by Louise, Tia
“I don’t need you to throw a party for me.”
“And to think, my mother prayed to Jesus and Buddha for your protection every single day for three years, and here you are, as ungrateful as ever.” She shakes her straight black hair. “You’re going to break her heart.”
My jaw tightens. I don’t like manipulation, but she has a point. Mrs. Banks did stand up for me back when I lived here. She never treated me like the other church ladies, people like Stern… Probably because being Korean, she was an outsider, too.
I pass my hand over my mouth. I know if I go to Ruby’s party, I’m going to have to face Drew again. Hell, being in this town, I’m going to have to face Drew again.
“Your mom’s going to be there?”
“She helped me plan the whole thing! She’s making those spicy dumplings you like with Kimchi.”
It’s been a while since I had authentic Asian food. My stomach starts to growl, and I glance at the clock. It’s after noon.
“What time?”
Ruby does a little squeal and claps her hands. “It’s tonight at seven. We won’t go too late since it’s a school night…”
“At your mom’s house?”
“Yep!” She hops over to her car, and I wave.
“Did you need anything for your car?”
“Oh, no, but I’ll be back when I do. I’ve got to go get ready. See you tonight!”
She pulls out, and I’m left standing wondering what the hell I’ve just agreed to do.
Chapter 11
Drew
When the braces came off Ralph Stern’s teeth, he got contact lenses, stopped dressing like a geek, and got his degree in business. He never lost his crush on me, but at least now he’s not so creepy. He’s actually what most girls would consider handsome.
Most girls who’ve never met him.
“It will revolutionize the economy of Oakville.” He pulls a hand from the pocket of his dark jeans and opens it. “Hall’s Hardy almond trees produce excellent nuts, and they’re very cold hardy.”
I look at the pale nut sitting on his palm and nod, falling back on a Dotty-ism. “I’ll be dogged.”
“Yes, you will!” His eyes flash with excitement. “Who says California should have the market cornered on these little guys? We’re going to give them a run for their money right here in South Carolina.”
“Well, all right, then.” I force a smile and take a sip of the warm cider, wishing it was spiked.
Ralph’s expression turns serious. “How are things down at the clinic?”
I wave my hand. “You know I can’t really talk about my patients, Ralph.”
“You should be at a hospital or in private practice. Not in that rinky dink little store front.”
“Friends Care is exactly what I had in mind when I got my degree. It’s small, affordable, catering to people who otherwise wouldn’t get help.”
“Your heart’s too big.” He clears his throat. “Speaking of, I heard Grayson might need your services.”
I inhale my sip, and start to choke. My eyes fill with water, and I cover my mouth as Ralph slaps me on the back.
“You okay?”
“Sorry,” I mange to squeak out. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Oh, those boys always come back with problems. PTSD or survivor’s guilt or something like that. They’re never the same.”
“Ahh…” What an asshole! Like he knows anything about what Gray is like or what he’s been through.
I’m about to ask when he’s ever put his life on the line for someone else when Ruby comes out and grabs my arm.
“Drew! Ma needs our help in the kitchen.” I sometimes think my best friend has a sixth sense for when I’m about to go off.
“Sure.” My smile is tight, teeth clenched.
We push through the door, and she lets out a nervous giggle. “That was close.”
“Why did you invite Ralph Stern again?” I do some deep breathing as I lean against the ceramic counter.
“Mom feels sorry for him. She says he didn’t have enough friends growing up.”
“We had our reasons.”
Voices rise in the other room, and my insides jump. I’ve been wired and edgy since I walked in the door. What will I do when I see him again?
“Ralph is a nice boy.” Mrs. Banks pats me on the arm to move.
“If you say so, Mrs. B.”
She lifts the lid on a bamboo steamer. “Good.”
I watch as she turns the dumplings over quickly, and my mouth waters. Ruby’s mom is one of the best cooks in town, and I’ve been living on takeout for weeks.
“Maybe you should go out with Ralph.” I elbow my friend in the waist. “He’s not Asian, but if that almond deal works out, it could revolutionize the town.” I imitate his voice.
