Page 57 of Country Road Romance

“No, Joyce. This is unacceptable,” he said, gesturing at Charlie. “He’s hared off again, and now Charlie is left here to fend for himself. It’s unacceptable and inexcusable. He should know better. He’s an adult.”

“Look, it’s no big deal,” Charlie said, deciding to head all of this off at the pass. “I’m sure I can find some way to get back to Huntington. Jared was nice enough to drive me here. I didn’t really expect him to have to drive me back too. I can just rent a car.” He chuckled, trying to set them both at their ease. “I think I can afford it.”

“You’ll do no such thing,” Doug said. “I’lldrive you back to Huntington, and once I get there I’m going to give my son a piece of my mind.”

Charlie looked outside. It was already starting to get dark. Suddenly it all came crashing down on him, all of the things that he still had to do, all of the aspects of the film festival that still had to go on, no matter how much his life had changed. There was a part of him that just wanted to get on the nearest planeand get back to California, forgetting that all of this had never happened.

I’m not proud of that, but that’s the truth,he thought.

“You don’t have to do that, really,” he said.

“Yes, I do,” Doug said, and it was clear that he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. “How soon do you think you can be ready?”

This whole situation was spinning out of control much faster than Charlie would ever have expected, but he supposed it could have been worse. He did like Doug and, if nothing else, a four-hour car drive would give him more of an opportunity to get to know the other man.

It wasn’t long before Charlie and Doug were in the latter’s old Buick, headed back to Huntington and whatever waited there.

Charlie had to admit that this wasn’t exactly the way that he had envisioned this weekend coming to a close, but he supposed it was what he’d deserved. Much as he hated to admit it, Jared was right. None of this would have happened if he hadn’t let his temper get the better of him. For that matter, none of this would have happened if he’d stayed in California where he belonged rather than trying to be a white knight bullshit hero.

“I know that you probably don’t want to hear this right now,” Doug said, “but I want you to know that I think Jared really has feelings for you. It’s just that he sometimes has a hard time figuring out what to do with those feelings. As you know, he’s had a rough time of it with some of his exes, and none of them have really treated him like they deserve.”

Charlie knew that much was true, and he said as much.

“Now, I know that doesn’t excuse his actions today,” Doug went on. “In fact, I’m going to give him a good earful when I see him again. However, if the chance presents itself, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive him. I think you’ll be glad you did.”

I’m not at all sure that’s true,he thought but didn’t say.

“I’ll do my best,” he said instead.

After that conversation most of the trip passed in a bit of silence. It wasn’t awkward, at least not entirely. Instead, it was more or less a peaceful interlude between two people who were comfortable enough to not have to fill the air with chatter, despite the fact that they barely knew each other. Charlie thought with a pang about the future he’d dared to begin to imagine with Jared and his family. He doubted that Doug and Joyce would want to have anything to do with him after what had happened this weekend.

They finally reached the outskirts of Huntington, and Charlie breathed an internal sigh of relief. He just wanted to get back to his hotel room, maybe have a drink at the bar, and try to get as much sleep as possible before tomorrow.

Fuck,he thought.I still have to write my speech for the festival. Assuming that Sheri hasn’t done it already.

Thinking of Sheri reminded him of all of the things that he was going to have to deal with now that he was back in town. The idyll with Jared had ended before he had come up with any satisfactory solutions to any of his myriad problems, and he didn’t think they were going to get any better.

“Where would you like me to drop you off?” Doug asked.

“Um…I guess at the Huntington Grande?” Charlie said, somehow making it seem more like a question. “I guess I should try to get my life together before tomorrow.”

“I know it doesn’t seem like it right now, but I have a feeling you’ll get it all figured out. You strike me as the type of guy who always lands on his feet. You must be pretty special if Jared found something about you that he liked so much.”

The mention of Jared’s name seemed to cast a cloud over their conversation again, and they didn’t say anything more as Doug made his way through the streets of Huntington. Beingback here brought Charlie back to the moments when he’d first gotten to know Jared–had that just been a few days ago?--and how much everything had changed.

Maybe I should have just stayed here and weathered the news storm,he thought.

Then they were in front of the hotel, and before he quite realized what he was doing he was standing outside and waving to Doug as he pulled away, disappearing down the street.

Well, that’s one thing taken care of,he thought.

Charlie wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or offended that there was no one outside the hotel waiting to attack him with cameras and shouted questions. In any case, he made his way up to his room without being seen but, as he swiped the key in the lock, he felt another pang, thinking about what Jared was doing and how he must be feeling about all of this.

Jared,he thought.I hope you know that you’re worth love, even if you can’t see it right now.

Just as he stepped inside, however, he heard someone behind him clear their throat, and he froze.

“And just what are you doing back here?” Sheri asked him in that no-nonsense voice that he’d learned a long time ago to fear. “I thought you were supposed to be out of town with your boyfriend and staying out of trouble?”

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