She’s right. I’ve been putting it off all morning but that is not how responsible, independent businesswomen deal with their problems.
I bury my nerves and pick up the purple folder with my business plan in it.
“Okay, I’m going.” I hold up my hands and walk backwards towards the door.
“Duck,” Skyler says, not looking up from the laptop.
“What? Oh—” I duck down just in time to miss getting whacked in the head as Henry turns around with a large level. He stares at me, his eyes wide and light brown skin pale.
“Oops.” I smile at him and back out of the shop. Maybe it’s a good idea for me to get out of the way.
I step out onto Main Street and tie my hair up in a ponytail. It’s late summer and we’re having a mini heatwave, so it feels good to get my long hair off my neck.
I check behind me to make sure I’m not going to walk into anything else then turn back to look at the front of my shop. Gregor’s old sign still stretches above the windows but it’s coming down later today. Pride swells in my chest. I have a space on Main Street. I’ve been all over the world but this road in Pine Rock, with its old red brick buildings and striped shop awnings, is one of my favorite places. And I have a shop on it.
Skyler catches me staring and shoos me away through the window.
I roll my eyes but get on my way.
I spent so many years traveling I was never in one place long enough to learn to drive, so I walk to Jarred’s place. It’s not far, only about a ten-minute walk past the colorful clapboard houses that spring off from Main Street and then down the road that runs parallel to Surfer’s Bay. There’s no sidewalk on the last stretch so I’m walking along the carpet of pine needles on the edge of the road when an old rusting pickup comes speedingtowards me. A couple of guys are sitting in the bed of the truck, leaning over the edge and hollering, beer cans in hand.
I shake my head and look away because I was stupid as a kid, but I was never that stupid. But then the truck swerves, veering towards me.
I rear back, tripping over the sand bank and landing on my ass just as the truck’s tires flatten the space I was standing.
My heart races in my throat.
Laughter drifts on the air as the truck straightens up and carries on down the road.
What. The. Fuck.
I collapse back on the bank, the heat of the sand sinking into me as the adrenaline leaves my system. When I’m no longer shaking, I retrieve my folder and stand up. There’s sand in places I really didn’t want to have sand when I’m pitching my big idea to a potential business partner, but I dust myself off as best I can and walk the rest of the way to Jarred’s.
By the time I get there, my nerves about talking to Jarred have made friends with the shock from almost being run over and the pair are ganging up on me. My heart squeezes hard and my hand shakes.
I stop at the end of the drive to Jarred’s and take a moment to compose myself.
I spent a fair amount of time at the North house for various parties when I was in school. Ones Hux threw and Jarred shut down.
The Old Farm House, as everyone calls it, is as gorgeous as I remember. The apple orchard backs onto the property and neat rows of trees trail off into the distance like lollipops on either side of the house.
The deep blue siding makes me think of the sea and late summer nights sitting out on the wrap-around porch, drinking cheap beer and chatting about crushes.
I only ever had one crush even if none of my friends knew who he was. I used to date other boys, just to see if it would make my feelings go away, but I stopped that after the last party Hux threw.
God that night feels like a lifetime ago, but now I’m here, the memory filters back.
Hux looksdown at me from where he’s sprawled on the porch swing, a solo cup in hand. “You know you’re kind of beautiful.”
“Uh huh, and you’re kind of drunk.”
Hux grins. “Gotta have fun while I can before Jarred comes and ruins everything with all his responsibilby- responsah-bil-it-y.” He sounds the word out to stop from slurring.
I swipe his drink off him and take a sip. “At least you only have one annoying, holier-than-thou older brother lecturing you.” I love that Roman’s in my life, but I don’t want him treating me like the little sister he has to keep out of trouble. I take another swig of the sweet alco-pop because lately that feels like all I’ll ever be and maybe if I get drunk enough, I can crush on someone else for a change.
That night ended badly.Someone called the cops on us, and I found myself in lock-up. The only person I could bring myself to call was Roman and the lecture I got on growing the hell up was enough to put a damper on my more wild streak. Untilmy eighteenth, at least.
I shake the memories away. I’m not a teenage girl anymore, I’m a grown-ass woman, with a grown-ass business plan.
