Mom had been here for about a week and a half, and that tension hadn’t gone anywhere. If anything, it seemed to grow by the day. So far, Dad had mostly grumbled about her presence, muttering to himself when he couldn’t find things after her kitchen reorganization or shaking his head at the furniture decorating the other rooms. Mom had been her usual self, cheerfully doing what she wanted despite my dad’s grumbling, all while casting him side-eye glances when he wasn’t looking.
But how long before the pressure cooker burst and one or both of them snapped?
“I think I remember that,” I said, hoping to keep the conversation on happy things. “I don’t have a lot of memories of living here, but I do remember pancake breakfasts.”
Dad brought over a plate with bacon, two eggs, and a stack of three small pancakes dripping with butter and syrup. He slid it in front of me with a grin. “Pancakes and bacon were your favorite. Hope they’re good.”
“It all looks amazing. Smells good too.”
“Caroline?” he asked.
“Sure, why not? See, aren’t you glad I fixed your kitchen? It’s so much easier to cook in here.”
Dad narrowed his eyes at her and went back to the stove without responding. I kind of wondered if that meant he agreed with her but didn’t want to admit it.
“The Saturday breakfast tradition started before you were born,” Mom said. “We used to meet our friends at a diner on Saturday mornings. We all would have been out late the night before and we’d shuffle in, tired or maybe a little hungover. After coffee and a big breakfast, we’d perk up. But the diner went out of business and there wasn’t another good breakfast place in town at the time.”
“The Copper Kettle was open back then, but we didn’t go there,” Dad said.
“That’s right,” Mom said, her eyes unfocused. “Of course we didn’t go there. That was the Haven diner. In any case, with our favorite breakfast place out of business, Norman started filling in the gap. Instead of shuffling into a diner downtown, he and I would just shuffle into our own kitchen. Then we had you, and it was easier to have our big Saturday breakfast at home anyway. We kept it up until you were three or four.”
“Why did you stop?”
“Things change. Schedules get in the way.” Mom’s eyes flicked to Dad again.
“Firefighters work twenty-four-hour shifts,” Dad said. “Sometimes that means not being home on Saturday mornings.”
“Or in their beds on Friday nights,” Mom said with a slight edge to her voice.
Dad shut a cupboard door—not quite a slam, but with more force than necessary. “Even if that’s where they’d rather be.”
“Would they?”
“It’s just part of the job. There’s not a guy on my crew who wouldn’t rather be sleeping beside his wife.”
“Well good for their wives,” Mom snapped. “I’m sure they’re very satisfied.”
“I’m sure they are because they’re patient enough to make up for the lost time later in the week.”
“If later in the week ever comes and they’re not left in bed alone wearing new black lace lingerie, waiting for their husband who isn’t coming home because he’s covering for someone on his crew. Again.”
I stared at my plate, my fork dangling in my grasp. This conversation had turned very specific—and very mortifying—in the space of just four words. New black lace lingerie.
Oh god.
Dad dropped a plate of food in front of my mom. “When things like that happen, they have no idea their wives bought new lingerie or that they’re at home wearing it. Believe me, they do not like missing out on that.”
“Their wives don’t like missing out on it either.”
They both stopped and silence rushed into the room, like a wave breaking over the sand. Trying not to look at either of them, I picked at my breakfast. The buzz of the fridge made the back of my neck tingle uncomfortably. Should I change the subject? Stay quiet? Ask a question? Run while I could still get away?
Running seemed like my best option.
“Thank you so much for breakfast, Dad.” I stood and took my plate to the counter. “I’ll reheat some leftovers later. I’m full already.”
Dad cleared his throat. “Okay, sure. Going to meet Ginny?”
“Yeah.”
“Have fun, honey,” Mom said.
“Thanks.”
I hurried upstairs to grab my purse and phone. When I tip-toed back downstairs, the kitchen was relatively quiet. They weren’t arguing anymore, at least. I grabbed my coat, slipped outside, and left.
Ginny was in a window booth when I got to the Bigfoot Diner. I took off my coat and sat across from her.
“Hey,” she said with a bright smile. “I ordered us both coffee, but I haven’t ordered food yet.”
“Thanks. I’ll probably stick with coffee for now. My dad was cooking breakfast and I didn’t want to hurt his feelings by not eating.”
She shrugged. “No problem. I just wanted company.”
“Yeah, I figured.”
The waitress came by with a carafe of coffee and filled our mugs, and Ginny ordered breakfast.
“Speaking of your dad, how are things on the home front?” Ginny asked after the waitress left. “Did he cook breakfast for Caroline, too?”
“Yes, and somehow that led to them arguing about his old work schedule and…” I trailed off, not sure I wanted to dig into what they’d really been arguing about.
“And, what?” She blew on her coffee.
“The implication was the impact his schedule had on their sex life. There was mention of him missing out on her waiting in bed wearing new black lace lingerie. At that point, I started plotting my escape.”
“Oh my god, that’s both adorable and sad at the same time.”
“And also very cringey to listen to your divorced parents have a thinly veiled argument about their former sex life at the breakfast table.”
