Next to Me

by Allie Everhart

  Katie and her friends slowly get up when they realize no one else has reacted to the loud sound. I look over and see some college-aged guys standing by their pick-up, laughing at Katie and the other girls.

  Katie stomps off into the gas station, her friends following behind.

  "I gotta get this thing fixed," Nash says as he opens my door for me.

  I hop out. "Are you kidding? I love this truck. It's how I first met you, and now I've just discovered it can be very entertaining."

  He chuckles. "Well, I'm leaving it here and getting a new one when I'm back in Chicago."

  "Really?" We walk hand-in-hand to the door.

  "I can't have my girl riding around in some shitty pick-up. I'm getting a shiny black new one with leather seats and an extended cab."

  "Isn't that expensive?"

  "Gramps invested wisely. Just found out I made a big chunk of money on some stocks he owned, which are now mine. I cashed out and am using the money to buy a new truck." He opens the door for me and we go inside.

  "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"

  "It was supposed to be a surprise, but I couldn't wait. I had to tell you."

  Nash grabs two giant bags of ice from the cooler, and as we're heading to the register, we run into Katie.

  She narrows her eyes at Nash. "You can tell your idiot brother that he broke off my engagement."

  "What are you talking about?"

  "Last June when he stayed at my condo, he left his SUV parked out front. I told him to park down the street, but of course he didn't listen and my fiancé's cousin drove by and saw it. He asked around town, and people who were at the bar that night told him I went home with your brother."

  "And your fiancé's just finding this out?"

  "He found out a few weeks ago and now it's over between us. All because of your stupid brother."

  Nash smiles. "Guess you should be more careful next time you decide to cheat on your fiancé. I gotta get going." He holds up the ice. "Wouldn't want it to melt."

  We walk off, leaving her there in the potato chip aisle.

  "I feel sorry for whoever ends up with her," Nash says, as we're driving back to the house.

  "Are you going to tell Jake what she said?"

  "Nah. I'm sure he's already forgotten about her."

  "Do you know if he's going out with anyone?"

  "Austin said Jake's got his eyes on some girl he's working with on the Victorian."

  "She works construction?"

  "She's a carpenter. My dad said she's really good. She specializes in intricate carvings, which is exactly what we need for the Victorian in order to replicate some of the original woodwork."

  "Has Jake asked her out?"

  "Yeah, but she turned him down."

  "Maybe she has a boyfriend."

  "Jake asked around and found out she broke up with her boyfriend last spring. He heard she's been single ever since. If Jake wants to go out with her, he'll have to put in some real effort. A smile and some cheesy pick-up lines aren't going to work this time."

  "How about Austin and Bryce? Are they dating anyone?"

  "No. They're both out there dating but it's nothing serious. Bryce is still hung up on Jen. He can't get serious with anyone until he gets over her."

  "He should just date her. Or is she still dating that grad student?"

  "No. That ended. She's single again. You'll meet her at Thanksgiving. She always spends holidays with us at my dad's house."

  "I'm invited to Thanksgiving?"

  "Of course you're invited. And I'm going to invite Lou. I don't want the guy alone on Thanksgiving."

  We pull into Nash's house and I laugh when the truck fires off its signature sound. Nash and I go around back and find his dad manning the grill and his brothers on the deck, snacking on chips and beer.

  "You guys done playing football?" Nash asks as he fills the coolers with ice.

  "We're just taking a break," Bryce says. "Callie, you play football?"

  "No, but go ahead and play. I'll stay here and watch."

  "Nash, you're playing," Jake says, grabbing the ball and tossing it at him.

  He catches it. "Then hurry up and get your asses out there. It's almost time to eat."

  The four of them go out on the lawn and Nash's dad joins me on the deck, sitting next to me.

  "So how's it going, Callie?" He gives me that wide, friendly smile that looks just like Nash's.

  "Great! We got perfect weather today for the party. And those ribs you're cooking smell really good."

