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Chapter Twenty-Three
Charlie
She looks over at me with her eyes filled with tears, and it makes me angry. Angry that she hurts so much. Angry I was one of those people who made her cry. Angry because I can’t do shit about it until she gives me a hint that she wants me to do something about it.
We ride the horses all day long, and when we finally get back to the barn, it’s after four in the afternoon. “What a day.” She dismounts the horse and walks over to the side as she pets her neck. “You were so good.” She puts her forehead against her neck. “The best.”
“Let me get them settled, and I’ll feed you,” I say, and she shakes her head.
“I have to get going, get ready for work. Shower. I’ll get something on the way.” I try not to be disappointed that she’s leaving. But I am. I wasn’t ready for the day to end.
“Okay, let me put them away, and I’ll walk you back home.” I start to walk to the barn.
“That’s okay, it’s a ten-minute walk.”
“I said I’m walking you back home,” I say, trying to be cool about it, but failing when her eyebrows shoot up. “Just to make sure you are okay.”
“This going to go faster if I agree?” she asks, and I nod. “Then hurry up. I’ve already taken up all your time, and I don’t want you to waste any more time with me.”
“Let’s get one thing straight,” I say, grabbing the reins from her. “I was exactly where I wanted to be today.”
“Oh.” She looks up at me, her lips parted, and I swear I can taste the kiss.
“Exactly, it was what I wanted to do with my time. And now I want to put the horses away, get them some water, and then I’m going to walk you home.” I don’t wait for her to say anything to me as I walk into the barn and stop when I see a couple of the ranch hands there with Emmett. “What are you doing here?”
“Just going over a couple of things,” Emmett replies. “Do you want me to take care of them for you?” He motions with his head toward the two horses.
“Yeah, I’ll be back in thirty minutes.”
“Take your time,” he says, looking over my shoulder at Autumn. “Be good.”
“Yeah.” I’m irritated by his comment. I walk out and see her standing there looking at my house. “You sure you don’t want to have something to eat?” I ask, and she shakes her head. “I have a shower you could use.”
“Wait?” She turns to me. “You have a shower in your house?” She bites her lower lip. “You fancy.” She chuckles at her own joke, and I grab her around her neck, just like I used to do way back when. But this time it’s different because I don’t let her go. My hand hangs off her shoulder as we walk to her house. I stop at the bottom of her steps as she walks up them. “Thanks for today. It’s one of the best days I’ve had in a while,” she admits and then looks down at her feet as she twirls her fingers nervously.
I walk up the steps to her, my hands reaching up and holding her face in mine. “There are going to be more of those.” My thumbs rub her cheeks, and I lean down, my lips aching to be on hers, but I move my head to the side to kiss her cheek above my hand. “I’ll make sure of it.”
She doesn’t say anything. She just nods at me before turning around and walking into her house. I stand here for a second before turning and heading home. Emmett isn’t there when I get back, but the horses are taken care of, so I head to my house and step in my own shower. I slide on a pair of jeans and a fresh T-shirt before grabbing a steak from the fridge and walking over to start the grill. Sitting at the island, as I eat the steak and salad I threw together, it dawns on me that I hate eating alone. Have I always hated eating alone, and I’ve just realized it, or have I started to hate it now since she’s been back?
I try to think of the last time I went to see Jennifer as I look around the house, getting up and cleaning up a couple of things—putting things away, checking my mail, and doing shit I don’t want to be doing but doing it so I don’t go to the bar. An hour later, I finally give in and head to the bar instead of staying away from her. I walk over there, and when I step in, I see that it’s half full, and for a Sunday, that’s a great turnout. I walk over to the bar and sit down. She glances over from the group of men she is serving, and she looks surprised to see me. I can’t wait for the day when she’s expecting me to show up and not that me showing up throws her off. “Hey.” She tosses a coaster in front of me. “This is a surprise,” she admits.
“Don’t know why.” I tap the bar top. “I’ll have a soda water.”
She nods. “You got it.” She walks over and fills my glass, bringing it over. “On the house.” She laughs as she looks around. “I’ll be back. I sent Brady home, so I’m riding solo.”
“You need help?” I ask, and she shakes her head. “Of course not,” I mumble as she walks away. Slowly, people start paying their tabs. I see it’s close to eight and wonder if she’ll drive me home and then come in with me.
I’m thinking this when the stool beside me is pulled out, and when I look over, my mouth hits the floor. “Well, I’ll be—” I say, and the man sits down beside me and looks over at me. His eyes look like he’s lived ten lifetimes. “—damned.”
He chuckles, his hair longer in the back at the nape of his neck and on the top. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?”
“What can I get you?” Autumn says and then stops when she sees who it is. “Brock?” she says his name in a whisper. From her reaction, I’m guessing this is the first time they have come face-to-face.
“Saw you were back in town. Then heard you were staying back in town,” he says, putting his hands on the bar top. His hand looks rough, his knuckles look like they are healing from being torn to shreds, his fingers tainted with grease, which means he probably just came from his shop down the street, a shop he inherited from his father. “Wanted to see if the rumor was true.”
“It’s me,” she says, putting her hands on top of the bar stretched out to her sides, “in the flesh. Can I get you something to drink?”
“I’ll have what he’s having.” He motions toward me with his head, so Autumn takes off and comes back and puts the glass down in front of him.
