by Ellie Hall
Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t. But the issue wasn’t how far away he was or how much she’d fallen for him—it was whether or not she was important to him, and past experience told her she wasn’t.
12
Josh
Josh had spent way too many years of his life bending to his parents’ wishes. But he was proud of how he and Tara had taken charge of the meeting in the parking lot. While Griffin watched on, Josh and Tara had stood firm and told all four parents that there was a zero percent chance of the two of them ever getting back together, so they needed to give up hope.
But they also assured them that he and Tara would remain friends, and they could all go to the beach house with whomever they married and both sets of grandkids could play together.
The dads were still scowling and not budging, so Josh appealed to his mom. She might be as tough as her three-carat diamond wedding ring, but she was the softest of the four. He told her that if she wanted a wedding and grandbabies in her future—and, as an only child, he was her only way to get them—then the path to that was with a woman inside the school, and that he needed to get back to her.
His mom really wanted grandbabies. After all these years, she finally seemed to understand that it was never going to happen with Tara.
Of course, it was entirely, totally presumptuous of him to jump that far into his and Chloe’s future after having just reconnected at the beginning of the reunion, but without even realizing it, it was something he had started dreaming about already.
He shook his head as he walked back into the school. He should probably ask Chloe on a date that took place outside of their high school before he started dreaming too much. Or, as his grandma would put it, he was putting the message before the carrier pigeon, which he was pretty sure meant he was putting the cart before the horse.
But now, at least, Tara was off celebrating her engagement with Griffin, and Josh was headed back into the school to find Chloe and dance the rest of the night away. It felt amazing to finally put everything from his past behind him. It felt complete. Finished. Like the future finally had space to happen. And now, his future with Chloe was wide open with possibilities, and he couldn’t be more excited about it.
Once he got back to the gym, he couldn’t see Chloe anywhere. Or Jia. And with Jia’s sequined dress, she would’ve been easy to find. He walked around for a bit, but still saw no sign of either of them.
His friend, Mario, stopped him. “Looking for Chloe?”
He nodded, not taking his eyes off the dance floor.
“Yeah, she left. I didn’t see it, but my wife talked to Mariah who talked to Paige, and she was right there when it happened. She said you basically dissed Chloe to go off with Tara, and Chloe left crying. You messed up big time, pal.”
Josh closed his eyes for a moment, running a hand across his forehead. When Tara had shown up, his first reaction had been panic as he’d imagined the reason, since she’d been so adamant about not attending. Then, once he’d heard that it was urgent, he worried that it would involve their parents, and he’d felt a prickling rushing up his neck and across his face just thinking about Chloe being exposed to that.
But as he pictured everything from Chloe’s point of view, he realized that he’d left her behind without an explanation. Did he even say goodbye? So many emotions had been running through his head at the time that he wasn’t sure what he’d done or said.
He shook his head. She’d confided in him about her childhood—he should’ve recognized how his actions would’ve affected her. Wow, that had been a massive oversight.
He had definitely messed up. And now he needed a way to show her that she mattered to him.
13
Chloe
Chloe’s cupcake was gone and she had lain back on her bed, not feeling anything close to sleepy yet not knowing what to do with all the emotions inside her.
Jia picked up her phone, looked at it for a moment, and then set it face-down on the bed. “I think we should put our dresses back on and go to the dance.”
“Or,” Chloe said, dragging out the word, “we could brainstorm something else to do that doesn’t include being in the same place as Josh.”
Jia sat up. “No, hear me out. You’ve been talking about this dance for weeks, even before you knew Josh was coming. You want to be there—don’t let this stop you. Let’s go have fun, just like we planned. You’ve got a kickin’ dress. I’ve got a kickin’ dress. Close to a third of our graduating class is still single, right? So we can just have fun.”
Chloe thought for a long moment. “Do you know what? You’re right. We should go back.”
Jia pumped her fist and gave a Mighty Coyote howl. “Let’s do this! Also, you have chocolate frosting on your nose.”
The energy she’d felt after Jia talked her into going back to the dance wore off by the time they stepped back into the big gym-turned-city-with-fireworks, and she was now feeling a bit like she was slipping her way across a half-frozen pond.
She leaned close to her friend. “I might need to hear that coyote howl again.”
But then movement on the Golden Gate Bridge on the opposite end of the gym caught her eye and the music lowered to half its volume. Gabrielle stepped up to the microphone. “Who wants a special treat tonight? Oh, I’ve got goosebumps already! Okay, I’m not even going to introduce this—I’m just going to hand over the mic.”
And then she walked away and Josh Trevorrow walked down the bridge toward the microphone. Chloe’s heart started to race. When he got to the microphone, a spotlight lit him. He obviously hadn’t planned on that, based on the half-laugh, half-exhale sound he made.
