Finding Charley (Full Circle) (6 page)

We make our way to the bar and order Bud Lights all around plus my water.  Then, it’s to the dance floor.  The sound of Flo Rida’s “Wild Ones” echoes through the speakers, and we know exactly what to do.  We hit the dance floor and go hard.  It’s about us girls having a good time tonight. Here we don’t have to worry about some ass trying to interrupt or put moves on us that we don’t want.  Hayden starts acting a fool by doing that damn sprinkler dance move, and I totally lose it.  We all take turns goofing off and breaking out old school moves.

When Drake’s “Started from the Bottom” comes across the speakers, we quit goofing off and start dancing our asses off.  Before we know what’s going on, the entire
baseball team is surrounding us and enjoying the view.  Songs bleed from one to the next. Once sweat begins to drip down my back, I pull my hair up into a messy bun and continue to enjoy the night.

By song number four, a smokin’ hot baseball player has his strong hands wrapped around my waist.  I swear I’ve just met Chipper Jones fifteen years ago!  I continue to dance and take in the aroma of sweat and Dolce and Gabbana. 
Holy crap.  I never thought those two things would go together.  The songs change pace and begin to slow.  I know I need to separate myself from him, because at this point, I’m not looking for someone new.  As I start to pull away, he grabs my hand and tugs me close.

“Hey, Char, I’m Tucker, or can I call you Squirrel?”  I must have looked like a damn deer in headlights because I completely froze right after he said it.  No one calls me that but Joe. 
WTF?  My breath begins to heighten, and I can feel sweat building under my arms.  Tucker must have noticed as well.  “Um, did I say something wrong?  I thought that was your nickname?”

I swallow hard.  “Well, that’s what Joe calls me.”

“So, is it okay if I call you that?”  His eyes look as sincere as they can despite the amount of alcohol he has flowing in his veins.  I shake my head no.

“I’d rather you didn’t.”

“All right, but just so you know, he’s a complete idiot for letting you go that easy.”  Here we go.  Another night with my drama.  What do I do?  I have to get him to shut up about Joe before I freakin’ lose it.  I take my hands and run them up his washboard stomach.  I can feel every chiseled ab and indention.  I look up at him, and he gets the point.  Not one more word about Joe.  As the song comes to an end, he pulls me in close and lifts my chin.  “Like I said, he’s a fuckin’ idiot,” he says as his lips brush mine.

My mind takes a moment to focus on what is going on.  Warm, soft, hungry lips are covering mine. Tucker pulls away from me and kisses my forehead as the next song, “
Roar” by Katy Perry, begins to play. I start to laugh inside, thinking about Hayden. I glance at the Kluft girls who are obviously thinking the same thing.  I smile at Tucker and make my way to them about the time the chorus begins, and we all sing at the top of our lungs.

I know it’s near closing time, which means the one song that always ends a night at Hank’s is about to be played.  I push that thought to the back of my brain and just let loose for the next twenty minutes.  When the first chord of “Let’s Get It On” begins, I b
ack away from the dance floor.

As I turn to walk away, intense blue eyes stare back at me. Joe. 
Joe’s here? 
My heart begins to hurt.  I want to forgive him, but I just can’t.  Not yet.

Joe gives me no option.  He takes my hand and guides me back to the dance floor.  Georgia looks like she is shooting darts straight at him.  He ignores her and wraps his arms around me.  I drop my head to his chest, and tears begin to fall. 
Why can’t my nightmare end?  Why?

We attempt to dance, but our worlds have stopped.  He stands with his arms around my trembling body, and I look up to him as the song ends.  Barely audible words escape his lips. “Squirrel, I’m here when you’re ready.”

I wipe the tears from my face as I pull myself from his embrace.  I turn and leave him standing alone on the dance floor.  The Kluft girls are waiting for me once I reach the door, and Georgia pulls me in for a hug.  We exit Hank’s and pile into the Love Machine, and I don’t look back.  As I take a deep breath, crank the van, and begin to pull out, I see Joe walking out of Hank’s.  Our eyes meet, and I turn my head as quickly as possible.  I do not want to feel any connection to Joe, but my heart tells me otherwise.

