“I’ll go get an ice pack,” Brynn said and started off toward her mom’s house.
“Just help me up,” Mrs. Miles said. “I’m sure it’s fine.”
Ben raised an eyebrow. “You stay put until we’re sure.”
“Benjamin,” she said, although the hint of scolding in her tone wasn’t sharp.
“I’ll get you a chair so you can rest it a bit before you try walking,” Ben said. “But that’s my final offer.”
Before he had to ask, I grabbed a folding chair I’d seen in the shed. I got it set up for her, and after Ben shook it a little to make sure it was steady, he helped her into it.
“You don’t need to make a fuss,” she said.
Ben obviously had things well in hand. He knelt in front of Mrs. Miles and started checking her ankle again. I suppressed a smile and wondered how big of a party Ben was going to throw when Mrs. Miles’ divorce was final.
There were a few boxes left in the old shed, so I went in to get them. One was up on a shelf, the contents sticking out of the top. Brynn’s Room was scrawled in bold letters across one side.
I took it down, eying what was inside. This stuff had definitely been Brynn’s. There were some yearbooks, and picture frames that looked like she’d hand-painted them. The pink sign that had once hung on the outside of her bedroom door, with Brynn in fancy letters. There were also some books and what might have been a makeup bag or maybe a case for pens and pencils.
I brought the box outside, but the bottom was loose, like the tape wasn’t sticky enough to hold the weight of its contents. Before I could adjust my grip and support the middle, the bottom ripped open and Brynn’s stuff started spilling out onto the ground.
“Shit.”
I crouched and set the box down. Luckily the ground was dry. Brynn was still off getting ice for her mom’s ankle, so I started putting things back in the box. I’d have to get some tape to reinforce it, but if I was careful picking it up, it should be fine.
Among some dog-eared paperbacks, I picked up a pink and gold journal. On the outside, she’d written Brynn’s Diary.
Well, shit, this was tempting. But I wasn’t going to look inside. Even if it was old, that was a dick move. But then I turned it over and glanced at the back. There was a heart drawn in black sharpie, and inside were the initials B.M. with a plus sign, followed by C.R.
Wait, C.R.? Those were my initials. That was funny.
I didn’t remember Brynn having a boyfriend before college, but maybe she’d had a crush on some kid at school. It was weird to feel a brush of jealousy. This journal was probably from when she was in high school. It wasn’t like it made a difference now if she’d been into some other guy.
But I kind of wanted to know who he was. I glanced up, but there was no sign of Brynn. Ben was still trying to coax Shannon into staying seated. They weren’t paying attention to me. I left a few of the books on the ground—giving myself cover in case Brynn came back—and flipped through the pages of her old diary.
Her handwriting was smooth and even, with little curls and flourishes. There were some journal entries, complete with dates and beginning with Dear Diary. I didn’t read them, just skimmed for names. I thumbed through some more pages and stopped, staring.
She’d written my name surrounded by little doodled hearts and flowers. On the facing page, she’d written Brynn Reilly, over and over, like she’d been practicing a signature.
Her signature with my last name.
I shut the journal and put it back in the box, but I was reeling. Had Brynn had a thing for me? I guess there was no other reason she’d have written my name surrounded by hearts. Or practiced writing her name with mine.
God, she was adorable.
Had she really had a crush on me back then? I’d never known. But of course, I hadn’t paid attention to her. And it wasn’t like I would have been able to act on it at the time, even if I’d realized.
But the fact that she’d thought about me that way hit me hard. She’d once dreamed about taking my name? About being Brynn Reilly? How often had I wished I was part of her family? The idea that Brynn had indulged in this little fantasy tugged on something in my chest. Made it a little hard to breathe.
And fuck, the weirdest part was how much I liked seeing her name with mine. Even though it was from years ago—just the doodles of a teenage girl—the sight of it stirred up a primal urge I’d never known I had. The desire for someone to belong to me. For me to belong to her.
I gathered up the rest of her stuff and carefully brought it to the other shed, making sure to support the bottom. There was some packing tape sitting out, so I repaired the box and found a place for it among Brynn’s other things.
If you’d asked me about marriage a few weeks ago, I’d have waved it off as unimportant. It was fine for other people, but I wasn’t interested in getting married. Being with the same woman for the rest of my life? It sounded complicated. Like a lot of work.
But maybe I’d just never met anyone who was worth it.
Brynn was turning me upside down and inside out. I was feeling things I’d never felt before. Thinking about things so differently. I had no business thinking about marriage when I wasn’t even officially dating her. That was legit crazy. But the thought of her becoming Brynn Reilly felt kind of awesome.
“This is the last of it.”
I jumped at Brynn’s voice behind me. “Shit.”
“Sorry,” she said with a laugh. She put her box down and scooted it to the side. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”
The light was fading as the sun went down, and the last rays illuminated her from behind through the shed’s open doors. Her face was framed with a soft glow, her hair shining.
“That’s okay, I just didn’t hear you. Is your mom’s ankle okay?”
“Yeah, I think so. Ben convinced her to go home, but she was insisting she’d still cook everyone dinner.”
