The Husband Checklist

by Miller, Jasmin

  Julia walks over to the sink and washes her hands. “Is there anything we can help you with? Anything else to prep?”

  I follow Julia’s lead and wash my hands too. “It smells great.”

  Cora shakes her head. “Not really. It’s all done, but thank you. We just need to put the food on the table if you want to help with that.”

  I look at all the dishes she points at and laugh. “You weren’t exaggerating, were you? Have you been in the kitchen all day?”

  “Carter’s right. You didn’t have to make all of this for us.” Julia squeezes Cora’s arm and chuckles. “It looks awesome though. I can’t wait to dig in.”

  Cora’s smile could light up the whole room. “I wasn’t sure what everyone felt like, so I made different pizzas, salads, appetizers, and desserts. Ollie helped a lot too though when he got home, so I can’t take all the credit.” She sends him an adoring look that he returns.

  For a moment, I wonder if that’s the same way Julia and I look at each other.

  Oliver bends down to kiss Cora’s cheek. “I just cut a few things here and there, babe. You can hardly give me any credit for that.”

  My gaze flickers to Julia, who’s beaming at the sight of the couple in front of us, without a doubt happy to see them together like this. I’m happy for him too though. They really are a great couple.

  Cora gives Ollie a quick kiss before clapping her hands. “Shall we? Everyone grab something so we can get started.”

  With four people, it doesn’t take us long until we’re seated. Even though the dining table can easily seat six to eight people, the food still barely fits.

  We all dig in, and I can’t stop gazing at Julia. She’s clearly enjoying the food, continuously closing her eyes to savor the flavors.

  I might watch her eat all night if she keeps going like this.

  Grabbing her water, she takes a drink before setting the glass back down. “Cora, this is so good. You’ll have to give me the recipes for everything. I can’t decide what I like best.”

  “I’m so glad you like it. I’d be happy to give you the recipes. Most of it is super easy. I really like to cook, but I’m also super lazy, so I prefer easy dishes that don’t take forever to make.” Cora chuckles and looks at us, waving her hands in our direction. “Enough about me though. Did you guys do anything fun recently?” She looks at Julia and winks.

  We haven’t talked a lot about Cora, so I’m not sure if she knows what we’ve been up to or not.

  Julia gives her a delightful smile in response. “We did actually. Carter took me on a date to Disneyland last weekend and we ended up staying for two days.”

  Oliver’s fork stops midway to his mouth as he gapes at us. It takes him a few moments to regain his composure before he clears his throat. “Wow. That’s . . . great. You stayed there the whole weekend?” His eyes flicker to me before focusing back on his sister.

  Julia, of course, can’t hide her absolute joy and exuberance, gracing us with the same goofy smile she gets every time she thinks about the trip. “Ollie, it was sooooo amazing. We did everything you can possibly imagine, went on a lot of the old rides, and tried the new ones too. Carter didn’t complain once. It was awesome. Perfect really.”

  Thankfully, he gives her a genuine smile in return, allowing them to share a moment. I take this as a good sign, hoping things will get better from here on—at least for the two of them. Ollie’s behavior tonight makes it seem like Julia was right, and it was mainly Cora’s doing that brought us together tonight.

  Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter though as long as it helps smooth things over so everything can change for the better. It also makes me incredibly grateful to Cora for trying to fix our relationships. It doesn’t have to be her problem, but she’s made it hers too. Such a good deed. She’s such a great counterbalance to Ollie’s somewhat inflexible nature. It makes me wonder if Julia and I complement each other similarly.

  “How’s the house-hunting going?” Cora’s eyes are fixed on me.

  I choke on the drink I just took and feel everyone’s gaze on me. Way to go, Carter. It’s just a simple question. “I’ll catch up this week with everything. The hotel is obviously only temporary.”

  Cora shoots Oliver a look when I mention the hotel, but he avoids her gaze and stays silent.

  We polish off an impressive amount of food, while Cora carries most of the conversation for the night, even though I admit that Ollie’s tried. When they refuse any help from us to clean up, Julia and I get ready to leave.

  The goodbye seems a little less awkward than the welcome, and Oliver even gives me a small smile and a nod. That’s more than I’ve gotten from him since I dropped the bomb about his sister and me, so I take it.

  He really does like to hold his grudges.

  But I’m sure things will be back to normal soon.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Julia

  “How do you feel about tonight? Do you think it went well?” My words hit the darkness of my bedroom, knowing Carter isn’t asleep yet. He’s behind me, his arm tightly wrapped around my middle.

  He exhales, his breath tickling my skin. “I think so.”

  Neither one of us approached the topic as we drove back to my apartment, following our night routine before slipping into my queen-sized bed—which won’t be big enough for the two of us forever.

  Even though we’re alone in the room—in the whole apartment—we both whisper. I wonder if it has something to do with the late time of the day, the blackness surrounding us except for the nightlight shining through the door from the hallway. I was so used to having an en-suite bathroom that I ran into something more than once when I had to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. So, nightlight in the hallway it is.

  Carter moves his hand away from my stomach but keeps it loosely on my waist. “You don’t think it went well?”