“Do not even say it. You are evil.” My best friend scowls at me. “Anyway, I don’t date men that inexperienced.”
“You could coach him in the ways of love. Be his naughty nanny.”
“Ew.” But then she pauses. “Hang on, that gives me an idea. Maybe I could be a nanny…”
“You know nothing about kids.”
Her eyes narrow. “I have a master’s degree in psychology.”
“And zero experience.”
“How hard can it be? I was a kid once. And I could use the extra money.”
“Oh, this sounds like a great idea.” I tease, lifting my mug for another sip of cider.
My shaking hand gives me away, and she grabs my arm, dragging me to the opposite side of the room, away from her mother.
“How are you doing?” She glances over my shoulder before turning to the side and whipping out a flask. “Here… liquid courage.”
She pours half the flask into my cup. “Stop,” I hiss. “I can’t be drunk.”
“Don’t slug it. Just sip it.”
Ruby’s mom comes up behind us. “Girls! Help me plate the food!”
I yelp and jump a foot in the air, and Ruby pinches my arm. She grabs a platter of dumplings and one of Kimchi. I take a long sip of straight whiskey then grab a platter of rolls and a cheese board, complete with more traditional meats.
When we enter the room, I almost drop both. Gray stands in the foyer looking like he stepped out of a GQ magazine. He’s wearing black jeans and a gray tee with a plaid shirt unbuttoned on top. His dark hair flops to one side on his forehead the way it always has, and when his eyes meet mine, my stomach plunges to the floor.
I swallow the knot in my throat. I’m not sure I can move.
“Grayson!” Mrs. Banks crosses the room to hug him. “Welcome home, our hero. I prayed for you every day you were gone. Jesus and the Buddha brought you back to us safely.”
His eyes are still on me, and every hair on my body stands at attention. My nipples tighten inside my bra, and I’m glad I’m wearing a blazer on top of the thin, olive green cropped tee. It stops at the top of my high-waisted black leggings, and it’s so thin, he’d know immediately how my body still responds to him.
“Grayson Cole, welcome home.” Ralph walks up beside me and puts his hand on my lower back. It makes me jump. He’s never touched me like that. “Andrea, can I help you with those platters?”
“Uh… no.” I turn to the table, which is set for eight and quickly put the food in the center. “I forgot my mug in the kitchen.”
I hurry away from Gray’s searing gaze. I need one more shot of whiskey if I’m going to get through this dinner.
When I return everyone has taken a seat, and I’m left beside Ralph and across from Gray. I won’t be able to eat a thing. Instead, I grab my mug.
Mrs. Banks says a quick prayer of thanks, then the platters start making the rounds. Ralph hands me the cheese plate, and I take a slice.
“You should eat more than that, Andrea,” he says, and I try not to gag at his fatherly tone. I don’t know why he acts so parental all the time, calling me Andrea. That’s his problem.
I might be feeling the whiskey…
A glance, and I see Gray staring pointedly at Ralph from across the table. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he wanted to grab him by the collar.
“So Gray,” Mrs. Banks calls. “Ruby says you opened your uncle’s garage again. I’m so glad. I hope that means you’re planning to stay?”
My eyes are fixed on the roll Ralph put on my plate, but I can feel Gray watching us. “For a little while.” His deep voice sends fireworks fizzing through my stomach.
“I sent Billy James over to ask about a job,” Dotty joins the conversation. “Did you meet him?”
In my peripheral vision I can tell that got his attention. He looks at her, and I sneak a peek at him. His square jaw is clean-shaven, and his profile is as perfect as it ever was, straight nose, high cheekbones.
“You know how to reach Billy?”
“I sure do. He lives right over in Pintoville.”
“Dorothy Magee!” Mrs. Banks’s snaps at her. “I do not approve of that word.”
Dotty looks down at her plate. “Sorry, Mrs. B. We’ve just always called it that.”
“That doesn’t make it right.”
Gray picks up the conversation. “If you could tell him to come on back. I’d told him I wasn’t sure if I had enough work, but I do.”
