[Truyện Tiếng Anh] On The Rocks

On the Rocks
On the Rocks Page 10



“That really sucks.” Macon’s voice came from right next to my ear. He pulled me into a hug, while keeping us mostly in the water. “I’m hoping that since you’re staying with your brother, he believes you.”

“Yeah. Colin knows I’d never do something like that, he also knows my sister’s husband can be a royal jerk.”

“But your parents sided with her?”

“Of course. She’s the perfect one after all.”

“Listen, I can’t say I’ve been in your situation, but I do know what it’s like to disappoint people.” He didn’t let go of me and I was glad. The feeling of his warm body next to mine dulled the ache I felt thinking about how little my family thought of me.

“And how do you deal with it?”

“I say **** them. The only one you need to impress is yourself.”

“Do you really believe that, or are you just saying it?” The sun fully disappeared, leaving us in only the faintest of daylight.

“Most of the time I do.”

I smiled. “Thanks. Most people aren’t that honest.”

“You can count on me being level with you.”

“Macon?” I wrapped my arms around myself.

“Yeah?” he adjusted his hold on me, and his hand moved up under my soaking wet shirt.

“How am I getting out of this water? It’s freezing.”

“Wait here.” He let go and ran off toward the beach. He looked up and down the shore. “Ok, take off your shirt.”

“What?” I gasped.

“Just do it.” He held out his t-shirt. “You were right about it being freezing, so could you maybe move faster?” I unbuttoned my shirt and took it off. I crossed my arms over my chest as soon as I was standing. Macon looked away, but he held the shirt out to me. I grabbed it and slipped it on as fast as humanly possible. “I’m sure we can find something of Maddy’s for you to change into.”

“I really hope my brother isn’t still at your place.”

Macon laughed dryly. “Me too.”

Darkness set in as we made the short walk home. The night was silent except for some faint laughter coming from a house along the beach.

We both got lucky. The only one home was Brody when we walked in.

Brody took in our wet forms. Considering Macon was in his boxers, and I was wearing his t-shirt it probably didn’t look good. “Uh, do I even want to know?”

Macon grinned. “We just went for a little swim.”

I didn’t stand around. I went right to Maddy’s room and searched her now mostly empty drawers for something to wear. I settled on a pair of running shorts and a tank top. My bra was soaked through, and I needed something that could work without one. Satisfied I looked halfway presentable, I walked out into the main room.

Macon now fully dressed sat on the couch. “A little warmer?”

“Much.” I held out his damp t-shirt. “Where do you want this?”

“Could you put it on the washer?” He gestured down the hall I’d just come from. I discovered the accordion doors that hid the washer and dryer, and I carefully placed the shirt on top of the washer. I found an empty grocery store bag to stow my wet clothes in until I got home.

I walked back out, picking up my purse where I left it on the side table.

“What’s the rush?” Macon asked.

“It’s late. I’m going home.”

“Do you like scary movies?” He turned on the TV.

“Yeah. Definitely.”

“There’s a Friday the Thirteenth marathon on, you up for it?”

“Sure, maybe I’ll stay for a little while.” I took a seat next to him.

He put an arm behind me on the couch. “Usually I’ve been dating a girl awhile before I let her borrow my clothes. I guess it’s okay that I made an exception with you since tonight wasn’t an actual date.”

“Do you generally date girls long enough for that to happen?” I needed to know if my player radar was right.

“I haven’t had a girlfriend, per se, in a while if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Gotcha.” That’s all I needed to know. If a guy didn’t do girlfriends, I didn’t do him. I was not the hook up kind of girl.

“Is there a particular guy whose clothes you borrow a lot?” He looked at me with that serious expression again.

“Is that your way of asking if I have a boyfriend?”

“Yes.” He didn’t break the eye contact.

“Don’t you think that would have been important to ask before you decided to go swimming with me half naked?”

Brody laughed from somewhere behind us. “That implies Macon would have thought something out in advance.”

“But to answer your question, no I don’t have one. I haven’t had one in a while.”

“Okay. Perfect. We can both be single together. Now that Maddy’s with your brother I’ve been in the market for a wing girl. I think I found mine.”

My stomach sunk. Wing girl? He wanted me to be his wing girl? So much for him having interest in me. I forced a smile. “Sounds great.”

“But before we worry about that, we need to find you a job. Oh, and I thought of a fantastic idea while you were getting changed.”

“Did you?” Brody asked before I could respond.

“Colin and Maddy want to move in together, right?” Macon sounded way too excited about the comment.

“Yes.”

“And you don’t want to stay at your brother’s house all summer.”

“Not a chance.” I had no idea where the conversation was heading.

“Why don’t you take Maddy’s room? She’s paid up through the end of June, so that should give you some time to get on your feet. Besides, I’m practically charging her nothing, and I’ll extend the same discount to you.”

“What?” Brody and I asked in unison.

My first reaction was hell no, but why? Live practically rent free right on the beach? Make my brother insanely happy because I’d be pushing things in the right direction with his girlfriend? Both of those things sounded awesome. The only problem was could I handle living with two guys, especially if one of them made me warm just by standing in the same room? I ignored the last thought. “Sure, as long as Brody and Maddy are okay with it.” I turned to look at Brody.

“Oh, yeah. That’s totally fine.” Brody seemed genuine with his answer, but it was hard to tell.

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“I’m sure Maddy will be okay with it too.” Macon put his feet up on the ottoman in front of us. “Now how about that Freddy marathon?”

Chapter Six

Macon

Brody held his tongue until Carly left around one a.m. Then he let me have it. The door had barely closed when he turned to me. “Do you think inviting Carly to live with us is the best idea?”

“Yes, actually I do. Maddy wants to move out and Carly wants to move in. It works perfectly.”

“But you don’t want to sleep with Maddy. You do want to sleep with Carly.”

“Just because I want something doesn’t mean I’m going to do it. Carly and I are friends. It’s going to work out great.” I leaned back against the couch. Sure, I hadn’t really thought things out, but that’s just kind of how I did things.

“Let me just get a preemptive ‘I told you so’ out of the way now.”

“You really don’t think I can control myself?”

Brody took a seat on the love seat. “You can control yourself, but you can’t control the awkwardness that’s going to come from it.”

“She’s cool. It’s going to work.”

“I hope so. I really don’t want any drama.”

“We’ve had drama with Maddy.” I picked up a celebrity type magazine Maddy had left out and flipped through it. I had no idea how she read those things.

“No. Maddy’s had drama, but she doesn’t bring it home. If things with you and Carly get awkward then we’ll really have drama.”