  He turns his chair more so he's facing me. "How are you feeling about moving back to Chicago next week?"

  Nash told his dad what happened to my family and how I've struggled the past year.

  "I'm a little nervous," I say. "I haven't been back there since the funeral."

  "It may be hard at first but it'll get better. It just takes time. When Barb died, I couldn't sleep in our bedroom for almost five months. Nash had moved out by then so I slept in his room until I could get myself together enough to go back to my own room."

  I like how he talks so openly about this. He's just like Nash that way. They're both open and honest and not afraid to talk about the hard stuff.

  "It really took five months?" I ask.

  He nods. "I don't know how much Nash told you about that time, but I really struggled after she died. I wasn't even able to work. Just a few years earlier, I'd help Nash deal with losing Becky, and yet when it came to my own loss, I couldn't take my own advice. I was so shocked when Barb died. I wouldn't let myself believe it. It took months for me to finally accept that she was gone."

  "I know what you mean," I say looking down.

  "Despite what people say, there aren't any rules or timelines for grieving. You do what works for you." He sets his hand on my shoulder and I look up at him. "The best advice I can give you is to not do it alone. We're all here for you. Anytime you need us, you just ask."

  I smile. "Thanks."

  "Dad," Austin yells. "When's the meat going to be done?"

  "Probably in a few minutes," he yells back. He chuckles. "Those boys never stop eating. I better go check on the ribs." He gets up and returns to the grill.

  "Is this where the party's at?" I turn and see Lou coming around the side of the house.

  "Hey, Lou." I jump up and go down the deck stairs, meeting up with him. "Glad you could make it." I take the three big plastic containers he's holding, which I assume are the desserts he said he was bringing. "How much did you make?"

  "A few dozen cookies and some brownies. You said Nash's brothers were as big as him, and now that I'm seeing them, I'm thinking I should've made more." Lou's looking out at the yard where the guys are playing football.

  "This should be plenty. Come sit down."

  We take a seat at the table. Lou has on khaki shorts that stretch over his big belly, a red and white plaid cotton shirt, and navy socks pulled up to his knees.

  "So you're moving next week," he says, sadness in his voice.

  "Yeah, but I'll be back to visit."

  Nash and I plan to stay here at least one weekend a month to check on our houses and get some time away from the city. And we're going to stay here for an entire week in October when the leaves have changed to bright oranges and yellows. My mom used to love that time of year, and she always said we should come down here in the fall but we never had a chance to, so I'm going to this year.

  "And I'll be living here next summer," I tell Lou. "If you need some help, I'd be happy to come work for you again."

  "Maybe a few hours a week, just so I can see you." He smiles. "But otherwise, you should take the summer off. Relax and have fun. You need that after everything you've been through."

  "I'm a lot better now."

  He pats my hand. "I know you are. But you keep it up, you hear me?"

  "I will."

  "I'm gonna miss you, kid."

  "I'll miss you too." I feel myself tearing up, but then smile as Nash appro
aches us, a football under his arm.

  "Lou, thanks for coming." He smiles at him.

  "I wouldn't miss it. Haven't been to a cookout in a long time."

  "After we eat, we're playing cards. Hope you planned to stay a while. When the Wheelers host a party, it goes on all day and night."

  "What are you saying about us?" Jake asks, coming up behind Nash.

  "That we like to party."

  "That's for sure." He holds his hand out to Lou. "I'm Jake. Nash's brother."

  "Good to meet you," Lou says, standing up and shaking his hand.

  "I'm Austin." He gives Lou a wave as he walks up to the deck.

  "I'm Bryce." He waves too, and follows Austin to the cooler to get a drink.

  "And I'm their father," he says, smiling as he joins us on the deck. "Mitch Wheeler. Good to meet you."

  "Nice family you got here," Lou says.

  "They're good boys, although they have their moments." He glances at Jake.

  "What are you looking at me for?" Jake asks.

  Nash laughs.

