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CATHERINE
If there’sanything that can pull me out of the hurtful hell Palmer’s bouquet pushed me into, it’s the sound of my sister’s voice. With her, my smile is never fake.
“Adrienne.” I twist out of Hunter’s comforting hug, my hand still wrapped around his waist, his around my shoulder, and turn to face my sister. She’s wearing light green coveralls on top of a white tank top, an orange California Poppy sticking out of her brunette bun, a whimsical look painted on her smart mouth. “This dear sis, is my boyfriend Hunter. I wanted to pop in and introduce him to you.”
The gleam in her eyes is only matched by the wide-eyed smile that accompanies it. She races around the counter right toward us, joining our hug. “Oh my god, this is the best news all day.” She smells of roses and apricots, a sweet combination that matches her personality. “So glad to meet you, Hunter. You have to tell me everything about yourself, I mean like right now. Or I may die. Catherine tells me nothing, obviously. You must be in town for the wedding. Where are you staying? You should stay with us. Are you from Destiny Falls? Oh my god it’s so beautiful there, especially Lake Hope. Has Catherine taken you to the Lake? You know they filmed the movie Forever there.”
I laugh at her enthusiasm. Whatever concerns I had coming to the shop evaporate. “Slow down kiddo. Let Hunter breathe.”
Adrienne untangles from our group hug but rests a hand on Hunter’s elbow. He reaches over with his other hand and taps the back of her palm. It’s a quick gentle move by the two of them but it warms my heart.
“Ah, where to begin. Yes, your sister and I will be going to Ava’s wedding together. I actually just moved here last week.”
“Mesa? You live in Mesa?” I didn’t know it was possible, but Adrienne’s voice hits an even higher pitch. When the sound dissipates and her mouth remains open, I assume she’s communicating at a frequency only dogs can hear. She peeks around Hunter and bounces on the tops of her toes. “Oh my god Catherine, does this mean you’re moving back home?”
The elation I felt a second a go evaporates. Shit.
The thought had never occurred to me. But hearing Adrienne ask, it immediately clicks. Most people in town, when they find out that Hunter and I are together and he’s just moved here, to my hometown, will leap to the same conclusion. I begin to stammer but Hunter rescues me.
“I’m more likely to move to Indiana if all goes well.” He says the line with such confidence I nearly believe him. “I had a job opportunity that brought me to Mesa. It’s a lot closer to Indiana than Georgia so I leaped at it. However, after one week, my prospects aren’t looking that good and I may need to find another job soon.” He leans toward Adrienne who is hanging on his every word. He gives her a playful schoolyard wink and lowers his voice to a whisper that is loud enough for me to hear. “I think I’ll job hunt in Indiana next if your sister will have me.”
Hunter is smooth. Real smooth. I half expect Adrienne to answer for me, but she doesn’t. Her eyes dart to me and I give her a half smile. I’m not sure how convincing it is when she speaks. “Indiana is beautiful country and I’m sure my sister will decide the right thing, she always does.”
Water pools in my eyes with the kind words from my little sister. The one I rarely get to spend time with; the little bundle of energy that has blossomed into a woman in a blink of an eye. It’s a respectful non-committal answer that says I may have just met you and I like your vibe, but I’ve got my sister’s back and she will always come first. I mouth the words Thank you in her direction, not trusting my voice.
“I got to ride in your bug.” Hunter shifts the focus from us and is immediately rewarded.
“Buttercup!”
I reach into my purse for the keys and toss them in her direction. “I’ve parked her in the Madison’s parking lot. Hunter just treated me to a late lunch.”
“Fancy.” She nudges him. “Building up those boyfriend brownie points, nice.”
The joy on my sister’s face warms my heart and then it hits me. This isn’t real. My chest begins to thump, blood racing to my ears blocking out their words. Their voices whisper, Adrienne’s unique Sonic the Hedgehog rapid fire cadence sucking in Hunter, forcing him to match her cadence. The query and response is like watching a tennis match. Best I can tell Adrienne is giving Hunter the low down on other places to take me in town. This all feels real, but it's not.
I step toward Hunter and hook my arm through his and give it a slight pull. “Sorry sis, I have to steal him away.”
“Wait, what? You just got here,” Adrienne protests. “You have to bring him along tomorrow.” She doesn’t wait to read my face, turning to face Hunter. “Please tell me you are free tomorrow afternoon?”
On each of my trips home I carve out sister time with Adrienne. Tomorrow we’re set to go mountain biking through the Usery Mountain Regional Park. With Ava’s bachelorette party in the evening and the wedding on Saturday it’s our only window together. The fact that Adrienne is offering up this protected time so easily is telling. She’s either all aboard the Hunter-Catherine train or she wants to get him three thousand feet up the side of a mountain and grill him to death. I’m not sure which.
“I’m working in the morning,” Hunter starts, his eyes seeking mine for guidance.
Adrienne piles on before I can speak, “Me too. Cat is picking me up from here at one o’clock. We’re going mountain biking. You have to join.”
I hear the desperation in Adrienne’s voice. She’s rarely seen me in relationships. Most of the time I was together with Palmer she was too young to care or was away at college. It’s a part of my life she’s always been curious about. A hundred questions from her about my dating life in Indiana never giving any insight. This is a chance for her to see it up close.
“Hunter gets off work at two. How about this…” Two sets of eyes turn toward me, one with hope and the other trying to decipher my intentions. “Adrienne, you and I can head to the mountain, grab some lunch, and spend a little time with just the two of us. Hunter can meet us at the mountain after he gets off work. That is, if he doesn’t have other plans.”
“I’d love to,” he whispers before I complete my thought. I didn’t want to assume, and his lack of hesitation gives me more insight into him than I think he knows.
Adrienne claps her hands together in front of her and hops on her toes again.
“I’ll give Hunter the directions and where to get the rental. And since we’re expanding our sister time, why don’t you invite along your best friend who I understand from Mom that you are now officially crushing on,” I tease her.
She plants her hands on her hips and juts out her chin in my direction. “Lucas? I’m not crushing on him. What did Mom say? Oh, never mind. I could never ask him.”
Lucas is our neighbor and has been friends with Adrienne since they were young enough to ride bikes. They’ve always been best buddies. However, ever since the two of them went away to separate colleges there’s been a shift in their relationship. Mom has hinted that Adrienne may be starting to see him as more than just a friend.
