Everything I Need (The Everything Series Book 1)

by A. K. Evans

  She was smiling. “That’s because you are gorgeous, sweets. So, what happened next?”

  “He ended up waiting around until I finished my shift and when Hannah and I walked out of the lodge he was there and asked to walk me to my car.”

  “WHAT?”

  “Yes. And again, I could not speak so I just started walking and he fell into step beside me.”

  I then went on to tell her about our conversation and how I nearly tripped when he told me how Parks Ridge was ‘the best place to ride’ and then almost broke down into tears when he asked about my Jeep. Of course, I told her how he said that I’d definitely be seeing him around. She listened to me and then smiled at me, her eyes tearing up.

  “It makes no sense to me, but despite my inability to speak around him I feel comfortable. He has this way about him that just makes you feel…I don't know, warm. Safe. I know maybe four things about him, but I already feel that way being near him. How is it possible?”

  I knew, of all people, she didn’t have an answer to that. She would likely never be able to give me that answer, but I asked anyway.

  We spent the rest of the night polishing off the bottle of wine. I listened while she told me about her day and the engaged couple who made her head spin. They sounded like the world’s most perfect couple. They were so in love and Emme told me she could feel it was a true, genuine love. She just barely made it through the meeting.

  We sat in silence for a few minutes and she stared off toward the window when she asked, “Is it ever going to get easier, Charley?”

  I took a deep breath and answered honestly when I said, “I don’t know, Em.”

  We said nothing after that. We didn’t need to. Sometimes, Emme and I did that. We simply sat in silence after catching up with each other somehow finding comfort in the quiet presence of one another. She would refill my wine glass or vice versa. We’d polish off a bottle sometimes and then without many other words head off to bed. That’s precisely what happened that night.

  The next morning, I woke before my alarm went off. I hadn’t slept well. I never did when Emme and I had days that made us remember the past. At that, I knew I needed to get some time in with my art. That always helped when I felt overwhelmed with thoughts about what had happened.

  Thankfully, I had a shorter shift scheduled today at the diner and did not have to be in until ten o’clock. This would give me enough time to put a solid hour or two in on my artwork. I rolled out of bed, pulled out my art supplies, and had at it.

  I set my alarm for an hour and a half later so that I would have enough time to get ready and still be at work on time. I needed to set the alarm or I could very easily get lost in what I was working on and forget about any actual responsibilities I had.

  Before I knew it, the alarm went off, but I was feeling much better. My artwork had a way of refocusing and calming me. I put my supplies away and got ready for work.

  I told Emme I was leaving and made my way to First Tracks. I was happy to see that it was busy when I got there.

  “Hey Charley. How’s it going?” Greg said.

  Greg was one of my coworkers at the diner. He, along with a few others that worked there, was one of the few friends I had made here in Wyoming apart from Hannah and Mark. I loved working with them all, but never had an opportunity to enjoy them outside of work, despite numerous invitations from all of them. This was, of course, except for the plans I had finally settled on with Emme and Hannah for a night out this weekend.

  Greg had hazel eyes and dark blonde hair that was always meticulously styled. He was several inches taller than me at five feet ten inches tall. He made work fun. He was always in great spirits and made the place more enjoyable for not only the staff, but for the patrons as well. I’m certain he was one of the main reasons the diner had so many regulars. I blamed his consistently carefree mood on his relationship. He had been dating Tony for just over a year and they were blissfully happy.

  “I’m good, Gregory. How are you?”

  I routinely called him Gregory. He insisted everybody call him Greg, but for whatever reason I almost always called him Gregory and he never gave me a hard time about it. I figured he secretly liked it.

  “Tony and I are planning to road trip out to Utah next Friday for a long weekend. I don’t work again until the following Tuesday morning, so we’ll head back early Monday morning. That said, I’m doing absolutely fine, girl.”

  “That sounds awesome. Wait. Isn’t Tony originally from Utah?”