He cleared his throat. “I once heard someone say that it’s a great idea to make a list of the top ten reasons why you love someone. I agree, especially if you’ve been in love with that person for a long time but haven’t ever told them. So I made one. I want to share it with you all because I don’t want her or any of you to doubt how much this woman matters to me.”
Chloe let out a gasp, not entirely sure what to think. The last time she’d seen Josh, he had been walking out of the room with his ex-girlfriend. Was this about that?
He pulled a paper out of his suit jacket and opened it. “Without further ado, Ten Reasons Why I Have a Crush on Chloe Carson.”
Suddenly, there was a spotlight on Chloe, too, and the crowd of people on the dance floor between her and Josh all moved to the side, leaving nothing but empty dance floor between them.
“Number one: she cares about people—she always has. She did as a kid taking care of her family, as a high school student volunteering through Key Club and National Honor Society, and even now, in her career as a home health nurse.
“Number two: she makes me laugh, which is as important as food and water to me.”
She smiled. She hadn’t realized how important it was to her, too, until he’d said it. As he talked, she found her legs were slowly pulling her across the gym, closer to him.
“Number three: she’ll stop to help anyone whenever needed, no matter what she’s in the middle of doing. Even if it’s something like searching for missing centerpieces that I’m no longer convinced were ever lost.”
Everyone around them chuckled. They weren’t lost?
“Number four: she’s a light in the darkness. And I’m not just talking about the glitter on her skin.”
Heat rose to Chloe’s cheeks, and she smiled and glanced down.
“Number five: she’s a master at adapting. She can take a situation that went wrong—like, say, what happened during the get-to-know-you-again games—and just roll with it and keep on going.”
This time, she laughed, covering her mouth even while she smiled wide.
“Number six: she is smart and kind and is the type of person we should all aspire to be.
“Number seven: she has great ideas—just brainstorm anything with her. Seriously, Mitchell and Gabrielle, ask her about landscaping the grounds. She’s a gold mine.
&n
bsp; “Number eight: she takes good care of my grandma. Some of you know my grandma, and you know how important she is to me and how thankful I am to Chloe for that.
“Number nine: This is a huge one. She has the extremely rare gift of making me feel like I can be myself instead of the person everyone expects me to be.”
A collective aww sounded from the crowd, and Chloe ducked her head. But only for a moment because her eyes were immediately pulled back to Josh.
“And number ten: she stopped me from leaving this reunion before even stepping through the front doors, and I’ll be forever grateful that she did. I hope I never have to come up with a Ten Reasons Why I Should Get over Chloe Already list because I don’t think I could if I tried.”
Chloe had walked far enough forward that they were only a couple dozen feet apart now, and he paused a long moment, just gazing at her. She gazed right back. She couldn’t have taken her eyes off of him even if the school was attacked by a flame-throwing T-rex.
“Like I said in number six, she’s smart, so she could just as easily turn and walk out the door with this request, and neither I nor anyone in here could blame her. But I’m going to ask because it means a lot to me. Chloe, may I have this dance?”
She smiled and nodded, not trusting her voice to work, which made the tears running down her face change course.
Josh turned toward the deejay. “Can I make a request? Chloe and I have a song that’s special to us.”
Her eyebrows rose. They did?
“In honor of the aforementioned centerpiece searching where we were practically dancing in the dark, will you please play the song Perfect by Ed Sheeran?”
As the music started, Josh walked to the end of the bridge and then met her in the middle of the gym floor. The moment he reached her, he lifted one hand in his, placing his other hand on the small of her back—a touch that was quickly beginning to feel every bit as normal as it felt amazing, like it was exactly where his hand belonged.
They started moving to the music, and he whispered, “Was this okay?”
She nodded as another tear slipped out. “So very okay.” She had never felt more seen and valued. The fact that it was Josh—the guy she’d never really gotten over—made everything perfect.
As more and more people joined them on the dance floor, Josh leaned in, his lips right next to her ear, and whispered, “I’m really glad Marty was right—when it comes to you, I never want to fail.”
She smiled. “Who knew he was so smart?”
“I’m pretty sure he did.”
Chloe laughed. And then her foot slipped in her heel again, twisting her ankle to the side. But Josh was right there, his strong arm around her, holding her tight, keeping her from having to be proud as a peacock because the graceful as a swan thing hadn’t panned out.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ve got you.”
His words came out like a promise he planned to keep.
14
Josh
“Everyone, squeeze in a little closer,” Gabrielle called out, motioning with her hands.
“You don’t have to ask me twice,” Josh whispered into Chloe’s ear. He and everyone around them shuffled their feet on the bleachers as they scooted together.
“If you wanted us in tighter,” Miles Belnap said, “then you shouldn’t have fed us a big brunch first!”
Everyone laughed—all his classmates on the stands with him and all the spouses who hadn’t gone to Salt Creek High who were gathered in a semi-circle behind the camera. Ever since they tried to pull off singing their school song during the brunch, everyone was laughing at everything.
