Page 13 of No Place Like Home (Orlinda Valley #3)

Rowan

I laid my head on the door bracing my hands on either side. I placed my ear on the wood like that might help me hear her. “Summer, I’m sorry. Please open up.”

I held my breath, but there was no sound. Was she listening on the other side, or had she already gone to bed?

I leaned my back heavily against the door. It didn’t lock. I could’ve opened it, but I wasn’t that kind of guy. Right now, it might as well have been an iron gate rather than a thin piece of wood.

God, I was an idiot. Summer had always made it clear she didn’t want a long-term relationship.

That’s why I never made a move before. But after hearing about all the assholes she’d chosen over the years, I couldn’t stay away.

I had to tell her how I felt. I was done hiding it.

Done pretending I was happy being just friends .

Since middle school when I first met her, her father’s inability to be a decent human simultaneously made her life hell and caused a starvation for male attention—but also fed her fear of committed relationships.

I should have stepped up sooner. I should have told her then how I felt, but high school guys rarely made good decisions, and my choices were focused on hot cheerleaders and the next party.

Even though I liked Summer, I was happy with her as my Summertime—the friend I could always count on.

I sighed heavily and pushed away from the door.

Now, I couldn’t be sure whether Summer felt anything more for me than friendship. The kiss told me maybe she did. My goal when I came home had been to talk to her about my feelings, and I was supposed to talk first and act later. Yeah, well, I fucked that up this way to Sunday.

I paced the living room, and paused occasionally to listen. No sound at all came from the bedroom. It was only nine thirty. There was no way in hell I would be able to get to sleep. I raked my fingers through my hair and sent a text to Trevor.

You busy? I’ve got to get out of this house

It took a while before I got his answer, and I about wore the floor out pacing as I waited.

Nope. Just left the pub. Heading home. Come on by.

I was out the door before I finished reading the last word. I flew down the driveway, turned the music up, and rolled all the windows down. The fresh air and heavy rhythm of the drums and base guitars occupied my brain and kept memories of Summer from taking up too much space in my head.

I drummed my hands on the wheel as I flew down the back roads of Orlinda Valley. Trevor lived about five minutes farther out of town. The night was dark, only lit by a tiny sliver of the moon, but I could find Trevor’s place blindfolded .

Finally, the electrified fence that always signaled the start of Trevor’s family’s property came into view on the left side of the road. I slowed and turned onto a paved drive that led to Trevor’s parents’ house, then veered off of it onto the pothole-filled road that led to his double wide.

He owned at least thirty acres of his parents’ hundred.

They had cattle, pigs, chickens, and a few horses, and sold grass-fed beef and pork to locals, as well as to the country stores in Orlinda Valley and surrounding towns.

Trevor loved being a farmer and a fireman, and now I guess he loved being a bar owner also.

He was a country boy through and through—small-town life had always been his thing.

Even though he played football in high school and took up firefighting, farming had always been his goal. And here he was, living his dream.

I pulled in front of the detached garage, walked to his back door, and knocked.

“Man, you don’t have to knock,” Trevor said as he opened the door. “Get your ass in here.”

His house was an open floor plan. The kitchen and eating area, with a bar counter, opened to a large great room with a fireplace in the corner. He had two small bedrooms and a bath down one hallway. His spare room was his home office, hence the reason I wasn’t staying here with him.

He grabbed two beers from the fridge—again, the Summertime Lager and an IPA. “I’ll take the IPA,” I said, probably too quickly. I might not like IPA, but I had to stay away from that other one tonight.

He raised a brow .

I ignored him and took it from his grasp, and we got comfortable in the living room.

“Trev, you’ve really made this place look good. When I was here for Dad’s funeral, it was not much at all.”

“Don’t be so nice. What you mean is, it was a run-down shit hole.

Yeah, I considered building, but it’s amazing what pulling up old carpet, adding some new additions to the cabinets, and a coat or three of paint can do.

” He placed his feet on the coffee table and crossed his ankles.

“So, what the hell happened with you? You sounded desperate.”

“Sounded?” I asked as my brows creased. “I sent you a text.”

“Yeah, well I heard your tone in the words—or, better yet, the words you didn’t say.”

I haven’t been home in about five years, and I didn’t come here to talk about the shit that happened tonight. “I’m not here for advice or to talk about me. I want to know what you’ve been up to.” I sat back. Talking to Trevor had been a good idea.

“I’ve been up to nothing,” he said.

I sat and waited for him to elaborate. When he didn’t, I said, “The pub seems to be doing great.”

“It is,” he said.

“How’s your shoulder?”

“Getting better. Now, back to you.”

I chuckled. “Dipshit, don’t do that. Let’s talk more. Are you going to be able to be a fireman again, or are you done?” Trevor had injured his shoulder pretty seriously in a house fire about a year ago. He’d been lucky that was all he’d injured, as the roof had collapsed while he was still inside .

“I was just cleared, actually. My last surgery did what it was supposed to do, and I have full movement.”

“No shit.” I sat up and leaned on my knees. “That’s awesome. So, when do you get back on the job?”