  Mitch grabs a beer from the cooler. "The meat's almost done. I'm gonna need something to put it on."

  "I'll get the platters." I go in the kitchen and grab the two platters I brought over from my house.

  "Not so fast," Nash says, catching me around the waist as I turn to leave. "I need to kiss you since you get mad when I kiss you in front of my family."

  I set the platters down. "You can kiss me in front of them, but it has to be quick. And no tongue."

  "So I can't do this?" He leans down and his mouth covers mine, softly kissing me. My lips instinctively part for him, and he takes the kiss deeper. As always, I find myself wanting more, not wanting to stop, but then he slowly backs away, smiling at me.

  "Yeah, you can't do that around your family," I say.

  "Then we'll be sneaking off a lot today because I have to do that every hour or so."

  I laugh. "Come on. Let's go." I hand him the platters and we go back outside.

  Our Labor Day cookout turns out to be perfect. We had nice weather. Great food. And best of all, I wasn't alone.

  Chapter Thirty

  Thanksgiving

  Callie

  Today is Thanksgiving and I have a lot to be thankful for. Nash and I have been living in Chicago for three months now. We got an apartment together just outside the city. It's on the bus line, which will make it easy to get to class, or I could just drive to campus.

  I'm going back to Northwestern starting in January, continuing where I left off, working toward my degree in mathematics. I still plan to teach someday, following in the footsteps of my mom and stepdad.

  "Don't worry about it," Nash says to whoever he's talking to on the phone. We're in the living room at his dad's house and Nash catches me around the waist as I walk by and holds me against his chest. "You can fix it on Monday," he says into the phone. "I don't want any of my guys working the holiday weekend...Yeah, I'll see you then."

  Nash is back working for the family business. He's in charge of a new project, renovating a really old library. The project started last week and won't be done until March. The other day I met him there for lunch. I like seeing him direct his crew, taking charge. I think it's sexy. He has to juggle so many things at once and so many people, but he makes it look easy.

  "Is everything okay at work?" I ask.

  "It's nothing that can't wait until Monday." He kisses me, and not an innocent kiss, but a long, deep kiss.

  "Would you two give it a rest?" Jake says, walking up behind Nash. "Can't you wait until you get home to do that?"

  I break from the kiss, laughing. "Nash started it."

  "You ever fall in love, you'll be the same way," Nash says to Jake.

  Jake plops down on the couch. "So who was on the phone?"

  "Someone from work." Nash is purposely being vague to drive Jake crazy.

  "And does this someone have a name?" Jake puts his feet up on the coffee table.

  Nash chuckles. "It wasn't Ivy, if that's what you're asking. She's never going out with you, dude. You might as well give up."

  Ivy is the carpenter that Jake's had the hots for ever since she worked for him on the Victorian. The project ended a couple weeks ago, and on her last day there, he asked her out but she turned him down. He asked her out last summer too and she turned him down. Now he's trying again. Nash hired her to work on the library renovation and Jake keeps showing up there, pretending to be checking on the project, but he's really checking up on Ivy.

  "Jake Wheeler never gives up," he says. "She'll come around eventually."

  "You talking about Ivy?" Austin walks in, eating a bag of chips. He sits next to Jake. "How much longer you gonna keep stalking that girl?"

  Jake grabs Austin's chips. "I'm not stalking her." He stuffs some chips in his mouth.

  Bryce appears next to Nash and me. "Get a clue, man. She doesn't want to go out with you."

  Jake tosses the chip bag back to Austin. "You guys can shut up any time now."

  Austin laughs. "Face it, Jake. You're no longer the ladies' man you used to be."

  "I still get plenty of girls. This one's just proving to be more difficult than the others. And you're one to talk. I don't see you dating anyone."

  "I've had plenty of dates. I just don't have a girlfriend."

  Austin doesn't have time for a girlfriend. When he's not working construction, he's playing with his band. They've had a lot of gigs around town lately.

