Our youthful mistake was ancient history, yet emotions were resurfacing far too frequently and far too potently. I wasn’t sure how to manage them, especially in light of the woman currently standing in my kitchen.
She was stubborn. And superior. She’d purchased my fucking company and was going to change every detail of the one thing I’d devoted my life to.
I opened one of the bottles and poured us each a glass.
When I held hers out to her, she took it and raised it to me silently. All the air escaped me when she hit me with a soft, warm smile as she brought the glass to her lips. There were no pithy, fun toasts fitting for this situation, so silence was probably the best option.
“Have a seat,” I said, flipping a dishtowel over my shoulder. “I’m almost finished.”
She headed over to the couch and sat on one end, near Clem. My dog watched her cautiously but didn’t cower when Chloe gently stroked her ears.
“She is certainly… unique for a pit bull.”
I looked up from my chopping. “Shelter said she likely has some spaniel in her too.”
“You’re beautiful and one of a kind,” she cooed to Clem, who then did the most shocking thing I’d witnessed since my dad’s arrest. The dog jumped onto the couch and put her head in Chloe’s lap.
“You’ve got to be shitting me.” I was so blown away by the move, I almost cut myself.
Chloe sipped her wine, happily petting my dog. “What?”
“She’s afraid of everyone. Never wants to cuddle.”
“Even you?”
“Especially me. We’ve reached an understanding, but there are no spontaneous displays of doggie affection in this house.”
Ugh. Traitor. I loved that dog with my whole heart, and she was now cozying up to the woman who had already broken me once and might just go for a repeat.
“Tell me how you found her.”
With a nod, I turned to the fridge. “I found her at the shelter. I took one look at her face and fell in love.” Ducking low, I pulled the cheeses from the dairy drawer. “It took weeks for her to trust me,” I said as I straightened and returned to the counter. “I’d show up every few days and sit outside the gate, reading a book. If she wandered over, I’d offer her a treat. Slowly, she got used to me. Eventually, she got comfortable enough to let me take her home.”
“That is so sweet,” Chloe said, her dark eyes filled with a warmth I hadn’t seen in a long, long time. “You are such a glutton for punishment.”
Some things hadn’t changed since my youth. “We’re only a few months in, but we’re working on it. She likes going for walks in the woods, and she loves coming to work. I figure if I keep at it, she’ll eventually be my best friend.”
Chloe tucked her legs up under her, looking far too good in my house. Just the thought was making me itchy.
“I always wanted a dog.” She sighed.
I looked up and locked eyes with her. “I know.”
For a long moment, we stayed like that, regarding one another. Sorrow hung in the air between us. A sadness about what could have been. About the people we used to be and how far we’d wandered away from those beautiful, idealistic young souls.
Chest tightening, I took a massive gulp of wine. I wasn’t a big drinker, but tonight was looking like an exception. My brain flashed with one confusing thought after another, and I desperately wanted to enjoy myself and turn off all the noise.
I had been an idiot. I acknowledged that. But I’d loved her so purely and so completely. Could I ever do that again? I wasn’t so sure. Life had left me too jaded to even try.
She wandered up to the island and refilled our glasses, this time filling them almost to the rim. She was clearly as nervous as I was.
She was bringing her glass to her lips again when her eyes widened.
“You didn’t,” she breathed, eyeing the board I’d assembled.
“I did.”
She clapped and bounced on her toes, dropping the bitchy facade. “You made me girl dinner.”
“I don’t know what that is, but I know you’d rather eat cheese and crackers than a real meal, so I figured this would be a safe choice.”
I’d made the charcuterie board myself. The ones at the store were tiny, and when Adele had asked me for one, I’d made a few extra.
“Gus, there has to be five pounds of cheese here.”
“And meat,” I added. “Veggies, fruit, crackers, bread, nuts, chicken skewers, homemade hummus.”
“Stop. Did you slice that cucumber into a flower?”
I lifted my chin, gesturing for her to head to the back of the house.
The back porch was easily the best part of this place. One half was fully screened to keep the mosquitoes out, with a small table and outdoor love seat. The overhead fan kept it cool and the soft lighting was just enough to make it possible to see the mountains in the distance at night.
She brought the wine, smart girl, and we sat. The more cheese and wine we consumed, the easier the conversation flowed.
Her smile grew as the night progressed too. “I can’t believe you made your own hummus.”
“Tastes better this way.” I shrugged.
