Page 11 of Like Home
I let go and see her lips curve into a mischievous smile.Uh-oh.“Speaking of men and you moving on, what’s this I hear about a gorgeous man hitting on you in the supermarket?”
I pull away from her hug. “What? Who told you that?” I ask.
She smacks my shoulder. “So thereisa gorgeous man hitting on you!”
“No! I mean, yes, Ryan is arguably gorgeous, but no he wasn’thitting on me,” I fumble, reaching over to crack open the bottle of wine and pour each of us a glass.
“Are you sure? No offense Summer, but you can be pretty dense when it comes to guys being into you. Who is he anyway?” She grabs her glass and takes a sip, waggling her eyebrows.
“He’s just my contractor. He fixed the leaky ceiling,” I wave a hand to the offending stain. “He’s new in town and popped into the bank yesterday to open an account. We got to talking, and I realized he was a contractor. He had time in his schedule, so he came and fixed it. Then we bumped into each other at the supermarket, and he walked me to my car because it was getting dark. That’s the big story,” I take a sip, “How do you know about him?”
“Anthony. I must have come in just after you. He was talking all about how you and Jared broke up, and he was speculating on whether or not you cheated with the new guy.” She laughs, “I obviously knew that wasn’t true. You aren’t a cheater.”
“That nosy man! We literally had a two-second conversation and now everyone is going to think the worst.” I pinch the bridge of my nose in frustration over the stupid gossip mill that’s bound to be brewing up a brand new insane story about Ryan and I by tomorrow.
“So. Ryan, huh?” She smirks at me over the rim of her wine glass.
“There’s nothing there, Steph,” I sigh, “He is way, way out of my league.”
She smacks my arm again. “The moon, Summer. You hung it.”
“Okay, alright. That doesn’t change the fact that he’s definitely not into me.” I look away from her and down into the swirling liquid in my glass like I can divine answers from it.
“Again, you aren’t the best at reading flirty cues despite all those romance novels you read. I mean, he walked you to your car, right? That’s overprotective and caveman-like.”
I look at her and make sure she can see my eye roll. “He has a little sister. It was a nice gesture toward woman-kind. Not anything special for me. He told me so.” I won’t mention the “pretty bank teller” comment because I know she’ll blow it way out of proportion and insist I carry his beautiful babies.
She scrunches her nose and says, “Fine. Let’s watch Rory and Lorelei order a bunch of food and then not eat it.”
I press play and hand her a Twix—her favorite. “We’ll eat it for them.”
CHAPTER 8
Summer
On Wednesday, I head to Jared’s new apartment after work. Today will be the first time I’ve seen it other than the few pictures he showed me when he first signed his lease. I pull into an open spot in front of the small apartment complex, rain pounding steadily on the windshield. I sit for a moment and close my eyes, listening to the staccato beat against the metal and glass of my car. The sound of the rain has always been steadying for me, and I need a moment before seeing Jared again. I hear my phone ping with a new message. I open my eyes and unlock the screen.
Ryan:
How’s your ceiling holding up? It’s coming down pretty hard today.
No bowls have been necessary so far.
Good. I wouldn’t mind the excuse to see you again, though.
Ah, yes. The old leaky roof wingman. Sorry to say he’s failed you this time.
Damn. Last time I count on him for anything.
I suck my lips in to squash my giddy smile and exit out of my messages app. I need to get Emma soon so we can enjoy dinner without having to rush.
Jared was lucky enough to find an apartment complex that only has one story—no one above or below him to gripe about normal kid noises. Before moving into my house, we had an apartment with a downstairs neighbor who would beat the ceiling with a broom every time Emma dared toddle too loudly.
This complex only has five, single-story units and he got the one on the corner with only one neighbor. I knock on the door and only have to wait a handful of moments before Emma throws it open excitedly. “Hi, Mommy! Come on, I wanna show you my new room.” She grabs my hand and tugs me inside, pausing impatiently for me to take off my shoes.
While I toe off my ankle boots, I take a brief glance around, noting that while sparsely decorated, the apartment itself has potential. The walls are a dull beige to match the equally dull beige carpet, but that’s nothing a good rug and some artwork can’t fix. I mentally check myself.Not your job anymore, Summer.Once my shoes are off, Emma pulls me through the living room and down a short hallway with three doors, one to the left and two to the right. As she’s opening the last door on the right, I ask, “Where’s your Dad?”
“Right here,” he emerges from the door next to hers, steam billowing out after him. He’s wearing a white undershirt and low-slung grey sweats, his typical after-work attire. As a foreman at the local lumber mill, he spends his days in uncomfortable hard hats, steel-toed boots, and thick utility pants. When he comes home, he likes to be comfortable. The familiar scent of his body wash and hair products assault me, and I feel a wave of unwanted nostalgia. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he timed his shower on purpose. He knows a freshly-showered man is my Kryptonite.They just smell sogoodand the wet, dripping hair really does something for me.