Ginny winced. “Yeah, that’s not ideal. We can change the subject if you want.”
“Thank you.”
“So did Gavin take you straight home last night, or…”
I groaned, my shoulders slumping. “No.”
“What happened?”
Taking a deep breath, I tucked my hair behind my ear. “We went to his house and started watching a movie. He startled me as a joke and then all of a sudden…”
She raised her eyebrows. “What? All of a sudden, what?”
“We were making out.”
“Get it, girl. So what’s the problem?”
Leaning closer, I lowered my voice. “The problem is, he dry humped me to a freaking orgasm, and then stopped.”
“What do you mean, stopped? He just got up and that was that?”
“Yes.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah, he moved to the other side of the couch. I could tell he was keyed up, because, you know.”
“His dick was hard,” she said bluntly.
“Yes, and I was very clear that it was a yes from me and we could keep going. But he said no.”
“Are you sure he didn’t come in his pants and didn’t want you to know?”
“Definitely not, although I think he was close.”
Ginny’s eyes were wide, and for a second, she just stared at me, her lips forming a little O. “So he gave you an orgasm and then didn’t want to continue.”
“Yes.”
“I’m confused.”
“Thank you,” I said, my voice tinged with enthusiasm. “See? That’s weird, right? It’s not just me?”
“No, definitely not just you.”
“He took some deep breaths and rubbed his hands up and down his face, and then he asked me if I wanted to keep watching the stupid movie.”
“That’s all just… very unexpected.”
“I know.”
“I thought Gavin was supposed to be the kind of guy who’d give you the orgasm and then happily take a blow job in return. Did you guys have a conversation about where th
ings were going or something?”
“No, not at all.”
“What about at the party?”
“No. I did tell him about my arousal thing, which now I’m regretting. Ginny, was it a pity dry-humping?”
“I can’t imagine it was out of pity. Tell me one thing, though.”
“What?”
“Was it good?”
I rolled my eyes, wishing I could lie to her and say it hadn’t been very good anyway. But I couldn’t. “It was amazing.”
“I don’t know if that makes it better or worse.” She reached over and patted my hand sympathetically. “I’m guessing you haven’t talked to him since.”
“Your guess is correct. I left pretty abruptly. He offered to drive me home, but I was just so… confused and kind of embarrassed. And now I don’t know what to do. Or what I want him to do.”
“You like him.”
“Yeah, I do. He still kind of scares me, but I like hanging out with him. And I know this makes no sense, but he’s the only reason I’ve been writing lately.”
“What do you mean?”
“You know how blocked I’ve been. Somehow when he’s around, I’m not blocked. I have no explanation for it. He came into the coffee shop one day when I was trying to write and sat at my table for a little while. I wrote an entire chapter. A whole chapter, Ginny. Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve done that?”
“Months?”
“Yes. After he left, nothing. It was like turning off a faucet. So later I invited him over to see if it would happen again.”
“And it did?”
“Yep. He sat on my bed while I wrote and it worked. I wrote and wrote and wrote, just like I used to.”
“That’s so crazy.”
“I know. I have no idea what’s going on with that. But even without the writing thing, I don’t want things to be all messed up between us.”
“Do you think it’s because he works for your dad? He doesn’t want to get in trouble with his boss?”
“Maybe. He did say something a few weeks ago about promising my dad he wouldn’t, but he wasn’t exactly clear on what he wouldn’t do.”
“Well there you go. That’s probably what’s going on.”
“So you’re saying maybe there’s a reason other than he’s repulsed by me physically and he wishes he’d never touched me?”
She rolled her eyes. “Are all novel writers as dramatic as you?”
“I don’t know. Probably.”
“Anyone can see Gavin likes you. Whatever he has going on in his head, it’s not that he’s repulsed by you physically. I bet it’s the your-dad-is-his-boss thing. He doesn’t think he can date you.”
I stirred some cream into my coffee, briefly pondering. “You know, the more I think about it, maybe he did the right thing last night. I don’t know if I’m ready to be with someone new anyway.”
“Hmm.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I think you’re using Cullen as an excuse because you’re scared.”
“Of course I’m scared. I’m always scared.”
“I mean scared of Gavin.”
“I literally just said he scares me.”
She regarded me with a motherly tilt of her head. “I mean you’re scared of falling for him.”
Glancing away, I let out a long breath.
“Do you want my advice?”
“Yes.”
“If you want him, you need to tell him. And if you’re not ready for a relationship, but you like hanging out as friends and you wouldn’t mind adding a little lust-and-thrust into the mix, tell him that too. What’s the worst that could happen?”
“He turns me down and it’s so horribly awkward he never speaks to me again.”
“Maybe I should have rephrased that. What’s the worst that’s likely to happen?”
“Same answer.”
“All I’m saying is that if you don’t go after what you want, you probably won’t get it.”
“Yeah…” I trailed off. I didn’t want to admit she was right. Going after what I wanted had never been my number one skill. “But I don’t think I’m using Cullen as an excuse for anything. I honestly don’t think I’m ready for a relationship right now. In case you haven’t noticed, my career is circling the drain. I need to focus on writing, and then finding a new agent, and landing a publishing deal. That’s… a lot.”
