Restored By Faith: The Pattern of Piney Series Book Four, page 8
“Yeah, well… wasn’t sure if you went there much during the week because of work and your slow truck.”
“Hey, my slow truck is a gorgeous classic. Just because I can’t zoom there and back like you can, doesn’t mean I don’t make the trip often. My grandparents live there, remember?”
“Oh, right.” Teddy fisted his hands in his pant pockets. “How’s that gone the last few years?”
“Great. My grandpa is super cool. My grandma… well, she’s a little icy, but once she relaxes, she’s pretty nice, too. Still getting used to each other. It’s taken her longer to warm up to the idea of my mom and me being back in her life.”
“It’s been a long time; I would have thought she’d have warmed up by now.”
“She, like my mother, has some trust issues. I think once she saw I wasn’t after any hand-outs, or their money, she became more comfortable with the idea of a long-lost granddaughter. Grandpa has been awesome, though. We meet up for dinner once a week in Hot Springs. And he doesn’t care how long it takes me to get there.” She chuckled at Teddy’s blush and nudged his shoulder. “Come on, come in. Take a load off. Meet Courtney,” She motioned towards the girl on the couch. “And Ashton.” She pointed to the friend in the chair.
Courtney hopped to her feet and shook Luke’s hand first and then Teddy’s. “Nice to finally meet you, Teddy. I’ve heard a lot about you. Blast from the past.”
Teddy’s ears turned a light pink as he crutched over to a free chair and sat. Ashton offered a small wave as she surveyed the two new additions to their girls’ night. “How’s your ankle, Teddy?” Ashton asked. “Clare told us about that crazy night.”
“It’s doing okay. Just slowed me down a bit.”
“Well, good thing you were here when she got the call for Jamie. That was perfect timing.” Ashton reached for her glass of wine and took a sip. “How long are you in town?”
“I was hoping for only a couple of weeks, but it may be a bit longer.”
“You don’t like being home?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Always is.”
“You live in Piney?” Teddy asked.
“No, I live in Hot Springs.” Ashton tucked her feet under her legs and leaned against the arm rest. “Though I have contemplated becoming roomies with Clare for the last few months. My lease runs out at the end of October, and I love this cabin in the woods.”
“You’d want to leave Hot Springs?”
“Any time.” Ashton chuckled at his bewildered expression. “It’s quieter here.”
“I can only handle the quiet for so long,” Courtney chimed in from across the room. “I like to come and visit Clare, maybe stay over a night or two, but then I need to be back within driving distance of pilates, Chick-fil-a, and Dunkin’ Donuts. Now, if Piney ever got those three things, I might reconsider.”
Luke followed Clare with his eyes, and she tried not to let it fluster her. She could feel them boring into her back as she seasoned the two extra steaks and listened to the conversation floating about the cabin. She slathered her hands with soap when he appeared next to her. “Need any help?”
“Don’t think so.” Clare dried her hands on a hand towel and reached for a beat-up metal bucket on her countertop. “I was just about to go grab some veggies from what’s left of my summer garden.”
“A garden?” Surprise had Luke eyeing her in wonder. “You really are somethin’. Can I come?”
“Sure.” Clare held up her bucket to the room. “We’ll be back. Grabbing veggies.” She led the way to her backdoor and out onto the back patio. She walked to a couple of potted plants and cut a few sprigs of rosemary on her way down the steps. Luke patiently walked and watched as she went.
“You’ve got a nice set up out here.”
“Thanks. I love it.”
“I can tell. It suits you.”
“You don’t even know me.” Clare caught his gaze and then began working through the rows of squash and zucchini plants that were holding on to the last of their crop before her fall plantings began to emerge.
“Don’t have to know someone well to see when they are meant to be where they are.”
“I guess you’re right.” Clare handed him the bucket. “Mind holding that?”
He took the bucket and watched as she checked for ripe squash. “So how did you become friends with Teddy?” Clare asked.
Luke laughed. “It wasn’t during one of my finer moments, unfortunately.”
