Page 23 of His Hot Mess

Sadie pinched her lips, but her eyes softened. Finally she nodded, a smile growing on her face. “Thank you.”

The warmth in my chest came back. “You’re welcome.”

Somehow, despite all my screw-ups, I’d made her smile.

SADIE

Itook the turnoff from the highway onto the little road to Ruby Lake a hair too fast. Okay, maybe a ponytail too fast—I squealed as my tires ground in the dirt road. But I recovered, like I always do.

Get your head out of the clouds, Sadie!

The words echoing through my head were the same ones my stepdad used to bark at me every other waking moment growing up.

But this time I wasn’t daydreaming about nothing. I almost missed my turn because I was too damned distracted thinking about goddamned Chris Slade.

Ever since I saw him on that barstool—hell, since the first time I met him—I’d been in a mental battle with myself. I couldn’t stand him and wanted him to get lost. And yet I also wanted him so badly he’d been taking over my thoughts. Since the underwear especially, I’d been replaying every moment we were together… and making up things that didn’t happen.

Dirty things.

As I carried on down the dirt road I tried to refocus on the matter at hand. Today I was meeting Cat Jones, who was going to help me finish my business plan, along with all the other good, but boring, but important things I needed to do to get this shop going like a professional.

I needed to focus on the store. Not on Chris. But when I saw something I wanted, I had a hell of a time pulling my attention away from it. I’ve always been like this. Impulsive. Excitable.

It drove Lucy crazy, but I didn’t actually mind those qualities in myself. I liked how passionate I was about things. It was what kept my excitement up. But it got me into trouble sometimes.

Okay, a lot of the time.

When Chris and I had been walking around the shop yesterday, I hadn’t wanted to leave his side. When we weren’t bickering, talking to him was actually fun. I’d wanted to talk to him for hours.

Then I’d wanted to touch him.

And when he came up next to me in the back when I’d gotten overwhelmed, I’d had the absurd urge to crawl into his arms and forget about all the hard stuff.

Chris was nothing like my type. He was too straight edged. Too practical. My boyfriends were usually more carefree, easygoing.

Maybe a little too easygoing. And a little too casual. I didn’t even thinkIwas that interested in planning for the future with these guys, it was just that as soon as they pulled away, I felt a desperate kind of emptiness.

The only reason I was fantasizing about Chris was because I told myself I couldn’t have him. That was all.

The road forked in front of me and I took my foot off the gas. On the phone, Cat Jones had said to stop at the first house on the road, and if I hit the summer camp I’d gone too far.

A giant, sprawling old lake house emerged through the trees to my left. This had to be it. I pulled into the driveway and cut the engine.

A woman pushed open the screen door as I got out of the car.

“Sadie?” the woman said, standing at the top of the porch.

Nerves twanged in my stomach as I climbed the steps to meet her. “The one and only!” I said.

Stupid. Why can’t you just say ‘yes’ like a normal person?

The woman wore an expensive-looking business suit. She looked… important. Professional.

Meanwhile, I was wearing a fully thrifted outfit. Normally I loved this particular combination: my favorite floral dress topped with a linen blazer with the sleeves rolled up, and purposefully overloaded metallic necklaces, bracelets and rings.

It felt like a costume next to the other woman.

But then she smiled—a wide, genuine smile. “Cat Jones. I’m so happy to meet you!” She leaned in and whispered conspiratorially. “You’re my first client to come here, so I’m a little nervous!”

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