“I shouldn’t speak to you like that,” he said, sobering.
“Why?” she said, feeling disappointment sneak in.
“Mike…” He shook his head. “Never mind. Your cheeks are so cold, love.” He ran his still-warm hands over them, reminding her that she had long ago lost feeling in most of her body parts. “I’ll give you a ride home in my truck. It should still be pretty warm. I was inside for only a few minutes.”
She would go anywhere with him as long as he kept his warm hands on her cold body, but his comment about Mike made her remember where she was supposed to be. “Shit. I have to go to work.” She stepped away.
“When?”
“Like right now.” She looked at Rufus, who was sitting quietly like the good boy he wasn’t. “Double shit. I have to take him home first.”
“How about I take you to work first and then take him home.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I want to. It’s the least I can do for laughing my head off at you.”
He was sweet. There was something about him that was sweet. She had a feeling that not everybody saw it; that he tried to keep it hidden from the world.
“Okay then.” She nodded. “I accept your offer.”
Somehow Colin managed to get her to St. Lucy Street in record time. Rufus—who was usually a nut job in the car—sat quietly in the back, his tail wagging happily. It was as if Colin was some kind of dog whisperer. He was a woman whisperer, too. If she had a tail, looking at him would cause it to wag.
“Thank you for this, Col. If there’s anything I can do to repay you…”
“Go to work, lass. We’re friends. You don’t need to repay me.”
Friends? That wasn’t what they were exactly. With Ellis and Belinda and Mike there was a different kind of closeness, like they were a family with whom she could share anything. But not Colin. He didn’t exactly inspire brotherly feelings in her. No, the feelings that rushed through her when she looked at him were not familial at all.
“Why are you looking at me like that, love?” He gently brushed the hair back from her face, causing that tingly feeling to rise up inside her. “Has snot froze to my face?”
It occurred to her in that moment that there wasn’t much she knew about the man she kind of lusted over. It also occurred to her that she wanted to get to know him a little better. “Do you like homemade chocolate chip cookies?”
“Does a bear shit in the woods?”
“I’ll make you some.” She turned around to Rufus, whose eyes were adoringly set on Colin. “Good-bye, mutt. You’re lucky you’re not getting turned into doggy stew tonight.” She hopped out of the car and looked up at Colin. “Thank you, Col. I appreciate this more than you know.”
“It’s nothing, love. Need me to come ’round later and pick you up?”
She was surprised by his offer and tempted to take him up on it, just so she could spend a little more time in his presence. “No thanks, but could you could check to see if Baba is okay? I worry about her being alone sometimes.”
“Of course. I’ll ring you later with an update.”
“Thanks.” She smiled at him once more before she headed into Size Me Up.
She loved walking into Size Me Up. Not only was the store beautiful with its colorful walls and art deco furniture, it was her second home, a place where special-sized girls like her could find great clothes and good advice when they needed it. She had been with the place since the doors had opened, and in that time she’d watched Ellis transform from a struggling shop owner to a designer with flourishing business, from a happily single girl to an in-love married woman. Belinda had changed, too, in subtle ways. They all had. She felt as if she’d grown up here. But she was going to have to leave this place soon, and it scared the crap out of her.
She’d gone to school to be an art teacher. She loved to paint. She loved to take a blank canvas and turn it into something amazing. She had a master’s degree in fine arts and had spent the past five years studying the greats. She needed to find a job in her field soon.
“Hey, kid.” Mike greeted her with a ruffle to her hair. “Was that Colin who dropped you off?”
“Yeah.” She smoothed her hair back into place after Mike’s brotherly greeting. “He helped me capture my naughty dog.”
Mike looked at her for a long moment with narrowed eyes. “Did you call him or was Rufus near his house? Is your car okay? Is that why he drove you? Why didn’t you call me to help you? You know we’re here for you, right?”
Her head spun at his influx of questions.