We make it back to campus with the typical roadblock, walk up the stoop
, and into bed in record time.

After crawling into bed, I send Cash a quick text.  I roll over, close my eyes, and succumb to the exh
austion.  Tomorrow is a new day.

Chapter 8

The morning light peers through my window and wakes me an hour before I’d like.  I pull my sheets over my head and doze back off for another forty-five minutes.

I wake up to “Hell on Heels,” Piper’s ringtone.

“Hello,” I croak.

“Hey, Char, you ain’t on the road yet?  We got shit to do, girl!  I mean, I haven’t seen you in what feels like forever!  How’s Joe?”

Damn, I’m not even awake now.  How did I not tell Piper yet? “Um, good I guess.”

“What do you mean?
Good?
  What’s wrong, Char?”

“Let’s just say Joe’s not on our team.  Look. I don’t want to get into it right now.  I should be home by one.  I’ll see you then.”

“Okay, you’re kinda scaring me, but I’ll meet you at the farm around two.  That is unless you and Cash Money have other plans.”

“I’m sure he’s gonna be waiting, but you might as well come on over ‘cause we all need to talk.”

“Char, I’m no idiot.  I know this has to do with the asshole of the century.  He better not show his face while we’re home.  Be careful.  I’ll have Fun Dip and a Choice Cherry Gold waitin’.”

“Sounds good.
  Bye, Piper.”

We hang up, and I throw off the covers and sit for a minute. 
To take a shower or not? That is the question.  Then, the aroma of Hank’s hits my nostrils, and there is no doubt.  Shower.

I decide not to waste much time on my wardrobe.  I grab my new jeans, a long-sleeved white tee, boots, and veto drying my hair by putting on my favorite camo ball cap.  Once I’m ready, the girls and I grab a bite to eat and all go our separate ways.  I crank up the radio and the heat in the Honda.  It feels like minutes instead of an hour when I realize that I’ve been lost in thought the majority of the way.  Can we say dangerous?  Note to self: focus while driving.

I pop in our drunk mix CD that Caroline always plays in her room while we drink PJ.  It’s a lot more comical to listen to while sober.  Seriously, the country version of “Gin and Juice” and “The Monster” by Eminem?  I can’t help but laugh.  It doesn’t get any better when “Genie in a Bottle” by Christina Aguilera begins playing.  What was she thinking?  Oh, wait. She wasn’t thinking because she was drunk.

I approach Grassy Pond, and nothing has changed since Thanksgiving.  It’s still stoplight after stoplight.  I can’t wait to hit that gravel road.   I see the farm approaching and feel the butterflies within my stomach.  For once, I’m ex
cited and relieved to be home.

Turning off the ignition, I see Blue running toward me.  As soon as I’m out of the car, he attacks me.  “Yeah, boy, I’ve missed you, too.”  I rub behind his ears and
then make my way to the house.

There’s no need to hurry, because as I glance up, Tessa and Mama are in full out sprints.  I giggle inside.  Tessa wraps me in a tight embrace.

“Miss me much?”  I smirk.

“Char, I swear.  Mama and Dad have been workin’ me to death on this farm.  If you didn’t get home soon, I might actually have had to take care of those stupid goats, not to men
tion sloppin’ the hogs.  Yuck!”

I should have known Tessa was more excited because that meant less work for her, but that’s my sis, always missin’ when a little hard work needs to be done.

“Hey, sweet girl, I’m glad you’re home.  Your dad’s gone into town to get a few posts for the fence.  I don’t know what has gotten into that bull out there.  It’s like he just doesn’t know which side he belongs,” Mama says.

I open the trunk and grab my bags.  Mama grabs my laundry basket, and we make our way into the house.

As I walk through the screen door, the sound of an F250 that I’d know anywhere rings in my ears.  I smile and throw my bag at the bottom of the stairs.  I do a one-eighty, press the screen door open, jump off the stairs, and run as fast as my legs will go to that perfect sound.  Cash opens the door and steps out in one swift motion.  He has on a pair of jeans, a white plaid pearl snap, camo hat, and boots. 
Damn.
I jump straight into his arms and hold him as close as possible.

“Miss me much?”  He winks.