“Oh really?” Clare glanced up with a smile. “Do tell.”
“Promise not to think less of me? Because I am still trying to make a good impression here.”
Clare bit back a grin as she nodded.
“It was freshman year at college. There was this party… my first party to ever go to or be invited to, really. So, I made all the wrong decisions and fell to peer pressure, broke some rules—”
“You mean laws?” Clare amended.
“Maybe one or two of those.” Luke rubbed a nervous hand over his mouth and chin before continuing. “Any way, I ended up tied to a tree by some punks. I was butt naked, a bit tipsy, and oh, did I mention this was at a sorority house?”
“Oh my.” Clare stifled a giggle.
“Yeah. Not my finest moment, remember?”
“I’d say not.”
“Teddy was at the same party. We’d seen each other at a few previous events around campus, but never really hung out or spoke. He was heading out and took pity on me. He untied me, threw his jacket over me, and gave me a ride back to my dorm. We sort of just became friends after that. He was always the level-headed one, kept me out of trouble.”
Clare remained silent and Luke continued. “I know he didn’t end his high school days that way, from what he’s told me.” She didn’t respond.
“He regrets how he treated you, by the way. We’ve talked about it several times over the years.”
“Hmm.” Clare twisted and snapped a zucchini and added it to the bucket. “We were good friends.”
“That’s what he said.”
“But we went in different directions. It happens.” Clare stood to her feet and looked in the bucket. “I think that’s enough for all of us.” She walked back towards her house and Luke called from behind her.
“If I were to ask you out on a date, would you say yes?”
Clare turned in surprise.
῀
Teddy watched as Clare and Luke made their way through the garden, his friend watching in admiration much like he used to when he and Clare had been inseparable in high school. He missed those days. The ease of them. He missed her. He’d missed her a lot over the years. He thought of her often, thoughts always followed by a sense of regret. He’d been such a jerk back then. Immature. And he’d lost one of the best friends he’d ever had. They’d grown close quickly when she moved to Piney, and he’d felt like he’d finally found the person that really understood him. And then he screwed it up. Just to feel cool. After that, he sort of just kept drowning. And now, as he watched his friend openly flirt with her, his heart ached. He had no right to be upset at Luke for appreciating Clare’s beauty and personality. She was a great catch. She was a great person. She was just great. But it hurt nonetheless. He felt as if she were his and no one else had a right to her. Which was ridiculous, because she had never been his. He’d always been too blind or chicken to go for it. So, he dated other girls, never wanting to cross that road with Clare, because if it hadn’t worked out, their friendship would have been at risk. However, he’d ruined that anyway, because he had just been plain stupid.
“If you stare any harder, you’re going to break that glass,” Courtney warned softly as she walked towards the open wine bottle on the counter. She motioned to an empty glass on the counter. “Want one?”
Teddy shook his head. “No thanks. I’ll grab a beer.”
Courtney took over the watching out the window as Teddy pulled himself away to grab a drink.
“Think he’s asking her out?” Courtney asked. “You can tell he’s interested. Look how he’s absorbing her.”
“Absorbing?” Teddy fished around in Clare’s fridge until he found a beer at the back.
“Yes. Look at him. He’s drinking her in. Man… that’s the best when that happens.” Courtney sighed in longing. “Doesn’t happen often.”
Teddy pretended not to be interested, but he watched as they began walking back towards the cabin and something Luke said caused Clare to stop in her tracks and stare at his friend. Her cheeks flushed and she nervously tucked her hair behind her ear. “He just did it,” Teddy muttered.
“What?” Courtney asked, intrigued.
“Asked her out.”
“How can you tell?” Courtney peered closer out the window as if Luke would hold up a sign.
“She’s blushing and she’s nervous.”
Courtney studied the side of his face and then took a long sip of her wine. “How do you feel about that?”
Teddy shook his head. “Doesn’t matter how I feel about it.”
“Sure, it does. He’s your friend, and she’s your soulmate.”
Teddy choked on his beer. “Soulmate? What are you talking about?”
