Hold Onto the Stars by Tracy Broemmer

Chapter 18

Peyton was disappointedwhen he left that morning for school. CJ hadn’t shown up yet. She probably had another job site to hit before starting back on his garage, and odds were, he would find her there after school. Didn’t make him feel any better, though. His Monday was long and boring. He was exhausted because rather than sleep, he had decided to overthink everything with CJ all weekend.

It had helped having Jonathon and the kids around for a while yesterday. Once they’d gotten the backboard up, the four of them had played a few rounds of Horse. Leslie and Jonathon’s kids were both good shots, though Lily tended to chase after Junie as often as she flagged down rebounds for the rest of them.

Leslie appeared in his room after the final bell, causing Peyton to hold his breath. Was this where she interrogated him about the date? Did she think he was an epic failure? Or was she going to say I told you so, should have stuck with Violet?

None of the above. Instead, she breezed into his room talking about Lily and Josh buzzing with excitement about being at his house the day before. According to Leslie, Josh was in awe of Peyton’s jump shot and Lily was in love with Junie. Peyton considered Leslie a friend, so he was relieved when she didn’t even mention the failed date with CJ. But he also found himself watching the clock, counting down the minutes until he could get out of the school and head home.

He had no idea what he would say to CJ. Not now. It would almost be easier if they hadn’t gone out over the weekend. If they hadn’t shared those intimate kisses. If he hadn’t had his hands under her dress, cupped around her sweet little ass, and felt the silk of her panties soft and smooth on his skin. But he wouldn’t trade those few minutes with her either. Truth was, he wouldn’t trade a second of the time they had spent together, even though that only made him miss her more.

“Hey.” Leslie nudged his arm. Realizing he was staring at the clock, he blinked and looked at her in askance. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Why?”

“I just told you Jonathon is taking the kids to see a litter of puppies tonight, and you didn’t react.”

“Puppies?” He chuckled. “Wow. That’s exciting.”

“Sure. If you’re not the mom of two already exuberant children who suck up all the free time in the world. ‘Course I have time for a dog, too.”

Peyton scrounged deep for a smile, but judging from the look on Leslie’s face, he didn’t find one.

“Peyton?”

He took a deep breath and sat back on the edge of his desk.

“Can I ask you something?” His voice was gruff, uncomfortable asking her about her life choices.

“Of course.”

“Personal?”

Leslie folded her arms over her chest and studied him with a frown. “Yeah.”

“Do you like being a mom?”

“Um.” Leslie moved a few steps closer to lean beside him on his desk. “I do. Yes.”

“But?”

She shook her head. “No buts. Just curious why you’re asking me that. Considering you’re not mom material.”

He mustered up a smile when she nudged him with her elbow.

“Did you always want kids?”

“Mm-hmm.” She leaned into him. “You’re worrying me. What’s going on?”

Peyton stirred and straightened. “Nothing. Just curious. I need to get out of here. Everhart Electric is working on the garage.”

“That’s what Johnathon said.” Leslie lunged off the desk, but she stopped halfway across his room and looked back at him. “You can talk to me.” She tipped her head and arched her brows. “If you need to.”

He nodded, already moving around behind his desk to pack up and head home. Still feeling the pull toward CJ, he rushed to throw things in his bag and considered the prospect of sitting down with Leslie to talk through the stuff going on with Crosby. As much as he would appreciate someone listening, maybe offering advice, he wasn’t sure he really wanted to get into it with anyone. If there was something to discuss, and he wasn’t sure there was, it was between him and Crosby.

* * *

The truck parkedin front of his house wasn’t the truck he had seen CJ drive.

Doesn’t mean anything, he told himself. If she drives a company truck, even if it’s a small company, she might have a different one today. But as he climbed out of his Jeep with his keys in one hand and his bag in the other, he saw someone working in the garage. Someone short and stocky. Wide shoulders. Ballcap but no long curly ponytail hanging from it.

Who was this guy, and where the hell was CJ?

“Hey.” The guy caught sight of him as he turned to pick up a coil of wire from the ground. “How ya doin’? Travis Winston.”