I shook my head. “She doesn’t have to do that.”
“I know, and that’s what Ben told her, too. He’s going to grab some takeout instead. Want to join us?”
“Yeah, I’d love to.”
She smiled again and I shit you not, it was like those little doodled hearts popped up in the air around her face. “Good.”
Yep, I was a goner.
Eleven
Brynn
This was not happening. I turned the key again. Nothing. No hum of the engine. No lights. Was my battery dead? I turned the key a few more times, as if somehow my car would magically start when it hadn’t the first ten times I’d tried it.
I banged my fist against the steering wheel. I’d driven it yesterday, and it had seemed fine. Why wasn’t it working now? I didn’t have time for this. I had a test to get to.
Cooper was gone, so I couldn’t call him. I tried Roland, but he didn’t answer. Zoe was busy. There was an event at the Big House later today—a corporate lunch or something—so I couldn’t bug her. Mom’s ankle was still hurt. I knew she’d come if I asked her to, but I didn’t want to make her drive. And Leo… well, Leo hadn’t left the winery grounds in years, so he wasn’t going to help.
Maybe Chase…
He was probably at work, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask. If he was busy, he could just say no. I wouldn’t put any pressure on him.
I swallowed hard, forcing down the prickles of nervousness as I brought up his number.
“Hey, you,” he said. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, except my car won’t start.”
“Uh oh. Do you want me to come look at it? I can swing by tonight.”
“Um, yes… but… I’m sorry, I know you’re working. But I have a test in less than an hour and I’m starting to freak out a little. I can’t miss it.”
“I’ll be right there.”
“Are you—”
He’d already hung up.
I smiled down at my phone. God, that guy.
Chase had been clear that he wasn’t going to ask me out, officially, until he�
�d had a chance to talk to Cooper. And my brother was still out of town. But he seemed to find excuses for us to hang out almost every day.
Nothing had happened. He hadn’t so much as hugged me. Sometimes he just hung out while I did homework. I’d sit at the little table with my books spread out, laptop open, while he lounged on the couch. He’d even helped me study for my test, quizzing me on the facts I needed to remember.
The rest of the time, we talked. Endless conversations about everything. I knew more about Chase after a week than I’d known in the entire twenty-one years before. He’d been pouring his heart out to me. Talking about his parents. His job. Things he loved, and things he hated. I knew he had a soft spot for sappy movies. That he loved old-school country music. That he secretly followed an Instagram poet, and he didn’t want Cooper, or his other friends, to find out.
He’d told me about starting his business when he was twenty-two. How scary it had been to sign the lease on his shop, and how he’d taken extra business classes to make sure he knew what he was doing. What it had felt like the first time he’d billed a client.
I knew he loved brownie edges and hated carrot cake. That he and Cooper grilled ninety percent of their food, regardless of whether it was meant to be grilled. That about half of the things Cooper got in trouble for when they were kids had actually been Chase’s ideas.
And I’d found myself telling him all about me. I left out the part about having a crush on him for most of my life. But I talked about my parents. About growing up with my dad, and how I felt about my mom. I talked about my brothers. About my hero-worship of Zoe and how hard it had been when she and Roland got divorced. We even talked about Leo, which I hadn’t done before, with anyone.
I talked about going to business school. About my classes—the ones I liked, and the ones I didn’t. About my worries for the future—what would come after I finished school. I told him about Grace, and what meeting her had been like.
I’d never bonded with another person so quickly, and so thoroughly, as I had with Chase. And every moment I spent with him made me fall for him a little bit more.
Which was dangerous, and I knew it. But my heart was not listening to that little voice in my head, warning me to be careful. Reminding me that we’d shared one stolen kiss, and since then, nothing more. We weren’t really dating. We were just hanging out.
Except we’d shared so much more than just that kiss.
Chase pulled up in his black Toyota pickup and leaned out the window with a grin. “Hey, you’re kinda cute. Need a ride?”
Yeah, I was screwed.
I got in the truck. “Thank you so much.”
“It’s no problem.”
I fastened my seatbelt and arranged my backpack on my lap. “I’m so sorry to pull you away from work. I don’t know what’s up with my car, but I can’t miss this test.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m glad you called me.”
Giddiness bubbled up through my tummy and my cheeks felt warm and flushed. Chase drove out of the winery grounds and through town toward the highway.
“Are you ready for your test?
“I think so.” I shifted my backpack. It was heavy with all my books.
“Would it help if I quiz you again?” he asked. “Or are you past the point where last-second cramming is going to help?”
“It couldn’t hurt.”
He started asking questions about the material. It was hard to concentrate on answering. Not because I didn’t know the answers; I did. He’d quizzed me on this stuff several times over the last week. It was hard to focus because I couldn’t believe he remembered. He stumbled over a few things and didn’t remember all the right things to ask. But even that helped, because it gave me a chance to explain what I knew.
It was hitting me hard that Chase cared.
By the time we got to campus, I was pretty sure I’d rock this test. And also sure if I didn’t get the chance to kiss Chase very soon, I was going to go out of my mind.
“What time do you think you’ll be done?” he asked.