  “Yep,” he said, with a huge smile on his face.

  It took a moment, but I realized what this meant.

  “Oh, Greg. You’re meeting the parents, aren’t you?” I asked, the giddiness flowing from me.

  He shook his head excitedly and I smiled.

  I was happy he had Tony because from what I learned over the last six months here Greg hadn’t received the best reception from his parents when told them he was gay. I really hoped the weekend went well for him.

  “That’s fantastic news. Congratulations!” I said.

  After my chat with Greg I got right to work and, as was typically the case, the day passed by quickly. My shift was over before I knew it. Before I left, I ordered myself a chicken caesar wrap and then walked up to Greg, gave him a hug, and wished him luck.

  “I can’t wait to hear all about your trip when you get back. See you on Tuesday, Gregory.”

  I made my way out to my Jeep and drove to my second job. I had just over an hour to spare before my shift started and since I hadn’t slept well last night I figured I’d take a quick nap. I set my alarm on my phone so that I would have enough time to wake up, get my bearings, and eat my food before I started work. With that, I dropped the back of my seat down and fell asleep.

  I heard a tapping sound. Funny…I hadn’t changed the ringtone on my alarm. I heard it again. I opened my eyes and nearly jumped out of my seat. There was Wes looking in my passenger’s side window at me. He had a look of concern on his face. I looked at my phone; it had only been thirty minutes. I looked back to Wes and then put the window down about halfway. I did not know what he was doing there and he disturbed me so I figured he could talk first. I stayed silent and stared at him.

  “I am pretty certain I walked you to your car yesterday and watched you drive away,” he said.

  Ok, that was an odd conversation opener. “You did. So…” I replied.

  “So? So, I pulled into the lot a few minutes ago and saw your Jeep in the exact same spot it was in yesterday all the way here at the back of the lot. Thinking I’d like to make it easier for when I walk you to your car tonight I decided to park next to you. When I got out of my car and saw you asleep in yours I was not sure if what I witnessed yesterday actually happened. You didn’t just drive away and then come back and park here after I left, right? Please tell me that as kick-ass as this Jeep is that you don’t live in it.”

  When he walked me to my car tonight?

  “It’s cold out there and all of the heat is going out the window.”

  “You could put the window up.”

  So I did.

  And then he grinned at me. Damn it. This guy was too good-looking and I had a feeling he knew it, too.

  I unlocked the door.

  He got in the car. I just looked at him.

  “You still didn’t answer my questions.”

  “No. I did not leave and come back after you left and I do not live in my kick-ass Jeep,” I said. Then, I’m not sure why, but I continued talking. “I just got here about thirty minutes ago. I left my first job and had enough time before my shift at Brew Stirs starts that I decided to get a quick nap in before eating and heading in to work.”

  “Where else do you work?”

  “First Tracks. I’m a waitress at the diner.”

  “Why are you working two jobs?”

  “What is this? Twenty questions? I’m not sure I should be answering all of this for someone I just met and know almost nothing about.” Then a
gain, I did open my door and allow him to sit in my car.

  Wes smiled. “What do you want to know, gorgeous?”

  He seriously needed to stop calling me that.

  “Ok. Well, how about you tell me why you are here for the second day in a row and not working even one job?”

  “There are two answers to that question. First, I’m here for the second day in a row because yesterday was the first time I’d been here in months and much to my surprise I realized I was missing out on things. I do not want to miss out on those things again. Second, I do work. I worked yesterday and I was up early this morning to work and put in a solid eight and a half hours already.”

  I looked to the clock on my dash. “It’s only two thirty in the afternoon.”

  He had a full-blown smile on his face at this point. “Like I said, I realized yesterday there were things here I did not want to miss out on.”

