Page 6 of Falling for You
Repeating the word like a mantra, CeCe pulled a blanket from the back of the couch and curled into a ball. Now that she was alone, her muscles unclenched and the tears truly fell, ugly tears that caused her to heave with the release. She hoped the happiness would come after the tears dried, but still, she was uncertain.
It had been years since she gave Eric this type of power over her. CeCe was no-nonsense, both inside and outside the kitchen. She’d broken her rule of not dating at work with Eric, and it ended worse than she could have imagined. “Ugh,” she groaned as she stood and paced into the kitchen. Few things calmed her like creating something delicious.
By nature, CeCe loved feeding people. When she cooked and baked, she got satisfaction from other people’s enjoyment. But sometimes she needed to get into the kitchen and make a mess for herself—needed comfort food just for her. Opening the pantry and her fridge, she sadly realized it had been ages since she had made it to the grocery store. Messy comfort food would be a problem.
Slamming the door shut, she padded out to the living room and dug around the couch for her phone. Takeout would have to do. As she dialed her favorite pizza place’s number, she heard a knock at the door. Freezing in place, she hoped she’d misheard.
“CeCe, are you home?” a familiar voice came through the front door. CeCe frantically checked her reflection and walked toward her visitor. Her eyes were red and puffy, and it was pointless to pretend she hadn’t just fallen apart.
Pulling open the door, she saw Ginny, wrapped in a coat and holding a huge paper bag. “I brought you some dinner,” she said with a sheepish smile.
Not wanting to be rude, CeCe stepped back for Ginny to enter. “Come on in. Your timing is actually perfect. I discovered I have no food in this house.”
Ginny giggled nervously and placed the bag on the counter. “Max said you might need a few things.” She kept her gaze down and emptied the bag onto the counter. CeCe recognized Max’s famous cheese enchiladas and had to stifle a moan of delight. She was touched because those were Ginny’s favorite too.
“Is that what I think it is?” CeCe peered into the plastic to-go box. The heavenly aroma of cumin, cheese, and lime hit CeCe square in the face, and she was a goner. “Let me get you a plate too.”
Ginny held her hands up and stepped back. “No, this is a delivery service. I need to drop off another tray to Dad and Mona. I don’t mean to keep you.”
CeCe studied Ginny for a moment. At first, when Ginny came back into town, CeCe wasn’t sure what to think. Max had been brokenhearted and pining for his ex-wife for what felt like an eternity; his loss had been a part of him. Now that they’d reconciled, CeCe saw such a change in Max. She wasn’t the sentimental type, but it made her happy to see Max so happy. Plus, Ginny really did seem like a nice person.
Fidgeting, Ginny finally met CeCe’s gaze and asked, “Are you all right?” CeCe appreciated Ginny’s directness, even though her expression soured. “It’s none of my business. Forget I said anything. I’ll leave you and your dinner in peace.” Stepping back, Ginny nearly tripped on her own feet. “Ack, sorry,” she muttered as she made it to the door.
“Ginny, wait,” CeCe called out as she met her at the threshold. “Thank you for bringing dinner, and thank Max for me.”
Ginny shrugged. “You’re welcome. Once we’re unpacked, you need to come over to our new place. We want to throw a dinner party.”
“Sounds nice,” CeCe said, meaning it even though her tone was flat. Supporting Max was important to her.
“Well, uh, good night.” Ginny raised her hand as she stepped into the evening.
CeCe watched her walk to her car but called out before she could leave. “Thanks, Ginny. Really, I appreciate you checking in.” It was the most she could offer anyone now, but judging from Ginny’s growing grin, it was enough.
For the second time that night, CeCe listened to a friend drive off into the night—to their homes with the men they loved. As CeCe heated her enchiladas, she thought about what that would look like. What would it feel like to have someone with her now, helping her set the table and open a bottle of wine? What would he be like?
Suddenly, a flash of Evan crossed her mind’s eye, and CeCe gasped. She pictured him chopping vegetables while singing along to a sappy pop song, his voice never quite on key. A smile tugged at her lips at the image, but she quickly shook herself from the moment. Evan wasn’t hers, and it didn’t make sense to daydream about him.
But since the Christmas Jubilee, thoughts of Evan were coming fast and furious. True to his word, he’d been the perfect gentleman that night. He’d been by her side the entire time, spinning her on the dance floor, laughing with her, helping her with setting up the buffet, never losing his lopsided grin.
“Knock it off,” CeCe chided herself when the microwave dinged. She pulled her dinner free and nearly ate it straight from the box. “Max, you did it again.” She sighed as she settled on the couch to finish the rest of the meal.
An hour later, her eyelids heavy, CeCe dozed while a reality show played on the TV. Just as her head fell back, she heard a buzz on her cell phone. Checking the text, she saw it was from Evan.Hope you’re having a good night. Let me know if you need anything.
Another lump formed in CeCe’s throat. This time for entirely different reasons. Instead of being sad, she was happy to have someone like Evan in her life. No, that wasn’t true. She was happy to haveEvanin her life.
And that scared her half to death.
*
Evan set up his laptopon his kitchen table while a pot simmered on the stove. It was time for his weekly video call with his sisters, all three of them. They’d started the tradition when he was in college. Every week, they picked a night to eat dinner together via Zoom. Each sibling was in a different part of the Midwest.
Sophie, his oldest sister, was married with two kids and lived near Cleveland. She was the bossiest of the group and took her role as big sister very seriously. Emily, the middle sister, was recently married and pregnant, living in Indiana. Mallory, the youngest and closest to him in age, lived thirty minutes outside Buckeye Falls. They had always been the closest, and since she was also single, they banded together.
Evan poured himself a beer and scooped up some stew for dinner. He’d been trying several recipes with Max, and he was closer to the perfect sauce. Easing into his seat, he heard the familiar chimes of an incoming call. Pressing the accept button, Sophie flashed up on the screen.
“Hey, baby brother,” she cooed as Evan rolled his eyes. She waved with one hand, one of her children hanging onto her other arm.
“Hey, guys.” He waved back, careful not to knock over his beer. “How are you doing? And whose arm is that?” He gestured at the screen with his fork.