“Well, it’s too late now. I already offered her the place if Maddy agrees.”

“You didn’t think asking me beforehand was important?” He shook his head. He wasn’t actually annoyed. He just wanted to give me a hard time about it.

“You’re the one offering to help her get a job at the Grille.”

“How is that even remotely the same?”

“You like her, admit it.”

“I’m not into her, but I get the sense she really needs a job.” Brody leaned his head back against the cushions.

“She also really needs a place to stay. She can’t camp out at her brother’s all summer.” I felt for her. From what she told me, her family life pretty much sucked.

“Fine, I agree she could use the break. Besides, it’s probably only for the summer.”

I laughed. “That’s what we said about Maddy.”Of course this time I knew I might not even stay around past the summer, but I wasn’t willing to worry about that yet.

“And a year later she’s still here… but in her case that’s a good thing. She’s been a fun roommate. Maybe Carly will be that way too.”

“I know she will. She’s cool, trust me on this.”

“Do I have any other choice?”

“Nope. You might as well start getting used to it.”

***

The forecast was beautiful. Sunny skies, a slight breeze and calm ocean con***ions. It was the perfect morning for diving. I took a glance at the books. I was scheduled to take a group of girls out for the last day of their certification course. They’d been an entertaining bunch so far. I knew more about swimsuit shopping then I ever wanted to know, but I didn’t care. There was something awesome about introducing people to scuba diving and the underwater world. Maybe it was in my head, but it made me feel like I was making a difference.

“What do we have on the books today?”

I groaned. Caleb, the son of the shop owner rarely ventured in, but when he did he always managed to ruin my day. I generally like people, but not Caleb. He epitomized everything I hated in a person: entitled, rude, and disrespectful.

“Is anyone going to tell me, or do I have to do it myself?” Caleb acted like he owned the place, and technically he would soon, but not yet. I still had a few months to enjoy my job.

“Just one dive today. The last day of a certification,” Anna Marie answered carefully. She specifically didn’t mention the gender of the divers. I didn’t know for sure, but I got the hunch that there was some history with them. When it came to history with Caleb it was never good.

“Oh yeah? Who’s in the group?”

“A few girls right out of high school.” She looked down.

“Oh. Awesome. I’ll take them out then.”

“That’s okay. Macon’s on it. He’s been with them all week.”

“Macon’s going to be busy refilling tanks today.” He shot me a **** eating grin. “Have fun with that.”

So much for enjoying the perfect con***ions. Caleb was so sleezy it made me sick. At twenty-eight he had no business hitting on eighteen-year-old girls, but he didn’t care. Luckily there’d be a boat captain with them. So much for a good end of the week tip. Caleb would be pocketing that.

“You might as well enjoy the grunt work, Macon. You won’t be diving for this company once I take over.”

I resisted the urge to flip him the finger, and I headed toward the back of the shop. At least I was getting a cool new roommate.

Chapter Seven

Carly

“Absolutely not.” Colin slammed his coffee mug on the granite counter top. I’d decided to confront him before he could leave for work. “Live with two guys? Are you crazy? Mom and Dad would kill you and me by association.”

“They already want to kill me, so it’s just you we’d have to worry about.” I smiled. Colin could be so uptight sometimes. “Besides, you don’t want me staying here all summer.”

“I could help you find a summer sublet or something.” I could practically see him going through his contacts in his head. If I’d agreed he would probably have had me a place by the end of the night.

“Which is what I’m doing. I’m not signing a twelve month lease or anything.” We hadn’t exactly agreed on lease terms, but Macon had made it sound very informal.

“Come on, Colin. It makes sense for all of us.” Maddy gave me a reassuring smile. “I want to move in with you, but I can’t leave Macon hanging. This way we all win.”

I watched acceptance cross Colin’s face. “Fine, but I’m going to have to have a talk with those guys first.”

I groaned. “They aren’t into me. I wouldn’t worry.”

“Oh, I’ll worry, but that doesn’t change anything.”

I rolled my eyes. “The whole big brother protective thing is supposed to have worn off by now. I’m twenty-two.”

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“Why would it wear off?” He stopped pacing long enough to look at me. “It’s just as present now.”

Maddy laughed. “Macon and Brody are good guys. At least she’ll be well protected.”

“Fine, but how are you going to pay rent? Want me to get you something temporary at the office?”

Work at his real estate firm? No thanks. “Actually Brody is going to talk to Max for me.”

“You want to work at the Grille?” Colin asked incredulously.

“Hey, watch it, Mister.” Maddy scowled.

“What? I’m not saying it’s a bad place to work, I’m just surprised Carly would want to work there.”

“And you think I’d rather work at your office instead? At least I’d get to work with cool people at the Grille.” I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at him. That wouldn’t exactly help my whole ‘I’m not a little kid anymore’ argument.

Colin sighed. “What kind of job are you applying for exactly? You don’t have any waitressing experience.”

I hadn’t thought that far through the plan. Thankfully Maddy saved me. “I know Max needs more hostesses. Carly would do great at that. She’s friendly.”

Colin seemed to relax. “Hostess? Ok. I guess I can see that.”

“Why don’t you come in with me tonight and talk to Max?” Maddy suggested. “Unless you want to wait a while.”

“Nope. I’d like to get the ball rolling.” The sooner I got a job, the sooner I’d have money and could move in with the guys. I refused to be dependent on my brother for too long.

“I have an out of town meeting today, but I’ll stop in to see you guys when I get back.” He shot me a look, and I figured out exactly what the meeting was. He was going to see Maddy’s parents. I hoped for his sake and mine that it went well. Clearly it was a bigger deal for him, but I really wanted Maddy as a sister-in-law.

“Okay.” Maddy kissed him on the cheek. “I’m going to get ready for a run. Want to join me, Carly?”

I laughed. “Yeah… running, not exactly my thing.”

“I run slow.” She smiled, and I could tell she was really hoping for the company.

“How slow is slow?”

Colin chuckled. “I’m sure you’ll survive, Carly. See you girls later.” Colin picked up his black briefcase and headed to the door.

“So, are you in?” She started up the stairs.

“Sure. Let me get changed.” It’s not like I was completely out of shape, but I was more of an elliptical kind of girl. It had been awhile since I’d actually run any real distance. I figured it couldn’t hurt to go with her. I could always turn around and walk home. I didn’t want her to think I was completely lazy or anything.

I dug out some gym clothes and my tennis shoes.

Fifteen minutes later Maddy and I jogged down the back steps and out toward the beach. The sun was out, and the heat beating down on us was enough to make me reconsider my decision. “Remember that you promised to go slow.”