“Oh, perfect.” Gabrielle held her hands up like she wanted to freeze them into position, then ran to stand next to Mitchell on the front row.
“Okay,” Mitchell called out, “everyone give a Mighty Coyote howl!”
They all howled, several people holding up their hands in a coyote paw, and one of the spouses took the picture.
“Now let’s do one for real,” Gabrielle said. “Smiles, everyone!”
The person behind the camera pressed the button at least a dozen times as they all stood still, their smiles frozen in place.
“And, we’re done!”
As everyone stepped off the bleachers, Josh and Chloe turned to face each other. Her hands were behind his neck and his arms were already around her as if by default. He couldn’t even remember thinking about it.
“So, Josh Trevorrow. I’m guessing you’re driving back to Des Moines right after we leave here. When will I see you again?”
“Well,” he said, unable to keep from smiling whenever he was near Chloe, “my grandma has been asking me to visit on the weekends a lot more.”
“Oh?”
He nodded. He and Nick had talked about moving the business several times. Since their speaking gigs were always offsite, the location of their home base wasn’t so important. They just needed to be somewhat close to an airport. Most of their talk of moving had been about going further away from Salt Creek.
But while he’d been here, he’d realized a couple of things. When he and Tara had broken up “for good,” he’d thought that part of his life had been done. But a part of him must’ve known that it wasn’t really over until the big talk with all four parents happened, because it wasn’t until now that it felt like he could move on. He no longer felt a need to get further away from his parents. In fact, Salt Creek was pulling at him pretty strongly right now.
But they had some employees, and they needed to take them into consideration, too. It wouldn’t be a move he’d make soon, but until they could, he’d gladly drive any distance needed to see Chloe each weekend.
“Yeah. I might have to start spending a lot more time in Salt Creek.”
Chloe smiled and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “I would like that. Marty probably would too, but he’ll make you think he won’t.”
Josh nodded gravely. “You know he has a special name for me, too.”
“Really?”
“My grandma tried to teach him my first and last name and I swear he knows it because he calls my dad ‘Devan Trevorrow.’ But he calls me Josh Try No More. I’ve chosen to believe that he’s trash-talking me about basketball, so anytime I throw anything away at my grandma’s, I do it like I’m making a basket and I trash-talk his game right back.”
“I know where some embossing glitter is that you can practice your dunking skills with.”
He laughed and then said, “I like that you sparkle.”
He was surprised to see Tara walk over to them. He hadn’t seen her at the brunch, so he had assumed she wasn’t coming for pictures.
Instead of talking to him, she turned to Chloe. “Josh told our parents that there was someone in our class that he could really see a future with.”
Chloe blushed and ducked her head a bit. He hoped she wasn’t too embarrassed by that revelation.
“Anyway,” Tara said, “Josh and I may not have been right for each other, but I do care about him and want the best for him. I’m really glad to find out that the person he cares so much about is you.”
Tara gave him a single nod, and then she turned and left.
Chloe stared after her, mouth slightly open. “Did that just happen?”
Josh was in shock himself. Jia must’ve been standing right behind them, because she rose up on her toes and put one arm around each of them, her head right between his and Chloe’s. “Yep. Because anyone can see that you two are perfect for each other.”
He wished he’d been able to fully see it a decade ago, but he’d take it from now going forward any day.
Connect with Meg Easton
Meg Easton writes romantic comedies and sweet contemporary romances with fun, memorable, swoon-worthy characters and settings you’ll want to pack up and move to. She lives at the foot of a mountain with her name on it (or at least one letter of her name) in Utah with her husband and three kids.
See all of Meg’s books here.
To stay up to date with Meg’s new releases and get a free book, sign up for Meg’s VIP readers.
Lassoed into Love
Rachael Eliker
Country living’s supposed to be charming. Lies. Nobody mentioned cows are escape artists or that hens are vindictive. Maren's the silver lining. She's saved Nick from more than one disaster, and if he'll let her, she might be able to mend his broken heart, too.
1
I stood with my back against the kitchen wall and pushed off, counting each step. There was a straight shot from the tiny farmhouse kitchen through to the sitting room that was decorated like the seventies were alive and well. Wood paneling was accented by a wall of floral wallpaper and the plaid couch was a nice touch, too. When my nose touched the opposite wall, I’d taken a grand total of fifteen steps, and that was being generous. I could have easily made it in ten if I tried.
Banging my forehead against the wall hard enough that my brain rattled, I closed my eyes. “What am I doing here?”
The modest home was smaller than my last apartment and though it was sturdy, I didn’t like country chic even when it was done right. So much for using the summer to regroup, maybe relax a little. With each passing minute, I was more certain I’d voluntarily agreed to torture.
If life had taken any other direction, I wouldn’t have considered taking the job, but following my spectacular fall from a comfortable and promising future, a friend asked if I was available to watch his parents’ farm for a few months. I wish I was doing it because I was a good person but frankly, I needed the cash.