  I turn around to face him, focusing on whatever I can make out in the darkness. Then, I think about his question and sigh. “I’ve been thinking about it ever since we left Ollie’s house, but I’m still not sure. I don’t think it went terribly, but I had hoped it would be better than it was. Maybe it’s just me, and I’m a little off today.”

  Carter brushes his hand across my cheek, his voice calm. “Give it some time. I’m sure it’ll be like old times before you know it. He’s seen us together now and didn’t lose it, so I think that means we’re over the worst. And I’ll take that for now. It’s definitely a good first step.”

  “You’re right. It really did go well when you look at it that way. I guess it was stupid of me to expect things to just go back to normal.”

  His hand stills. “Hey, there’s nothing wrong or stupid about that at all. You just want your relationship with your brother to be okay again, as anyone would. I want it too, but I’ve also butted heads with him more often than you have, so I’m used to him needing a while to cool off. Forcing it never really works.”

  I lean into his hand, loving how the warmth of his skin seeps into my own.

  Just then, his phone lights up on his nightstand, and Carter sits up to look at it, a small smile pulling at his lips at whatever he’s reading. He types something before groaning. “Dang battery. I better get the charger. Do you need anything from the kitchen?”

  “Some water would be nice, thank you.” The words come out a bit rough, and Carter nods.

  “Of course. Be right back.”

  Usually, I watch his retreating back, but this gnawing feeling has me glancing at his phone on the bed instead. The way he smiled at whatever he was reading . . . it was that same shy smile he so seldom shows. And usually he leaves his phone in the kitchen at night, but tonight he wanted to keep it on him. Different what-if scenarios shoot through my head, one more unwelcome than the next, each making me feel sick to my stomach.

  Goodness, I’m not even sure where these thoughts are coming from right now. This whole evening has thrown me off.

  Just then, the screen lights up ag
ain, the words clear for me to see on the lock screen. Can’t wait to show you what I got. See you in the morning.

  The screen is dark again by the time Carter comes back and hands me a glass.

  “You okay?” The concern in his voice is unmistakable, but suddenly, my brain’s a total mess, going so fast I can barely make out a thought.

  The words of the message blink like a neon sign in my mind, weaseling their way into my head. Into my heart. Even though I know this is irrational, I’m unable to keep the seed of doubt from planting.

  Suddenly, I feel like I can’t get enough oxygen, a foreign pressure weighing on my chest.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” Carter touches my shoulder, and I find every ounce of control not to flinch.

  “Not really.” I don’t want to tell him about the irrational jealousy and fear I’m still trying to fight, trying to convince myself it was nothing. He probably thinks this is still about my brother anyway.

  Carter brushes over my hair. “You know you can talk to me about anything, right?”

  I nod, even though I’m not positive he can see me. “I know.”

  I’m sure he isn’t happy about my answer, but he doesn’t push.

  And that’s exactly what I need, which is hard when we’re together in bed.

  We’re quiet for a moment before he speaks again, “Let’s go to sleep. Maybe that will help.”

  “Sounds good.” After a moment, my doubts win. “Are we still meeting for lunch tomorrow, or will you be too busy with appointments?”

  “Nope, we’re still good. It should be an easy day, and I’ll be at the office all morning.”

  “Okay.”

  And then I’m numb.

  Because he just lied to me.

  Why did he just lie to me?

  Maybe I should have asked him straight out, but instead, I try to trick my brain into thinking that nothing has changed.

  I close my eyes.

  Everything will be okay.

  Except that the man who hates to lie and values honesty just lied to me.

  Chapter Thirty

  Carter

  “Thanks for coming, CJ.” Oliver gets both of our surfboards out of his truck and hands mine to me.

  “You know there isn’t a better way to start the day.” The words come out automatically like they always do, but I suddenly wonder if they’re still true. Lately, things have evolved around Julia a lot more, and I’ve really enjoyed waking up next to her in the morning.

  I’ve spent the occasional night with a woman, but breakfast was usually the latest I could make myself stay. For starters, I’m not the biggest cuddler, and overnight stays always seem to equal exactly that. And then it’s almost as if the expectations change by the hour too. The longer I stay, the more the woman thinks I’m into her.

  Everything is the opposite with Julia, and I can’t seem to spend enough time with her. It’s always been like that though. Since she’s my friend, I’m used to spending time with her. That makes it completely normal and natural that I’d enjoy being with her a lot more than a random woman, right?

  “Are you gonna stand there like an idiot all morning? We’re gonna miss the sunrise.” Oliver pushes my wetsuit into my chest and starts walking toward the water with his board, already clad in his wetsuit. “Hurry up.”

  I put it on with lightning speed, grab my board, and run after him. The water welcomes me despite its chilly temperature, sending a quick shiver through my body. At least it clears my head at the same time, and my focus is solely back on the ocean and my best friend, who’s a few feet ahead of me. I paddle after him, welcoming the soft wind in my face as I catch up with him.

  I couldn’t believe my eyes this morning when I woke up to go to the bathroom and found a text message from Ollie on my phone. Can’t sleep. Morning session?