Maddy smiled and kept to the jog. “Let me know if I get too fast for you.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll notice when I fall back.”

She glanced at me. “You don’t look out of shape.”

“I’m not exactly, but I don’t do this often.”

“Are you more a gym person then?” She picked up her pace slightly. I could tell she was trying to talk to me so I didn’t notice.

“Usually.”

“You should see if Macon will take you to his. He gets lots of buddy passes. I haven’t bugged him to use one in a while.”

“Oh, cool.” If I was going to spend my time in a beach town I was probably going to have to make sure I kept working out. I didn’t spend my life worrying about how I looked, but I think most girls have doubts when they put on a bikini.

A mile in I decided I was done for the time being. I could just picture Maddy calling Colin to visit me in the hospital for heat stroke. “I’ll meet you back at the house.”

“Ok, I’ll see you in a little bit.” She waved before continuing down the beach. If she minded that I was turning back, she didn’t show it.

I sighed with relief and walked down to the water. The waves were gentle that morning, creating a slow and steady rhythm as they made contact with the sand. I closed my eyes, taking in the relaxing sound.

“Doing some morning me***ation?” A very familiar and ***y voice asked.

My eyes flew open. “Hey, Macon.”

“So? Were you me***ating?” He stared at me with an intensity that unsettled me.

“Nope, just relaxing.” I wasn’t relaxed at the moment. He was shirtless and wearing only a pair of shorts and running shoes. I’d seen him in less when we were in the ocean, but it was hard to turn away.

“Cool. I’m just out for a run. Care to join me?”

“You too? What is it with you people and running?”

He laughed. “Uh, am I supposed to answer that?”

I shook my head. “No. I just went on a mini run with Maddy when she insisted. I’m just not the runner type.”

He looked me up and down. “Whatever exercise routine you do is working.”

I could feel the blood rushing to my face. “Thanks.”

“So any news on the moving front?”

“I think it’s a go. Maddy seems on board.”

“Awesome. Let me know when you’re ready. I can help you move your stuff if you want.”

I redid my pony tail so my hair was further off my neck. “How much stuff do you think I have to move? I’ve only been at Colin’s a few days.”

He shrugged. “I had to offer.”

“I’m going by the Grille tonight with Maddy to see if I can get a job.” I’m not sure why I decided to tell Macon, maybe because it was his idea to start with.

“Good luck with that.” He turned to leave. “Maybe I’ll catch you there.”

“Oh. Cool. Enjoy your run.”

“Enjoy your me***ating—or that’s right, relaxing.” He waved before running off.

“Thanks,” I mumbled knowing he couldn’t hear me. I watched his retreating figure. I needed to snap out of it. I wasn’t allowed to crush on a roommate. He had made his feelings clear, and the last thing I needed was more drama in my life.

***

I double checked my outfit choice one more time. I figured you could never go wrong with a simple black skirt and blouse, but I didn’t want to emphasize just how inexperienced I was when it came to job interviews. My resume was sadly short. One summer working at The Gap and tons of babysitting rounded it out. Unfortunately, work experience wasn’t something I had a lot of.

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I waited by the front door for Maddy. A minute later she walked down the stairs two at a time. She was dressed in a black skirt and black Surfside Grille t-shirt. “Sorry.”

“That’s fine, I haven’t been waiting long.”

“I assume you want to drive over.” Maddy had finally gone home to get her car from her parents’ house, but she sometimes still rode her bicycle to work. She was like that; she wanted to do things her way.

I smoothed out my skirt. “I don’t think this outfit and a bike would work well together.”

She laughed. “I realize that not everyone prefers riding a bicycle to driving a car.”

She seemed to have mastered the art of biking in a skirt. I wasn’t there.

“I’d be up for it once in a while, but not for an interview, or whatever this is.”

“Relax.” She gave me an understanding look. “Max is a sweetie. He’s not going to grill you or anything.” Maddy always talked fondly about her boss, but I didn’t know him. I was usually good at staying calm, but I really wanted this job to work out.

In the end I drove, which was fine with me. Sometimes driving, even a short distance, helped me keep my mind off things. I needed the interview to go well. I was so close to buying myself an entire summer away from my family—away from Kim.

All too soon I pulled into the lot of the Grille. I drove around to one of the far spots where the employees usually parked. Maybe I was jumping the gun on that, but I wasn’t going in as a customer. Besides, I drove Maddy in, and she worked there.

The restaurant was mostly empty. The Grille had a lunch crowd, but by four o’clock in the afternoon those diners had left. All that remained were a sprinkling of customers mostly just enjoying drinks.

I followed Maddy down past the restrooms to an employee only area. She knocked on the doorframe of an office. “Hey, Max.”

A man probably in his fifties or so with slightly graying hair glanced up from his desk. “Hey, Maddy. Is this the friend you mentioned when you called earlier?” He smiled at me.

“Yeah, this is Carly.”

Max stood up. I didn’t know much about him other than he was supposed to be a really good boss. He held out his hand. “Max Bankwell, nice to meet you.”

“Carly Morris.” I accepted the handshake.

“I’m guessing she’s related to your boyfriend then?” Max looked to Maddy.

She smiled. “She’s his little sister.”

He turned back to me. “How little? Are you twenty-one?”

“I’m twenty-two.” For some reason twenty-two sounded so much older than twenty-one.

“Do you have any work experience?”

“Lots of babysitting and I worked at a store once.”

He chuckled. “You want to hostess?”

“That’s probably what I’d prefer.” Really I would have taken anything, but greeting people and making sure I seated them right sounded like a good job for me.

“Great. When can you start?”

I blinked a few times. Was I imagining things or did the guy just offer me the job. “Excuse me?”

“When can you start?”

“Anytime…” I looked at Maddy. She just smiled.

“Are you free tonight?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I’m free.”

“Ok. I’ll get the paperwork together and then we’ll get you started.”

“Tonight?”

“Yes. I was going to have to put one of my waitresses on it tonight. Looks like I won’t have to.” He smiled. “Nice to have you on board, Carly.” He looked at Maddy. “Want to find Carly some shirts before you get to work?”

“Sure,” Maddy quickly agreed. “Mary used to be a hostess here, right? Maybe she can show Carly the ropes?”

“Great idea. Here.” He shoved some papers in front of me. “You don’t happen to have your social security card on you, do you?”

“Uh, I do.” I’d brought it down with me just in case. I pulled it out and handed it to Max. He put it in one of those combination printer/copier things and handed it back to me. I looked down at the papers and quickly filled in my information. Everything was happening so fast. I handed over the forms.

“Welcome to the Surfside Grille family.” He shook my hand again.

