Sidetracked (The Busy Bean)

by R. L. Kenderson

  I wanted her to stay far away before I kissed her again. Before I delivered her to my bed.

  Charli swung back to the rest of my family and smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “On that note, I’d better get going.”

  “Thank you again, Charli,” Lauren said. “You really saved us today.”

  “Yes, thank you. We really appreciate it,” Max said as he narrowed his gaze in my direction.

  “Thanks,” I made myself mutter.

  “You’re all welcome.” She put her hand on my dad’s arm again. “Lee, I will send you the podcast information, so you can keep listening to it.”

  Dad patted her hand. “Thank you, dear.”

  “You’re very welcome, Lee. We’ll talk again, okay?”

  “Okay,” Dad said as Charli opened the door and then quietly closed it behind her.

  After she was gone, everyone turned their eyes my way and stared.

  “What?” I asked.

  Lauren shook her head. “Come on, Lee. Let’s go into the kitchen. You can tell me all about the trip and this podcast Charli mentioned while I cook dinner.”

  Max watched his wife and our dad leave the room before he turned back to me. “What is wrong with you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  I was playing dumb. I knew he was talking about how rude I had been.

  “You didn’t have to be so mean. You acted like Charli’s been late on rent for months, but this is the first time she’s had to pay us.”

  I couldn’t let my brother know the real reason I hadn’t been nice. He would flip his shit if he knew that I’d had sex with Charli and was doing my best not to do it again.

  “She…just seems a little flaky, is all,” I said. “I wanted to make sure she didn’t forget.”

  Rather than stay mad, Max began to laugh and shake his finger at me.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “I know what this is.”

  I straightened my spine. “What?”

  “You like her. And you don’t want to like her, so you’re being a dick.” He tilted his head. “Does Charli know you like her?”

  “Shut up.”

  Max laughed harder while I got more pissed. If my brother suspected I had feelings for Charli, then she probably knew too.

  I couldn’t let her think she was right. I needed to make sure she realized that we would never be a thing.

  26

  Charli

  When I got home from dropping off Lee, I was feeling pretty shitty. Gabe had been a total asshole to me. I didn’t understand what his problem was. Was he really that scared of me?

  I really would like to be friends with him. He was my neighbor and my landlord after all. And I wasn’t lying about not wanting a relationship. I just wished he would trust me.

  Thinking I wanted more was the only reason I could come up with for why he had been so cold and aloof.

  About ten minutes after I got home, I caught the sound of Gabe’s vehicle pulling up. I heard his truck door slam closed, his footsteps pounding as he marched to his half of the duplex, and then his front door slam shut as well.

  I restrained myself from looking out the window as a smile spread across my face. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that Gabe was in a bad mood.

  Maybe if he were nicer to people, he wouldn’t be so pissy.

  It wasn’t but a few minutes later that I heard him leave his house and walk to his workshop.

  That was when I decided to turn on music or the TV or something, so I wouldn’t hear every little move Gabe made.

  Since I had to make dinner, I opted for music. I found some pop songs with a fast beat and turned my music up as I got to cooking.

  Things were going well—hearing nothing else from my neighbor—and it was almost time for me to eat when I heard the sound of a hammer beating against a wall.

  I turned down my music because there was no way I would hear it that well if it were happening in the garage. As soon as the volume was lowered, I figured out why I could hear it over my tunes.

  Gabe was right outside my door.

  Now, it was my turn to march to the door. I had a feeling he was out there, making noise, just to piss me off.

  For someone who seemed to want nothing to do with me, he was sure causing enough noise for our neighbors down the block to come and investigate.

  I swung my door open to see Gabe standing between our two places, hanging what looked like a mailbox. It wasn’t the same kind that sat at the end of our street. It reminded me of the box that hung outside the rental office of my last apartment building with a slot at the top.

  I gasped with outrage, and he turned his head to me and gave me a satisfied smile.

  I spun around and went straight to my office. I was so angry that I had to look through several drawers before I found what I was looking for.

  I flipped open my checkbook and scribbled across the paper, but before I ripped the check out, I made sure to add a message to the memo line.

  I went back outside and waited until Gabe was finished hanging the mailbox.

  As soon as he lowered his hammer, I slapped the check on his chest. “There. Are you happy now?”

  His brow furrowed, and he grabbed the paper out of my hand. When he realized it was my rent, he shoved it in the new mailbox. “You’re not even going to use this, are you?”

  “You are literally standing right here. I handed you my rent check. Why would I use this box today? If I placed it in there, you would just take it right back out.” He was being ridiculous. “ ‘You’re not even going to use this, are you?’ ” I said, mocking him. “I guess you won’t know until you give me a chance.” I opened the mailbox, took out the check, shut it, and shoved the check back inside through the slot. I narrowed my eyes at Gabe. “Happy now?”

  “Yes, I am,” he said in a calmer voice than he had been using.

  He opened the box and pulled out the check while I rolled my eyes at how absurd he was being.

  “Well, at least one of us is,” I told him.