  Since the universe seemed to be on our side—I mean, what were the odds of me waking up a few minutes after he sent me a text?—I left a message for Jules, got changed, and hopped into my car to meet him at the beach. Ollie brought my gear since it’s still stored at his house.

  When we’re out far enough, we quietly sit on our boards and watch the sun slowly come up in the east. Witnessing the sky change colors never gets old, no matter how many times I’ve seen it before. It’s never quite the same either, the colors painting a different picture every time.

  Somehow, it always serves as a reminder for how simple and beautiful life can be.

  If we only let it.

  “We have to clear the air about Jules.” Oliver’s voice sounds calm, his gaze still on the sky.

  The tension drains from my body, the fact that he sounds almost normal filling me with optimism. “I know.”

  I’m not sure what he hears in my voice, but he turns his gaze on me, studying me.

  He scrubs a hand over his face, his voice gruff. “I’m sorry I’ve been such an ass. I hope you can understand why it hit me so hard.”

  This is so typical of him, apologizing for his behavior, even though he’s still not completely over the conflict. He’s one of the few people I know who are capable of doing that. It’s quite impressive really. I usually have to be completely over the problem before I can see straight enough to even consider an apology.

  Exhaling loudly, I hold on to the board as a bigger wave comes our way. “I totally get it, so there’s nothing to apologize for. I would have been disappointed if you hadn’t lost it.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, man. She’s your family, and I definitely don’t have a good record when it comes to women. Not to mention that I’ve never been interested in a relationship. Shit. I wouldn’t trust myself either. But this is Jules. Everything’s different with her.”

  Oliver points a finger at me, his face drawn into a serious expression. “That’s good, I guess. Just don’t play around with her. If you think this isn’t going anywhere, just tell her right now. I’m sure she’d be pissed, rightfully so, but at least you wouldn’t drag it out and break her heart. That way, I also wouldn’t have to hurt you for breaking her heart. I’d hate to do that. So please, do me a favor and figure out your shit.”

  I hold out my hands in front of me. “Hey. We’re talking about Jules here. I don’t want to hurt her either, you know that. And I really don’t want to screw things up. But don’t rip my head off every single time I make a mistake, because I’m sure they’ll happen. No one is perfect, and I’m beginning to understand that no relationship is either.”

  His eyes leave my face in the middle of my little speech, and he’s looking out over the water again. Several good waves have already passed us, but neither one of us makes a move to take any of them.

  “So.” I clear my throat, trying to move the topic away from me, hoping it will allow things to be more normal. “How are things going with Cora? You guys have been extra tight the last few weeks.”

  The answer is written all over his face and the self-satisfied grin that’s spreading. “Man, she’s great, isn’t she? Do you think it’s too early to ask her to move in with me? We’ve been spending most of our free time together anyway.”

  His voice is soft when he talks about her, but it really doesn’t surprise me. These two seem to be a perfect match from everything I’ve seen.

  “You’re asking me that?” Pressing my hand over my heart, I chuckle. From the way Ollie joins me, he must have realized how ironic his question is, even more so after the conversation we just had about his sister. I’m definitely the last person to ask for relationship advice.

  And yet, I actually feel a sense of relief, or maybe gratitude, that he’s asking. He trusts me. And that feels fucking awesome.

  “I guess I am.” He shrugs. “Speaking of moving. Sorry for kicking you out of the house.”

  I wave off his words. “No hard feelings, man. You gave me the push I needed to get my ass moving.”

  “Thanks.” He looks relieved.

  I’m desperate to tell someone about my plans, but thankfully, Oll
ie’s distracting me enough to keep me from obsessing over my secret.

  He claps his hands. “Now back to Cora. Humor me. What do you think? Too much too fast?”

  I grin at his persistence to talk about her, his feelings for her clear as day. Giving his question some serious thought, I focus on the water. The cold is slowly penetrating my body through the exposed pieces of skin, and I start moving around on my board, wanting to get my circulation going.

  My mom’s conversation is at the forefront of my mind once more. “You know, I actually don’t think there is too early, too fast, or too long. Whatever feels right whenever, I guess. I mean, look at my mom. She finally seems happy after those awful losers. She suggested trying things and not giving up hope seems to be an essential part of making things work. At least those are my two cents, but what do I know?”

  “Seems to me like you know more than you realize.” His words sound genuine, and I’m surprised at his praise. “I think I’ll ask her. I’m tired of the constant back and forth, and since her place isn’t very big, we’re usually at my place now all the time. I’m in love with her, and I like having her around. It somehow just makes sense, I guess.”

  Life is so much better when you can share it with someone you love. It changes everything. Seems Mom was right. Ollie’s dating habits weren’t that different to mine before he met Cora.

  “Sounds like you’ve got your answer right there.” I grin and hold out my fist to him that he bumps with his.

  Thankfully.

  For a moment, we smile at each other like the idiots we are while the sun rises higher in the sky.

  I tip my head in his direction. “But seriously, I think she’s good for you. And it’s obvious how much you love her. So I’m with you. Looks like it’s time to grow up, huh? Time to trade in that bachelor life for something else?”

  “It sure looks like it, doesn’t it?” He rubs his hands together and turns his board around. “Enough with this girl talk. Are we gonna do this now or what?”