Maddy took my arm gently and led me to another room. “Here’s the break room.” She went into a closet. “Are you a small or medium?”

“It depends.” I didn’t want to be difficult, but it was all about how tight across the chest a shirt was.

“I don’t see any mediums, so try the small.” She tossed a black t-shirt at me.

I glanced around, and satisfied we were alone I pulled off my top and put on the t-shirt over my black bra. It fit snuggly, but I had a feeling it looked good.

“Colin’s going to pass out if he sees you in that one. Want to try a large? It’s going to be big though.”

“No, I’d rather not look silly.” I’d swim in a large.

She shrugged. “Well, you’re not working for tips, but the male customers will be friendly with you.”

“Oh, yeah. No tips.”

“Don’t worry, it’s not like you have to stay as a hostess the whole summer.”

“Okay. I’m just glad to have a job.”

“Let’s find Mary and get you started then.”

“Thanks.”

***

Mary was in her mid-twenties, and she had this giant smile that immediately put me at ease. So far everyone I’d met at work had been insanely nice to me, and I was just waiting for the other shoe to fall. There are always a few bad apples in the mix.

“I’ll leave you in good hands.” Maddy patted my shoulder before walking off. Mary showed me where everything was kept, and how to decide what sections to seat people in. The seating chart was pretty self-explanatory, and the entire training session took less than ten minutes. After showing me where they stored the crayons for the kids she took a seat on a stool.

“So you’re Colin’s little sister, huh?” Mary reached underneath the large table and pulled out some menus.

“That’s one of my titles.”

“He’s a nice guy.”

“I’m glad you think so. He’s a cool brother.”

She glanced over her shoulder. “So I’m dying to know, is he going to pop the question to Maddy soon?”

“Maybe.” I smiled to myself. I guess everyone knew how much Colin loved her.

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“I hope so. They make a great couple.”

“I think so too.”

“What about you?” She crossed her legs.

“Hmm?”

“Are you one half of a great couple too?”

“Not at all.” I hadn’t had a boyfriend in way too long.

“Are you scoping out your new roommates then? I just heard you’re taking over Maddy’s lease. They’re both pretty adorable, aren’t they?”

“I’ve obviously noticed they’re attractive, but I’m going to be living with them, not sleeping with them.” Of course the thought of sleeping with Macon got me excited, but I wasn’t sharing that with anyone.

She gave me a knowing look. “I’ve seen the way Macon looks at you. I’m not so sure he feels the same way about you just being a roommate.”

“I wouldn’t read into it.”

“If you say so.” She smiled. “Okay, I’ve got to get ready for the dinner crowd. Good luck tonight!” She waved before heading off. Five minutes later the first diners began arriving.

The first few groups were easy enough to seat. They were mostly families with little kids looking to get dinner in before the kids went crazy for the night. I’d babysat enough to know that taking kids out anywhere late at night was hard. I was careful to give the same color and number of crayons to each kid in a family. The last thing the parents needed was a meltdown because one got red and the other didn’t.

Miraculously I made it until eight o’clock without too much of a problem. I seated too many people in one waitress’s section once, but aside from that slip up I was doing fine.

“Hey, how are you holding up?” Maddy stopped by the station with two bottles of water. She handed one to me and opened one for herself.

“I’m doing all right.” I opened the top and took a long sip. I hadn’t realized how thirsty I was. “Thanks.”

“Not a problem. I figured if you were anything like me you’d need one.”

I smiled. “Then I guess we’re alike.”

“It’s getting later, so just know the clientele is going to change, and it’s going to get wilder.”

“Wilder as in…?”

“As in this is when you may want the large shirt.” She patted my shoulder before heading over to the bar. She’d been working the outdoor bar a lot lately, but I had a feeling she’d particularly requested the inside one so she could stay close by. I appreciated it, but I wasn’t going to call her out on it either. If she wasn’t making a big deal, neither would I.

Chapter Eight

Macon

I usually didn’t pay much attention to the hostess when I walked into the Grille. I just waved at whoever was working before making my way over to the inside bar first to look for Maddy. I nearly did a double take when I saw Carly standing there with her brown hair cascading down the back of that oh-so-tight black t-shirt.

“Hey.” I didn’t have the brain power to come up with a more clever opening line. I was using every ounce of it to force myself to look at her eyes. There was no sure fire way to piss off a girl more than to get caught staring at her chest.

“Hi, you made it.” Her voice was playful, and I took it as a good sign that her evening was going well.

“It looks that way. Max got you working already?”

“Yeah, he hired me on the spot. I’m special, huh?” She ran her teeth over her lower lip. It was a ***y action that had me thinking inappropriate thoughts again.

“Oh, you’re special all right.” I laughed. Teasing Carly wasn’t the same as teasing Maddy; we didn’t have the same sort of history, but I liked it for different reasons.

“I’m guessing you’re just going over to see Maddy at the bar and don’t need me to seat you.”

“Yeah, but I’ll miss out on your mad escorting skills.” Damn. That came out all wrong. “And by that you know I mean escorting me to a seat.”

She blushed a little. It was cute on her freckled cheeks. “You mean you weren’t referring to my call-girl skills?” She said it completely dead pan.

“You never know what they’re teaching in college these days.”

“How long ago did you graduate? Two years?”

“Two years is a long time.” I put a hand on the hostess stand. “Good luck, and keep those escorting skills clean for me tonight. You’re going to be my roommate you know, you need to stay on the up and up.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll try.” She laughed, and I made my way over to the bar. Maddy was busy making some frozen drinks so she didn’t come over for a few minutes. I watched Carly talking to a few people while I waited. Finally she walked over.

“How’s she doing?” Maddy didn’t bother with a normal greeting. I didn’t mind at all. I knew her enough to expect it. She was really protective of the people she cared about. She was protective of me when I let her be.

“She seems to be doing fine.” I glanced in Carly’s general direction, but my view was blocked by a large group of guys. I tried to ignore my annoyance at that.

“What? Why are you making that face?” Maddy watched me warily before placing a beer down in front of me. She was eerily good at knowing what I was in the mood for.

“It’s just a group of losers by the hostess stand.”

Two guys walked over to the bar.

“Can you check on her?” Maddy was already turning toward the customers. “I would, but I can’t.”

“Sure.” I was looking for an excuse anyway. I headed back to the front.

“You sure you can’t sit with us?” One of the assholes with a Carolina Panthers t-shirt asked. They weren’t much older than me, but they shouldn’t have been harassing her. I hadn’t noticed them earlier, so I figured they must have been on their way in.