  I stared for a beat and decided it was best not to respond. Then, I reached into the back seat and grabbed the bag with my food. I was not really feeling hungry anymore, but I needed a distraction. I took out half of the wrap and started eating. Wes sat there silently and watched me for a few minutes. I was surprised at how comfortable it felt. I had just met this guy and he was sitting in my Jeep watching me eat.

  I had a just taken a huge bite of my wrap when I looked up at Wes and saw him shaking his head, trying not to laugh.

  “What is so funny?” I asked, my mouth full of food.

  “You’re adorable.”

  I finished chewing, and swallowed. “Excuse me?”

  “You’re adorable.”

  I harrumphed.

  “So, what time do you have to be to work, Charley?”

  “In about twenty minutes.”

  “Do you do this every day? And do you usually have this much time between the job at the diner and the coffee stand?”

  “That’s my gig Monday through Friday. And most days I do have this much time in between. I occasionally stay a little later at the diner if they are really busy.”

  I looked at him and it seemed he was thinking. I left him to it. He was easy on the eyes, so I just looked at him. He eventually broke the silence.

  “What do you do for fun on the weekends?” he asked.

  “Sometimes I pick up an extra shift or two at the diner on Saturdays. Other than that, I do the normal stuff like grocery shopping, laundry, and house cleaning.”

  He went silent again and had that same look of concern on his face.

  I finished half of my wrap, started gathering my things and asked, “And you? Is walking girls to their cars after they have had a full day of work your idea of fun?”

  He chuckled. “Well, you’d be the first I’ve done that with, so I’ll have to get back to you on that. So far, it’s been ok, but I’m hopeful that the real fun is coming soon.” And then he winked. Damn.

  I glared at him. He laughed.

  We got out of the Jeep and I found myself surprised that I wanted to wait for him while he grabbed his snowboarding gear out of his truck, a Chevy Tahoe. Wes walked me to the lodge, confirmed that I was there until closing (which I was), and then said he’d be back to walk with me after work. I smiled, thanked him, and told him to have a good time.

  “Hi, Mark,” I said as I walked up to the coffee stand. Mark was a great guy. He was friendly, caring, and offered a lot in the way of emotional support. He’d not done this for me as I kept things mostly private, but Hannah had told me about how he helped her out of a sticky situation once when an ex of hers showed up at the lodge one day. Hannah’s ex would not accept the fact that things were over between them so when he showed up at the lodge not long after their break up Mark easily stepped in and played the role of Hannah’s new love interest. Hannah’s ex never showed his face after that. Mark stood at an even six feet tall with brown hair and brown eyes. He was handsome in that boy-next-door way and he had the personality to match.

  “Yo, Charley.”

  “Have you recovered from yesterday morning’s madness?” I asked.

  He glared at me. “It was miserable here. Thankfully, today has been just steady. I’m off for the night. I’m working a double tomorrow.”

  “Ok. Have a good night, Mark. See you next week.”

  “You, too.”

  “Thanks.”

  My night passed quickly as it was relatively steady throughout the evening. I had a few moments to myself and during those times I’d find myself looking to the door to the lodge where I knew Wes would walk in at some point, or looking to the table where Wes had been seated yesterday, or simply thinking about his handsome face. I still could not quite understand why I was so distracted by this man. Sure, since I’ve been in Wyoming I had been approached by guys, but I’d never given any of them a second look. In fact, when I took a minute to really think about it I realized that I had not been on a date in more than a year. Things had changed so drastically in my life nine months ago and I did not have the interest in going out to pursue a relationship. In fact, the thought of a relationship that could ultimately end in heartbreak or tragedy terrified me. It puzzled me as to why I so quickly felt comfortable with Wes. During the down time that I did have I realized I kept looking to the clock to see what time it was. I could not wait until I was finished and he could walk me to my car.

  The next thing I knew Wes walked in and I had just finished cleaning up everything for the night. I had made two cups of hot chocolate with whipped cream on top for the both of us. I figured after spending a couple hours on the mountain he could use something to help him warm up.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  “Yes. Hot chocolate? I just made it so it’s still pretty hot. I kept the lid off so it’ll cool a little quicker.”