I begin to laugh uncontrollably.  “You know, I just used that line on Tessa.” I pull him closer.  He looks into my eyes, smiles with that damn dimple, and I feel complete.  Cash Money makes me whole.

He finally puts me down when he hears the screen door open behind me.  I turn around to see Tessa standing there with her hands on her hips.  “Um, did y’all plan that?”

“Plan what, Tess?” I question as I straighten my long-sleeved white shirt.  Then, it dawns on me.  Jeans, white shirt, camo hat, and boots.  Cash and I look like we planned our freakin’ wardrobe.

“What can I say? Great minds think alike,” Cash says as he slaps my ass while we walk toward the house.  We go inside
where Mama has lunch waiting.

As we are fixin’ our plates, I hear the door open.  I assume
it’s Dad, but soon realize that’s a negative.

“Please tell me that you saved me some, Mama Number Two?!”  Piper yells as she walks down the hallway.

I jump from my chair with a mouth half full of my mama’s famous spaghetti and meet Piper as she turns the corner for the kitchen.  I hurry up and swallow as we start talking like we haven’t seen each other in years.  Tessa, Cash and Mama completely ignore us.  They’ve learned over the years that we have our own language, finish each other sentences, and take all of five minutes to fill in each other on the past few months of our lives.

“Well, I guess my Choice Cherry Gold and Fun Dip
are no match for Mama Number Two’s spaghetti.”  Piper places them onto the counter and grabs a plate.  Then, she finds a seat next to Tessa.

“So, what’s the dill, pickle?” Piper asks between bites.

“There’s a party at the McCracken’s farm tonight, and I thought maybe tomorrow we could all hang out at the club.  Tessa, you can come, too,” Cash says.

“Cash, I appreciate the offer, but I don’t feel like little ol’ Tess needs an invite.  Dustin and I are planning on going mudding tomorrow.”

“Muddin? Tess, you’re going muddin’ and didn’t even think about inviting us?  Have I been gone that long?  I mean, we’re a country boy and girls on the farm. HELLLOOOO!” I say.

“Um, I don’t know about y’all, but mud and I don’t mix!  I’m good as long as I’m inside the truck, but I don’t look this good to go and get
that
dirty!”  Piper shivers at the thought.  “Just thinkin’ about it makes me wanna take a shower.”

“Pipe, really?  All these years in Grassy Pond, and you’re still afraid of a little dirt.”

I glance at Cash and know that he’s thinking something.  He grins before speaking.

“Too bad you pay too much for those mud facials.  You could easily go to the mud hole and save yourself a ton of money.”

“Cash, you have no idea what you’re talking about.”  She gets up and takes her plate to the sink and comes back to the table. “So, what are we gonna do now?”

Cash takes our plates to the sink and turns around.  I know he’s already got his wheels turning in his brain.  How can he say enough without raising questions from my mama?

“Y’all wanna ride into town with me?  I heard they’re having a big sale on boots at the General Store.  I need a new pair of Justin’s.”

“Sounds good to me,” I say.  Piper, Tessa, and I tell Mama
bye and make our way to Cash’s truck.  As soon as the truck is put into reverse, Piper is on us like gum stuck to the bottom of a shoe.

“What the hell is goin’ on?” she asks quizzically. “I was seriously about to lose my shit in there.  You had me in there with your mama, knowing I was dying to know what the hell is really goin’ on.”

Tessa’s head does a snap from looking out the passenger side window to staring me in the eyes.  “Char, spill it now before I jump over this seat and smack it outta ya!”

Dang, Tessa’s in a pissy mood.  I look at Cash and decide to just put it out there.

“Aight, Joe’s not who he says he is.  In fact, I had a bunch of crazy shit happen at school.  He saw me come apart and made me feel like he was on my team, but instead, he’s playing for Team Dylan.”

“That fucker!
  I’m gonna kill him.  Char, why didn’t you tell me?”  Tessa says as she clenches her fists.

“Because look at you.  You’re about to go ape shit on him.  But, something is off. I know it.  As soon as Joe confessed to being the one behind everything, Dylan texted me. Don’t worry; I’m done keeping quiet.  I’m ready to take Dylan down.  Now, I just need y’all’s help.”