Page 40 of Reckless Chances
Chapter 14 – Charlie
She had sworn at him. In all the time he’d spent with Emma, he had never heard her swear. It was one of the things he found so endearing about her. She said fudge, and darn it, and his favorite, shootskisitis instead of shit. But today, she had dropped the f-bomb at him, and she looked as shocked as he was when she said it.
All she had to do was tell him the truth. Would he have been able to live with the fact that she had hawked her diamond ring? Probably. But to keep it after cheating on her fiancé, that seemed like a low blow.
He understood why Jason had warned him about the lying. The woman could’ve won an Academy Award. She stood in front of him and pretended to not know what the hell he was talking about. When she wasn’t forthcoming about the funds for the flower shop, the diamond, or the misappropriated funds from the townhome, he didn’t even bother asking about the cheating. If she was an accomplished liar, something she had just done to his face, who was to say that she’d fess up to that biggie.
No.
Even though he felt like a piece of him was missing, that there was a hole in his guts, he had done the right thing. He thought that he was falling in love with Emma. Cutting her out now was the best thing that he could’ve done. The idea of seeing one more girlfriend with another man’s face between her thighs would’ve been too much for him to take. Getting rid of her now was the best thing he’d ever done. Even though he felt sick to his stomach.
Like he’d never eat again.
He definitely wouldn’t let himself fall for another woman again, that’s for sure. Just yesterday he’d been judging his brother’s immature behavior, but now, he thought that Jason was onto something.
It was time for him to get his brewpub done and move on with his life as a single man. He picked up the drywall screw gun and lost himself in the constant drone of the tool. He got in the groove and didn’t hear the door open until Freddie’s voice shouted out over the tool. “Where’s the music and the beer?”
Charlie paused. He wanted to hang out with his friend, but for now, the construction was his priority. He turned, ready to tell Freddie that he couldn’t hang out and was surprised to see not only Freddie, but Josh, Logan, Ethan, and even Baxter. “What are you guys doing here?”
“I’ve brought the cavalry,” Freddie grinned. “But they don’t work for free. I hope you’ve got the beer taps hooked up.”
The men were all wearing work clothes, even Baxter. “You guys don’t have to help out. There’s a lot to do.”
“That’s exactly why we have to help you out.” Josh rolled up his sleeves.
Charlie had spent many a free evening helping his friends shingle their roofs, or plow their driveways when they were out of town. It’s what small-town people do – they help each other. That’s why it felt so normal to pick up a paintbrush to help Emma, even if it was to his detriment. “The kegs lines aren’t hooked up yet, but I do have a few cases in the fridge in the back.”
“Let’s get ‘er done.” Freddie took the screw gun from Charlie’s hand. “Now you go get the brewskis.”
Charlie jogged to the back of what would someday be the brew pub’s kitchen and opened the temporary fridge and pulled out beer for all of his friends. By the time he was back, all the guys, two of whom were trained tradesmen, had donned their tool belts and were in the process of measuring and hanging the rest of the drywall. He handed out the lavender pale ale beer from his private stash and felt like he wanted to hug every single one of the guys that had shown up for him – especially after the day of hell he’d just endured.
Well into the early morning hours of the next day his ‘crew’ labored, and they didn’t stop until all of the drywall was not only hung but mudded and taped, ready for sanding and a second coat. “Whoa, not too thick, just a skim coat,” Josh shouted as Baxter laid on the last of the mud. Baxter was a city boy who had moved to Chance Rapids and was engaged to Lauren, Charlotte’s sister.
“Okay, boss.” Baxter bit his lip and scraped off the excess mud.
“I didn’t think that you owned clothes like this.” Charlie pulled at the arm of Baxter’s flannel work shirt.
Baxter smoothed out the fabric. “It was the last one at The Work Outfitters shop.”
“Ha, you can still see the lines,” Charlie smiled. Never in a million years did he think he’d get the tasting area finished, now with the help of his friends, the entire place was done – coincidentally at the same time the last beer was finished.
Charlie handed Josh a beer and reached for the bottle opener in the side pocket of his work pants. His small-batch beer was always brewed in pop-top containers. He loved the old school feel and sound of popping a cap off of the bottle, and if he could source out a bottler who used stubby bottles, the kind from the seventies, he’d be all over it. Before he could open the bottle, Josh flicked the cap off with his bare hand. “How did you do that?” Josh was an outdoorsman and tough as nails. “Do you have bionic hands?”
Holding up his left hand, Josh wiggled his ring finger. “All you need is a wedding ring, my friend.”
“He’s working on that,” Freddie laughed.
Charlie’s stomach sank.
Ethan yawned and checked his watch. “Alright, boys. I’ve got to get my beauty sleep.”
“You’re twenty-one,” Logan said. “I’ve got to get home too. I need a couple of hours' sleep before practice. The hockey team has an important practice tomorrow.
“Thanks for coming in, guys,” Charlie said. “You have no idea how much you’ve saved my ass.”
“You’ve still got a lot to do,” Logan said. “I’ll be here every night that I’m not coaching the team.”
The rest of the guys nodded and murmured the same thing. “That’s too much, you guys. I can’t ask you to do that.”
