Page 119 of The Charm of You

“I see those two are still great friends, huh?” Nathan muses, and he never takes his eyes off Maren. She, on the other hand, looks anywhere but directly at him.

Caroline giggles. “They are the best of friends, if friendship means constantly fighting and trying to rip each other apart.”

“Rip each other’s clothes off, anyway,” Maren mumbles behind the guise of a cough.

“Those two would rather kill each other than sleep together,” I say with a grimace.

“There’s a fine line between those two things—trust me,” she says as her eyes land on Nathan.

Caroline sneaks her hand into mine and tugs me away.

Only a few others occupy the sitting room, and they’re mostly ogling the artifacts and trinkets along the fireplace mantel like they’re at a museum. Which, I guess they kind of are. This house is a historical landmark, after all.

Caroline slides her fingers down my tie, then clutches the lapels of my jacket with both hands, a smile gracing her pink lips.

“You clean up really nicely.” She leans onto her tiptoes and plants an unapologetic kiss to my mouth, like she wouldn’t care if we were alone or if we had a hundred witnesses. She kisses me like she wouldn’t care if one of the ministers in town themselves were here.

When she pulls back, she inhales as if she can’t suck in her next breath fast enough, and she fucking steals mine in the process.

“Hey, you two.” Wake appears at our side with a woman on his arm. She reaches the height of his chin, and her smile touches her large brown eyes. “This is my girlfriend, Minka.” He gestures toward us. “This is who I was telling you about—Caroline. And this is her…”

“This is Austin,” she supplies and grips my arm.

Wake clears his throat like he put his foot in it. He basically did, but I can’t blame the guy. Caroline and I haven’t discussed anything specific, anyway, so I didn’t expect her to give him anything other than my name.

Her annoying ex probably didn’t even know that much before she told him.

“It’s so nice to meet you both,” Minka gushes. “I’ve absolutely loved getting to know all of Wake’s friends. And oh my goodness—this town is just adorable.”

“Except for the one little mishap at the gym, but as I said, it’s not to be a reflection of this town as a whole.” Wake stifles a laugh behind his hand.

“Oh! That’s right.” She leans into him. “I completely threw the ordeal out of my mind.”

“What happened?” Caroline asks.

“Old Gus wandered into the women’s locker room,” Wake starts, and Minka finishes with, “He scared the crap out of me more than anything. He seemed just as horrified as I was, like he was genuinely lost.”

“She felt bad. Can you believe how cute she is?” Wake laughs.

They finish each other’s sentences—a real-life, doting couple.

And my chest tightens.

This is the kind of romance Caroline deserves, and it’s exactly why this thing between us needs to end when she leaves. I’m not the guy who finishes her sentences, after which we toss our heads back in sync and share a charming little laugh.

I’m not the Hallmark guy. I’ve never wanted to be—before Caroline strolled into town, anyway.

What am I saying? That’s not me, and it never will be.

“I’m going to get a drink.” I hook a thumb over my shoulder toward where I think the bar is, although I’m not sure. I haven’t laid eyes on it yet, but I know it’s not in here.

And the sip I took from Owen’s flask is a distant memory at this point.

Before I step away, I manage to remember my manners and ask, “Can I get you a champagne or something?”

“That would be great. Thank you.” The appreciative smile Caroline flashes me should win awards. A whole album of love songs should be dedicated to her smile.

As I stalk down the hall, I loosen the tie around my neck—it’s suffocating me. Sweat dampens the back of my shirt as I step into the courtyard and finally locate the small bar set up in the corner.

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