He moved to place it carefully back on the shelf where it belonged. “You’ve read War and Peace?”
Now that her heart rate was returning to normal, she could pick out some similarities to the little boy who had liked to tease her by tugging on her pigtails and stuffing handfuls of dandelions in her lunch box. Joseph had been two years ahead of them in school and left to join the military soon after he graduated. As far as she knew, he’d been in several overseas deployments. Their church had frequently prayed for his safe return. It had been years since she’d laid eyes on him, let alone spoken to him.
“Don’t sound so surprised. Some of us women do like to read.”
“Hey, I wasn’t judging.” He held up his hands in surrender. “I will readily admit to the fact that you were always the smartest one of us.”
She pressed her lips together, trying her best to hide her smile. There weren’t a lot of things that Michelle felt validated about, but her intelligence was one. She’d gone to Brown on a scholarship, spent four years up to her neck in homework, and was about to graduate with a degree in Education Studies.
It almost made up for feeling like the ugly duckling during most of her high school experience. A mouthful of braces, frizzy hair, and a poor knowledge of how to work an eyeliner pencil had been a tragic combination. Things were better now. Her teeth straight and white. Her long hair smoothed with some expensive product from her hair salon. She’d also eased up on the eyeliner and learned how less was more when it came to makeup.
“Why aren’t you out enjoying your family’s barbecue?” The chair squeaked as she pushed it back and stood to face him. “Shouldn’t you be dominating cornhole or something?”
His gaze fell heavy on her face, making her shift uncomfortably. “I’m not in the mood for cornhole.”
“Ladder golf?”
“Too boring.”
“Horse shoes?”
“Last time I played that, I nearly took out my eighty-year-old great uncle.” He quirked an eyebrow at her and rubbed the side of his head again. “But you should really think about taking it up. You’ve got great aim. I think you even cracked my skull. I swear I’m bleeding.”
“No, you’re not.” She crossed the room and pulled his hand from his hair. Squinting at the spot he’d been rubbing, she wrinkled her nose and then shook her head. “No blood. You’ll live.”
“Are you sure, doc?” The corners of his eyes crinkled with humor. She was standing close enough to see the little rings of yellow around the irises of his eyes and inhale the scent of his manly cologne. Despite the closeness, he took a small step toward her, the space between them nearly gone. “Because a trip to the emergency room might be just what we need to get us both out of this party. You’re obviously in need of a good excuse, too.”
Indignation filled her head and she glared up at him. He was too perceptive for his own good. And way too close. “What makes you think I want out of this party?”
“Anyone hiding in a study during a barbecue is the definition of avoidance. The only question is: why?”
“Maybe I’m also not in the mood for cornhole?”
“Nobody sane ever is.”
The way the left side of his mouth twitched in a barely contained grin was infectious. Michelle caught herself mirroring his smile, the sour mood she’d found herself in only minutes ago quickly retreating. Maybe this Thanksgiving at home wouldn’t be so bad after all.
“It’s good to see you again, Michelle. Really good.” Joseph cleared his throat and looked down at his hands. There was a long pause before he met her gaze again, his jaw muscles twitching. “I’m not sure if you knew this, but—”
“Come on, Joey,” a muffled voice called from the hallway. “Adam wants to start a game of flag football and I need my wide receiver. No more hiding!”
The door behind them sprung open and Michelle spun around to see Garret Smith barging into the room. He still looked much the way he had five years ago, with shaggy dirty-blond hair that fell into his brown eyes, a thin athletic figure, and a boyish grin. The only difference was the layer of scruff on his chin that had grown in thicker since high school. The very sight of him made her throat tighten.
He took one look at the two of them and his eyes widened. “What’s going on here?”
Michelle realized she was still standing awfully close to Joseph. She took a giant step back, hitting the back of her head on another shelf. With a muffled cry, she rubbed the spot and blinked back the unbidden tears that sprang to her eyes. Garret was still looking at her, as if waiting for an answer. She opened her mouth to speak, but found her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth and her cheeks blazing hot.
Her gaze turned quickly to Joseph, her expression pleading for help. He was also watching her, his head cocked to the side as if he were trying to figure out a puzzle. Tiny lines appeared between his brows and his frown deepened. With a sharp nod of his head, he turned to face his brother.
“Hey, Garret, you remember Michelle, right?”
Garret’s head tilted to one side, confusion flashing in his brown eyes. “Michelle?”
“Michelle Bright.” Joseph’s voice lowered with annoyance. “Stan and Shirley’s daughter? She graduated with your class. Went to Brown.”
Garret’s eyes finally lit up with recognition. He turned toward her and raked her up and down with an appreciative gaze. “Woah, Michelle? I hardly recognized you. You’ve changed.”
For the better, she hoped. Still, her ability to speak around him hadn’t changed much. All she could do was squeak out an unintelligible answer. Her mind was too busy racing, wondering just how much he remembered about the last time they’d spoken. The night she’d spilled her heart out to him about how much he meant to her. The words still haunted her.