“Well, you are the fire inspector, so I guess a little spray is part of the job.”
“Right?” I say, laughing softly. “I think I’ll skip book club tonight.”
“Really?” She’s right to be shocked. I never miss gathering with my girlfriends.
“Yeah. I’m wiped out between the birth this morning and orientation. I feel like I could sleep for a week.”
“Maybe just go for an hour or two.”
“Why are you so eager to be rid of me?” I tease her, bumping her hip with mine.
“I’m not,” She smiles warmly. “I just know how a job can consume you. And now you have two. So making time for friends is doubly important. Besides, McKenna won’t be here forever. I’d think you’d want to gobble up every second you could with her.”
“You’re right. I miss her like a limb when she’s gone. Now that she’s back, I may be taking her for granted.” I sigh,brushing the onion skin off the cutting board into the trash can. “Okay. You convinced me. I’ll go.”
Mom smiles.
After dinner, I wash up, change into yoga pants and an oversized hoodie, pop my Uggs on and drive through town to Moss & Maple.
All day, the feeling of Cody’s kiss visited me in private whispers. I’d practically feel the brush of his lips across mine, smell the woodsy scent of his skin, see the way he looked at me. Alone in my truck, I sigh, replaying all the sensations like a favorite movie.
Normally, I’d have texted or called McKenna within minutes of a guy kissing me. We’d debrief what it all meant and how I felt. She’d relive the play-by-play with me.
This is Cody.
McKenna’s not my sounding board or secret-keeper this time.
I could tell Emberleigh or Cass. But I can’t ask my friends to keep a secret from McKenna.
I’m alone in this. Alone with Cody.
My chest tightens.
I pull up to the curb outside the bookshop and kill the engine. My eyes drop closed for a beat. I take a deep breath.
I wish I could talk with Cody.
Why did he kiss me?
And does he want another as badly as I do?
I step out of my truck, taking the concrete path to the front door. I open it to laughter and the sound of teasing conversation. My friends are gathered in a back room of Moss & Maple. The top of one row of shorter bookshelves along the wall is filled with trays of baked goods, thanks to Emberleigh. And a ladle sticks up from the Crock-Pot at the end.
“Mmm warm cider,” I say, grabbing a mug and spooning myself some of the spicy warm drink.
“Carli!” McKenna jumps up from the armchair where she was deep in conversation with Winona.
I set the mug down and fall into McKenna’s embrace, squeezing her to me.
“I miss you,” she says, pulling back.
“You literally saw me four days ago,” I remind her.
“That’s practically a week,” she pouts. “And I had to share you with my family then.”
I smile, remembering Cody bumping my foot with his. Was that only four days ago? Time will now be divided into two segments: BBK and ABK—before and after our barn kiss.
“How was orientation?” she asks, snapping me back into the moment.