Mike was protective by nature. As a former cop it was something he couldn’t seem to let go of. For Ellis he was the perfect chivalric husband, risking his future by quitting his job and buying this building for her. But Mike wasn’t Cherri’s husband, and as much as she appreciated his concern, she was an adult and she didn’t need him to be so overprotective. “You know, I often wonder why you left the force. If you miss interrogating people so much I’m sure Durant PD will let you come in and help out a few days a week. You can think of it as community service.”
“Whoa.” He stepped back, putting his hands in the air in surrender. “Turning twenty-two has made you sassy. I was just checking in. You’re like my baby sister. It’s my job.”
“I’m sorry,” she apologized with a sigh. “I spent the last hour chasing after a dog in the freezing cold. I’m cranky, and to answer your questions: My car is fine. I bumped into Colin on Acorn Hill. I know that you and Ellis are here for me, but I am perfectly capable of wrangling my bad dog myself. Thank you very much.”
“I know,” he said with an indulgent smile. “You’re a big girl now.”
He ruffled her hair again and walked away before she could say another word.
“Cherri Berry!” Belinda, co-owner of Size Me Up and Cherri’s other best friend, came rushing out of nowhere. “I’m so happy to see you.” She looped her arms around her and squeezed Cherri so hard she couldn’t breathe. “I can’t wait to tell you about my vacation. Guess how many hot men I slept with? None! My mother was there. That chick sure knows how to cramp a girl’s style. But I want to hear about you first. How have you been this past couple of weeks? I can’t believe I missed your birthday party. You have to tell me all about it. Were there any cute guys there? Did you get any good presents? How’s Baba? Did you get called for any interviews? I know you only filled out applications for Durant but maybe you should look in the neighboring towns. I can help you fill out some more. I’m good at fudging applications. How do you think I got so many jobs?” She squeezed Cherri again. “We’ll find you a job, you don’t have to worry.”
“Slow your roll, Belinda,” Ellis said from behind her. “I know you’ve been gone for two weeks, but take a breath. Cherri just walked through the door and she’s an adult, with responsibilities and her own life. She doesn’t need you to help her fill out applications. She’ll get a job when she gets a job; until then she can work here until she dies.”
“Thank you, Ellis.” She smiled gratefully at Ellis who always treated her like an adult, like her equal. She appreciated that.
“I know,” Belinda said. “I’m too much. I realize you’re an adult, but I watched you grow into a woman. It’s hard for me to forget that you’re not the same shy kid who walked in here two years ago unable to walk in a pair of high heels. Plus I just missed you. I never realized how much we text each other until I was overseas and couldn’t speak to you every day.”
“I missed you, too.” She studied Belinda for a moment. Belinda had the kind of exotic beauty that a girl had to sell her soul to get. With honey-colored skin, dark red hair, and green eyes, she was a walking ethnic enigma with a pinup-girl body. People often wrote Belinda off as some sort of tart but she had a mind like a steel trap, and despite her sexpot looks she was one of the most maternal people Cherri knew. “There was nobody here with me to make fun of all Ellis and Mike’s annoying newlywed kissy-face crap.”
“Hey!” Ellis put her hands on her hips. “We’re not annoying. I’m a lady, after all. I do try to sneak off when I make out with my husband.”
“They’re gross.” Belinda rolled her eyes. “When I walked into the storeroom Mike had his hands all over her ass. Married folks shouldn’t work together. It’s just not right.”
“I know!” Cherri agreed. “He’s got his own office next door, but he’s always in hers. It’s like they’re conjoined at the lips.”
“Oh, so it’s two against one again? You bitches are just jealous that I found me a sexy man who likes to buy me shoes and can’t get enough of me.”
“You’re right,” Belinda said, “we are. In fact we kind of hate you.”
“Damn right,” Cherri nodded with a grin. “I’m glad the three of us are back together.”
“Yes.” Ellis placed a hand on both of their shoulders. “All is right with the world once again.”
Cherri couldn’t have agreed more. Being with her best friends seemed to make everything better.