She nods, still seeming embarrassed. “I’ll tell him as soon as I see him. I usually drive through… east Oakville on the way home.”
“You should probably take Dagwood with you.” Ralph says, nodding to Dotty’s husband Steve, a.k.a.,“Dagwood.” He got the nickname from the school lunches he used to bring. “Have you heard about my almond tree idea, Gray?”
Ralph dominates the conversation explaining to Gray about the amount of rain we get in the Carolinas, and how we shouldn’t allow the California growers to corner the market. Ruby talks to Dotty and Dagwood at the other end of the table about her last dating disaster, and Mrs. Banks seems fascinated by growing zones and nut trees.
I push the food around my plate and try to do personal therapy, deep breathing, distracting my thoughts. It doesn’t work. Every time I steal a glance at Gray, my eyes go to his lips, and I remember how good they feel touching my skin, tracing kisses down my neck, pulling on my nipples.
The space between my thighs is hot and needy by the time I realize I’ve finished my mug of whiskey, and I haven’t eaten a thing. I grab a roll and stuff it in my mouth.
“Are you feeling okay, Andrea?” Ralph places his hand on my arm, and everyone at the table looks my way. I’m mortified.
“Of course!” I do a little laugh and rise to my feet. “I was just thinking about work tomorrow. I’d better be getting home.”
Taking my plate, I start for the kitchen, bumping into the corner of the bar on my journey. I’d better scarf down some dumplings real quick. The door doesn’t close behind me, and I realize I’m not alone.
“Are you okay?” Gray’s voice is the same quiet tone that warms my entire body.
My throat hurts. It makes me want to cry. It makes me want to rush into his arms, but I suck it up until I face him. His eyes are burning, studying me.
“I’m fine,” I manage to smile, even though it’s shaky. “I can’t remember if I told you welcome home the other night.”
“It was late, and we were… unprepared.”
I’m not sure what that means. “I didn’t think you liked working at the garage. You have money now. You could sell it.”
“It’s what I want to do. And you’re dating Ralph Stern now?” The sudden edge in his voice takes me by surprise.
My jaw drops open, and I don’t say what I should. I don’t say no. Instead, I snap at him.
“Isn’t that what you kept telling me I should do? Date other people?”
He disappears without a word for a year, then comes back angry because I didn’t sit around waiting?
…only I did.
His blue eyes are storm clouds and thunder, and the muscle in his jaw moves back and forth. The air between us seems to crackle. He starts to go, but I throw caution to the wind. I reach out and grab his arm.
“Why didn’t you come to the funeral?” I don’t say the rest. He was your best friend. I was so lost and confused, so lonely.
He doesn’t meet my eyes. “I said goodbye before they brought him home.”
“Funerals are for the survivors, Gray.” My voice is trembling. “You should have come home for me.”
His brow furrows over those stormy eyes, and when they meet mine, I can’t hold back. I step forward, pulling my body into his, letting his familiar scent of cedar, soap, and Gray engulf me.
Strong arms go around me, and I almost cry. My body melts, I grip his shirt. It’s so right where I belong, but it’s cut short. His back stiffens and he pulls away, gripping my upper arms in both hands.
“We can’t do this.”
The shards of glass make it to my heart, cutting painfully. “What happened?”
His chin drops. “I’m not the same person anymore.”
“Well, I am.” Tears are in my voice. “Didn’t you get any of my texts?”
The lines around his eyes deepen. “The accident… busted my phone. I didn’t get a new one until a month ago.”
Frustration burns my insides. I can’t stand this pain. “Do you still have my number?”
He hesitates too long before admitting. “Yes.”
I can’t stand here anymore. Grabbing the door, I’m ready to leave this place when Gray stops me.
“Ralph seems like a nice guy now. You’re right to move on, forget about me.” Bitterness is in his voice, like he doesn’t mean a word of it.
I look to the door, frowning. “If that’s how you feel, why did you come back?”
Another long pause, then finally. “I don’t know.”