“Oh, come on, you can’t tell me you don’t know it. It’s so clear that you two are entangled in some form or fashion. You’re her person, she’s yours, and you’re both too blind to see it. So yeah, how do you feel about her more than likely being swept off her feet by that handsome and charming friend of yours?”
“I’m fine with it.” Teddy limped away from the window and back to the living room while Ashton pored over a large textbook in her lap. She politely shifted it to the side, and he nodded towards it, “School?”
“Nursing school,” Ashton sighed. “Never-ending. Working on becoming an R.N.”
Teddy nodded appreciatively. “Good luck.”
“Thanks.” Ashton closed the book. “As a nurse, I’m obligated to ask if you’ve been taking it easy on that ankle?”
He smirked. “I have actually. Not much to do in Piney. My parents’ house is easy to navigate, and I spend most of my day in a truck. So not a lot of time to walk on it.”
“That’s good. Nurse Ashton approves.”
The back door opened, and Luke and Clare walked inside with smiles on their faces and Teddy tampered down his disappointment at the sight of their chumminess. “Let’s move this party out on the porch. Ashton, put the books away! It’s time to porch sit.” Clare beckoned as she grabbed the pan of steaks off the counter.
Ashton stood and stretched. “Gladly.” She offered a kind smile to Teddy and waited patiently for him to rise to his feet and walked alongside him as they all went out to the back patio. He found a seat in an outstretched Adirondack chair and stretched his leg out in front of him. Luke sat in one next to him as Clare fired up her gas grill. Her friends settled around the patio table and began slicing vegetables.
“She said no.” Luke leaned his head back and closed his eyes as the breeze swept through the air. His lips held a soft, contented smile, as if he had no cares in the world.
“To what?” Teddy asked.
“I asked Clare out for dinner. She said no.”
“Why?”
Luke shrugged. “She just said thanks and no.”
“No explanation?”
Luke opened one eye and peered at Teddy. “Are you smiling at my rejection?”
“I’m not smiling.” Teddy bit back a grin and Luke shoved his shoulder as Teddy let loose a soft chuckle. “How does it feel to actually face rejection?”
“Well, I don’t like it, but it was worth the shot.”
“You want to leave?” Teddy asked.
“Why would I want to leave?” Luke eyed him curiously.
“Didn’t know if you would feel awkward or not after that.”
“I feel fine. Just because she doesn’t want to date me doesn’t mean we can’t be friends. I like her.”
Luke’s ease in the moment was envious. Teddy was just never built that way. Rejection stung him deeper than most things. He’d always been that way.
“Besides, I’m not going to give up. The night is young and by the time we have dinner with Ms. Billy Lou on Sunday, Clare is going to find my charm irresistible.”
Teddy’s gut sank. Luke wasn’t giving up. He hoped Clare was prepared for his friend’s pursuit.
Clare sat in one of the patio chairs as Trooper headed out of the woods at a full sprint and sprung up the steps full of wagging tail, slobber, and excited yips. Clare bent down and gave him a loving pet and the dog spun in circles. He paused and sat, panting, and then his dark eyes landed on Teddy, and he bounded over in two leaps and was licking his face. Teddy laughed as he wrestled Trooper into a submissive embrace like a baby and hugged him tight. “Good to see you too, Trooper.” Teddy released the dog, and he barked enthusiastically before running to the edge of the patio and grabbing his tennis ball and eagerly dropping it into Teddy’s lap. “You just ran through the woods, and you want to play ball?”
Trooper’s ears perked up at the word and he did an excited spin before Teddy launched the bright red ball through the air and out into the backyard.
“You’ve started it now,” Clare warned. “He’s not going to leave you alone.”
“I’m glad he still has it in him after all these years.”
“He never really slows down.” Clare turned as Ashton brought her the vegetables wrapped in foil to place on the grill. “Thanks. How do you like your steak, Luke?” Clare asked.
“Medium, please, ma’am.” He smiled at her and she blushed before turning back to the grill.
Luke winked at Teddy. “She’s warming up to me.”