  Bryce doesn't have a girlfriend either. He's been on some dates, but like Nash said, Bryce can't get serious with a girl until he gets over his feelings for Jen.

  Just as I'm thinking that, she walks into the living room. "Could someone help me get a platter down? I can't reach it."

  "I'll do it," Bryce offers before anyone else can. He'll do anything to have an excuse to be around her. He's had his eyes on her since she arrived. She looks really pretty today. She's wearing a dark green wrap dress that pairs well with her dark blond hair, flawless fair skin, and light green eyes.

  I met Jen right after I moved here. At first, she seemed kind of shy, but she invited me out for lunch, so we went and really hit it off. Since then, we've become good friends. She's had a rough childhood but she doesn't let that get her down. She works three jobs and goes to school full-time. She's determined to reach her goals, but told me she wouldn't be where she's at if it weren't for Nash's family helping her out all these years. They treat her like family.

  They treat me like family too. Nash's brothers act like I'm their sister. They're very protective of me. If I have to go into the city at night and Nash can't go with me, one of his brothers will go because they don't want me going there by myself after dark.

  "Callie, could you keep an eye on the pies?" Lou asks. "I need to help Mitch with the turkeys."

  "Sure." I go to the kitchen as Lou heads outside to where Mitch is frying not one, but two turkeys.

  Lou drove up for Thanksgiving and he and I are making the side dishes and desserts. Jen doesn't know how to cook, but she offered to help so Lou put her to work. But when I get to the kitchen, Jen isn't there. Neither is Bryce. Wonder where those two went.

  I check the oven where the four pies are baking; pumpkin, apple, cherry, and pecan. The pumpkin looks done so I take it out and set it on the baking rack to cool.

  Nash comes up behind me, wrapping me in his arms. "You need any help?"

  "Nope. I got it under control."

  "Everything smells delicious," he kisses the side of my neck, "including you."

  I smile. "You better get out of here before Lou and Jen come back."

  "One kiss, and then I'll go."

  I turn around and kiss him. "That's it. Until later."

  He looks at me and smiles. "Love you."

  "Love you too."

  He leaves and Lou returns, along with Jen. They both stare at me.

  "Nash must've just left," Lou says to Jen.

  "Yeah," Jen agre
es. "She's got that smile."

  "I wasn't smiling," I insist, as I check the pies that are still in the oven.

  "You were smiling," they both say at once, then Jen laughs.

  "And not just any smile," Lou says as he washes his hands at the sink. "That's your Nash smile. Only shows up when he's around."

  There's no use denying it. They're right. I was smiling. And it was because of Nash. That boy makes me smile. After the accident, I went an entire year without smiling, but now it seems like I smile all the time, sometimes not even realizing it.

  Later that day, as we all sit down for dinner, I look around the long dining room table and think about how much my life has changed. Two years ago, I was having Thanksgiving dinner with my mom, Greg, and Ben. Last year, I had Thanksgiving with Lou. And this year? I'm spending it with Nash, his brothers, his dad, my new friend, Jen, and Lou. I'm not related to any of them, but they've all become like family to me and I'm grateful to have them.

  Like Nash said, sometimes life gives you something good to make up for all the bad. My family was taken from me, and that was really bad, the worst thing that's ever happened to me. I thought my life was over. I'd given up. Until a truck backfired next door and I fell to the ground and a tall handsome stranger came over and helped me up. And that handsome stranger has been helping me ever since. He's my something good.

  And now, months later, I have a whole new family. A whole new life. But I'll never forget my past. My family lives on through me. I will never forget them. They will always be with me. I love them, and they will always be with me.

  ###

  From the Author

  Want to read more about the Wheeler boys? Jake's story is coming soon! And if you liked Nash and Callie's story, please tell a friend or leave a review.

  Find news about upcoming books as well as sneak peeks and bonus scenes at allieeverhart.com, Facebook, or Twitter.

  Books by Allie Everhart

  The Jade Series

  (New Adult Romance/Suspense)

  Choosing You

  Knowing You