Page 22 of Beautiful Crazy
Brows knit together, I turn my head, meeting her gaze as her words register. “Frennies with bennies?” I parrot, my voice nothing more than a hushed whisper. “Did you just make that up?”
Grace, looking pretty proud of herself, grins and nods. “Yeah. Got a nice ring to it.”
“You ladies need any help?” Everett asks, strolling into the kitchen. His eyes meet mine as a smile tips up his lips, and my blood heats.
“Can you grab some chips out of the pantry?” I ask as I continue assembling the sandwiches, trying to ignore the way my body is still very much reacting to seeing that much skin on him. He nods, moving to slip past me and Grace, but with the way my kitchen is set up, it’s a tight fit. The feel of his hand on the small of my back as he passes by sends an electric bolt through my body. It nearly makes me shudder.
Plating up the sandwiches and fruit, I glance over my shoulder as Everett passes me the chips. Our eyes meet, and I hold his gaze for a moment, something passing between us that causes goosebumps to bloom all over my arms.
Oh, boy. I’m in trouble.
After Grace and I pass the plates out to the kids, we allhead back outside to eat. Sutton, Beau, and Blakely eat in the grass while the adults stay on the porch. I can’t help but notice how easily Everett fits in, both with the kids and with my sister.
“So, Gemma told me that the bakery on Main Street is yours,” he says to Grace. “Have you always enjoyed baking?”
A smile tips her lips as she nods. Grace’s favorite thing to talk about is her bakery. “Oh yeah.” She breathes out a laugh. “An Easy-Bake Oven for Christmas as a kid morphed into so much more.”
“That’s really cool that you were able to turn your passion into your career.” The way he says it, I can feel how genuine Everett is.
“Our mom and dad always told us to follow our dreams, and the four of us kids all took it quite literally,” Grace murmurs before taking a sip from her sweet tea.
“I know your brother works as a chef at the inn,” Everett says, sliding his gaze over to me. “What does your other sister do?”
“She owns A Book to Remember, the bookstore on Main.”
Everett grins. “Wow, look at you guys. That’s awesome.”
“What about you?” Grace asks. “Have you always wanted to be a teacher?”
“I have.” Everett nods, raking his fingers through his hair. “Since I was a kid, it’s all I wanted to do. Make a difference in kids’ lives.”
His eyes light up and his grin is bright as he talks about his passion, and it’s contagious. The three of us finisheating our lunch and continue to talk for a while as the kids play together, and by the time everybody leaves, including Everett, I can’t believe almost an entire afternoon has passed. Hanging out with him is effortless, like we’ve known each other forever.
And I’m not quite sure how that makes me feel.
But again… I have Grace to blame for that.
Eleven
Everett
Week one of teaching at my new school is done, and I’m feeling pretty good about it. The teachers and staff all seem welcoming, and I got an incredible bunch of kids. I was more than a little nervous about this, considering I’ve been teaching at the same school since I graduated, but as I walk out of Blossom Beach Elementary toward my car, I can’t help but feel like, yet again, this move was the right call.
Over the weekend, I got to explore the town a bit. Checked out Grace’s bakery and had the most delicious pink champagne cupcake I’ve ever tasted, visited a number of the small shops that line Main Street, and even checked out the grill nearby the bakery for lunch. Everybody I run into is so friendly, all smiles and saying hello. It’s different from Seattle. I wouldn’t say people areunfriendly back home, but they aren’t exactly stop-and-chit-chat type of friendly either. It’s a busy city, with people constantlyhaving places to be. Blossom Beach is slower paced, and I didn’t realize until I experienced it here just how much I yearned for that. Something about it has me feeling fulfilled at the end of the day.
Pulling into my driveway, my eyes automatically slide over to the house on my left, noting that Gemma’s car isn’t parked out front. With the start of school, I haven’t seen much of her except for a quick hello in the mornings when she drops Sutton off at school. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t itching to find any excuse to see her now that the weekend is here.
Sutton and Beau were telling me about the start of baseball practice. A couple of their new classmates are also on the team, and they both practically vibrate with excitement every single time they bring it up. They’re both really good kids. I’m happy they wound up in my class this year, and not just because I think it’ll maybe,possiblyhelp me get closer to Gemma.
Nah, it’s definitely not that.
I mean, it would be foolish and silly for me to pursue something with the mother of one of my students as a brand-new teacher in the district.
Too bad I can’t get the woman off my mind, no matter how hard I try. There’s just something about her. She’s, hands down, the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. Her dark, rich eyes, the smattering of freckles I can’t seem to get enough of, the pout to her full, pink lips, the way her cheeks almost squish her eyes when she smiles. And fuck, don’t even get me started on the sound of her laugh. The way it’s breathy and feminine and so fucking sexy.
Every single time I’m in her presence, I want more.
I want to know more about her—know everything. I want to hear her talk more—for hours. I wonder what it would be like to sit under the stars with her and just listen. Take in everything she has to say. Hear her thoughts and opinions on every topic.