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“Isn’t it dreamy?” Tessa replies. “Bristol, Rhode Island. Apparently, they were born here. It’s like the most patriotic town in the country according to Carter. He wants to take us downtown later for lunch. He says they have red, white, and blue lines in the streets and flags everywhere you look.”
I turn back around and look at my friend. Her red hair is down at her shoulders and her face is bare, so her freckles run rampant. She looks like a kid without makeup, and it totally doesn’t vibe with her personality. No wonder she’s constantly sassing people; she needs to show her power through words since it’s not evident from her looks. “Why do you keep talking about Carter as if you know him?”
Tessa looks at me thoughtfully.
“Because I do?” she says in a quirked tone as if she’s asking a question rather than answering my own.
“Do you?”
She slumps down into the chair, pulling her legs under her and sips her coffee. “We met a couple of weeks ago. The night you disappeared from the club.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
She nibbles on her lip. “He was all handsy and buying me drinks which you know I love. But when the night ended, I told him I was going to my own bed. I don’t do one-night stands anymore. They are tiring and my number was getting way too high if you know what I mean.” She laughs in self-deprecation.
“Number?” I ask, confused.
“Oh right, you’ve been married all these years, so you don’t have to concern yourself with the problems of us mere mortals who have been having all the sex.”
I laugh. “Okay, so because I was married, I didn’t have all the sex?”
Tessa tilts her head and glares at me. “No, maybe you were but no one was judging you for having all the sex. You had more sex than me probably but because you were doing it with one man you get a free pass. I, on the other hand, am supposed to wait until I find someone to love to get my rocks off.”
“According to society,” I finish for her.
She smiles. “See, now you get it. Anyway, I told him I wasn’t going home with him, and he said fine, he’d just take me home and we could talk for a bit. I didn’t peg him for someone who could keep his word, but he was cute, fucking rich, and interested. So, I agreed. And girl, can that boy talk. I mean, do you know the shit they’ve been through?”
“Uh, yeah, Cash is kind of my boyfriend. I know him,” I say almost aggressively. The truth is I’m jealous that Tessa knows so much, and I don’t know why. I mean she knows about this town, and I don’t. And she and Carter seem to be in a good place whereas Cash and I are barely speaking. How had things flipped on their heads so badly?
Oh right, my mother.
Carter’s tall frame appears in the doorway. His brown hair is mussed in different directions, and his eyes crinkle when he looks at Tessa. I turn to see her reaction, and I’m shocked to find her goofily smiling at him. She holds out her hand and he walks into the room, takes the coffee cup from her other hand, takes a sip, and then places it on the coffee table before lifting her up and sitting down in her chair and settling her on his lap.
What world am I living in?
Cash stands a few feet back, staring at the entire encounter much like me. Shocked, a little uncomfortable, and disappointed that there is so much distance between the two of us while they make it look easy.
Unlike his brother, Cash’s hair sits perfectly on his head, which oddly has my heart hurting for him. For the past few weeks, he’d been mussed and relaxed with me. Now he’s wearing dark jeans, a Henley, and a frown. He can’t relax.
I motion to him, feeling uncomfortable with the distance I’ve created.
He gazes at me for a moment and then walks to me, eyes focused, eating me up. He sits on the arm of my chair, and it’s not close enough. Nothing is close enough when it comes to him. I put my hand on his leg and lean against his arm. He looks down at me, and I meet his eyes before he brushes his lips against my forehead. “There you are,” he whispers as his hand moves to cup my cheek. “My beautiful Gracie.”
I close my eyes and breathe, letting a small smile fall on my lips.
Carter yawns and barely adjusts Tessa as he grabs her coffee off the table and sips it before offering it to her. “So, what are we doing today?”
“Where’s Frank?” I ask, suddenly bothered that we’ve coupled off and the man who apparently came to my rescue has been forgotten.
“Went back to the city. He’s driving Cat around today. He’s a busy man,” Cash says as he smiles down at me.
The mention of the sister who hates me does nothing to ease my concerns. I’m sure she’s even less impressed after my mother’s rantings. Cash must sense me tightening against his arm because he rolls his hand over my shoulder and squeezes.
“Are you guys up for lunch downtown?” Cash asks the room but looks at me.
I shrug. What the hell; no one knows me here.
“Give us a few minutes, boys,” Tessa says right before plopping a kiss on Carter’s cheek. The man smiles at her goofily. I look to Cash to see his reaction, but he simply shrugs then leans down and brushes a kiss against my neck.