“Peyton Quinn.” Peyton shook his hand when the guy tugged his work glove off and offered it. “Where’s CJ?”

“She’s working the Fitzgerald new construction today.” Travis pulled his glove back on. No trace of animosity or amusement in his voice, so Peyton assumed he had no idea that he had been plunked down here in Peyton’s garage so CJ could avoid him.

“Gotcha.” He nodded, even managed a smile, despite CJ’s cold shoulder and the way it made his stomach clench. “Nice to meet you. I’m gonna go in and get some work done.”

“You got it.” The guy turned back to the garage, and Peyton headed to the house with thoughts of watching CJ work last week. The way her t-shirt stuck to her skin. The pull of the material over her breasts. How she stopped what she was doing occasionally to pet Junie.

The upside of having this guy here instead of CJ? He wouldn’t be tempted to watch him out the window, so he should get more work done. The truth? Peyton wasn’t going to get anything done anyway, because he would be spending too much time wondering why she was avoiding him. She had made that comment about how it was awkward to run into someone after sleeping with him, but things hadn’t gone that far between them. And they had decided to be friends, right?

Was she upset with him because he hadn’t walked her to her door the other night? Maybe she thought he was a dick and didn’t want anything more to do with him.

Peyton supposed it didn’t matter. She was working somewhere else right now. He couldn’t bother her even if he wanted to. Maybe it was best to put some space between them after the other night.

Junie followed him upstairs and waited patiently for him while he changed clothes. Peyton wondered if she missed CJ like he did. Just in case she did, he took an extra moment to rub her ears and her belly before leading her back downstairs. At the refrigerator, he tugged the door open and considered a longneck. The idea of sitting here, drinking alone and wondering what she was doing didn’t appeal to him. He didn’t want to be pathetic. Instead, he decided on a glass of water, but his eyes moved over the six-pack of Mountain Dew he had stocked just for her.

“Good thing she put the brakes on when she did, June Carter Cash,” he mumbled as he closed the fridge and opened a cabinet to grab a glass. Junie nudged his leg, so Peyton scratched her head absently, filled his water glass, and headed to the table to get to work. His cock hadn’t been too happy that night when CJ stopped the make out session in the kitchen, but maybe it really was for the best. He already woke with the scent of her perfume in his head and the feel of her lean body tucked up against his. That would be about a thousand times worse if they had made love.

Today, he graded math worksheets and reading tests. With no hope of a rescue from his electrician, he eventually put her out of his head for a while. When he did finish grading, it was close to six. Junie was flopped on her side at his feet. Peyton peeked out the window and saw that the overhead door of the garage was closed. Travis had probably packed up and gone at five, if not earlier.

Peyton threw a quick dinner together and ate his tacos standing at the counter. He didn’t like the idea of sitting at the bistro table alone again. As he scarfed the second taco down without tasting it, he realized he was hurrying. And the second he admitted that to himself, he knew why. He was going to go see her, find out why she was avoiding him, and clear the air.

He brushed his teeth, though it wasn’t likely he would get to kiss her tonight. Or ever again. He studied himself in the mirror in his bedroom long enough to be embarrassed. Good thing only Junie was there to witness his indecision. Was he okay in athletic shorts and a t-shirt? Should he put jeans on? He decided against it, because even though he wanted to make her change her mind, he didn’t want to appear to be trying too hard.

“Stupid, Quinn,” he muttered as he jogged down the steps and grabbed his keys and wallet from the counter where he’d left them. He was acting like a high school kid with a crush. He felt like a kid with a crush. Time to get over that, or he might blow any chance he had of being friends with CJ.

Her truck was parked at the curb. Peyton pulled to the curb behind it and noticed CJ and an older man on the porch. CJ sat on the steps. The man whom Peyton assumed was her dad glanced his way, gave him a small nod, and then turned to go inside. Peyton climbed out of the SUV slowly. His heart pounded in his throat, which meant he wasn’t over the crush, and he didn’t want to settle for just friends. Big surprise.

