Page 13 of Feels Like Home

“She did a nice job,” hecomments.

I hum in agreement. “She hadhelp.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I see him nod his headthoughtfully.

“James?”

“Yeah. They’re getting close. I like him for her. He’s breaking down some pretty thick walls she’s builtup.”

“From what Barrett has said, he’s fallen pretty hard for her.” His voice sounding much lighter than his actions areshowing.

A few months ago, Tess had her brother James stay at their house while they spent a week in a cabin. While they were gone, their seven-year-old daughter Harper fell from the horse she was riding during lessons. James brought Harper to school the next day to make sure her teacher was aware of what happened, and that’s when he met Carly. To say he became immediately smitten of Harper’s first grade teacher is a little of anunderstatement.

Andy’s hand is wrapped so tightly around the steering wheel, it’s causing his knuckles to turn white, and the rigid way he’s sitting in his seat can’t be remotely comfortable. I want so badly to reach over and release his hold and help him relax, but I don’t feel it’s within my rights. We’re justfriends.

“She has too,” I admit on her behalf. “But she’s scared. Not even sure she’s fully admitted it to herself yet. I don’t know why, but I think he’ll wear her down, figure out why she’s soguarded.”

“If he’s anything like his sister, he won’t stand aside for long. He’ll bully his way in,” hechuckles.

I giggle. “In the nicest way possible, so she doesn’t even realize it. They’re goodpeople.”

“Theyare.”

He turns into an empty parking lot and puts the pickup in park, the lake a wide-open blanket of darkness in front of us, just the moon glistening off thewater.

“Barrett told me this is a good place to sit andthink.”

“It’s beautiful.” I look around us. Trees line one side of the parking lot, the lake two sides, and the drive entry we came in theother.

The docks are pulled onto the parking lot, not that many people have a desire to put their boat in the frigid water this time ofyear.

He doesn’t turn off the pickup, but he unlatches his seatbelt, and I do thesame.

We sit in comfortable silence for about ten minutes, listening to the low crooning sounds of the music in thebackground.

Andy clears his throat and looks at me, adjusting in his seatnervously.

“Speaking of Barrett… I’m a terrible friend, Christine. How are you doing witheverything?”

He doesn’t need to explain what he’s talkingabout.

Shortly after all his crap went down with Heather, I had my own family drama occur. Bri was at a field party with Grady, not too different than any otherweekend.

Except thisweekend?

Everything wasdifferent.

Another kid in their class, Dawson, decided he’d had enough rejections from Bri and thought he’d push hisluck.

That luck though? Not sogreat.

Considering Grady’s friends saw how Dawson got physical with Bri. Unfortunately, Grady ended up going to jail for beating the ever loving shit out of Dawson, rightfullyso.

Bri’s decision to not press charges against Dawson was something both Grady and I fought her on. She made a deal with the devil, so to speak, and told Dawson that if he didn’t press charges, neither wouldshe.

Something good did come out of it,though.

Grady finally stepped up, and they’ve been dating eversince.

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