Just One Look (Castleton Hearts)

Never buy furniture from someone hot was the moral of this story.

I made dinner and watched a few episodes of a new show. I hadn’t heard anything from Theo, and I didn’t expect to. She seemed like a cold turkey kind of person, and I didn’t think she would remember I existed until it was time to deliver another piece of furniture.

My parents noticed my sadness, but I refused to talk about it with them. I didn’t need a lecture or a bunch of coddling. I was a big girl, and I could get over a crush.

Saturday rolled around and I’d almost completely forgotten about the barbecue. Part of me wanted to just cancel, but I’d promised Amanda that I would bring something, and I didn’t want to let her down after she’d been so sweet as to make my curtains for me.

I loaded up my car with a huge bowl of my watermelon salad and headed over to the Carr house.

The sides of the road were already packed with cars that had had to park there because the driveway was full. I ended up having to join them and walk to the house with my salad while trying not to trip.

Somehow, I made it in one piece and headed right for the row of tables under the small tents that stood in a shady spot in the yard. There were people everywhere. A small stage was set up and a live band was playing to everyone as a man with beefy arms manned a grill that looked like it was made from an oil drum.

Amanda must have hired someone or had a friend who was a professional pit master.

After I set my salad bowl down, I looked for familiar faces and saw Amanda buzzing around and asking anyone if they needed anything.

I waved to her and she came over and gave me a huge hug.

“I’m so glad you could come. Please, get some food and a drink and have a good time.”

She moved off to say hello to someone else as I looked and found the makeshift bar on the other side of the yard that Esme and Paige were in charge of. I got in line so I could say hello and get something for my throat. I was already parched.

Groups of kids ran by as they attacked each other with water balloons and squirt guns and parents tried to corral them to another part of the yard.

Paige and Esme smiled at me as I approached the bar.

“I’m going to start with just a soda, but once I have some food, I think I’m going to need something else,” I said.

“We’ve got you covered,” Esme said, taking a cup that Paige had filled with ice and pouring soda in it.

“There you go, friend,” Esme said, handing it to me. “Come back anytime for a refill.”

“Will do,” I said, sipping the drink. It was so cold that it made my teeth hurt. Someone else was handing out ice pops to the kids who were all yelling about which flavors they wanted.

Instead of heading toward the music, I headed for the shade, where there were a bunch of folding chairs and tables set up for anyone who needed to take a rest or sit and eat.

The smell of barbecue was overwhelming, so I quickly got in line to fill my plate and then grab some salad and sides.

A hand tapped me on the shoulder, and I turned to find Natalie.

“Hey,” she said, smiling under a large hat. She also had a sundress on and looked so cute and bright.

“Hey,” I said.

“Hey as well,” Em said, joining us, her plate piled high. “Do you want to go sit down before I drop this?”

The three of us joined a table that was already occupied by Hollis, Piper, McKenna, Sasha, Jax, Hayden and Alessi.

“Julia’s helping Mom still,” Hollis said, frowning. “I’m going to need to go grab her and make her eat something.” She got up and went to find her fiancée inside the house.

I dug into my plate and had to stop myself from moaning at how good it was.

“Amanda was smart to hire someone,” Em said.

Hollis came back with a protesting Julia, and forced her to sit down, and put a fork in her hand.

“I was right in the middle of something,” Julia said.

“And it will be there when you get back,” Hollis said. “Both you and my mom need to be better at saying no.”

“I’m working on it,” Julia said and then stuffed potato salad into her mouth.

The band was good and played covers of popular songs that just about everyone could enjoy. I tapped my foot and hummed along as I talked with the rest of my table. This wasn’t so bad.

I was just thinking about getting a dessert plate when a hand tapped me on the shoulder. I turned to find a girl about six years old staring at me.