“Next week. I won’t be going into the line of duty for a while, but once my shoulder gets stronger, I’ll be able to do more.”

“Good. You’ll get back to your crazy schedule and make yourself happy.”

“Okay, enough. I get that you’re concerned about it, but why now?” He narrowed his eyes and stared at me.

Dammit. I sat back. “I haven’t seen you in person in five years. Can’t a guy just be interested in his best friend?” Suddenly, this couch was not comfortable. I crossed my ankle over my right knee and tried to look relaxed. I hoped I looked better than I felt.

“Fuck.” Trevor slid to the front of his chair and leaned on his thighs. “You screwed Summer.”

I chuckled. “Well, not the way you mean, but yeah.”

“What?”

I leaned my elbows on my knees, placed my beer on the table, and scrubbed my hands over my face. I kept my eyes covered as I said, “I kissed her, and, damn, it was amazing.”

“Fuck. Seriously? You finally did it?”

I kept my face covered and nodded.

He laughed. “I’m guessing that with you being here right now and looking like shit, things didn’t go as you hoped. But it couldn’t have been just a kiss. Summer would have been able to handle that.”

I puffed out a breath, dropped my hands, and looked at him. “I told her how I felt about her. How I’ve always felt. ”

“Holy Christ almighty.” Trevor smacked his hands on his thighs and jumped up with a whoop and holler. “I can’t believe it. You finally bit the bullet. Took the plunge. Threw caution to the wind.”

I cocked my head. “What the hell is up with you?” Knots pulled tight in my gut as I thought about my situation. “You realize it didn’t go well. I’m here, and not at the house with her. She walked away from me. Told me we couldn’t go there. Slammed her bedroom door in my fucking face.”

Trevor stopped his excited pacing of the small room.

“Yeah,” I said. “I ruined one of the best friendships I’ve ever had, which is exactly what I knew would happen.”

“Dude, that sucks. But she’s Summer. She won’t let herself be happy. She loves misery.”

“No, she doesn’t,” I snapped, my words edged with bitterness. I hated when people talked about her in a negative way.

He held his hands up to hold me back. “Slow your roll, Rowan. I know you’ve always been protective of her.

But you haven’t seen her. Kora and Darlene are the only ones who can make her smile and relax—well, so can Kai.

The past couple years she’s dated men who are more toxic than drinking water filled with rotten cow shit. ”

I popped a brow,

“Seriously. Trust me.” He sat back down. “You wouldn’t want to have rotten cow shit in your drinking water. That would be bad.”

I rolled my eyes, not because I was surprised at what he was telling me, but because his farm metaphors have always been irritating as hell.

“Let’s change the subject.” We sat in silence for a bit.

I took one final swig of my drink and walked to his refrigerator to grab another one.

There was one IPA and one Summertime. I took them back and handed him the Summertime .

“Fuck, no. That IPA’s the shit. That one’s mine.

I just have Summertime because it was left over from when Patrick, Kai, and Bryson stopped over last week to help fix the fence.

” He chuckled. “It’s perfect for you. Put your mouth on a Summertime that won’t slam the door in your face.

” He cackled at his own joke. At least he cracked himself up.

“Dick.” That only made him laugh harder. Nothing like a friend who can laugh at you and make you feel better. “I’m glad you’re still getting enjoyment out of my heartache.”

“Please, you’ve always made it so simple. Saying no to pretty girls has never been a talent of yours, even when your heart was with someone else. Seriously. Give her time—she’ll come around. You’re the only one who can chip away at that frozen exterior of hers.”

We got quiet as we drank our beers, but I couldn’t handle the silence after a while.

“So. We are right back where we used to be. Unable to be with the girls we want. How are you doing with Kora getting married?” Even though he and Kora were over a long time ago, he’d had a difficult time letting her go.

Trevor nodded thoughtfully, taking a swig of his beer before answering.

“Won’t lie. When Kai first came to town, I didn’t trust him.

But, he’s unfortunately almost perfect and treats Kora like a queen.

And, just like the rest of the town, I couldn’t help but like him.

He and Kora could become the king and queen of Orlinda Valley if they wanted. Even his father has grown on me.”

“Shit, I’m sure that took a lot of doing.”

“You have no idea. But Terry’s staying clean and sober, keeping up with his AA meetings, and working the steps. Can’t complain.”

Trevor stood and put our bottles in the sink. That Summertime Lager had gone down like water .

“So, what’s your plan now that you’re a civilian?” Trevor asked.

“Going back to Texas the week after the wedding for the interview. I’m not sure what type of job I’m looking at, but if I could be home, it will be worth it.”

“It’ll be good. You’ve always been successful doing anything. Whether it’s helping people, saving the world, or being behind a desk. You’ll do great.” He slapped me on the shoulder. “If you want to stay here tonight. It’s fine with me. I’ll grab you a pillow and blanket.”

It didn’t take me long to decide. I took the pillow and blanket. His couch was just as comfortable as the one at Kora’s, and anything was better than going back to the house to face the emptiness and coldness of not being close to Summer.