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“Did you ever think you'd say those words to some asshole from the bar?” I laughed.
“You were never an asshole,” she said. “Which was why I liked you from the start.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “From the start?” I laughed. “That's a bit of revisionist history, because I seem to remember – ”
“Hush, you,” she said, playfully batting me in the chest. “You know what I meant. You were never like your friend, Greg.”
“Ex-friend,” I said.
Greg and I hadn't talked since that night. No reason to. Our lives had gone in opposite directions. Truth be told, they'd been going in opposite directions for a long time before the night I punched him, but I'd held on to him as my friend because he was familiar. Comfortable.
But, things had changed drastically, and I had no desire to be an immature frat boy my entire life. Especially, now that I had a family of my own to take care of.
As I looked at Casey, I smiled again. She had the most profound effect on me.
“I love you, Casey.”
She smiled wide. “And I love you, Malcolm Crane.”
I never knew life could be as good as it was turning out to be. Casey reached out and gave my hand a gentle squeeze.
“Our best days are still to come,” she said.
I nodded. “They are,” I said. “And I'm looking forward to spending all of the rest of those best days of my life with you.”
The End
CHRISTMAS WITH THE MCCORMICK BROTHERS
CHAPTER ONE - HAILEY
The late fall sun was setting on the horizon. The sky was growing dark in the east, but the western horizon was a riot of colors – red, orange, and gold. It was stunning and reminded me of the leaves on the trees that time of year.
Darkness was coming, but the fun was only getting started. Black Oak's Annual Community Bonfire was an event I'd attended as a child more times than I could count but being there again as an adult felt entirely different. The leaves had fallen from most of the trees, coating the ground in those brilliant shades of red and orange that reflected the sky above. It was a beautiful side of nature I'd missed during my time in California.
Pulling my hoodie tightly around my body, I tucked my hand into the pocket and walked into Black Oak Park, looking around at the familiar – yet older – faces that made up the crowd. There were so many I recognized, but there was one face in particular I was looking for.
My parents were, of course, working their booth as they always did at these community events. They'd tried to convince me to join them in the booth and help them out, but I'd politely declined. I had no interest in peddling essential oils to old high school acquaintances of mine, many of who had made my life an utter nightmare growing up.
I'd had half a mind to skip the bonfire altogether, wanting to avoid the awful memories that would inevitably come flooding back when put into a social setting with some of these people. After all, everyone in Black Oak attended the bonfire – and very few people ever left the small South Carolina town we'd grown up in. I was one of few, and I was not entirely excited to be back. However, there was one person I wasn't trying to avoid – and I knew she was going to be there. When I saw Jenn's face in the middle of a crowd of people, the smiled that curled the corners of my lips was instant.
As if a psychic connection existed between us, Jenn looked over, saw me staring at her, and waved me over to her booth with a big smile on her face. When I walked over, her blonde bob bounced all around her face as she excitedly rushed from behind a table filled with cupcakes.
“Hailey, I'm so glad you could make it,” she cooed, her southern accent still strong as ever.
Her big, brown eyes were wide and full of joy as she hugged me tightly. Not much had changed in this podunk little town, but my best friend Jennifer – Jenn – Staples sure had. She'd grown up nicely and was no longer the awkward, chubby girl with the frizzy dishwater blonde hair and braces.
She still had a few extra pounds, but she'd grown taller and learned to dress for her shape. Now, her clothes were flattering, and she looked like a curvy little vixen, rather than the frumpy, shy loner she used to be.
After being away for as long as I had been, I almost didn't recognize her at first. Looking for the girl I'd left behind, I almost passed her table in the restaurant right up. I was looking for the chubby, awkward girl – not the blonde bombshell in designer heels she'd become.
She, of course, had recognized me right away. Even though I thought I'd changed a lot over the years too, her ability to recognize me made me question my newfound confidence in myself. I made me think that maybe, I was still the awkward, gangly girl everyone tended to overlook that I'd been when I left Black Oak – minus the glasses and acne, of course. My mousy brown hair was now darker with caramel highlights, and my skin was bronzed from living life in the California sun. I thought I looked like a whole new person, but the fact that Jenn had spotted me straight away made me wonder if maybe, I didn't actually look that different after all.
“I want you to meet someone,” Jenn said, yanking me back behind a cupcake booth that was festooned with ribbons, glitter, balloons, and a large sign that read, Jenn Drake's Cups and Cakes.
“I already know your husband, Jenn,” I laughed. “I went to school with him, remember?”
“Not him, but yes, you should say hi to him too,” she laughed. “Martin would like that and I'm sure he'd love to see you again.”