“Not that it’s your business, but I’m not dating Ralph. We’re just friends.”
His lips tighten, but I refuse to stay and see the relief in his eyes. I’m through the door, and of course Ralph meets me as soon as we exit the kitchen.
“I was telling Dotty about the health benefits of almonds,” he starts. “Gray, your degree is in civil engineering, right?”
Gray makes a noise behind me.
“Well, when you get serious and stop wasting your time in that garage, I could use you on my team. Help me run my logistics.”
He puts his arm around my shoulders and gives me a squeeze. “Isn’t that right, Andrea?”
A shadow of anger flashes across Gray’s face, but it’s gone so fast, I’m sure I’m the only one who saw it. I’m the only one who knows him well enough.
“I’m good for now.” He goes to where Mrs. Banks sits with Ruby. “Thank you for inviting me here and for all your prayers. I appreciate it.”
“You’re not leaving!” Mrs. Banks clasps his hand. “We’ve barely had a chance to talk.”
“I have to work in the morning.”
Dotty waves at me. “I’ll tell Billy to stop by tomorrow.”
When he reaches the door he pauses, and my chest squeezes. I wait to see if he’ll look back at me one more time before he leaves…
At the last second, he doesn’t. He walks out, closing the door behind him.
“Well, that was weird.” Dotty raises her eyebrows, giving Ruby a knowing look.
“Who would want to be a mechanic when you could get in on the ground floor with almonds?” Ralph is truly astounded, and completely oblivious.
“I’d better go, too.” I step over to Ruby’s mom and give her a hug. “It was a wonderful dinner. Thank you, Mrs. B.”
My best friend hops up from where she sits beside Dagwood on the couch. “I’ll walk you out.”
As soon as the door closes, she grips my arm. “Did you see that? He could barely keep his eyes off you.”
“Don’t, Ruby.” I’m doing my best to hold back fresh tears.
“What?” she cries. “I’m pretty sure he wanted to break Ralph’s neck at least twice tonight, not that I’d have stopped him. N
ow that he’s a veteran, he’s probably got massive GI Joe-type skills.”
“I think everybody wanted to break Ralph’s neck. He was driving us crazy with all that almond talk. Then he suggested Gray was wasting his time at the garage. What business is that of Ralph’s?” Despite it all, my protectiveness of him is strong as ever.
Ruby’s head tilts to the side. “I have an idea about that.”
She walks with me down the sidewalk toward my house the same way we used to do when we were girls. Ruby would walk me halfway to my house, then she’d turn around, and I’d walk the rest of the way alone. We haven’t done it since she got a car.
“If this is about me using one of your dating apps again—”
“Isn’t it time you had a car to drive?”
Embarrassment joins the overload of emotions swirling in my chest. “You know I can’t afford to buy a car, much less pay for the insurance. Anyway, I don’t need one. I can practically walk to work.”
“Hello?” She pretends to knock on my skull, and I bat her hand away. “Your dad has that gorgeous Jaguar just rotting in the garage. The man of your dreams returns, and he owns a garage…”
She gives me a look that says Wake up, stupid, and I wrinkle my nose. “That doesn’t seem too… obvious?”
“You need transportation, right?”
Twisting my lips, I think about it. “It would be nice not to walk everywhere. Or depend on you.”
“It would be even nicer to drive a sexy, classic Jag over to your ex lover’s garage and see what happens.”
“Ruby!” I grab her hand, as if anyone is around to hear her at this time of night. I confess, the suggestion makes me nervous and excited and scared and horny all at the same time. “I’ll think about it.”
Chapter 12
Gray
Another restless night, and again, I wake up on the couch. Something about sleeping in Mack’s bed isn’t registering with my brain. I got new sheets, new pillows. I rearranged the furniture. Nothing works.
It probably didn’t help that I had to drink Drew away again last night. Seeing her there, so pretty, those black leggings hugging her curves, and Ralph Stern talking to her, touching her like he owns her. I remember all the times I encouraged her to date other guys, and I want to kick my own ass.
