Page 98 of The Charm of You

One of the majorettes tosses a baton in the air, and she spins underneath it. The sequins on her uniform glimmer under the sunlight, shining even brighter than before, and my face muscles aren’t strong enough to stop my cringe.

Across the street, Judd holds Mary’s hand as they trudge toward their nieces and nephews, who are set up with lawn chairs at the starting point. After I told him I’d be driving Caroline in the parade today, he closed the shop early, but not before he laughed at me for being a softie.

I expected nothing less from him, and he’s not wrong, either.

What’s happened to me? Last night, I spent two hours with ornery freshmen while they finished building their stupid float. I hadn’t shown up for my own class’s float any of the four years I was a student.

I never watched the parade when I was in high school, either. Every year, we’d get out of class early for it, and I’d always use it as an opportunity to log in more hours at the shop.

Now, I’m not only attending the parade, but I’m in it as the homecoming queen’s chauffeur. For Christ’s sake, I’m currently taping a glitter sign to the side of my truck, which I washed and polished this morning specifically for this occasion.

And I’m not angry over any of it, as I might’ve been if it were anyone other than Caroline.

Who am I?

Once the signs are secure on either side of my truck, I stand back with both hands on my hips to take in the line of cars and throngs of people outside the high school.

Two police cars will lead the parade, and it’ll officially launch the homecoming festivities. After this, there’s the football game, followed by the chili dinner, and tomorrow, we have the school tour in the morning and our big reunion in the evening.

This is the whole reason Caroline is here. How long will she stay after all is said and done? Without a job to get back to, will she stay longer than she’d originally planned?

“This looks wonderful, dear!” My mom appears next to me.

“Where have you been? I expected you twenty minutes ago.” I give her a quick one-armed hug.

With a flick of her wrist, she says, “I knew you didn’t need me. You did a nice job on your own.”

“I didn’t need you for the signs, Ma. I thought you wanted to string flowers around the mirrors.”

The blank stare she answers with confuses the hell out of me.

“You said you left early this morning to go to Paulette’s and get flowers to decorate my truck. We talked this morning at breakfast, remember?” I search her expression for any sign of recognition, but I come up empty. “Are you feeling all right? Your cheeks look flushed.”

“It is rather warm today, but I’m perfectly fine.”

“Maybe you should go home and lie down. The sun is hotter than you might think. Isn’t that what you used to tell me?” I smirk, but it quickly fades when her expression still doesn’t change. She appears just as lost as if she were in the damn woods and couldn’t find her way out.

“Did I?” She touches the back of her hand to her cheek, and a mixture of dread and concern fills my stomach.

“Ma, what’s going on?”

She licks her lips. “Austin, I’m fine. It’s just been a long week. You know homecoming stresses me out. I just dropped off the materials in the cafeteria, so we can set up for the chili dinner after the parade. Then I told Paulette and Carol I’d help with the bouquets for the halftime celebration of the homecoming court tonight. It’s a real all-hands-on-deck kind of day. This isn’t news, but I guess it’s new for you since you’re never involved.” She pats my cheek, which gives me a better view of her eyes. They seem clear and normal, and my nerves settle.

But there’s something going on with her. I might not have been around in years past for the town’s festivities like this, but I know my mother—she’s hiding something.

Caroline appears in my line of sight over Ma’s shoulder, and the wind is knocked out of me like a punch to the fucking gut.

She practically floats on a pair of strappy shiny heels, her gait smooth and effortless like she’s gliding on clouds. Her tan legs glisten as if she’s rubbed oil on them, but I know firsthand, they’re just that velvety.

The dress—fuck, her dress.

The black material hugs every curve, perfectly accentuating her feminine silhouette. The square neckline gives way to her ample breasts, and her cleavage is both tasteful and sexy as hell. A dainty gold belt fastened above her waist matches the color of her shoes.

She’s the kind of woman who turns heads everywhere she goes, whether she’s dolled up or in baggy sweats, although I don’t believe she owns such things.

But in this dress and those shoes—and her red-as-cherry lipstick—she’s a damn vision.

Countless people mill about this part of the parade setup, and most crane their necks for a glimpse of the former homecoming queen.

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