CHAPTER 3
Nice guys finish last …
Colin’s phone went off just as he was walking back to his truck from Mama’s Bake Shop. He had a box of warm apple fritters and two large cups of coffee in his hands, and at first he was going to ignore the call. He didn’t feel like talking much at the moment. He was freezing his bollocks off, and he still had to drop off a dog and spend an indeterminate amount of time with a little old lady when he had a shitload of work to complete at his shop. He should have walked the other way when he saw Cherri Rudy coming down the street, but something made him stop and stare at her. It could have been her puffy Pepto pink coat that attracted his eye—or her long golden hair blowing in the wind that made him stop. He didn’t know what the reason was, he just knew he couldn’t walk away without speaking to her.
The phone finally went to voice mail as he stepped back into the warmth of his truck. Rufus greeted him happily with a nudge to the face, and for the first time Colin thought it might be nice to have a dog to come home to.
Or anybody to come home to.
That thought alarmed him. He liked his solitude. But it was time he got back into the game. It had been two years since his last relationship, a year since he finished his woman binge. It was time to put that shit behind him once and for all. Maybe a few dates would get him out of his funk and, more important, get his mind off Cherri.
His phone rang again, whoever it was not satisfied with leaving him be. He pulled his iPhone out of his pocket.
Mike.
“I see you removed your lips from your wife’s long enough to speak to me. What can I do for you, lad?”
“Was that you I saw dropping off Cherri?”
“Yeah,” he said slowly, knowing Mike was expecting an explanation. He knew Mike thought of Cherri as a kid, as his little sister. Mike was protective of all the women in his life. His father had left when he was just a kid. He was a lad left to take care of three sisters and a mother. Somehow that role never ended. So when it came to Cherri, a woman without a father or brother in her life to look after her, he tended to be an overbearing jackass. Just like a lot of big brothers. Maybe she was still a kid when they had first met, maybe she did need somebody to look out for her a bit, but Cherri Rudy was very much a woman right now. Mike didn’t need to protect her from him.
“Why didn’t you stop in?” he said instead of grilling him like Colin expected.
“I would have but I’ve got some things I need to get done.”
“Oh.” Mike was silent for a moment. They had been best friends since college, closer than brothers, but since Mike had met Ellis, since he had gotten married, they hadn’t seen much of each other. They didn’t talk like they used to. Most of his time was spent with his wife. But Colin didn’t blame the man. He loved Ellis. She was the best damn thing that had ever happened to his friend. It’s just that … It’s hard when your best mate gets married.
“How’s your mum? I haven’t been getting my Sunday calls like I used to.”
“I know. She barely calls me, either. Since she and my dad remarried they have been traveling all over the world together. They’re on safari this week. It’s always been her dream.”
“I know.” He smiled at the thought of Margie Edwards, sweet little flower shop owner, gallivanting around the world. “She sent me an email with some pictures in it.”
“Could you understand it? My mother is the world’s worst typist.”
“But she looks damn happy.”
“She does.”
They went quiet for a moment.
“You want to come over and watch the Knicks play tomorrow night?” Colin asked. “My new fifty-inch came a few days ago.”
“I can’t tomorrow. We’ve got to have dinner with Ellis’s folks. You should come with us. Dr. Greg is hysterical. It’s always a good time.”
Colin sighed inwardly. Mike even liked his bloody in-laws. Where had his friend gone? They used to raise hell together. Now he was happy going on family picnics.
“I’ll leave you to your family time. Maybe next week?”
“Yeah, Next week. Definitely.”
They disconnected and for some reason Colin doubted he would be spending time with his best mate soon.
A few minutes later he pulled up to Cherri’s tiny house. He had been past her home a thousand times. Durant was a pretty big small town, but because of his job he had been in and out of many homes in her neighborhood. This was the first time he had been to hers.
It was a little white house with a white picket fence surrounding it. It was cute, probably built in the 1950s and not updated since. It had an old tumbledown look to it, and for a moment he was wondering how Cherri and her little old gran managed to keep up with all the repairs a house this age must need.