“No. Sorry.” She seemed calm on the surface, but her face was tight. They were stressing her out.

“Maybe later then,” the same guy suggested before winking at her and walking away. The rest of the guys laughed and headed straight out the back door.

“Can I help you?” Carly crossed her arms, making the tight fabric of her t-shirt even tighter. My body reacted in a way I didn’t want it to.

“Just saying hello.”

“So you weren’t checking on me?”

I feigned innocence. “Me? Check on you? Why would I do such a thing?”

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“Oh, you’re just bored?”

“Maybe a little.” Technically I was bored.

“Macon!” I turned as a blonde I’d met at a bar the other night called my name. She was with the same crowd as last time, all girls in their early twenties.

“Hey.” My mind blanked on her name, I’d have to cover it well. I hadn’t taken the girl home or anything, I’m not a jackass.

“We’re going outside to get drinks, you should come.” She tugged on my arm.

“Go ahead. I mean you weren’t here for a reason anyway.” Carly’s voice had a slight edge to it, but I ignored it. What did she care if I hung out with a bunch of tourist girls?

“Ok, see ya. We’ll catch up later.” I let the blonde tow me along.

Maddy shot me a look as we passed the bar. She always gave me a hard time for the way I was with girls, but a little flirting never hurt anyone. Besides, I was already at the Grille and both she and Carly were working. What else was I going to do?

“Who was that girl?” The blonde asked as soon as we were seated at a table.

“My friend, Carly.”

“Carly?” A brunette asked. “Isn’t that a ***sy name?”

“What’s your name?” I hoped she’d say something good like Cookie, but I knew it was going be something typical.

“Sally.”

“Great.”

“Do you remember my name?” The blonde ran a finger over my hand. I hate overly touchy feely girls.

I inched my hand away. “I can’t say that I do, sorry.” When pushed against the wall, honesty is usually best. Besides, after her friend’s comment about Carly’s name, I wasn’t interested in hanging out with them for long.

“It’s Emma.”

“Okay, great.” I sipped my beer trying to come up with a good excuse to go back inside. If I’d been willing to leave it would have been easy, but I wanted to stay until closing. Carly needed to celebrate her first night of work, and those guys were still around. I wanted to make sure they didn’t bug her again.

“Do you live around here?” Emma asked.

“Not too far.” If she thought there was a chance in hell she was going to find out just how close it was, she was crazy.

“Oh, cool. We’re staying at the Sanderling.”

“Nice. I’ve been to the bar there.”

“Yeah, we hung out there last night. We met some cool guys.”

Was she trying to get me jealous or something. I smiled. This could be fun. “Oh yeah? Think I’d like any of them?”

“What?” Emma and Sally said in unison. “You’re into guys?”

“No, but I can’t figure out why else you’d be telling me about them.”

By this point the rest of their group was listening in.

Emma smiled and leaned in. “I’m just letting you know, I get a lot of interest from men.”

“So I’m supposed to find the fact that you hook-up with a lot of guys appealing?”

She turned bright red. “I don’t hook up with them, they just flirt with me.”

“So what you’re saying is you’re a tease and you’re wasting my time?” I struggled to hold in a laugh. The expression on the girl’s face was too much. I had to stop while I was ahead. “Listen, that was rude. I’ve got to go. Nice seeing you again.”

“What? You’re leaving?”

“Yeah, I have some friends to talk to.”

“You mean Carly?” She said the name with distaste.

“She’s one of them.” I smiled at the rest of the girls. “Have a good evening, ladies.”

I laughed on my way back inside knowing they’d find some other guys to occupy their time. Maybe they could talk to that group of idiots that were bothering Carly earlier.

All the stools at the bar were taken, so I decided to check on Carly again. She was busy seating a group.

“She’s a pretty girl, huh?” Max surprised me.

I turned to look at him. I was in the Grille so much that sometimes he felt like my boss too. “Yeah, she’s pretty.”

“But, she’s your friend’s sister. Remember that.”

“Why does everyone think I need the reminder? Besides, Colin’s not my friend.”

“He’s dating your best friend. You might as well consider him a friend too.” He patted my shoulder. “And we’re reminding you because of that look on your face. I haven’t seen you with it before.”

“I just like her. Colin’s taking up more of Maddy’s time now, and I think a guy needs female friends.”

“But she isn’t Maddy. She’s not like your sister, and if you kiss her it’s not going to feel that way.”

“How’d you know about Maddy and I kissing?” Had she told him about our drunken kiss from years earlier?

He laughed. “I didn’t know you two actually had. I was just assuming it would be the case. There’s no chemistry between you and Maddy, but I saw you and Carly earlier. There’s something there.”

“What?” I forced myself to keep looking at Max instead of back at Carly. “You’re a relationship expert now?”

“I run a bar, and I bartended for years. I know people.” He turned to leave. “Just be smart about this, Macon. A man doesn’t meet a girl he connects with that way every day.”

I shrugged off his words and went to talk to Carly. So what if I found her attractive? I’d already promised Brody I wouldn’t mess around, and Colin would go through the roof. I’d just have to keep things platonic. It couldn’t be that hard.

Chapter Nine

Carly

I slept in until ten o’clock the morning after my first day of work. My feet hurt, and I was so tired I didn’t think I’d ever want to get out of bed. I’d worked until closing, and then ended up hanging out with everyone afterward. Colin was already sleeping by the time we got home, he’d never made it by the Grille, so I didn’t get a chance to ask him about the visit to see Maddy’s parents. I really hoped it went well.

I knew he was already long gone when I made it downstairs, and I wasn’t sure when Maddy would get up, so I changed into a bikini and headed out to the deck to lay out. Colin’s house had a gorgeous view of the ocean. I settled down on a lounge chair and got ready to soak up some sun.

I must have fallen asleep, because when I woke up Maddy was sitting in the chair next to me.

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I rubbed my eyes, trying to get used to the bright sun. “Hey, I didn’t know you were up.”

“I didn’t know you were asleep.” She laughed before leaning back in the chair. “I was thinking about getting the rest of my stuff from my old room today. That way I can surprise Colin and you can get ready to move in whenever you want.”

“That’s a great idea. Want me to come help?” I needed something to do anyway. I couldn’t just laze around the house all day.

“I don’t have much more to get, but I’d appreciate the company.” She stood up. “Do you want to get changed first?”

“Oh, I might just keep this on.” I slipped a beach cover up on over my bikini. “I was thinking about heading down to the ocean later.”

“You know what, I might change too. That sounds like fun.” She headed toward the door. “Oh, and do you want to bring over anything with you? It might save you a trip.”

