Once they finally reached the end of the gravel road and turned onto the paved highway that led to the town where they’d all gone to college, he put Bubba’s plan into action. “So, how are things in Raleigh?”
“Good.”
He gritted his teeth. She wasn’t going to make this easy. “Like your job?”
“Yes.”
He tightened his grip on the steering wheel and searched for one of those open-ended questions he was taught to ask in med school. “What kind of things are you doing now?”
She turned ever so slightly toward him, her brows furrowed together. “Why are you so interested?”
“Just making small talk,” he replied with a shrug.
Her features relaxed, and she pulled one knee up to her chest. “I like my job at the convention center. Very much, actually. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect job.”
He settled back in his seat, relieved to finally get the conversation flowing. “How so?”
She remained silent for a good half mile and played with a loose thread on the hem of her shorts. “It got me away from here, for starters.”
Her response spoke volumes, as did the distant look that haunted her eyes. Freshman year, Chelsea Warner had it all. Brains. Beauty. A prominent family and a father who was expected to become the next governor. She’d had her pick of sororities when she rushed and her pick of men on campus.
Then at the end of their sophomore year, it all fell apart. Chelsea’s father was arrested for embezzling funds and taking illegal kickbacks, all of which he spent on the mistress who’d eventually outed him. By the start of their junior year, he’d been indicted and was serving a twenty-year sentence. A few days before they went home for Christmas break, he had committed suicide in his jail cell.
God, Hunter’s heart had ached for Chelsea during that time. She’d gone from the campus’s golden girl to a social outcast because of her father. She’d almost been kicked out of her sorority, not because of anything she’d done, but because of the scandal. And yet she’d managed to keep her head held high in public, even though Lisa had reported more than one crying spell behind closed doors. She continued to pass all her classes with high marks, and by the time the dust settled at the beginning of their senior year, she’d come through the dark times with a new aura of strength and resiliency that made him fall even harder for her.
But when the time came for her to find a job after graduation, she’d discovered her last name still resulted in closed doors. After witnessing her frustration one night, he called his uncle in Raleigh and got her an interview for a job opening as an event planner at the convention center.
“So the move was good for you?” he asked.
“Yeah, it was, although sometimes I still wonder how I lucked out. I mean, the job is so perfect for me, and yet, it’s something I’d never imagined I’d enjoy doing when we were in college.”
“You’re selling yourself short, Chelsea. Think about all the events you helped organize for your sorority and the Panhellenic Conference. You’re a natural.”
She gave a modest laugh. “Maybe, but I still have no idea how my résumé ended up there.”
“Maybe a little divine intervention?” he asked, squirming in his seat. As far as he knew, no one other than Bubba and Lisa knew about his role in helping her get the job.
She laughed again, this time holding nothing back. His chest tightened as he listened to the sound. She was happy, and he was content to know he’d played some small part in that.
“What about you?” she asked, twirling her ponytail around her fingers. “Are you officially a doctor now?”
Shit! She was turning the conversation to him. “Graduated last month.”
“And what are you going to do next?”
The familiar tongue-tied awkwardness took over. Damn it! Why did he always get this way around her? Things had been going so well until she asked about him. He wrung his hands around the steering wheel and finally was able to say, “Residency.”
“In what?”
“Orthopedics.”
“So you did follow in your daddy’s footsteps.” She flicked her hair back and stretched her legs out. “I should’ve known.”
Something in her words rankled him enough to get over his nerves. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Just that.” Chelsea drummed her fingers on the seat. “You’ve always been able to coast along because of him.”
“No, I haven’t.” Anger loosened his tongue, and as long as he stayed focused on the road ahead of him, he had no trouble continuing. “In fact, I fought hard not to follow in his footsteps. I kept telling myself I’d be better off going into some other specialty where I wouldn’t be known as Craig McLemore’s son, but the moment I stepped foot in the OR to assist with a knee replacement, I knew.”
“Knew what?”
“That it was what I was supposed to do with my life. I felt it here, in my gut. And no matter what I said or did to convince myself otherwise, I couldn’t ignore it.”
When she didn’t answer right away, he stole a glance at her. She sat staring out the window with her hands crossed over her stomach. She gave herself a little hug and said softly, “So you trusted your gut, huh?”
“Rule number one in medicine. Always trust your gut.”
A roll of her eyes accompanied a smile. “Do you trust your gut when it comes to everything?”
“Yep.” Even when it told him he’d never find another girl like her.
Another gap of silence followed in which he was acutely aware of the way she studied him. In college, she’d either dismissed him completely or, as was the case on graduation night, was openly hostile toward him. This was something new, like she was seeing him for the first time. And based on the way her brows drew together, she didn’t know what to think about him.
Good. Maybe Bubba wasn’t wrong after all.
He loosened his grip on the steering wheel and enjoyed the rest of the ride into Auburn.
***
When did the biggest prick on campus become such a riddle?