“You know, these days you don’t necessarily need a publisher. Authors publish their work independently all the time.”
“I know that works for some people, but it seems so…”
“Scary?”
“Yes.”
“Scarier than having to find a new agent and land a new publishing deal?”
“Why are you trying to push me out of my comfort zone?”
She smiled. “Because sometimes you need a nudge.”
“How about this? I’ll consider it and do a little research so I know more about it. Will that make you happy?”
“Yes.”
“Can we talk about you now?” I continued before she could answer. “I saw you talking to Logan Bailey last night.”
“Oh yeah. He was funny.”
“Did you hang out with him more after I left?”
Her lips twitched in a smile. “A little.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Did you go home alone last night or is there another reason for your sunny disposition this morning?”
She laughed softly. “No, I went home alone. We flirted a little and it was fun, but that was it.”
“Okay. That’s probably good.”
“Why?”
“Gavin said I should warn you about Logan.”
“Calling out his brother? Ouch.”
“No, it was more like he was being honest with a friend. He said his brother is a good guy but probably the kind of guy you should warn your girlfriend about.”
“I’m not even a tiny bit surprised.”
“I also saw you talking to Gram and Fiona. Aren’t they so nice?”
“I want Gram to adopt me. I seriously adore her.” She put a finger to her lips. “Maybe I should make something happen with Logan just so I can have Gram for a grandma-in-law.”
I laughed. “I don’t know if Logan is the one to go after if marrying into the family is your goal.”
“Good point. Besides, I’m too busy to think about getting married.”
“Speaking of busy, how’s your research going?”
Her eyes lit up. “Oh my god, so good. This town is a treasure trove of amazing stories. I’ve been to places with a lot of history plenty of times, but the way these people spin everything into a tall tale is absolutely fantastic. And don’t even get me started on the feud. It’s gold.”
“Yeah? So you’re finding a lot of stuff to write about?”
“Am I ever. I learned so much from Gram last night. You know what’s crazy? No one knows how the feud started. I’ve talked to people on both sides, and the one thing they all agree on is that no one knows the real story.”
“That’s so weird.”
“Isn’t it? Honestly, I love it. I’ve met so many townspeople who have their own version, but all of them admit they don’t really know. They’ve just made up their own theories. But then Fiona was telling me about some stuff Grace Bailey found. A woman named Eliza Bailey went missing, probably around the early 1920s or maybe a little bit before that. And there could be a connection to a man named John Haven, who also went missing. I’m not clear on whether they went missing at the same time, or if one of them might have been responsible for the other’s disappearance or what. I need to dig into it and see what I can find.”
“Maybe you’ll uncover the origin of the feud.”
“I’m kind of hoping I do. It’s such a fun mystery.”
“Keep me posted.” My phone buzzed, the little noise rattling my ear drums.
Ginny met my eyes. “Maybe it’s him. Check it.”
I took a deep breath and pulle
d out my phone.
“It’s him.”
“He’s reaching out. That means it’s your move.”
My move. I took another deep breath and read his text.
20
Gavin
The river meandered by, slow and lazy this time of year. It was cold out today, but I didn’t care. If my leg hadn’t been in a cast, I probably would have jumped in, just for the rush. There was something about dousing yourself in ice-cold water that felt awesome. Woke up the senses.
But I did have a cast, so I had to be content with sitting on a rock next to my truck, watching the river. It was one of my favorite places—which was probably why Gram had named me Otter when I was little. I’d always loved water.
I fiddled with my phone, impatiently waiting for Skylar’s reply. My message had been simple and straightforward. I’m really sorry about last night. Can we get together?
Discontent made me edgy. I didn’t like the way last night had ended. At all. I hadn’t meant to upset her. I hadn’t meant for any of it to happen. But man, when she’d whispered that threat of getting herself off if I wouldn’t do it for her, I’d cracked.
The logic had made sense to my half-functioning, lust-filled brain. She’d needed an orgasm, so I’d given her one. Then I’d stopped. Kept from crossing that line.
But that had obviously hurt her feelings, because she’d bolted.
And now I felt like shit. She probably did too.
Finally—it hadn’t really taken that long, but I was impatient as fuck right now—she replied.
Skylar: What did you have in mind?
Me: First, do you need to get any writing done today? Because I can come over if you need me.
Skylar: I’m taking today off, but thank you.
Me: Okay, cool. Do you want to go to the drive-in with me tonight?
Skylar: There’s a drive-in?
Me: Yeah, just outside town. I need to do some recon.
Skylar: Recon? For what?
Me: A prank.
Skylar: You’re going to do a prank at the drive-in?
Me: Yep. Nick Haven owns it, so obviously we never go see movies there. But we have an idea for an epic prank. We just need to see what it’ll take to pull it off. So I’m going to stake the place out. Are you in?
Skylar: Will we get in trouble?
Rushing In: A Small Town Family Romance Page 16