“Good idea.” I collected my towel and followed her in through the French doors.

I grabbed one of my large suitcases that I still hadn’t opened. I wasn’t exactly sure when I was going to officially move in, but it couldn’t hurt to start moving something over.

I wheeled my suitcase out the front door and down the stairs before resting it on the ground next to Maddy’s car. Her car was blocking mine in, so taking hers was the easiest option. When Maddy didn’t come out right away, I leaned back against her trunk.

“Hey, sorry.” Maddy met me at the car a few minutes later. She looked slightly pale.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m just still a little under the weather I guess.” She popped the trunk and I tossed my suitcase in.

“Okay.” I decided not to press further. It wasn’t exactly my place.

She unlocked the doors, and we got in. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

I tried to read between the lines of her words. “Moving in with Colin officially?”

“Yeah. We lived together in Paris, and I’ve spent practically every night at his house, but this feels different.” She pulled out of the driveway.

“A good different?” Please be a good different, I said over and over to myself. I glanced at my phone. The first chance I had I was texting Colin. I needed to know how the visit went.

“A very good different. I just never pictured myself as the girl who moved in with a guy like this before marriage.”

“Really?” Maddy didn’t strike me as the most tra***ional girl.

“Yeah. I don’t know. It just wasn’t the way I envisioned things.”

“Life’s full of surprises like that.” I tried to keep my cool, but I was dying to talk to Colin. If she was talking that way, it meant she’d want the proposal. She wanted to get married. I was practically bursting at the seam.

She glanced over at me as she slowed to let some pedestrians J-walk. Maddy was too nice that way. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” I wasn’t very good at hiding things from people. Colin just needed to propose so everything was out in the open.

“I’m glad you’re here.” Her words seemed like they came out of nowhere, but I appreciated them. It was nice to be wanted somewhere. Before long we pulled into the lot of the condo.

I moved to pull my bag out of the trunk, but Maddy stopped me. “Macon or Brody can get it. Those stairs are steeper when you’re lugging something up with you.”

“Oh. I can handle it.” I was okay making my brother do the lifting for me, but otherwise I wasn’t into guys helping me with everything.

“If you’re sure.” She locked her car and headed toward the stairs. I followed behind. Half a flight up I regretted the decision to lug my suitcase myself. The sweltering heat and the way the wheels managed to get wedged in the gap of each stair made the process feel endless.

“Here, let me help.” Maddy reached for it.

“Nope. It’s my bag.” I stubbornly refused her assistance.

She shrugged and took off up the rest of the stairs. Before I made it three steps more the bag was pulled from my hand.

“Next time just ask me to get it from downstairs.”

“I can handle my own bag, Brody.” I didn’t know Brody well yet, but he seemed like such a nice guy. I couldn’t understand how a guy like that was single. Tall, attractive, sweet, and he could cook? He’d be lots of girls’ dream. He wasn’t the star of my dreams though. That position belonged to Macon as of late. Having those thoughts about your new roommate probably wasn’t a good thing.

“If you don’t mind, I’ll take it from here.” He easily carried the bag up the final flight. I let out a silent sigh of relief. Hopefully I’d regain the feeling in my arm eventually.

Maddy was already in her room, or I guess it was my room now, when we walked in. I didn’t hear Macon, so I assumed he was at work or something.

She emptied out the last drawer and picked up a few odds and ends from around the room. “I think that’s it. I’ve moved the rest over already.”

“This whole trip was for that?” I could have brought her the bag anytime.

“Yeah, I needed to just do it. I feel like I’ve been dragging my feet this whole time.” She sat down on the bed. She’d striped off the sheets already, and both clean sets sat in a neat pile on the dresser. I guess she didn’t need extra twin sheets.

“Can I be nosy for a second?” I sat down next to her. The mattress felt firm which boded well for some good nights of sleep.

“Sure, I already know what you’re going to ask.”

“You do?”

“You want to know why I’ve been so reluctant to move in fully with Colin.”

I folded my hands in my lap. “That pretty much sums it up.”

“I guess I was scared. Sometimes I can’t believe it’s possible to feel as strongly about him as I do.”

“But that’s a good thing, right? I mean isn’t it great to feel that way?” I wouldn’t know. I’d never been in love before. At least not the kind of ‘I want to spend my life with someone’ love.

“It is, but it’s also terrifying. It’s like suddenly my decisions, and the things I want aren’t just mine.” She looked away for a second. “I’m afraid of letting him down.” She whispered the last words.

“Letting him down?” I turned toward her. “How would you do that?”

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“I don’t know.”

“Is this about your parents? About not getting into med school?”

Maddy had ended up in Corolla after getting rejected from med school. I didn’t know all the details, but from what I gathered, I wasn’t the only one who used a summer in the Outer Banks as a post-graduation escape.

“Maybe. I feel like I’m all over the place lately.”

“Yeah, I know the feeling.” I put an arm around her. “He’s so in love with you it’s crazy.”

She smiled. “I know. I feel the same way.”

“Then finish getting packed.”

“Are you trying to kick me out?” She wiped her eyes.

“Possibly.”

“In that case, I guess I should go.” She stood up.

“I’m coming with you.” I hopped off the bed.

“Why? What are you afraid of? Didn’t you bring half your stuff with you?”

I laughed. “I figured I should probably tell Colin before I officially move.”

“Why? He’s your brother, not your parent. You’re an adult anyhow.”

“You don’t think he’d care if I didn’t come back tonight?”

She played with a loose string on her cover up. “I never said he wouldn’t care, just that it’s not his decision.”

“What about the rest of my stuff? And my car?”

“It’s up to you, but we can definitely bring everything by. Just give me the keys.”

I tried to get a read. Did she want to get me out of the house? That just didn’t feel like Maddy. Maybe she didn’t want me to chicken out or something. Either way, staying made the most sense. “Ok, you’ll have Colin bring my car and stuff over later?”

“Absolutely. You know he’s going to want to come check on you anyway.”

“Okay, good luck.”

She laughed. “Shouldn’t I be saying that to you?”

“Any last minute advice you have about living with these guys?” I lowered my voice hoping Brody wouldn’t over hear.

“Don’t sleep with them,” she said completely seriously.

“What?” I’m sure my mouth was hanging open.

“You heard me.” She grinned before heading to the door.

“You don’t know that from experience….” I really doubted it.

“The only experience I’m speaking from is living with them. They can be annoying and full of themselves as is. If you get in their beds it will probably just be worse.”

“Colin would freak if he heard you say that.”

“I guess it’s a good thing he didn’t then.” She laughed again. “I’ll call you before we come over later. Enjoy the new place.”

