Page 52 of The Wedding Fake
“I love vintage stores. Did I tell you that?” I asked, and he laughed. The sound wrapped around me like a hug, and I was pleased to be the one who made him happy.
“No, but every woman loves vintage stores,” he replied, and I frowned, the warmth of the moment disappearing as I remembered Claire and Hudson was temporary. When we got back to the city, he’d probably be on to a new woman before I had a chance to finish the pint of peanut butter and chocolate ice cream I’d be crying into.
25
HUDSON
Claire had disappeared into her own head, but I had no idea why. Perhaps she was growing impatient with the angst Cranberry Falls caused me. I hadn’t explained anything, after all. Honestly, she’d shown a remarkable amount of empathy for someone who didn’t even know why I hated my hometown.
I inhaled deeply. The air smelled clean even with the slight humidity that hinted at coming rain. I didn’t hate Cranberry Falls. I loved the place—I’d always envisioned my life here, surrounded by my family and my memories and the town I’d willingly risk my life for day in and day out. “I became a firefighter because Lawrence did.” Claire was quiet, but the frown was wiped from her face and replaced with a look that was open and empathetic. “He loved it.” I hesitated. “I loved it too—helping people, serving my community—but I never loved the adrenaline like he did.”
“I wouldn’t assume to know, but that would seem like a prerequisite,” she said gently.
I glanced down at her. “It’s actually the opposite. They train you to handle your adrenaline flow so you don’t make rash decisions.”
I heard the tiny breath she sucked in next to me and knew she’d correctly deduced the end of my story. Still, I’d come this far—standing in Cranberry Falls, talking about Lawrence’s death—two things I hadn’t done since I lost him. I had to see it through.
“We were responding to an apartment fire, and we got evacuated when the structure wasn’t safe, but Lawrence heard something—a kid,” I explained, my voice thick as I struggled to keep my emotions in check. “I followed him, but…” I couldn’t keep talking about this, not without losing my composure in the middle of State Street, and I damn well wasn’t doing that.
“Hud,” Claire said softly, laying her soft hand on my arm. “I’m so sorry.”
I sniffed once, then rushed through the remaining story, recounting it as if I’d read it in a book rather than lived every agonizing moment. “Partial collapse of the roof. Knocked me out and broke my femur.”
She glanced down at my legs, obviously surprised by this development. I tapped my left thigh, answering the question she was surely thinking. “You didn’t notice the scar?” It didn’t surprise me. The room had been mostly darkened, and I’d kept her occupied with other parts.
“I didn’t,” she said, reaching up to touch my cheek.
I dropped my head down to hers. I couldn’t remember having a desire to touch my forehead to a woman’s before, but ever since I’d been stuck in that elevator with Claire, it was an intimacy I craved. “I’ll have to show you tonight.”
“I look forward to it,” she replied, then added quickly, “I look forward to tonight, I mean—not to seeing your scar—I mean, I want to see your scar, but I—” I pressed my lips to hers, cutting off her babbling. “Sorry,” she said as we parted.
I grinned. “Don’t be. I didn’t think I could stand in Cranberry Falls and smile, but you made that happen.”
Claire ran her fingers down my solar plexus, stopping at my abdominals. “I don’t think I did anything.”
I wasn’t sure she’d done anything either, and yet having her close made everything better. It was a mindfuck. “You’re dangerously likable, Claire Davis.”
She laughed, and it was a happy, musical sound that made me smile in reply. “I cannot begin to explain how many people would disagree with that statement. I’ve been told I was too nerdy, bitchy, stuck-up—you name it, I’ve been called it.”
“You are none of those things,” I said, then curled my nose thoughtfully. “Actually, you’re pretty nerdy…” Claire hit my chest lightly, laughing. “But nerdy in the most charming ways.”
I knitted my fingers back through Claire’s and resumed walking toward the first vintage store. “Honestly,” Claire said, “I’m not too embarrassed about being a nerd. Statistically, high school geeks are more successful than popular kids.”
“Oh, honey,” I crooned, stopping once more and clutching Claire’s hand against my heart, “the fact you’ve looked that up is breathtakingly nerdy.”
Her green eyes sparkled, looking the color of jade in the sunlight. “Fuck off,” she said, laughing as she made a half-hearted attempt to pull away from my grasp.
“More importantly,” I said, my voice growing serious, “since the scientists who created the survey were likely a bunch of nerds, don’t you worry the data was invalidated by their unconscious bias?”
She stopped trying to wiggle out of my grasp and stared up at me, blinking prettily. “That’s the sexiest thing a man has ever said to me.”
A bolt of desire shot through me, and I took a step closer, letting her body shield my hard cock from view. How would I ever move on from Claire Davis? I’d have to goddamn move into a new building, because it was going to be impossible to step into an elevator with her and not feel this overwhelming need. “I need more than two days, Claire.”
She stared up at me, chewing on her lip. “You’re obviously feeling a lot of feelings being back in Cranberry Falls. Let’s not talk about this now.”
I wanted to protest, to demand she hear me out, but instead I nodded, adjusting my pants and resuming the walk.
“Can I tell you something?” Claire asked, and I tried to suppress the hope she’d tell me she wanted more, but still the hope banged at my ribcage like a trapped animal.