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“Okay.” I stood, Charles following right behind.
“Thanks for last night. I had fun.”
I nodded, shoving my hands into my pockets. Tell him. Tell him you had fun too, I thought, but I didn’t.
“Do you mind if I keep the piano here? It’ll make it easier when we want to play—so I don’t have to take it back and forth.”
“Won’t you want to practice at home?” I couldn’t imagine leaving my guitar behind anywhere.
“It’ll be fine. Plus, that means you have to let me come over whenever I want.” He gave me a wide smile, and for some strange reason, I got a little light-headed. I was probably more tired than I thought.
“No I don’t.”
“But you’ll want me to come over, even if it’s just because you like making music with me.” He winked, which should look ridiculous, but it didn’t. I got a little fluttery again. Maybe I was coming down with something.
“Are you leavin’ or what?” I asked.
“A gentleman would walk me to my vehicle.”
I turned and looked behind me. “Don’t see one of those.” His smile looked almost too big for his face in that moment. I couldn’t wrap my head around how I’d been the one to do it. How I—quiet, lonely Brian—could inspire such happiness. “Let’s go,” I added. I needed to go lie down and get some space. I liked my space, and it was weirding me out that I wasn’t itching to have more of it right now.
We were quiet as I walked with Charles to the front of the house. When we got to the car, he stopped and looked at me. Was I supposed to say something? Do something? “I’ll put the piano inside to keep it safe.”
“Thank you.”
Okay…what now? “I’ll…see you later?” I added because he was still watching me like I was his favorite movie or something.
“Looking forward to it.”
As Charles got into his SUV, I kept telling myself to go inside, but my feet wouldn’t move. Instead, I stood there and watched him drive away.
CHAPTER SIX
Charles
“I still haven’t figured out why you and that husband of yours thought having a farm would be a good idea,” I said to Emerson as we were mucking out horse stalls.
I’d gone back to the house this morning, planning on taking a nap, but no matter how hard I’d tried, I hadn’t been able to sleep. Eventually, I’d just gotten out of bed, showered, and come to Em’s.
“No one said you have to be here helping,” he teased.
“Yes, but then you’d miss me, and I’d hate to do that to you.”
He chuckled, something Emerson did so much easier now. “I think I would survive.”
“Maybe, but it would be a torturous existence. Why would I do that to my friend?”
“You torture me when you’re here,” Emerson countered.
“Lies.” I leaned against the wall, wishing humidity wasn’t a thing. I went back and forth, trying to decide if I should say anything, but eventually, I couldn’t hold it back. “I went to Brian’s last night. I actually stayed all night.”
“What the fuck?” Emerson’s eyes bulged out. “How… I thought you weren’t… He’s straight and rarely talks to anyone.”
“I didn’t fuck him. Jesus.”
“Well, can you blame me for assuming that? It’s what you’d like to do, and regardless of the whole friendship thing, I know you want him. You have a habit of getting what you want—not in a creepy way, of course.”
I couldn’t say he was wrong, but that wasn’t what this was about. Sure, I’d wanted him as a friend and I’d made that happen, but that cheapened the night we had. It had been…unexpected. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d enjoyed something so simple, the last time I’d enjoyed spending time with someone so much. “It wasn’t like that. We played music together for hours, then barbecued before literally sitting by a fire and talking all night. How is that fun, Emerson? It’s a fucking fire and sitting. I don’t get it. Do small towns in the South fuck with your brain?”
Had I ever spent the whole night talking with someone like that before? I was fairly certain I hadn’t.
For the first time since I’d known him, Emerson looked at me with his nose wrinkled up as if he didn’t know me and was trying to make out who the hell I was. Welcome to the club, buddy.
“First of all, you’re an idiot.”
“Well, Ryland transformed you into a sociable guy, so maybe it’s fucking with me too.”
He chuckled. “I’m ignoring that. I’m also not the guy to come to for advice, if that’s even what you’re doing. Half the time I can barely sort through my own emotions, much less help someone with theirs.”
“First, who said anything about emotions? And second, you’re better at it than you think.”
He shrugged. “I don’t know, man. Maybe it’s just because spending that kind of night with someone is different for you. Or maybe you like him. Or maybe he just had interesting things to say… Did he talk?”
