Page 65 of The Scars We Heal

Just as he sat back down, Jamie walked over to us, glancing at our work over our shoulders.

With an approving nod, she said, “Good job, you two. Looks good.”

Both of us snickered quietly, earning some glares from the people around us. I didn’t care what they thought, though. I was having fun, and that was what mattered.

By the end of the class, both of our hands were covered in wet clay. I’d gotten a bit on my clothes, but mine weren’t as bad as Jake’s. I blamed his mess on him swinging his clay around early on in the class.

Jamie told us that the employees at the store would glaze and fire our pieces and contact us when they were ready to pick up. I guess they didn’t trust the beginners to do the entire process of pottery, which was fair.

When we stood up from our seats, Jake turned to face me.

“You’ve got a little something,” he murmured, using the pad of his thumb to wipe mud and clay off my cheek.

A soft heat settled across my face, and I averted my gaze as I mumbled a quick, “Thanks.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

jake

Where to now?” I asked Caitlin once we exited the pottery store. “Do you want to get a drink or something?”

“O-oh, you want to keep hanging out? I was just going to go back home.” She stumbled over her words, nearly tripping over a crack in the sidewalk.

“Yeah, of course, I do. The pottery class was fun, so why not keep the day going? Maybe beer tasting or something can be your next hobby,” I teased, trying to keep the conversation light in hopes my heart rate would slow.

Caitlin wrinkled her nose. “Not a fan of beer.”

“Wine tasting, then.”

“It’s like…” She pulled out her phone to check the time. “Two o’clock in the afternoon.”

I shrugged. “Five o’clock somewhere. What else do you have on your bucket list?”

“Well, technically none of the hobbies have stuck. I liked pottery, but would I do it again? Probably not,” she admitted. “Same with cycling and crochet, obviously. So, I guess I still need to find a hobby I enjoy. Then I need to have one of those ‘yes’ days, get a tattoo, do something spontaneous, say no to something, and be reckless.”

Realizing she didn’t tell me she needed to buy a vibrator still, I averted my gaze, thinking about anything but Cait using it on herself or the sounds she made when she came.

I cleared my throat, stuffing my hands in my pockets in an attempt to seem casual. “I guess you could say no to me then, cross that off your list.”

“Yeah, but I want to keep spending time with you,” she said softly. “I don’t think I want to try wine tasting, though. At least not today. Maybe another time.” She laughed, bright and carefree.

“Let’s go to Rudy’s then,” I suggested. “It shouldn’t be too busy, and Rudy loves the company.”

Just as I expected, the bar was practically empty, with only a few of the regular older patrons who frequented the bar to watch the old Westerns that would play every now and then.

“Hey there, Jake!” one of the regular bartenders, Nico, greeted me. “Didn’t expect to see you here so early in the day.” He typically worked the evening shift not the mid-day, so I hadn’t expected to see him, either.

“Normally, I wouldn’t but Caitlin and I just went to a pottery class and thought we’d swing by.”

“Fun, fun. You’re Colter’s sister, right?” He reached across the bar to shake Caitlin’s hand.

“That’s me.”

“Heard a lot about you.” His brows raised, and he added on a ramble, “Well, in passing at least. They’re not just talking to me about you behind your back or anything.”

Caitlin offered him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. I didn’t think anything of it.”

“You’re working the early shift today,” I pointed out the obvious. “What happened to the other bartender?”