Still no luck.
Giving up, she bought one can of 7-Up, two bottles of water, and a set of playing cards from the girl working in the lobby. By the time she returned to the room, Davis was in the bed, his back toward the door. Her chest tightened as disappointment slid through her. It was silly. She was fully aware. She hoped he was feeling better and maybe they could play cards.
She tiptoed around to face him, and found his eyes closed. He looked peaceful. The stomachache must’ve worn him out. She smiled at him, setting down the 7-Up and water on the nightstand next to him. She rounded the foot of the bed and flipped off the bedside lamp before slipping into the bed.
Lying next to him, facing his back in the darkened room, she felt a dull ache, a need to be closer to him. Her fingers tingled with the urge to touch him. Even though only inches separated them, he felt so far away in that moment. The fear that their friendship would be different in the morning made it feel as if it was hard to catch her breath.
Losing the bar was one thing but losing Davis would be unbearable.
CHAPTERFOURTEEN
DAVIS
The two-hour driveback to Pineridge was torturous. Davis couldn’t decide which incident made it more awkward—their intimate moment in the hotel bed, or his stomach issues that sent him fleeing for the bathroom.
Definitely the stomach issues.
The goodbye on Kelsey’s front porch had been almost as painful as the small talk they’d forced in the car. Usually, he went inside and saw the kids. They seemed to enjoy his company as much as he loved theirs. But today, he couldn’t drive away fast enough.
Maybe the thing that made it worse, Kelsey hadn’t teased him about his stomach issues. She hadn’t gloated about the diner being her choice. She hadn’t offered to go to his place to take care of him. All things best friend Kelsey had done in the past. This told him one thing: The friendship he’d grown accustomed to and appreciated no longer existed.
And it was his fault.
As Davis made his way home, his phone chimed. He checked it at the stop light.
Garrett: Got my costume. We’re all set.
Davis sent a thumbs up in response.
The Halloween costume party at O’Henry’s sounded even less appealing than it had before this past weekend. And after it? It sounded downright awful. He’d rather smack his thumb with a hammer.
As Davis pulled into his driveway, his phone chimed again, and he groaned. For a guy who had an endless supply of friends and women, he sure bothered Davis a lot.
Kelsey’s name appeared on his screen and his chest tightened.
Kelsey: We forgot to make a plan for the pumpkin patch. You still up for it?
It had become a tradition of theirs. He and Kelsey going to the pumpkin patch together every October. Some years it looked different. It had been just the two of them for a few years, then he tagged along with her and Ricky, and a few years it was Ricky and Kelsey and a kid or two. Then there was a few when Lissa came too. This year it was almost as if they’d come full circle and it would be just the two of them once again.
The fact that Kelsey was asking him if they were still going had him feeling all kinds of messed up.
Davis: Of course.
Kelsey: Good.
Kelsey: Tomorrow still work?
Davis: Yep.
No follow up response had him even more on edge. She always had to get in the last word.
Davis climbed out of the truck and snatched his bag from the backseat before heading to the front door of his house. His home was small in comparison to Garrett’s new, modern bachelor pad he’d bought, and the two brothers designed together. But Davis wanted a home that felt like a home. Something that looked like someone lived there. Cozy, warm colors, brown Italian leather couches. Kelsey had helped him pick out blankets and candles and even live plants.
Davis unzipped his bag and turned it over, dumping its contents onto his bed. His phone chimed again.
Kelsey: I’ll be good. No run down bar and grill for dinner. Promise.
She followed the text with a winking emoji.