  He smiled and took the cup from me. We started walking toward the door.

  “How was it?” I asked.

  “Good. It feels great to be riding again after so much time off.”

  “Why did you stop?”

  “I’ve been busy with work. Forgot that I needed to make time for the things that make me happy. Don’t get me wrong. I love what I do and I don’t regret the time I put in, but I’m happy my buddy talked me into coming riding yesterday. It was definitely worth it…in more ways than one.”

  We made our way outside and approached our cars. Wes put his gear in the back of his truck and his hot chocolate in the front driver’s side cup holder while I turned on my Jeep to warm it up. He walked back over to where I was standing.

  “Thanks again, Wes — for both the company and for walking me to my car.”

  “And thanks for the hot chocolate. I’ve got to admit, though, I’m a bit bummed.”

  I turned and had my back up against the driver’s side door of my car. I looked up at him and asked, “Why?”

  “You aren’t working again until Monday and I’d really like to see you again before that. Are you free this weekend?”

  Damn, I really wanted to see him again.

  “I actually have plans with my best friend, who is also my roommate, tomorrow along with Hannah. Maybe another time?”

  Another time? Did I just say that?

  I bit my lip. This guy had seriously thrown me off kilter.

  He curled his hand into a fist and placed it under my chin while he swiped his thumb along my bottom lip pulling it free from my teeth.

  “Another time then,” he said, gently.

  I took a sip of my hot chocolate and quickly licked my lips to make sure I didn’t have any whipped cream on them.

  He looked from my eyes back to my lips. “Fuck, Charley.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  He leaned closer to me. “I’d really like to kiss you.”

  My heart started pounding, and I decided to give in to what I was feeling. “I think I’d really like for you to kiss me.”

  I barely got the last word out and the next thing I knew he had one hand behind my head while the other rested at my hip and his lips came crashing down
on mine. It was firm, but slow. I kissed him back, one hand resting on his arm the other still holding my cup of hot cocoa. He teased my lips with his tongue and I opened my mouth to let him in. He pulled my body closer to his, tilted his head, and deepened the kiss. It was delicious.

  It was at this moment I was hating that it was so cold out. I seriously wanted to feel more of Wes’ body, but we both had too many layers on. He continued to kiss me, tongues dancing until Wes broke the kiss and rested his forehead against mine while his hand squeezed the back of my neck.

  “Wow,” I whispered.

  “These lips,” he said before he pressed another soft kiss to my lips. “Fucking gorgeous, Charley.”

  I felt my face flush and my belly squeeze at his words. I looked back up into his eyes and he needed no further invitation. He kissed me again. It was slightly more frenzied this time, yet, still so very yummy. After several minutes of kissing like high school aged kids in a parking lot Wes pulled away again.

  “As much as I want to drag you into my truck and take you back to my place I’m going to wait. You need to get in your car now, though, and get warm,” he said. After I got in the Jeep he closed the door and I put my window down. “Where is your phone?”

  I took my phone out of my purse and held it up to him. He took it out of my hand and pushed a few numbers. I heard another phone start to ring and he handed my phone back to me. “Now you have my number and I have yours.”

  I smiled at him. “Thanks again Wes.”

  “No need to thank me, gorgeous. Though, I won’t say no if you want to show your appreciation with another kiss.”

  I pressed my lips together and acted as though I was thinking about it before I reached my hand out to him. He leaned in and I gave him one last kiss. Gosh, he was such a great kisser. I could kiss him all night and not tire of it.

  This time I broke the kiss, “I should really get going. Good night, Wes.”

  “Good night, Charley.”

  I drove home and thought about Wes’ kisses the whole way there. As soon as I got home I hopped in the shower, did my business, hopped out, put on sweats and a tee, grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, and then climbed into bed.