place. Your old place. I went home with Dean the night of the wedding and then after my car broke down, I went home with him again and never left.”

  “Holy. Crap! Are you kidding me?”

  “Nope.”

  “Then what are you doing here? Why aren’t you back at Dean’s? What is happening right now?”

  Frowning, she looked at Scarlett like she’d lost her mind. “Um…because he lied to me. And now I don’t trust him and…”

  “We already established he lied about the car because I asked him to! You can’t hold that against him! And in the grand scheme of things, it’s a tiny issue!”

  Shaking her head, she flung herself back on the bed. “Don’t you see? It’s not just about the car, Scarlett. He was killing time until you told him it was okay to let me know about the car or…or until I found a job!”

  “Oh, my God! How can you even think that? You know Dean would never do that! He’s not that devious!”

  “That’s the thing, Scar. I don’t know that! I never thought Dean would be the kind of guy to lie about anything and this was pretty big! If he was serious about me, he shouldn’t have needed a ruse to keep me here! He knew how I felt! I told him the night of your wedding! So if he really had feelings for me, he shouldn’t have lied. All he needed to do was ask me to stay and I would have.”

  Groaning, Scarlett looked devastated. “I really screwed this up, didn’t I?”

  “Well…you certainly didn’t help,” she muttered.

  “What can I do?”

  But before Courtney could answer, Asher let out a tiny cry and she looked over to see him squirming against Scarlett.

  It was the cutest thing she’d ever seen.

  “Is he okay?”

  Nodding, Scarlett carefully lifted him out of his carrier and kissed him. “He’s probably hungry.”

  “Oh. Do you need to go?”

  “Not as long as you don’t mind me whipping out a boob right now and feeding him.”

  Laughing softly, she said, “At least you’re whipping it out for a good reason.”

  “Mardi Gras was a good reason.”

  “Says you.”

  And just like that, she knew they were going to be okay.

  For Courtney and Dean, however, the jury was still out.

 
“Dude, it is seven o’clock in the morning! What is wrong with you?”

  Not even remotely remorseful, Dean took a sip of coffee from his travel mug. “I’m here merely as a courtesy. I need to get the trailer hitched to my truck. I would have done it without you, but I didn’t have the keys to your SUV to move it.”

  Hunter yawned broadly and scratched his head. “You can’t steal her trailer and prevent her from leaving. That’s not going to go over well.”

  “That’s not what I’m doing.”

  “Then what are you doing?”

  Dean motioned to his own truck and watched his brother’s expression go from mildly curious to wide-eyed shock.

  “What the hell…?”

  The back of Dean’s truck was filled with luggage, and boxes, and assorted items from his house.

  Late last night it hit him that it didn’t matter if Courtney still wanted to leave because he would go with her. He had a solid career, which meant he could find a job almost anywhere. She was struggling and if her only option was to move, then he was moving with her. He was prepared to beg and grovel if necessary, but either way, she was going to know he was serious about her–that he loved her–and that meant he was going to be wherever it was that she needed to be.

  Even if that meant leaving Magnolia Sound.

  “Well?” he finally prompted his brother.

  “You’re serious about this?”

  He nodded. “I’ve never been more serious in my entire life.”

  Chuckling, Hunter shook his head. “And that’s really saying something since you’re the most serious guy I know.” He yawned again. “Hang out and I’ll help you get the trailer switched over.”

  “Thanks, man.”

  “You know I made her a promise…”

  “And you’re not breaking it. Scarlett already called me and told me where Courtney is so…you’re safe.”

  He laughed. “Not really. I’m the one who told her!”

  “Then you’ve just firmly established the fact that you’re the blabbermouth of the family and no one should ever tell you their secrets.”

  He shrugged. “I can live with that.”

  Fifteen minutes later, he was pulling out of the driveway and kicking himself for not realizing where Courtney was sooner. The night he picked her up in the tow truck she had mentioned going to Magnolia on the Beach. How could he have forgotten?