CJ moved as he approached the porch. His eyes were drawn to her legs when she stretched them out in front of her. She rested her elbows behind her and tilted her head to look up at him. She was dressed as he was, which gave him a little stab of relief. But their eyes met as he stopped in front of her, and the jittery feeling ran through him again like a runaway train.

“Hey.”

He shook his head and looked away. He had expected something a little more after the other night.

“Really, CJ?”

“What?” She sounded a little defensive. Peyton looked back at her and started to sit. CJ frowned when he straightened.

“Can I sit down?”

She rolled her eyes and nodded.

“What was that?” he asked as he perched on the second step, deliberately lower than her. “The eye roll?”

She offered him a sad smile and shook her head.

“Still asking permission for stuff.”

“Well, I figure if we’re back at square one, I need to ask permission.”

He watched her struggle to avoid looking at him. She narrowed her eyes in the general direction of the street. Peyton had no idea what she was looking at, because there was nothing out there that interested him half as much as she did.

“Why are you avoiding me?” he asked when it was clear she had nothing to say.

“When did I avoid you?” She still wouldn’t look at him.

“Today? Weren’t you rewiring my garage?”

“It’s a quick easy job, and Travis probably finished it today. I had to help on new construction.”

“Bullshit.”

That got her. She swung her gaze around to look at him and froze when their eyes met again.

“Don’t you think it would be best if we didn’t see each other for a while?”

“And why’s that?” He tipped his head. “I thought we were going to be friends.”

Her soft sigh sounded a little sad. Peyton wondered what she was thinking.

“I just think we need a little time.” Her voice was a little bit hoarse. She dropped her gaze and turned away from him again.

“I’m sorry.” He twisted around on the step and directed his gaze toward the street.

“For what?”

“I was a dick. It’s not an excuse, but I was upset.”

She laughed softly.

“Yeah, well, I’m sorry for leading you on. I should have just asked you to bring me home after dinner.”

Peyton took a moment to think through her words. Leading him on? Is that what she thought? That he was pissed, that he had been a dick because he wanted sex, and she had shut him down?

“Leading me on?” He kept his gaze on the street, hoping she would say more.

“You threw a red flag. I should’ve been honest with you then. Instead, I asked you to take me to your house, so we could—”

“Crosby.” He groaned. Frustrated, he ignored her when she turned to look at him. Peyton rested his elbows on his knees and shoved his fingers back through his hair. “I wasn’t upset—it’s not about sex.”

Peyton froze at the sound of a door opening behind them. CJ looked over her shoulder and watched her dad lean around the door.

“Made some iced tea,” he announced. “Anybody want some?”

“No, Dad, thanks.” CJ sounded annoyed. Peyton looked at the guy, relieved when he smiled.

“Crosby Everhart,” the guy told him. Peyton climbed to his feet as CJ’s dad stepped out and let the screen door bang shut behind him. “CJ’s dad.”

“Hi.” Peyton noted the similarities between CJ and her dad as he shook the man’s hand. Both tall and fit-looking. His hair was more silver than brown. Green eyes. He had a pleasant smile, but unlike CJ’s, it didn’t send little spikes of lust through him. Definitely a good thing. “Peyton Quinn. I’m…um…” He glanced at CJ who was now leaning forward with her elbows on her bent knees. “A friend of CJ’s.”

Her dad nodded. “Welcome to Oak Bend.” He pointed at Peyton’s old Sox hat. “You’re gonna need a new hat.”

Peyton grinned.

“Would you like some iced tea?”

“No, thank you,” Peyton answered. He wouldn’t have minded tea, to be honest, but he was more concerned about getting a few minutes to talk to CJ. Judging from the twinkle in the man’s eyes, he knew exactly what Peyton wanted with CJ.

“Good to meet you,” Crosby told him. Peyton waited until he went back inside before sitting again. This time he sat on the same step as CJ. Closer than before. Maybe he shouldn’t, but he was crowding her on purpose.

The look she gave him said she knew what he was doing. She didn’t protest, though, and Peyton thought that had to mean something.