Teddy ignored him as he tossed the ball for Trooper one last time, the dog slowing down on the last climb up the stairs. Trooper ditched the ball and collapsed beneath Teddy’s chair to rest, and Teddy lightly brushed a hand over the dog’s soft ears. Trooper sighed heavily as he rested in contented delight at the attention. “I’ve missed you, bud,” Teddy murmured as he patted Trooper’s side once more. He glanced up and caught Clare’s eye as she briefly studied him interacting with Trooper. Unsure of the emotion that flashed in her eyes before she turned back to the grill, Teddy fidgeted in his chair. He caught a gesture from Courtney as she lowered her hand when Clare turned towards her. When Clare turned back to the grill, Courtney motioned towards Clare with emphasis as she stood to her feet. “Luke, could I borrow you for a minute?”
Luke, happy to help any female, hopped to his feet. “Sure thing. With what?”
“Ashton and I left our bags in my car. Would you helping us lug them into the cabin?”
“Not at all.” He followed after Courtney as she yanked an unsuspecting Ashton with her as she exited the patio to head around the house and give Teddy alone time with Clare. It wasn’t terribly noticeable, but there was an awkward silence that hung in the air.
“Sorry to crash your girls’ night,” Teddy spoke to Clare’s back. She turned and offered a friendly smile.
“I wouldn’t call it crashing, exactly.” She eased onto the extended foot end of his chair and pet Trooper. “I think Courtney likes the extra company. She was getting a bit bored with Ashton studying and me prepping for the coffee shop.”
“She seems nice. They both do.”
“They’re great. Keep me on my toes.”
“I’m happy for you Clare.”
Her brows furrowed. “For what?”
He waved his hand around. “Just seeing you doing so well. Your work that you love. Your life here at the cabin. Your friends. You’ve just… really made a home here, and I know that’s what you always wanted. So, I’m happy you’ve found that.”
She flushed. “Thanks. I will admit I sometimes still pinch myself, especially on days like today when the weather is so perfect, and I can enjoy being here with people I care about.” She reached across the chair and squeezed his hand, her fingers soft despite her working at the garage. “You’ll find your place, Teddy, even if it’s not here in Piney.”
He briefly turned his hand, so they were linked palm to palm. He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it, the action surprising her. She started to pull away and Teddy held firm. “Don’t, Clare. Please. I just… I just want to say I’m sorry.”
“You already have.”
“Yeah, but I don’t think you truly know how sorry I am. If I could rewind time and erase what I did… if I could zip back to when we sat on this porch together talking about life, about our dreams, about anything, really, I would. I hurt you. I know I did. I was a jerk and a rotten friend. I look at you now and I just… I miss what we had. I miss having you as a friend.”
Clare’s eyes shimmered as she listened, and he leaned towards her to murmur the words he’d been carrying on his shoulders for the last five years. Footsteps rounded the side of the house and Clare started to pull away. He tugged her towards him before their friends rejoined them. “Forgive me, Clare. Please.” He whispered the last of it and released her hand as she hopped to her feet to hurry back to the grill.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“All I’m saying,” Courtney snatched her croissant from Clare as she lifted her keys, cell phone, and wallet with her other hand, “is that you shouldn’t turn down a dinner date offer. I mean, when was the last time you were asked out?”
“I don’t know.” Clare shrugged.
“And that, my friend, is a sign that it has been too long.” Courtney shifted to the side as Ashton awaited her own coffee and breakfast.
“Quiche and a mocha.” Clare glanced at the register and rattled off her total. Ashton swiped her card and waited patiently.
“Right Ash?” Courtney asked.
“Hm?”
“Oh, for heavens sake, stop thinking about needles, coughs, and colds, and focus on our girl here. Luke, the very cute, very funny, very interested guy from last night asked Clare out on a date and she turned him down.”
Ashton eyed Clare curiously. “Why did you say no?”
“I don’t know, probably because I’ve got a lot going on right now with running this place and trying to continue working at the garage when I can. I don’t really have the energy for dating.”
