Page 35 of The Charm of You

Austin thanks everyone for a great evening, bringing karaoke night to an end, after which the trio hops down from the stage, and the spotlights shut off. The three shoot the shit and share laughs while they inch toward the bar, where I’m perched on a stool with my purse in my lap.

“Didn’t think you’d still be here.” Austin halts far enough away from me that I have room to climb off the stool. “Were our songs just that lovely?”

“They were, but you’re also giving me a ride home.”

He blinks.

“Addie said you volunteered to give me a lift.” My voice trails off as his lips sink into a frown. “Didn’t you?”

He curses under his breath and brushes past me. Am I supposed to follow?

Austin returns with a guitar case in his grasp, his knuckles white like he’s holding it far too tightly. His entire body is tense as he continues grumbling. He doesn’t even ask me to follow him. All I get is a nod toward the exit. With a wave goodbye to Cole, he shoves the door to the bar open, holding it for me to pass through first.

In the car, we’re quiet as we pass through the square, where the shops and cafés are dark and vacated. They sit tucked away like a child under their blanket, waiting patiently for the morning, when they can rise to life with the sun.

The first sound I make is a yelp, thanks to a pothole in front of Cream and Sugar. The pale purple coffee truck blurs under the streetlight as we drive past, chugging along in Austin’s pickup.

He steers his truck to the right, cruising through the residential part of town, and I can’t tolerate the silence any longer. It’s a miracle I’ve lasted this long.

“Mama says you’re a mechanic.”

He remains in his position, with one elbow hanging out of his window and the other hand on the steering wheel. For a moment, I don’t think he hears me, but after a beat, he says, “You and your mother sure talk about me a lot.”

“Your name popped up in conversation when I mentioned to her that I need an oil change. It’s a long drive back to New York, and my car needs the maintenance. Mind if I bring it by your shop this week?”

An evasive noise rumbles out of him as we arrive at my mom’s house. Something more than her azaleas and the porch light flickering on and off greet us.

An unfamiliar car sits in her driveway.

“I’ll walk you up.” Austin jumps out of the truck while I study the car. It’s a rental.

Surprising me with more manners in his toolbox, Austin opens my door and offers his hand to guide me onto my feet.

“Thank you,” I breathe, coming face-to-face with him.

“This way, Your Majesty,” he says, and I wish I could see him better.

It’s too dark. Is his jaw clenched? Is the tiny muscle in his cheek bouncing? The fact that I can’t confirm either way is almost as infuriating as the man himself.

On the porch, I stop short of the door, my hands twitching at my sides. “I appreciate you driving me home.”

Under the soft lighting, there’s no sign of a tic in his cheek, if there ever was one, and I’m oddly disappointed. He simply nods, and if he was going to say anything, he doesn’t get the chance before the door swings open.

And I do a double take.

“Edward?” I squeak, and my heart plummets into my stomach.

“Surprise, baby!” He holds his arms out, and his buttoned suit jacket stretches across his chest.

I blink, but my eyes do not deceive me. When I fully open them, Edward still stands there.

He steps over the threshold of Mama’s house and onto the porch, where he wraps me in a gentle embrace. I’m so shocked by his appearance here in my hometown that my arms end up trapped against my body in his hesitant hug.

Once he releases me, he juts his hand out, and I realize Austin’s still here. “I’m Edward,” he says. “I’m Caroline’s fiancé.”

My eyes strain against their sockets as they bug out of my head.

Austin flicks his searing gaze over Edward’s shoulder at me, then studies his hand for a beat before he finally shakes it. “I’m Austin. I’m just leaving.”

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