  I spun around to go back into my apartment when he snapped, “What the hell is this?”

  I stopped and looked back at him. Putting my hand on my waist, I asked, “What?”

  “The memo line. For sexual favors.” His gaze met mine with accusation in his eyes.

  I shrugged. “Since you’re in a permanently pissed off mood, I thought you could use a good joke.”

  “This isn’t funny. This is a small town. I know every teller at the bank.”

  “And now, they’ll think you’re some kind of playboy. Congratulations, stud.”

  With a satisfied smile, I twirled around to go back into my apartment, but Gabe seized my hand and yanked me to him.

  My chest hit his with an, “Oof.”

  He tucked my hair behind my ear with his free hand. “You’re infuriating, you know that?”

  “Back at you.”

  The corner of his mouth turned up right before he kissed me.

  It started out gentle, but it only took about two-point-five seconds before the chemistry between us had a reaction.

  Gabe groaned and shoved me against the wall while I wrapped my arms around his neck.

  It hadn’t been that long since we had been intimate with each other, but my body acted like it had been a decade.

  His lips trailed down my neck to my shoulder, and for some reason, I opened my eyes that I hadn’t even realized I’d shut.

  When I saw the thankfully empty street, I tapped my fingers on Gabe’s shoulder.

  He lifted his head and furrowed his brow as he looked down at me.

  “We’re outside.”

  He scanned the area around us, like he’d just realized we were making out in front of our duplex.

  I pulled my arms from his neck as I waited for him to return to his senses and walk away from me.

  Instead, he looked at his door and then my door. And then his again.

  He took my hand and started for his place.
“It’s my turn to have you in my bed.”

  27

  Charli

  A horn honked outside, and I grabbed my purse and practically skipped out the door.

  Lauren had asked me if I wanted to go to Montpelier for a pedicure and dinner. She hadn’t needed to ask me twice because I hadn’t had a girls’ day or night since I’d left Virginia.

  “Hi, Charli,” she said when I got in her car.

  “Hey, Lauren. Thanks again for asking me.”

  “Please. You’re doing me a favor. I’m getting out of the house for the night. A husband, two kids, and a father-in-law can make home life feel overwhelming sometimes.”

  “I’m glad I could help. How’s Lee doing?”

  “He’s well. We’ve listened to your podcast recommendation a couple of times now in the car. I didn’t know he was a true crime fan.”

  “I hope you’re okay with it.”

  She looked at me. “More than okay. I hate when the kids get in the car with us and I have to shut it off.”

  I laughed and looked in the backseat even though I knew it was empty. “There are no kids with us now.”

  Lauren grinned. “You’re right. There aren’t.”

  When we got to the nail salon, the woman behind the counter asked if we wanted the basic or deluxe package.

  Lauren looked at me.

  “You can do whatever you want, but I’m getting the deluxe package. I haven’t had a pedicure in months, and this will probably be my last one before it gets cold,” I said.

  Lauren laughed and looked at the woman. “I guess we’re going deluxe.”

  “You can go over. We have two chairs open for you ladies,” the woman said.

  “Thank you,” we both said as we went to find our chairs.

  As I slid my feet into the warm water, I sighed. “Ahh. Now, this is what I’m talking about.”

  “My feet definitely needed this,” Lauren said.

  “This was a great idea. I don’t even care what my toes look like after this.”

  The lady at my feet looked up at me.

  “But I’m sure you’ll do an excellent job,” I quickly told her.

  “So, how are you settling into Vermont?” Lauren asked me.

  “I’m really liking it. It’s so beautiful here, and I love the small-town feel.”

  “I’m so glad. And Max and I want you to know that we really appreciate you taking Lee to his appointment.”

  “It wasn’t a big deal.”

  Lauren looked at me in disbelief, and I chuckled.

  “I’m serious. I mean, would I want to do it every week? No. But one time isn’t a big deal.”

  “Hopefully, no more last-minute appointments, so we can figure out the details earlier.” Lauren cleared her throat and seemed like she wanted to say something else.

  “Is there—”

  “We also—”

  We both started at the same time.

  “You go ahead,” Lauren said.

  “No, it’s not important. You go.”

  “Max and I also want to apologize for Gabe. He’s normally somewhat of a grump, but he was really bad the other night.”

  I shook my head. “You don’t have to apologize for someone else. You don’t control his emotions or actions. Gabe is responsible for Gabe.”

  “You’re right, but we both still feel bad.”

  I shrugged. “It’s fine. He apologized later.”

  Lauren’s eyes grew wide. “He did?”

  Was giving me two toe-curling orgasms an apology? I thought so. “More or less.”

  Putting her hand on her chest, she leaned back against her chair. “That makes me feel better. I don’t want you to think all Vermont guys are moody.”

  “I have learned not to base things off of one person.”

  “That’s good to hear.”

  I could hear the smile in her voice.

  “Why do you ask?”

  Lauren wiggled her eyebrows once. “How would you feel about being set up with someone? Max and I know this guy, and I feel like he would be perfect for you.”

