“It was dumb,” she continues, her cheeks red. “I wanted to make our relationship look as legit as possible to my family, so I created a picture of us doing things together. Well, a few photos. I was planning on taking it down after the wedding.” She sighs. “I bet it was my mom that shared it. She and my sister were the only ones I let see it that didn’t know it was fake.”
I’m not sure what to say.
“I’m so sorry.” Her chest is visibly tight. “This is humiliating. I,” she blows out a breath, “should go.” She hops down out of the truck and into the cold, trudging back down the long driveway while the wind blows the snow back onto her.
I scrub my hand down over my beard and hop down out of the truck, heading toward her. “You’re not leaving.”
She turns back, the world a white blur around us. “But this is crazy. I know this is crazy. I… I’m sure this caused all kinds of issues for you, and I was just trying to get my mom off my back.I should’ve created some fake guy that didn’t actually exist, but you were right there, and I was thinking about you all the time, fantasizing about this imaginary life we’d have.” She sighs. “And now, I’ve ruined both our lives. I need a new job, a new town, and a new life.”
“Hey.” I reach for her hand warming it in my own. She’s not wearing enough for this weather. “Stop. You’re okay. Honestly, I’m glad it was you. I thought it was some asshole in town out to get us. It’s no big deal. Just delete the page and I’ll handle the fall out. I’m sure there’s some way to prove the pictures weren’t real.”
She tilts her head to the side. “I know you’re trying to be nice, and I appreciate that, I really do, but my mom is right. I’m a dreamer. I spent years in college trying to get a degree, not because I thought I wanted to help people, but because I was trying to figure myself out.” Her eyes widen and she turns back into the snow. “Spoiler alert… it didn’t work, and I still missed my dad’s last breath. So, yeah, my mother is a jerk, but she’s right. I’m a mess, and if we’re being honest, you’re totally out of my league. It’s better to end this now before I go believing we can make this work.”
The wind whips against the shutters, knocking them gently against the log cabin. “I’m not going to stand here and let you talk shit about yourself, little lamb. You’re beautiful, you’re smart, and truthfully, I’m a little flattered by the social media page.”
“Flattered?I could have messed up your life. And you said it yourself, half the town is probably talking about how you were sneaking off to meet me. What happens if that gets back to the parole officer? I have no idea what’s wrong with me or what the hell I’m doing with my life.”
I grin and cup her cold red cheeks in my hands. “I kept wanting to find a time to tell you this, but… I used to run intoyour dad all over town. The first time, he was at the diner with a slice of strawberry rhubarb and the paper. I’d just come home from Iraq, he noticed my hat, and we started talking.”
“You met my dad?”
“A few times.” I nod. “He loved the diner and so did I. For years, we’d run into each other around town and talk about the missions we’d been on, the weather, or local news. Nothing major, the kind of stuff I’d talk about with any old timer I ran into. But the day before I was arrested, we got talking about life, and he said‘if you don’t know who you are, the world will figure it out for you.’I remember the single nod that followed before he told me he’d just said the same thing to his daughter. That statement has played and replayed in my head for years.”
A tear streaks down her cheek, and I brush it away before the cold has a chance to freeze it. “I remember him saying that. A few times actually. The last time, we were out in the blind together eating snacks, watching deer, and I was talking about my last semester of psychology. I’d gone through so much schooling, taken so many tests, worked two side jobs to pay tuition, but at the end of everything, I wasn’t sure if the work was for me. I felt so guilty about it because I’d started and stopped so many things to that point.” I wipe away another of her tears. “He told me about a job opening at your company. He said he’d noticed the sign on the way home and he thought it would be good for me, considering how good I am with people.”
She shrugs and wipes away her own tears, shivering in the cold. “I was so unsure of myself right then, and he told me I could believe I was a quitter, and the world would treat me as such, or I could believe I was an adventurer, and the world would treat me as such. I chose to believe I was an adventurer that day, but deep down, I knew I was a quitter. I quit everything, including love. I quit love because love was scary and I didn’t want to get hurt, and that caused all this.”
“Or maybe,” I brush back a strand of her hair as I pull her against my chest in an attempt to warm her, “you took a break. Maybe your dad knew just who you were and what you needed, ‘cause when I look at you, I see the softest, kindest, warmest person I’ve ever met. That’s why you were hired. Your warmth is infectious, Charlotte.” I land my hand on the side of her face. “The fake pictures aren’t a big deal, but if the town doesn’t let it go, we’ll leave when my parole is up. We can start fresh. I don’t want to lose you.”
She buries her face against my chest, her shoulders shaking as she cries.
I lift her up into my arms and carry her up to the warmth of my little cabin tucked into the pines. I’ve gotten a lot of advice in my life but the bit her dad gave me was the best I ever got.
I won’t let the world choose what happens between Charlotte and I. Today, I’m deciding for myself.
Chapter Seven
Charlotte
I sit with a cup of tea steaming before me as I snuggle into a warm furry blanket next to the crackling fire. I haven’t felt this close to another person since my dad passed and I’m not one hundred percent sure how to handle it. On one hand, I want to lock my body against Jake’s and never let him out of my sight again. On the other hand, I want to move slowly and carefully, so I don’t get hurt.
“Where is he now?” Maya whispers into the phone, and I can only imagine why. I really need to find time to talk to her about Holden before anyone finds out what they’re doing.
“I only have a second. Jake’s grabbing wood from the shed. I just… I don’t know what to do.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m like… I think he’s into me, and I’m seriously into him. He’s everything I’ve ever dreamt of. He’s big, he’s tall, he’s smart, he’s kind, and he genuinely wants good things for me.” I swallow hard. “I just… I don’t know. I’m freaking out. I haven’t felt anything this real in forever.”
A man’s voice echoes through Maya’s end of the line and I recognize it immediately. “Oh my God! You’re with Holden!”
“What?” I can hear Maya’s smile through the phone. “No, we aren’t together. We’re… video chatting.” She sighs playfully. “Anyway… you should totally go for it. If I’ve learned anythingfrom being a sneaky little slut, it’s that you should follow your heart. If you do, everything else will fall into place.”
I’m pretty sure that’s the worst advice ever, but I love her for being consistent.
The back door creaks and I hear Jake’s heavy footsteps.
“I’ve gotta go. Sorry. Umm… I have some real serious thoughts about your slut theory, but I’ll have to share them later. Don’t do anything too crazy. Your brother is your only family.”
