Page 63 of Hold Me Instead
He laughed. “A little, maybe.” He’d enjoyed it, hearing endearing stories about Charlie from those who loved her. Funny thing was, he could picture each one. Despite a professional approach at work, she was still Charlie.
She shifted her keys along the ring. “That was the one and only time I met Anna.”
He scrunched his face in thought. “That’s right. I forgot I brought her.”
“Yeah. Even then, she wasn’t your type.” She looked away quickly, but not before her eyes widened into saucers.
Zachary straightened, the half-dozen casseroles heavy. “You don’t think so, huh?”
She slowly looked at him. “Nope. Not warm enough for you. Or genuine, really.”
Zachary didn’t say anything. Hearing it from Charlie, who’d met Anna once, surprised him. She’d never met any of his previous girlfriends, and he’d never discussed them at work. Apparently, Charlie had considered what type of person would be good for him.
Then he zeroed in on the other detail, that she’d said “even then.” What all did she know about how things went down with him and Anna?
“Thanks again for shopping. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” She slid into her car, gave Maple a wave, and closed the door before he could say anything else.
No chance to ask who she thought would be a good fit for him. Not that he was looking. Instead, all he could do was let his imagination run with it, and he found that was almost as good.
Chapter 17
Charlie
Charliehadtriedtolimit communication with Zachary. It seemed safest to put distance between them. Then he’d dropped by unexpectedly, all handsome and eager and seemingly happy to be near her. She couldn’t have been misreading that, right?
There wasn’t time to dwell on it now. Not here, not after her appointment that morning.
She turned off the car, parked in the small lot behind The Refill Mill. Releasing a slow breath, her forehead sank to the steering wheel.
It shouldn’t surprise her. The city was big, yes, but Charlie ran into people she knew all the time. While personal experience proved that meant no place was off-limits, she hadn’t been prepared to see Magnolia step out of an exam room just as she was leaving the PT office. They’d locked eyes, a look of shock passing over her friend’s face. Charlie had bolted, as though her secret was printed across her forehead.
She had no clue Magnolia was going to physical therapy, and no one knew Charlie was. There might have even been a way to ignore it, shove it under the rug until they both “forgot” about it. With everything going on, Charlie had added an extra maintenance appointment, to make sure stress wasn’t undoing any progress. She’d never expected to see her friend there at the exact same time! What were the odds of that?
It was pointless to put it off any longer. She trudged toward the door, a sense of relief washing over her when she heard Amber’s voice carrying from the front. Dodging Magnolia with extra people around would be much easier.
Magnolia stood, hands pressed in front of her mouth, as she stared at a long table in the middle of the shop. Amber was sliding her hand over the wood as she walked around it, barely pausing to breathe.
“A friend from college grew up on a farm north of here, and she told me they were tearing down their old barn. Gathered up as much of the wood as I could over the summer. I was so grateful to her because peoplelovehandmade products from repurposed wood, but it’s hard to get your hands on it because people snatch it up quickly. And especially from a barn? It’s amazing, really. Even if you don’t live near one you want something connected with it. I mean, the wood is great, and the pieces look beautiful. So that makes sense. When you told me what you needed for the shop, though, I knew this was the perfect project for it.”
Another tug to Charlie’s heart. Amber was named after Nana, and for good reason.
“Hey,” Charlie said, her approach slow.
Amber glanced up. “Hey.” She bit her nail, waiting, then put her arm around Magnolia. “Do you like it?” she asked softly.
The sheen in Magnolia’s eyes glittered as she peeled her focus from the table. “Are you kidding?” she whispered. “It’s beautiful.” She squeezed Amber into a hug, and Amber blinked her own wet eyes.
Charlie looked at the long table in front of her, the wood sanded smooth, glowing a golden honey brown. Down the middle stretched another tier, tiny etchings shaped into the supports to match the ones down the legs of the table.
“Amber, you made this?” Charlie asked.
Her cousin nodded.
“It’s absolutely perfect. I have to send this to my boss,” Magnolia said, positioning her phone. The women stepped back so she could get a clear photo. “This will look amazing with all the light from the windows.”
“It’s gorgeous,” Charlie added.
Amber smiled, a rare flash of embarrassment crossing her face. “I think it fits in well.”
