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“Thank you for always being here for me, Goldie. I don’t know what I would have done without you all these years,” I say, pulling her into a hug.
“I love you very much,” she says as her eyes tear up.
twenty-three
SJ
Then
The doorto the shop opens, and Callie and Bear walk in carrying shopping bags. “SJ!” she says, coming toward me and wrapping her arms around me. “Wait till you see what we got!”
“What’s all this?” I laugh as I kiss her and wrap my arms around her.
“Bear took me shopping for prom.” She happily holds up the bags. “I got my dress and shoes.”
“Bear took you shopping?” I ask in disbelief, looking at him in shock.
“I was the driver, kid. Shut it,” Bear calls as he walks out of the back kitchen with a fresh beer.
“Must have been rough if you immediately need a beer,” I tease.
“Bear was the absolute best,” Callie gushes. “He has excellent taste.”
I look over, and Bear rolls his eyes, but I don’t miss the smile he’s trying to hide.
“I’m renting my tux tomorrow.” I hesitate. “Callie, are you sure about this? They’re never going to let you go with me.”
“I don’t even care anymore,” she says adamantly. “I’m going with you to prom.”
I sigh and nod. “Okay. And where will they think you’ll be?”
“They have a trip planned to the Bahamas the weekend of prom anyway.” She shrugs. “I’ll be home alone,” she says with a smile.
“Okay.” I wish it would be okay, but I just feel like things are heating up with her parents. The more interaction we have, the more things escalate with them. It’s getting harder and harder for all of us. My dad, her, and me. Sometimes it’s just too much.
“Hey,” she says, looking into my eyes, “it’ll be fine.”
“I hope you know what you’re doing, Callie. They’re still so pissed at me since the wreck.”
“That wasn’t your fault. I’m fine,” she says, holding up her arm with the bright blue cast on it, covered in black signatures from friends. “It was just an accident.”
The truth is, I’m still upset about the accident and Callie breaking her arm. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost her. She means everything to me. I’ve played over and over what happened that night in my head and what I could have done differently, and I feel terrible.
I also don’t want to come between her and her family. Sometimes I wonder if her parents are right. I’m in the way, and she has her whole life ahead of her. What if something I do holds her back?
now
“Harley, you stink.” I sniff in disgust as she jumps in my truck.
We drive through town toward the shop, and I pass the dog groomer on Main Street. I park and walk up to peer in the window, looking for shop hours after noticing the closed sign. A huge German shepherd tilts his head and peers up at me from the front window. The groomer has a setup so that the dogs kennel in the front window with an air-conditioning unit set up so that after they’re groomed, they’re on display for everyone on Main Street to see. Benches sit in front of the window, and I can tell why this has become a busy and popular business here in Freedom Valley. Who doesn’t love dogs? Genius move if you ask me.
“Can I help you?” a cautious voice calls out from behind me.
I turn around, and a tall woman with dark blond hair and piercing blue eyes stares at me expectantly. After a moment, her eyes light up with recognition. “SJ.”
“Ophelia? I almost didn’t recognize you.”
“Good to see you again.” She smiles. “I haven’t seen you since high school, and I thought you wouldn’t remember me.”
