“Not too busy for a barbecue,” I tell her. Jules and Rider agree, and Charlie glares at me. “What?” I ask. “I’m a growing boy. I need food.”
“You need something,” she mumbles, and I grin as we all head back outside, and pile into the car. She slides in next to me, and once again her sweet scent fills my senses. I start the car, and we chat about the weather. Conversation eventually turns to Jules’ and Rider’s Vegas wedding and all the antics that took place, which Charlie loves hearing about. Eventually Jules turns the conversation to Charlie, and Charlie tells us all about the boats, and what it’s like being on them with all the rough and gruff fishermen. I’m about to ask more when Charlie redirects to me.
“What was it like growing up on a farm?” she asks, and I get the sense she doesn’t like talking about herself much.
“Dirty,” I say. “I was always, very, very dirty, and I had to learn to be handy.”
I notice the slight change in her breathing, the way the buttons on her blouse rise and fall as she takes in a breath. What, does she like the idea of me being dirty, handy…in a very different way? My thoughts instantly go south, and my dick twitches as I visualize all the ways I could get dirty with this gorgeous woman. My friends fall silent in the back seat as heat arcs between Charlie and me. Moisture dots my forehead and I lean forward to jack the air conditioning, but it does nothing to help cool the flames licking through my veins. Charlie’s throat makes a rough sound as she swallows, and the pulse at the base of my throat beats a little faster.
“I don’t think we’ve booked enough time here to see everything,” Jules says, cutting through the tension as it builds, and takes up space between Charlie and me.
“At least you’ll get to see the Halifax waterfront today. We have to drive by it on the way to The Trail Shop,” Charlie says, her voice light and casual. Heck, maybe I’m reading her all wrong. Maybe I’m the only one with inappropriate thoughts, and it’s wishful thinking on my part that she has them, too. This could be all in my head and maybe Breton was right. Charlie didn’t correct her when she told me my ‘girlfriend’ played for the other team. As my brain races, Charlie adds, “It’s one of my favorite places to explore.”
“What do you like best about it?” I ask. It’s one of my favorite places too. No matter where I go or live, the east coast will always be in my blood and now that I’m home, I realize just how much I’ve missed it. I really need to make more time to come back. That thought makes me laugh because most of my friends hate returning home. They find the country life boring. I find it relaxing.
“The atmosphere,” she says and exhales. “All the people, the outdoor patios, the ice cream shops. There’s a great energy about the city. Probably something to do with the east coast. I used to walk the waterfront almost every day.”
“Really?” I reach the city limits and head toward the downtown core. “It’s a long way from home.”
She shrugs. “Not when I was living in the city.”
I turn to look at her, take in her profile as she stares at the curvy road before us. “How long ago was that?”
“A couple years ago. I went to Dalhousie University. Business management.”
“Wow, impressive.” I’m about to ask why she’s back at the docks working when she has a degree under her belt, but fall silent when she speaks.
“I’m in the car with a registered nurse and two professional NHL players.” She laughs. “That’s impressive.”
“You’re impressive too, Charlie.”
She frowns, and I’m not sure what it is I’m sensing, but my gut tells me she’s a little lost, a little unhappy with the course of her life. Although I’m not sure that’s it at all. I do wonder, however, why she left the city to go back home. Does she feel stuck helping out in the family business? Everyone knows she grew up without a father and her mother and sisters have been running the business. Yet her mother said she wanted her daughters to have experiences.
I resist the urge to slide my hand across the seat and squeeze hers. Not just because there is a sadness in her eyes, but because I want to touch her. That would be overstepping boundaries, and while she might not like men in a romantic way, she doesn’t like me inanyway, and I’ve yet to figure out why.
We reach our destination and I pull into a parking spot. We get out of the car, and I walk around the front and step up to Charlie. “I just remembered something.”
“What?” Charlie asks.
“I hate shopping. How about you girls shop, and Rider and I hit up a patio for a beer.”
“Nope,” Jules says. “I want my man’s opinion on what I buy, plus he needs things too.”
I groan, and reluctantly follow them into the store. “I guess I could use a new pair of hikers.”
We get inside the store, and we follow Charlie around. She points out what we’ll need for the boat and hiking, and while she provides the tents, camping supplies, and food—I’m pretty sure I read that somewhere on the brochure, although I only glanced at it—she suggests we bring clothing for different weather conditions. We load up a cart and while Charlie is looking for the perfect raincoat for herself, trying a few on in front of a mirror, I pick up a pair of boots, and examine them.
Jules comes over, a little smile on her face, and I’m glad she’s having a good time shopping.
“What do you think, Jules?” I ask and hold the boots up.
“I think you two make a cute couple.”
My head jerks her way. “What?”
“Come on, Wes.” She picks up a pair of boots, examines them and sets them back on the shelf. “Don’t pretend you’re not interested. I see the way you look at her.”
My shoulders sag. “Oh, you saw that, did you?” No sense in hiding the truth from Jules. She’s too smart for that. “But she’s…you know, what Breton said.”