  “Oh.” Wow. I hadn’t expected Lauren to ask me that. And I didn’t know how to respond.

  Gabe and I weren’t a couple, but we were sleeping together. On one hand, he had told me on more than one occasion that he didn’t want a relationship. But on the other hand, it felt like I would be cheating if I went out with someone else.

  Lauren snapped her fingers. “Charli?”

  I looked over at her. “Sorry.”

  “You look uncertain. Let me tell you more. This guy has never been married, and he has no kids. He owns his own house, and he’s worked as a mortgage broker for a bank for several years. He’s good-looking, stable, and successful.”

  And boring?

  “And you thought he’d be perfect for me?” Have Lauren and I met?

  She laughed. “Yes. He has a similar sense of humor to you.”

  That’s it?

  “Oh, and he’s from West Virginia.”

  I’d heard that before. Just because two states had similar names, it didn’t mean they were the same. Plus, I wasn’t actually from Virginia. But Lauren was going out of her way to do something for me. She was my first real friend in Vermont.

  “Let me think about it. I just got out of a long-term relationship.”

  “Right. I totally understand,” she said, but she also had a huge grin on her face.

  “Where are we going to dinner?” I asked to change the subject.

  “Ooh. Let me tell you our choices.”

  28

  Gabe

  I had just finished restocking the cleaning products when Mrs. Williams approached me.

  “Young man, I cannot find the gardening supplies. Where did you say they were again?”

  I counted to ten while taking in a deep breath before slowly letting it out. “Ma’am, it is fall. We aren’t selling gardening supplies anymore. Anything that we have left would be back in the clearance aisle.”

  Max came up behind me as Mrs. Williams looked me up and down, like I had just taken a shit on her flowers.

  My brother stepped around me. “Ma’am, let me show you what we have.”

  He led her away, and I picked up the empty boxes from the floor.

  A few minutes later, Max found me in the back room, breaking up the boxes.

  “You didn’t have to be so testy with Mrs. Williams.”

  “She had already asked me three times. And all three times, I gave her the same answer.”

  “Then, next time, show her instead of telling her.”

  I stared at him.

  “Please?” Max said.

  “I’ll think about it.”

  He rolled his eyes, turned, and walked out. As he went, I heard him mutter, “Someone needs to get laid.”

  “ ‘Someone needs to get laid,’ ” I mocked.

  Max stuck his head back in. “What?”

  “Nothing.” I threw the last box I had torn down in the bin. “I’m going home.”

  “Thank God.”

  I gave my brother the finger as I walked past him and out the door, mostly because he was right and I was taking it out on him.

  I hadn’t seen Charli all week.

  When I’d said I didn’t want a relationship, I’d thought she’d try to make excuses to see me. However, it seemed like she’d been serious when she said she didn’t want one either.

  And the one night we had made plans to meet up and have sex, she had canceled on me.

  I didn’t like it. And it pissed me off that I didn’t like it. I was getting what I wanted after all.

  When I got home, I saw her car in the driveway. I should go to my shop and do some work on a piece of furniture I needed to finish, but I knocked on Charli’s door instead.

  She answered it a few minutes later in yoga pants and a sweatshirt. Her hair was up in a mess on top of her head, and she wasn’t wearing any makeup.

  I’d never wanted to have sex with anyone more.<
br />
  “Hey, Gabe. What’s up?”

  What’s up, what’s up, what’s up? I needed to come up with a reason for being here and fast. I couldn’t tell her that I simply felt the urge to see her. That would send the wrong message.

  “Uh…I wanted to let you know that you can use the mailbox for more than just rent. Like if you need me to fix something, put a note in there.”

  She raised her eyebrows. “You know, they invented this gadget called a smartphone. Not only can I call you, but I can also send these things called text messages.”

  “Ha-ha. You’re funny.”

  She smiled, her green eyes sparkling. “I know.”

  “But this way, if you leave a note, I can hang it up somewhere, so I don’t forget to actually fix it, like I did with the showerhead.”

  I deserved a pat on the back for that quick thinking.

  “Okay, that makes sense.”

  I smiled. “Yes, it does.”

  “You know, this means you’ll have to check it more than once a month.”

  I frowned. I hadn’t thought of that. “I know. You just let me worry about that.”

  She held up her hands in surrender. “Whatever you say.”

  “Where have you been?” I asked before I could stop myself.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I haven’t seen you much lately, and you canceled our plans the other night.”

  “Ahh, did you have to take matters into your own hand?”

  “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

  “Actually, I wouldn’t. I’ve picked up some extra hours at The Busy Bean, I went to Montpelier with Lauren for pedicures and dinner one night, and I’ve been writing, writing, writing.”

  My brother hadn’t said anything about Lauren and Charli hanging out, but I was glad to hear about her working on her book.

  “Hey, that’s great news.”

  “And I’m getting ready to publish my first story. I’ve got the cover, and it’s almost done with edits. I’m pretty excited.”

  “I don’t blame you. I would love to see the cover.”

  She stepped back. “Come in.”

  I’d thought she’d never ask.