Page 56 of You Shouldn't Have Come Here

I glanced back at her.

She raised her brows and stared into my eyes. “And why this ranch? Why Calvin?”

I tilted my head. “People want what they don’t have. I have the bustling and loud concrete city. I don’t have the quiet countryside. The rest was random... or fate, as some would call it.”

The cork made aplopwhen I removed it from the bottle, and I poured a hefty glass for Patsy.

Charlotte leaned down and swept the broken glass into the dustpan. “I don’t believe in fate.”

“I don’t either.”

She walked to the trash can, dramatically stepped on the pedal to open the lid, and looked to me. “It’s funny how something that once had a purpose can end up in the trash.” Charlotte tipped the dustpan, letting the broken glass fall into the garbage.

I’m not sure if she was threatening me or just trying to be theatrical. In my experience, insecure women were other women’s greatest enemies because they’d do anything to further mask their own uncertainties. I brought that out of Charlotte. She clearly wanted Calvin but couldn’t have him. Perhaps she had convinced herself that Calvin just wasn’t interested in anyone, but with me here, her previous notions were proven false.

“Did something happen between you and Calvin?” I asked.

She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips together. “Why? Did he say something?”

If I told her yes, I knew she’d tell me more. If I told her no, I knew it would anger her. Did I want to know more, or did I want to just piss her off right now? I was tired of her hanging around, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could bite my tongue.

“No, he doesn’t talk about you at all.”

Charlotte’s eyes looked like glass. She inhaled and exhaled sharply. Her hand clenched into a fist by her side.

“You know what. In four days, you’ll be gone, and I’ll still be here.” She raised her chin and smirked.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

Charlotte let out a huff and returned the broom and dustpan to their place. She stomped across the kitchen and threw open the sliding door. Before exiting, she turned and looked at me. “I hope Joe keeps you here permanently.”

I drew my brows together. But before I could ask her what she meant by that, she slammed the door closed behind her.

28.

Calvin

Grace walked out onto the deck with a full glass of wine and handed it to Patsy. She had a worried look on her face, and I wondered what it was she was bothered by. Maybe it was spending the afternoon with my friends and family. But she was fitting in real nice here. I took a long swig of my beer while I watched her. She had no problem talking to anyone. Some people enter your life and it’s as if they were always there. Grace was one of those people, and I hoped she would always be there.

Betty tapped me on the shoulder. “You knocking boots with Grace?”

I coughed and choked on my beer as it went down the wrong tube.

“What?” I asked. My voice croaked.

Betty patted me on the back. “You heard me, Calvin. Are you knocking boots with Grace?”

I looked over at Grace. She bent down and grabbed two beers from the cooler. My attention went back to Betty. “Why would you ask that?”

“Just want to make sure you’re protecting yourself. She’s gone in, what, four, five days, so don’t go falling in love with her, Calvin. She don’t belong.” Betsy spoke softly and sternly.

“I know you mean well. But I’m grown, and you don’t need to watch out for me anymore.”

“I’m always going to watch out for you, Calvin, like you were my own,” she said, raising a brow. “And that ain’t ever gonna change.”

“Thought you could use another.” Grace interrupted, handing me a beer. She smiled at Betty, and I saw Betty’s mouth twitch as she forced one back.

Betty backed away. “I’m going to put all the food out.”

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