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He doesn’t get to say anything more because the phone rings from his bedroom, giving me a chance to get up. “I’ll let myself out,” I say. “You need to get your phone.” I walk out, looking over my shoulder at him. I want to say, “See you later,” but I don’t. I just take one more look at him before I grab my purse and get the hell out of here. Only when I’ve made my way away from his house and stop, my head hitting the steering wheel, do I let the air I’ve been holding out. “Well, add that to the list of why I’m the shittiest friend ever.”
I think of going straight to work but then think about walking in wearing the same thing I did last night and make my way back home. “Nothing says walk of shame like going to work with the same clothes on,” I mumble as I walk into my house, going to my bedroom and picking out my tight, light-blue jeans, a white T-shirt, and a pair of white runners. After putting on a little bit of mascara and walking out the door, I head to work. I arrive at the same time as Brady who looks at me. “You better be going to get coffee.”
“Late night?” I ask and he glares at me.
“All this tasting menu shit has everyone talking about it. We got five different reservations for tonight. And the back room is reserved for those guys who bought cases to take home; they are coming with friends.”
I hold up my hand. “High five.”
“I don’t see any coffee in that hand,” he mumbles. “Get me coffee and I might high-five you.”
“You got it.” I turn and walk toward the bakery, pulling open the door and stepping in, coming face-to-face with Charlie’s parents.
“Oh my goodness,” his mother, Willow, says when she looks over her shoulder at me. “I can’t believe my eyes.” She comes over to me, not giving me a chance to do anything when she takes me in her arms. “Look at you.” She lets me go and holds my arms. “Quinn.” She looks at her husband. “It’s Autumn.”
“I see.” He smiles at me and bends his head to kiss my cheek. “It’s good to see you.”
“It’s good to see you both,” I reply, my heart hammering in my chest, wondering if they went to Charlie’s house and saw my car.
“Mr. Barnes.” He turns his head when Maddie calls his name and holds a big bag for him.
“We’re surprising Charlie,” Willow fills me in as I try not to make it seem that I’m freaking out, but I’m freaking the fuck out.
“That sounds like fun,” I say as Quinn joins us. “I’ll let you two get to him.” I step aside from them and watch them walk out the door. My eyes follow them to the SUV as Quinn smiles down at Willow and opens her door for her, bending to kiss her lips before she gets in.
“What can I get you this morning, Autumn?” Maddie asks from behind the counter.
“I’ll take two coffees and a whole box of donuts,” I order.
“That kind of day?” She raises her eyebrows.
“You have no idea.” I take one look over my shoulder and see the SUV drive away. “You have no idea,” I mumble again.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Charlie
I open the back door and storm out with the coffee in my hand, headed straight to the barn. My mind on the way Autumn was looking at the picture of Jennifer when I walked out of the shower, something we both need to talk about. It also makes me think about the last time I went to visit her, something that has been less and less in the last couple of weeks.
Walking in, I spot Emmett sitting on the desk, his coffee in his hand as he looks up at me. “Well, you look to be in a fine mood.” He lifts the cup to his mouth and tries to hide his smile.
“I’m fine,” I snap at him, even though I’m not fine. I woke up feeling like I’ve never felt before. I mean, never felt before, hands down, and it just got better, until it didn’t. Until I walked out of the walk-in closet and saw her staring at Jennifer’s picture by the bed. I didn’t even notice the picture until she mouthed something to it, and her face got white. The little happy that I had for an hour or less was gone, and I wanted desperately to get it back. I wanted it back more than I wanted anything before.
“You sound fine,” Emmett fires back. “Peachy.” I take a sip of my coffee. “Heard you were in town last night.”
“Yeah.” I walk away from him when the phone rings again from my pocket. “I live here, so occasionally I go to town,” I bark, looking down and seeing it’s my grandfather, and I’ve already ignored his call this morning when Autumn left. “I’m going to take this inside.” I walk back out and head to my office, putting the phone to my ear. “Hello.”
“I called you,” he states, “twice.”
“I know, I was in the shower the first time,” I lie to him, “and now I answered you. What’s up?”
“What’s up?” He laughs. “You called me last night talking in code.”
“I wasn’t talking in code,” I deny. “I called to give you a heads-up.”
“Is that how you remember it?” he pushes as I pull out my chair and sit on it. “Care to fill me in on the whole situation?” I close my eyes, wondering how the fuck to word it without putting Autumn in this. I don’t want her to be involved in any of this. But I know I have no choice but to say everything, so I do. Well, definitely not everything. “I’ll see what I can get from my end. After everything fell to shit in court, I didn’t give it another thought.”
“Yeah, I’ve spent the last eight years with a chip on my shoulder and placing blame on someone who wasn’t to blame.”
