“The five of us didn’t know it when we were in school”—Michael took a moment to stare at each of them with pride before he continued—“but we were building something special. And now that Vanessa’s here with us, it just seems like our friendship circle is finally complete. I’m glad y’all are still here with me. You held me down in Mrs. Greenwood’s class, during my parents’ passing, and talked me through my stupidity when I was about to lose my woman. I don’t know a better group of people I’d rather have in my corner.”
“That calls for a group hug,” Derrick said as he stood quickly, pulling up next to Vanessa and waving his hands for all of them to get up and do the same. Somehow, Cree had ended up next to Derrick, leaving Janae and Adam to close the circle. They all locked their arms around one another, moving into what should have been an awkward movement of bodies considering some of their height differences. It wasn’t, however.
It was perfect, synchronous, each of them supporting one another. But Adam couldn’t shake the feeling that this hug was ten times better than any other hug he’d ever had because Janae’s arm was wrapped low around his waist and his was around her shoulders. They held tightly to each other as they held tightly to the group. Adam couldn’t help but wonder if this was a metaphor for something bigger, something deeper. He certainly hoped it was.
When they finally separated, Derrick asked, “Are we headed out to the diner like we did after prom? Because I’m old now, and I need to go home and sleep.”
They all laughed and filed out of the classroom in pairs, leaving Janae and Adam to walk out last. He hooked his pinky finger around hers and stopped her from walking through the doorway.
“How about you? Are you ready to go home and go to sleep too?”
She shook her head. “I work the night shift. This is my witching hour.”
“Good. Go tell your girls I’m driving you home.”
She raised a questioning brow at his presumptive tone.
“You are, are you? Are you taking me straight home or are we taking a detour?”
“Definitely a detour,” he replied. “I’m gonna take you somewhere I’d always wanted to take you when we were kids.”
Her face lit up with excitement and anticipation, and Adam could feel his heart rate tick up slightly in response.
“All right, Mr. Man. Don’t try nothing, though. My best friend is dating the sheriff, and she don’t play about me.”
Adam couldn’t help but laugh. Janae wasn’t lying. Michael was his best friend, but Adam had no doubt that if he did something stupid and Vanessa found out about it, she’d have Michael swearing out an arrest warrant for Adam in a hot second. Knowing his boy loved that woman down to her dirty drawers, Adam would be in the clink with the quickness.
“I promise, I’ll always take care of you, Janae.”
She tilted her head, taking him in. “I almost believe you mean that, Adam.”
“I do.”
Chapter 11
“God, I’d forgotten how beautiful it was up here, Adam.”
Janae looked out over Monroe Summit, a secluded peak that provided a panoramic view of their sleepy little town. When they were in high school, it was the place where all the kids snuck away to make out or hang out or throw impromptu get-togethers. Cars would be lined up, and for the most part, as long as they kept the noise to a reasonable level and no one did anything stupid to cause the sheriff to check in on them, kids would spend hours up here getting cozy with a date, dancing to their favorite songs, or just hanging with friends, dreaming about tomorrow.
As soon as she realized where Adam was guiding his truck, fond memories of the fun she’d had here with Cree, Michael, and Derrick assailed her. Flipping through them in her head, she realized there weren’t very many where she remembered Adam sharing in the fun with them.
“You live here,” Adam interrupted her thoughts as he turned down the tailgate and helped her onto the bed of the truck. “You mean to tell me you don’t come up here every chance you get?”
Janae chuckled. “That would mean I did anything more than work and take care of my kid.”
“So, no free time to sneak away with your suitor of the week?”
She twirled her finger in the soft red material on her sleeve before she answered. “If that’s your way of asking me if I’m dating anyone, the answer is no. There hasn’t been anyone since my ex.”
“You sour on the idea of dating, or you just haven’t had the opportunity to date?”
She looked up at him, the inkiness of the night sky providing a calming backdrop to the twinkling lights of the cars on the highway beneath them. His eyes sparked with anticipation as he waited for her answer. She realized he wasn’t just making conversation; he seemed to really want to know her answer.
“If you’d asked me this question two weeks ago, my response would’ve been an unequivocal ‘I’m so sour, my mouth is permanently puckered.’ I’d invested so much of myself in my marriage that it took me a year post the divorce just to feel remotely normal again. The more at home I felt in my own head, the more I realized how lost I’d been. I decided then that I would never be in a relationship again.”
God, that first year was so damn hard. It took everything she had just to get out of bed. Once she was out of it, putting herself together so she could smile in front of her son and take care of him depleted the rest of her limited stores of energy.
“If you’re asking me if I’m ready to date, Adam, I’m not sure. There’s so much on my shoulders.”