Chelsea had asked herself that at least a dozen times throughout the day. It started when he tried to engage her in conversation for the first time since she’d known him and carried on as they checked off the tasks Lisa and Bubba had given them. He’d been funny when he claimed he didn’t know the difference between cream and ecru at the linen supply store, charming when they loaded the tent into the trailer, and even a little bit playful as they ran through the warehouse club in a race to see who could find the items on the list faster.
Now that they were back at the house, she watched him from the kitchen window as he strolled up and down the dock with his hands in his pockets. After what had actually been a pleasant day in his company, he was back to avoiding her.
Figures.
She’d spent most of the fall semester of her junior year having people avoid her. The sins of her father left their mark on her. Everywhere she went, she saw the mix of pity and resentment and heard the hushed whispers that followed her. Jennifer, the president of her sorority, turned hostile toward her, and for several weeks, she worried they’d kick her out based on her father’s misdeeds. If it hadn’t been for Lisa and Alex, she would’ve transferred to another school, preferably in Alaska, where no one knew about Terry Warner.
A wave of guilt washed over her when she remembered how much she’d resented her father during that time, how she refused to speak to him, how she accused him of ruining her life. And then one phone call from the warden a few days before Christmas changed everything and made her wish she had a second chance to do it differently. She would’ve told her father she loved him and maybe kept him from hanging himself in his cell.
Her attention shifted to Hunter. He was another person who hadn’t changed the way he acted around her after the scandal broke. He remained silent and aloof, always watching her and never speaking to her. And just like she’d done with her father, she’d gone off on him.
You think I would’ve learned my lesson.
But unlike with her father, she’d been given a second chance, an opportunity to see him as more than the overprivileged son of a renowned surgeon. The conviction in his voice when he talked about trusting his gut surprised her. She’d never heard such passion from him, but as the day progressed, she caught more and more glimpses of the man she thought she knew and, surprisingly, didn’t know.
She pressed her hand to her stomach. What would it feel like to go with her gut? To rely on her instincts and do what they told her to do rather than do what people expected her to do?
Lisa’s car pulled up, and a few minutes later, her best friend came into the house wearing Scooby-Doo scrubs. “How did today go?”
“Well, actually.” She gestured toward Hunter outside. “As you can see, we didn’t kill each other, and we didn’t end up in the lake.”
Lisa laughed and shook her brown hair out of her ponytail. “Sorry about leaving you in a lurch today. Marge called in sick, and apparently Dr. Crane is completely lost without a nurse in his office. Let me change, and I’ll come in to help you with dinner.”
“There’s nothing for you to do. Dinner’s taken care of.” She pointed to the two pizzas ready to throw in the oven.
“Alex and J.T. may swing by.”
“We have another one in the fridge, along with a case of beer and two bags of salad greens.”
Lisa’s mouth fell open. “Wow, you did take care of everything.”
“It’s a bridesmaid’s duty to keep the bride sane until she’s married. After that, you’re on your own.”
Her friend laughed as she went down the hall to her room.
Chelsea turned on the oven to preheat it just as Bubba came home. Hunter came back to the house to talk to him, and the men disappeared into the garage as the first rumble of thunder echoed through the sky.
I wonder what will happen tonight. Will Hunter go back to ignoring me? Or will I get another glimpse of the man I saw today?
Lisa came back to the kitchen wearing shorts and a tank top. “I spoke to Alex and J.T. They’re both coming by to help nail down the last-minute details.”
“I’ll take notes and make sure they get taken care of.”
Lisa wrapped her arms around her and gave her a hug, resting her head on Chelsea’s shoulder. “You’ve been awesome. Thank you for agreeing to be my bridesmaid.”
“Of course.” She hugged her friend back.
The door from the garage opened, and Bubba came into the kitchen, sniffing. “Supreme and Hawaiian?”
“And a plain pepperoni in the fridge in case we need it,” Chelsea answered.
“If J.T’s coming, we’re going to need it.” Bubba gave Lisa a kiss and opened the fridge. “Hallelujah! The beer’s been restocked.”
Hunter took a beer and grinned. “Yeah, I figured we needed to get you drunk now and keep you that way until the reception so you don’t get cold feet.”
Chelsea’s lips twitched. Anyone who knew Bubba and Lisa knew there was no chance of that. They’d been together since junior high, according to Alex. And after being friends with them all these years, she couldn’t imagine a more perfect couple.
But hearing Hunter tease them was something new. Lisa had always told her that he was a fun guy, but she’d never seen it in the silent and sullen man who’d hung out on the fringes of their group. Maybe it was time to open her eyes.
Hunter caught her gaze, and that same awareness from the shed yesterday flowed through her. Only now, it wasn’t odd or uncomfortable. It was hot and yearning. Her cheeks flushed, and her lips tingled as though he was kissing them again, even though he was across the room.
She lowered her eyes and pretended to mix the salad with her trembling hands. What the hell is wrong with me? This is Hunter, after all. The guy who hates me.
And yet she couldn’t shake off her growing attraction toward him. Her pulse turned erratic, and a heaviness formed in the pit of her stomach. She pressed her palm to it. Was this what Hunter was talking about when he said he felt it in his gut?