“I think I will.”

“I know you will.” She disappeared through the doorway.

I braced my hands behind me on the bed. What had I gotten myself into?

Chapter Ten

Macon

I pushed open the door to Maddy’s room, ready to give her a hard time for listening to electronic-pop music. It wasn’t her usual taste. “Hey, Maddy, what are you—” I stopped mid-sentence.

“Hey.” Carly gripped a towel tightly around her.

“Oh.” I forced myself to turn away despite the pleasant view of seeing her in just that blue cotton towel. Her skin was slightly red from the hot shower she must have just taken.

“Yeah… could you give me a second?” Her cheeks were red, but otherwise she seemed unconcerned with my entrance. That probably meant she was really embarrassed. She was trying hard to hold it together.

“Oh, sure.” I backed out of the room awkwardly. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

I closed the door securely behind me and walked back to the main room. I made the mental note to start knocking on that door. It wasn’t Maddy, my friend who could care less if I saw her in a towel. It was Carly, the gorgeous girl who also happened to be Colin’s little sister. If I didn’t watch myself she’d think I’d invited her to live with us for other reasons. I hadn’t, and I needed to make up for my little invasion of her privacy.

I waited until I heard the door open before I even walked toward her room. I practically walked into her. “Oh, hey.”

“Hey. Sorry. I’m not normally in a towel in the middle of the day.”

“You don’t have to explain. You’re more than welcome to hang out in a towel all the time.” Wow, that came off creepy. “I just mean you can do whatever.”

“I went down to the beach and wanted to clean up.”

“Oh, cool. How was it?”

“Nice. I still can’t believe I get to spend the whole summer living on the beach.”

“The novelty will wear off eventually.” I was thinking the same thing about my own thoughts, but mine weren’t about the beach. They were about the image of Carly in a towel that I just couldn’t shake. Or really I couldn’t shake the thought of what she looked like under the towel.

“I doubt it.” She stepped to the side, and I let her pass, following her toward the living room.

“I didn’t know you were moving in today. I was supposed to help you, remember?”

“Yeah, it’s fine. I only brought one bag over and Brody helped me.”

Brody. I shouldn’t have felt the wave of jealousy, but I did. I really needed to get myself in line. “I didn’t see your car outside.”

“It’s at Colin’s. Maddy’s supposed to drop it by with him tonight. They’ll bring the rest of my stuff too.”

“Why don’t we go get it? Save Maddy and Colin the trip?”

“Oh, thanks.” She ran a hand through her wet hair. “Should we go now?”

“Sure, unless you have other plans.”

“Other plans in a town where I know no one.”

“You know people.”

“Yes, I know four.” She walked back to her room and returned with a purse.

I held open the door. “In case math isn’t your strong point, four is more than none.”

She laughed and followed me out. “Really? I had no idea.”

“It’s actually a pretty simple concept.” I started down the stairs, and she followed.

Her flip flops made little slapping sounds on each step. “I guess if I want to be stealthy I should wear different shoes.”

“It might be advisable,” I teased as I held open the door to my Accord. She seemed surprised by the gesture before sliding into the seat.

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I pulled out of the lot once she buckled her seatbelt. “Were you serious about the no plans thing?”

She tore her eyes away from her window. “Yeah. What would I be doing?”

“I don’t know. Going out on the town.”

“By myself? No thanks.”

“Yeah, that’s probably not advisable for a girl.”

“I don’t like how ***ist that comment is, but it’s probably true.”

I laughed. “Honest. I like it.”

“What other way is there to be?”

“How are you doing?” I hadn’t brought up the whole thing with her sister again, because I didn’t want to upset her, but she almost seemed more distant. I hoped it hadn’t gotten worse.

“I’m fine. Excited to finish moving.”

“You don’t like living with Colin, do you?”

“It’s not that. I just feel guilty. He’s been so helpful and supportive, I don’t want to overstay my welcome, you know?”

“I definitely do.”

“But maybe I’m going to do that to you guys too. I hope you offered me the spot because you actually wanted to.”

I decided to end her doubts immediately. “We wanted you to move in. You’re cool. It’s going to work out.”

“I hope so.”

“I know so.” I reached over to touch her leg to comfort her, but at the last minute I thought better of it, and instead I put a hand behind her seat. If it had been Maddy she’d have thought nothing of it, and let’s face it, neither would I. But Carly was different. She was wearing a short sundress that showed off just enough of her legs to mess with me. Why did I have to feel so comfortable and at ease with her? That comfort would get me in trouble if I wasn’t careful.

“You’re pretty confident, aren’t you?” She watched me carefully.

I continued down the one main road that cut across the island. “Usually.” She’d have to get to know me really well to see any other side.

She laughed this kind of high pitched laugh. Normally I’d have thought it was fake, but I sensed it wasn’t. We rode the rest of the way in silence.

I pulled into the driveway.

She unbuckled her seatbelt. “I have to pack up a few things, so don’t worry about waiting.”

“You sure?” I’d planned to help her.

“I might need your help on the other side though.”

“Just give me a call when you park.”

“Awesome.” She reached to open her door. “Thanks for the ride.”

“Anytime.” I smiled. “I’m glad you’re moving in.”

“Me too.” She hopped out and closed the door.

I waved before pulling out of Colin’s driveway.

Before I’d made it halfway home Ralph called. “Hey, what’s up?” I answered. He only called for two reasons, to ask me to cover him at work or to tell me about a party. I was banking on it being the latter.

“There’s a party at Sean’s tonight. You in?”

“Sure.” I needed to get out. “I’ll see you there.” I hung up. Maybe I’d invite Carly to come with me.

Chapter Eleven

Carly

“Hey, Maddy!” I called up the stairwell when I walked in. Her car was parked in the driveway so I assumed she was home.

She didn’t answer, so I decided to finish packing. I’d just finished putting away the last of my clothes when I got a text from Colin.

Sorry I didn’t reply earlier. Crazy day. Went well. I have a plan. I’ll fill you in later.

Awesome! It was fun being in on Colin’s secret. It was the first hint at what our grown-up relationship would be. My brother was the only rock in my life, and I really hoped he wouldn’t push me away too.

He texted me again. In case I need to spell it out, don’t tell her. I really want her to be surprised.

I’m not dumb.

That’s questionable, but good. Talk soon.

Sure, but I’m moving today

Today?

Yeah…

Ok, if you need help let me know.

K. Thanks.

I pocketed my phone and walked out to the kitchen. “Maddy?” I called again. I needed my keys if I was going anywhere. Still no answer. I decided to check outside. Sure enough she was sitting out on the deck.

