“Exactly. Having someone there with me means it’s easier to sidestep things, plus there’s someone who can change the subject when my love life comes up.”
“You know Del is likely to do that by jumping into a lecture about women of color in agriculture and the nexus of sustainable farming and anti-racism, right?”
“Why do you think he’s the perfect choice?” Our eyes met, and we both cracked up, drawing the attention of the other patrons.
I dragged my gaze back to the red dress and slid a finger along the fabric. It would cling a bit, and the color was bold and bright, but I couldn’t take my eyes off it. Not for the wedding, but maybe I’d have a few dates in the future. Real dates where I’d want to look sexy and eye-catching and it wouldn’t be an ethical quagmire to let my date take it off me. I held it up and turned to RJ, who did the same but with a black dress.
My breath caught. It was stunning, with a dipping neckline and a smattering of black beads along the hem. “Oh, I love that,” I said at the same time as her. I imagined the lights catching on the beads, tempting Wes to look at me. Sometimes on chat he said things that sounded flirty, and now and then when we hung out, he’d touch me or smile at me in a way that made me think what if, but normally, he was completely professional. “They’re both so sexy. Too sexy for a wedding with a friend?” I slid a fingertip along the line of beads at the neckline. “I mean, it’s not like I need to impress him.”
“Who cares about him? You’ll be sexy for you in either of these,” RJ said, motioning to the dressing room. “And if this friend is interested in women, I suspect he’ll be impressed.”
36
I TOSSED MY keys and phone on the counter and filled a glass with water. Saturday morning basketball was unexpectedly busy, since Aaron had had to bring his kids and I’d spent the morning teaching nine-year-old Emily to dribble circles around her dad and to score on Jake. I smiled to myself. I hadn’t enjoyed the game as much as I had this morning in a long time. My phone buzzed on the counter.
Britta: Want to see a movie later?
Wes: Aren’t you going home this weekend?
Britta: Something came up with Del’s research, and I don’t have a car. Looks like I’m staying in town.
She’d talked about it all week and told me all about her nieces and nephews and how much she couldn’t wait to see her family. She hadn’t told me much about Del other than that she’d known him a long time. I hadn’t been able to suss out whether he was the guy she kind of worked with who she liked, or if he was something else. Without any other information, I didn’t like the guy.
Wes: That’s too bad. Are you ok?
Britta: Sure. Bummer, but I’ll see them all in a couple months. Movie, though?
I glanced at my keys and the clock on the microwave before tapping out a message.
Wes: I don’t have anything going on today. I can drive you.
* * *
“ARE YOU SURE you won’t let me pay for gas? I can’t thank you enough for doing this.” Britta faced me and offered for the fifth time. The farmland and open sky stretched for miles, a blur of green and blue as we cruised down I-80. “I owe you big-time. Seriously, Wes. Anything you need and I’m yours.”
I waved her off, because “I’m yours” meant a whole lot, and I hadn’t put my plan to tell her how I felt into action. That was back on hold until I knew what was up with her and the guy she worked with. My plan was to tell her when she got back from visiting her family. Mom was doing better and almost finished with her house arrest, and I was enjoying work instead of looking for distractions. I glanced at Britta, and that feeling I was getting used to, that it’s-going-to-be-fine feeling, washed over me. “I don’t mind. I like driving, and I don’t get to do it that often. You sure your family can give you a ride back?” My hand itched to reach across the center console for Britta’s. Since I’d decided to do something, to ask her to the wedding, I’d been impatient to spend more time with her. “Will it be okay without your buffer?”
She nodded and laughed. “Yes. And, they’re not that bad.” She glanced out the window.
I nodded.
“And I’ll hop out of the car before they can pounce on you, I promise. My mom is like a dog with a bone when there are new people to feed. You’d be stuck there for hours.”
“Ah, but what if Calvin is there?”
“Just shield me. I haven’t seen him since high school, and he’s a nice guy, but . . . no. His family usually comes to these things, so hopefully he’s not in town.” Her laugh filled the space, and I relaxed in my seat, contented. I liked hearing her laugh in my car. I liked hearing her laugh anywhere.
“What if he turns out to be wealthy?”
She rolled her eyes, which buoyed me. “I’m sure my mom would have mentioned it, but I don’t care.”
At this point, I didn’t think it would make a difference to her that I owned FitMi. We were only ten minutes from our destination, so it definitely wasn’t the time for confessions, but I would tell her about my role in the company when she got home. That way the air would be clear. In the moment, though, I returned to Calvin. “What if he’s really good-looking, too, though?”
“Really good-looking and wealthy?” She paused. “Well, then you probably need to get back to the city immediately. Relieved of duty, sir.”
“I see how it is.” I loved when she returned my teasing. Kelsey would get annoyed with playful banter and refuse to respond until I was serious again. The more time I spent with Britta, the harder it was to remember why I’d stayed with Kelsey for so long.
“You know you’re my favorite.” Her fingertips brushed my knee, and it sent a jolt straight to my groin. Her hand fell away, and I shifted in my seat. If she kept her hand there, I might be sporting a semi when I pulled up to her parents’ house.
Britta touched me like she’d been touching people her whole life, like she didn’t know how important it made me feel.
I let my thoughts fall away from her hand, and Britta directed me off the interstate and through the small town. She pointed out the intersection that used to hold the town’s only stoplight before the second was installed, as well as the library where she’d first checked out Stephen King novels she had to hide from her parents. It was fun seeing this side of her, learning her history. She motioned for me to turn down a gravel road. “The house is up ahead.”
“Holy shit,” I muttered under my breath. We came to a stop, and I cast a quick glance through the windshield as we approached—the trees were like a canopy above us, boxing us in, but the sky and land seemed to go on forever around us. “This is where you grew up?”
“What are you looking for?” Britta’s tone was playful as she followed my gaze into the trees.
“I grew up in the city, remember? It’s so . . . open out here. Aren’t there other houses?”
“Not for several miles. Are you scared of being in the country?”
“No. It’s just . . . quiet.” With the windows down, the only sounds were my tires crunching over gravel and the wind around us.
“It won’t be quiet once we get near my family.” Britta settled her hand over mine. “When you slow down to let me roll out, I’ll keep you safe. I promise.”
She’d said we were going to her parents’ house, but a more fitting word would have been estate. We crested the hill, and the large house and expanse of land met us at the end of the gravel road, where the concrete took over. We were surrounded by trees and shrubs, and the path leading up to the house was lined with yellow and red flowers. The lawn ahead was manicured and a shade of green I’d thought only existed on TV. Several cars filled the driveway already, and kids zipped back and forth across an open green space.