Lisa came alongside her and said softly, “Is everything okay?”
“Of course. Why?”
Her friend flicked her gaze toward the two men leaving the kitchen. “You seem a little out of sorts.”
“Well, what do you expect?”
“I don’t know. You tell me.” Lisa crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the counter. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say someone’s gotten under your skin.”
“Hunter’s always gotten under my skin.”
“But not like this.” Lisa’s sharp brown eyes studied her. “What else happened?”
Chelsea pretended to smooth out her ponytail, even though a glimpse at her reflection in the window told her it was perfect. “He threw me into the lake.”
“I mean before that.”
Chelsea bit her bottom lip. She’d refused to talk about it last night because she was so confused and embarrassed, she didn’t even want to think about it. Today wasn’t much better, but at least she felt comfortable enough opening up to her best friend. “He kissed me.”
“He did?” But instead of appearing shocked or outraged on Chelsea’s behalf, Lisa smiled. “It’s about time.”
“Excuse me?”
Lisa slapped her hand over her mouth and backed away. “Never mind. You didn’t hear that from me.”
“Lisa,” Chelsea said, her tone one of warning. “What do you know about this?”
“Nothing. Nothing at all.” Lisa continued to back away, a conspiratorial grin still on her face. “And?”
She put her hand on her hip. “And what?”
“Did you like it?”
“Oh, dear God, are we back in junior high?” Chelsea threw her hands up in frustration just as the oven beeped, declaring it was warm enough for the pizzas. She grabbed the supreme and slipped it into the oven. “Yes, I liked it. Are you happy now?”
Lisa nodded, her grin widening. “And did anything more happen today?”
“No.” A hint of frustration laced her answer. Although Hunter had been polite and even a little bit fun, he’d made no move to kiss her again. Hell, he didn’t even try to feel her up. She chewed her bottom lip and tried to make sense of it all. “It was probably a one-time fluke.”
Or a two-time fluke, if she counted the kiss he’d given her in the shed.
Lisa came a little closer. “Would you like for it to happen again?”
Chelsea didn’t answer right away. Part of her wanted to say yes, but she worried that any future kisses would leave her more confused than she already was. “Why? I mean, it’s not like I’ll ever see him again after the wedding. And I’m so not the fling type.”
“You might be surprised.” Lisa’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “You got everything in here?”
“Under control.” Although the last time Lisa had gotten that look in her eyes, she’d talked her and Alex into participating in a streaking dash down frat row.
“Perfect. I’ll be in the living room with the boys. Come join us when you get a chance.” She grabbed a beer from the fridge and left the kitchen.
Chelsea set the timer for twenty-five minutes, but made no move to follow her friend into the living room. What did she want from Hunter? Another kiss? Something more? And what if he was just doing this to mess with her?
Whatever the answer was, she wanted to get to the bottom of it sooner rather than later, before she made another mistake.
Chapter Five
Hunter checked his hand of cards, looking for the perfect answer while a summer thunderstorm raged outside. Alex and J.T. came over for pizza and beer just before the rain hit, and after they’d spent an hour talking about what needed to be done for the rehearsal dinner tomorrow night and the wedding on Saturday, Lisa pulled out her deck of Cards Against Humanity. The goal was to play the white card that would give the most outrageous solution to the question on the black card.
Bubba’
s play had them all in stitches, but Hunter had one card that might just trump it. He glanced over the tops of his cards at Chelsea and wondered what she might think of it. In an uncharacteristic moment of silliness, he tossed the card out and held his breath.
“Oh my God!” Chelsea cried before dissolving into full-bellied laughter. “That was so wrong!”
“But oh so right,” Bubba added, laughing along with everyone else.
The others’ comments faded into the background. Hunter’s attention was fully focused on Chelsea. After witnessing all the shit she went through during their junior year, he liked seeing her laugh. If he could, he’d fill her life with laughter and chase away the shadows of her past that still haunted her.
“I think it’s clear to say Hunter won that round.” Alex gathered up the cards and flipped over the next black one, dissolving into snickers when she read it. “I can’t wait to see what y’all put down on this one.”
As they moved around the table, each of them played a card. When it was Chelsea’s turn, she hesitated, catching his eye and giving him a saucy grin before playing hers.
He leaned over to read it.
Getting sprayed by a skunk.
Bubba laughed out loud and slapped his thigh. “Hey, that almost happened to these two yesterday.”
“What did you do?” Alex asked before taking a long swig of her beer.
“He dumped her into the lake and then jumped in himself,” Bubba replied.
“Dude!” J.T. jumped to his feet and pointed a finger at Bubba. “You owe me! I told you he’d throw her into the lake before the wedding.”
“Excuse me?” Chelsea placed her hand on her hip and tried to act stern. “You two were making wagers about Hunter and me?”
Bubba coughed and rose from his chair. “I think it’s time for some more beer.”
They paused the game for the next round, and Alex turned to Hunter. “Found a place yet in Durham?”
Chelsea’s head snapped up, and her gaze locked with his.
Summer on Main Street Page 4