“Hey.”

“Hey.” Her voice was so soft I barely heard her.

I slumped down in the chair next to hers. “How’re you doing?”

“I’m not sure.”

“That doesn’t sound particularly good.” I looked her over. She looked a little pale again. “What’s going on?”

“Life never works out the way you plan.”

“Ok… so what’s going on?” She was moving in with Colin. This was supposed to be a really good day.

“Have you ever found out something good but realized someone else would think it’s really bad?”

“Uh… maybe.” I hadn’t experienced the exact concern, but I was pretty much an expert on worrying about what someone would think. I wasn’t sure where she was going with this conversation though.

“That’s how I feel right now.”

“Care to elaborate?” I leaned back into the slightly uncomfortable chair.

“Yes, but no.”

“You have to be the most confusing person ever today. Just tell me what’s up.” I didn’t want to be pushy, but I had the distinct impression that the person who would find the news bad was my brother.

She turned to me. “If I told you something, would you swear to keep it between us?”

“In other words, I can’t tell Colin?”

“Yes.”

I thought about it. I wouldn’t want to hide something from Colin, but if I wanted to help him, I needed to know what was going on.

“I promise. Whatever it is stays between us.”

She pursed her lips and looked back out at the water. “Do you think your brother wants kids?”

What? What kind of secret was that? “I think so but it’s not like we’ve discussed it a lot.”

“But what’s your gut feeling?” She turned to me. “Would he be excited at the idea, or upset, or—”

“You’re pregnant.” The words flew out of my mouth.

She nodded. “I finally picked up a test after I dropped you off.”

“Wow. Congrats.”

“You didn’t answer me.” She tensed up. “How would he react?”

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“He’d be surprised, but then he’d probably get excited. He’d want to get married right away.”

“That’s what I was afraid of.”

“Huh? You didn’t want him to be happy?” Either Maddy was losing her mind or the pregnancy hormones were already kicking in.

“I want him to be, but I don’t want him to marry me because of it. That’s not a good way to start a marriage.”

“Why would you think that’s the only reason he’d marry you? I just meant he’d want to do it sooner.”

“It’s the same thing. I don’t want him being pushed faster than he’d want.”

Seriously? Had Colin just made me promise not to tell Maddy? “He loves you.”

“And I love him.”

“So when are you going to tell him?”

“I’m not sure.”

“So you’re going to hide it?” I tried to keep my anger down, but it was my brother and his unborn child we were talking about.

“Just for a few more weeks. I can’t even see a doctor until next month because I’m not far enough along. Why get him all worked up for nothing?”

“He should still know…”

“And I’ll tell him, when I’m ready.”

“And you don’t know when that will be?”

“Soon. I don’t like keeping things from him, but I need to figure out what I want first.”

“You’re keeping the baby.” I sensed that wasn’t the decision she was trying to make.

“Of course.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Of course. That’s not the question.”

“Then what is it? It can’t be whether Colin gets to be part of it?”

“Carly, calm down. I just moved in with your brother. Do you really think I would have done that if I planned to run off with his child?”

She had a point. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry you’d even think that about me.” She sighed. “Maybe I should just tell him. Get it out there.”

“Secrets never help anything, but then again telling the truth can suck too.” I learned that the hard way with my sister.

“I’m sorry… I know what happened with your brother-in law.”

“Just stop. Let’s stop this negative talk. This is good, You’re going to be a mom. I’m going to be an aunt.”

She laughed. “It is cool… but also terrifying.”

“Well you know I’m here if you need me at all.”

“I know, and I appreciate it.”

“Are you going to tell your parents?” I probably shouldn’t have moved stuff back to a less than easy topic, but I was curious.

“Not until I tell Colin. I need his support.”

She looked out at the water. “You’ve changed my mind.”

“Hmm?”

“I’m not going to wait to tell him, I’m telling him tonight.”

“And how did I change it?”

“You brought up my parents. Nothing will be scarier than that.”

I laughed. “Glad I could help. Will you tell me how he reacts?”

“Won’t he tell you?”

I thought about it. “Eventually.”

She sighed again. “I’ve never been this nervous about telling someone something before.”

“He’ll handle it well.” I really hoped he did. I also hoped he didn’t just propose on the spot… but then again he had the ring. That’s when I came up with a crazy idea that might make everything work. “Don’t tell him tonight.”

“What? You’re the one who told me I shouldn’t keep it from him.”

“Just wait a little while. Enjoy your first few nights officially living together.”

“It’s not like this is my first night staying here or anything.”

“Just give yourself a few nights to enjoy it.” Whatever Colin had planned he needed to work fast, which meant I needed to talk to him without revealing her secret. It wasn’t going to be easy, but I was determined to make it work.

“I guess that will give me the chance to figure out how to tell him. I feel like it’s hard to just say ‘I’m pregnant’ with no lead up.”

“But you also don’t seem like the type to go all cutesy with little hints.”

She leaned back. “Not exactly.”

“You’re going to be such a great mom. I’m so happy for you.”

“Thanks. I’m trying to stay calm and excited, but it’s still so early.”

“I understand completely.”

We talked for a little while longer before I went inside to pack the rest of my stuff. After a quick goodbye I headed back over to the condo.

I tried Colin twice on my way back over. He didn’t pick up either time, so I gave up. I didn’t bother with a message. He’d notice the missed calls. I parked in the spot Maddy had used earlier and called Macon. If he’d given me his number, I might as well use it.

“Well, hello there.” Everything the guy said sounded flirtatious.

“Is that offer to lug my bags still on the table?” I unbuckled and got out.

“Better than that. You get two capable helpers.”

I popped the trunk and watched Macon and Brody running down. Was I really going to be living with two guys that looked like that? I’d already gotten the embarrassing towel only incident over with, so hopefully things would be smooth sailing from then on.

“Welcome back, roomie.” Brody grinned. His smile put me at ease. I couldn’t tell how excited he really was to have me as a new roommate. At least on the surface he seemed all right with it.

“Thanks.” I stood back while they pulled out the rest of my bags. I grabbed my backpack and purse myself and locked the car.

Thirty minutes later I was all unpacked. Macon knocked on the doorframe. “Feel like going to a party tonight?”

“Whose party?”

He sat down on the edge of my bed. I was using the same comforter as Maddy so on the surface my room probably didn’t look very different. “Does it matter? Aren’t you the one who knows no one?”

“Well, four people. You corrected me on that already, remember?”

He laughed. “True enough. It’s a friend of a friend. We don’t have to stay long, but I thought it might be worth swinging by.”

I thought about it. “I’m working until ten.”