Page 143 of How to Kiss a Hawthorne Brother
“Would you? I guess the slide show is supposed to be a surprise for everyone who attends. One picture from high school and one from childhood.”
I pull up the first photo. It’s Perry in a football uniform, a helmet under his arm, a wide smile on his face—the same smile his mother greeted me with when she first said hello.
“That was his senior year,” she says, her voice gentle. “That smile. He doesn’t share it very often, but when he does? It’s a million-dollar smile.”
If by million-dollar-smile she means a smile that makes my knees feel wobbly and my insides feel like Jell-O then the answer isyes.One-million timesyes.I swallow. “I didn’t know he played football.”
“Quarterback,” she says. “He was a good one, too.”
I pull up the second photo, afraid that if I stare at this one too much longer, actual cartoon hearts might explode over my head. Call me crazy, but I’m guessing it wouldn’t be smart to be quite so transparent in front of Perry’s mother, of all people.
In the second photo, Perry looks close to Jack’s age. He’s standing next to a man who can only be his father. They have thesame eyes, the same dark hair. It looks like they’ve been hiking, a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains stretching out behind them.
“He looks a lot like his dad,” I say.
Hannah nods. “He looks the most like his dad, really. He and Flint.”
“He has your smile though,” I say as I close out the pictures and add them to the shared folder. “I noticed that the moment you said hello.”
Hannah smiles slyly, and my cheeks flush.
Abort! Abort!Back away slowly from the mother of the man I’m not supposed to be crushing on.
When both pictures finish uploading, I close out the window and push away from the desk. “Okay. All done.”
She breathes out a sigh. “Thank you. That’s been on my to-do list for days, and you just made it seem so easy.”
“I’m so happy I could help.”
She cocks her head. “Listen. If your need for the internet is particularly urgent, then forget I asked, but if there’s nothing pressing, would you like to walk out to the barn with me? I had a couple of late deliveries this year, so I’ve got some baby goats less than a week old that could use some loving.”
Week-old baby goats? Oh, I am so in. Except, I’m not sure that exactly falls in my job description.
“Come on,” Hannah urges. “It’s an official Stonebrook Farm need. The babies need socializing if they’re going to get along with people when they’re grown. If it matters, I’ll tell Perry I insisted you come with me.”
Well.If sheinsists.I point back down the hallway. “Let me just go and message Perry so he knows where I am.”
I race back to Perry’s office and snag my phone so I can send Perry a quick text. I’m momentarily distracted by the notifications filling the screen. I have a new email. A newworkemail. That’s not so significant. Except this one is anothermessage from the high school reunion lady. I glance at the door, not wanting to make Hannah wait, but I’m too curious to ignore the email altogether. Especially after the conversation I just had with Perry’s mom.
Perry,
Listen. I think I’ve figured out what’s happening. I know how hard things have been for you. I realize that by pushing you to attend the reunion, I was asking for more than you’re ready to give. I should respect your need to heal, to recover from our split, no matter how long it takes. But I’ll cover for you, all right? I’ll make up an excuse so no one else on the planning committee has to know that I’m the reason you won’t come. You have to protect your heart. I understand that now. I’m sure seeing me again would only make getting over me that much harder. I wish you well, Perry.
Much love,
Jocelyn
I read the email once all the way through, then read it again, my annoyance growing with each word. The reunion lady reallyisPerry’s ex-wife. Email feels like such an impersonal way to communicate with her ex. Why not text? Or even just call?
Then again, if their divorce was as messy as this email makes it sound, maybe Perry blocked her number so she can’t call or text.
If I had an ex this condescending, I’d probably block her too. Unless her email is genuine? Perry doesn’t really seem like he’s still nursing a broken heart, but we haven’t exactly had a lot of conversations about his love life, so I could be entirely off-base.
Still, my instincts are telling me Jocelyn’s message is meant to be patronizing, not genuine. I don’t know the woman, so I can’t know for sure, but to me, herunderstandingreads like thinly veiled presumptions and insults.
I’m tempted to just delete the message.
But a bigger part of me wants to convince Perry to GO to the reunion. Who does this woman think she is, assuming that Perry is still wallowing? Still pining after her? Still so wounded, he can’t even bear to be in the same room with her? If I were Perry, I’d want to attend the stupid reunion in a million-dollar suit, with a million-dollar date, driving a million-dollar car just to show her.