“Come on, old boy,” he said to Rufus as he opened his door and grabbed his bakery purchases. “It’s time to go home.”
Rufus bounded from the car and ran full-speed to the front door only to find it wouldn’t open. He looked back at Colin, then sat, his eyes begging to be let in. “I don’t have a key. We’re going to have to knock.”
He whimpered, causing Colin to smile as he knocked. But there was no answer. He knocked again and waited, but no one came to the door. Rufus scratched, but there was still no response. Colin put his hand on the knob and turned, nervousness rising up inside him.
Cherri mentioned to him that she was worried about her gran being alone.
Shit.
The last thing he needed was to walk in and find the old lady in trouble.
“Baba?” He walked in calling to her. He didn’t know her real name. He only had ever referred to her as Baba. “Where are you, darlin’?” He walked farther into the house, sending a silent prayer above that she was okay. “Baba?”
“Who are you? And what the hell are you doing in my house?” Baba wasn’t the little old woman he had pictured. She was robust, tall, with sharp green eyes and silver hair that fell down her back. He just took her in for a moment. Bright pink housecoat, red slippers, and the biggest damn butcher’s knife that he had ever seen.
Bloody fucking hell.
“What are you doing here?” She stepped forward, her huge knife slashing through the air. “Just because I’m old doesn’t mean I can’t kill you.”
“Whoa. Whoa!” He stepped back. She was quick for a woman her age. “Relax, you nutter. I’m Cherri’s friend. I’m just bringing your bloody dog back.”
“Cherri?” She came at him with the knife again and backed him against the door. It was so close to his Adam’s apple, he was afraid to swallow. “What did you do with my pixie? She was supposed to bring Rufus back. Did you hurt her?”
“I dropped her off at work. She asked me to bring the dog back and check on you so she wouldn’t be late,” he said in a rush. “Call her and check. My name is Colin O’Connell. I’m her friend.” Rufus squeezed between them, rubbing his head against Colin’s leg as if to vouch for him. “S
ee, the dog likes me, and look.” He held up the coffee and box of still-warm apple fritters. “I brought you treats. What kind of maniac brings you treats?”
Baba lowered the knife, but only a bit. “It could be a trick. You could have drugged those things so you could have your way with me.” She turned her head to the side and studied him, reminding him very much of Cherri in that moment. “But you are cute so I might allow it. It’s been a long time since I have gotten any friction.”
“Friction?” He shook his head, not sure he understood her thick accent.
“You know friction. You men always go out looking for friction at the discos.”
“You mean action?”
“Yes, yes.” She took the pastries from him and walked away. “Friction. Action. It all means the same. I know who you are, Colin O’Connell. You have seen more panties than Victoria’s Secret. You know all about friction. You stay away from my Cherri or I’ll cut off your acorns.”
“You mean nuts?”
She looked back at him for a moment. “You don’t want to find out. Come to the kitchen and talk to me. I’ll put booze in the coffee. You’ll like it. Maybe if you are nice I’ll let you have your way with me.”
He followed her, a little bewildered, a little amused. He might be crazy but he kind of liked the nutty old woman.
* * *
Cherri sat next to Belinda at Hot Lava Java. They were sharing a warm piece of apple cobbler while Cherri pored through job listings and Belinda checked out potential merchandise for Size Me Up from new designers. Hot Lava Java was the best place to work on their stuff in town. Especially since Cherri didn’t have WiFi and Belinda never had fresh baked goods at her condo.
“Find anything good yet?” Belinda asked her as she shut her laptop.
“Nope. There are no openings for art teachers this time of year. But I guess I knew that when I opted to graduate a semester early. You find anything good on your end?”
She shrugged. “I found some great lightweight scarves that I want to bring in for spring, but I haven’t found anything new on the plus-sized market that would work for Size Me Up. I wish I could inspire more people to start designing.”
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