“I have another class at two. And I can hang out at the student lounge until you’re done with work. It’s fine.”
“Just text me when you’re done.”
“Okay, but don’t rush out here or anything. I know you have stuff to do.”
The corner of his mouth hooked in a grin. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve got you.”
I had to bite my lip to keep from giggling. He kept making me feel so giddy. “Thanks.”
After I got out of the truck and headed toward the building, I glanced back. He was still there, parked in a loading zone, watching me. I wiggled my fingers in a little wave, then kept walking. Just before I went into the building, I glanced again. He smiled and gave me a chin tip. I had a feeling he wasn’t going to leave until I went inside.
This. Guy.
After my test—which I was pretty sure I’d rocked—I went to my two o’clock class. It felt like time slowed to half speed. I was fidgety, constantly checking the time. Wishing it would be over. Thinking about Chase.
Class finally ended, and I went over to the student lounge. It was part cafeteria—and the food wasn’t bad—part study area. There were tons of tables where students spread out their books, sipped coffee, ate pre-packaged sandwiches and baked goods, and studied for tests.
It was usually busy in the afternoon, and today was no different. I found a table toward the back and set my stuff down, then pulled out my phone to text Chase.
Me: Finished, but no rush.
Chase: Be there in a few
Me: I’m in the student lounge. Text when u get here.
Chase: Np
I got out my statistics book and lay it flat on the table. That class was going to be the death of me. I went over the last few chapters, taking notes as I went. Some of the material was finally starting to click. I wrote down a few more notes to help solidify everything in my mind. Maybe stats wasn’t going to kill me after all.
“Hey, Brynn.”
The voice sent a tremor through my stomach. Images of walking into my apartment to find my roommate fucking my boyfriend ran through my mind.
I glanced up. “Austin.”
“Hey.” He smiled, but it faded quickly, and he adjusted his backpack. “How have you been?”
“Fine.”
“Good. That’s good. How are your classes this semester?”
Why the hell was he talking to me? This guy had broken my heart. I’d thought we were getting serious. Turned out, he’d been banging my roommate behind my back.
“Do you need something?”
“No.” He adjusted his backpack again. “I was just wondering how you are.”
I shrugged. “Like I said, I’m fine.”
“Do you want to go get some food or something?”
“What? Why?”
“I thought we could talk,” he said. “It’s been a while, you know?”
Was he serious? I tilted my head. There had to be a reason this asshole was talking to me. “Let me guess: Carrie dumped your cheating ass and now you don’t have anyone to suck your dick. Sorry, not interested.”
“Come on, Brynn, don’t be like that.”
I don’t know how I knew. I wasn’t sitting near the front doors, and a steady stream of people walked in and out. But somehow, the second Chase walked in, I felt his presence.
He paused just inside and looked around, finding me quickly. Our eyes met, and a slow smile spread across his face. He was wearing his old baseball cap and a black jacket over his faded blue t-shirt and jeans. He walked straight for me, his eyes not leaving mine, and I realized I was smiling as big as he was.
“How did your test go?” he asked as soon as he got to my table.
“I think I nailed it.”
“Of course you did.” He seemed to notice Austin and his smile faded. “What’s up with herpes guy?”
The color drained from Austin’s face. “What?”
Chase leaned clo
ser to me and lowered his voice, as if trying to keep Austin from hearing. “You should be careful. I think I saw this guy on a herpes poster.”
I knew it. Cooper and Chase were behind all those posters. They’d denied it for weeks after it had happened, but I’d known it had to have been them.
Although right now, I couldn’t even be mad.
“Really? Gross.” I gathered up my things and put my bag over my shoulder. “Ready?”
Austin stared at Chase, open-mouthed. Chase didn’t even have to be a dick to him. He just brushed my hair back off my shoulder and smiled at me. His eyes flicked to Austin once, then back to me—a clear dismissal. Everything about Chase’s casual and confident demeanor sent a message to Austin: I’m not worried about you, because you don’t matter.
I’d never been so turned on in my entire life.
My brothers? They ran guys off with glares and threats. Cooper had even dragged Kieran out of a restaurant by his shirt. Chase? He didn’t need to threaten or bluster. He just put his hand gently on the small of my back and led me through the student lounge. No jealous glares. No pissing testosterone all over the room. Just a calm assurance that he was in another league, and Austin had no hope of reaching him.
He was right.
“Thanks again for the ride,” I said as he opened his truck door for me.
He met my eyes and smiled—that slightly crooked, confident smile that made me a little melty every time he did it. “Of course. I told you, I’ve got you.”
Yeah, you do, Chase. You really do.
Twelve
Chase
I’d been fine, until today. Fine with waiting. Tempted by the sweet girl sitting in my truck, certainly. But I had shit under control. Today? Something about Brynn was driving me out of my mind.
I went around to the driver’s side and got in. Maybe it was the way she smelled. Was she wearing some new perfume? It didn’t smell artificial, or even that strong. It just smelled like her. But she was putting off some goddamn powerful pheromones. It was taking a lot of self-control not to grab her and kiss the hell out of her.
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