Must Be Fate: (Cody and Clover) (A Jetty Beach Romance Book 3) (10 page)

I grab my phone and stare at the screen. I should call Jennifer. In the past, I often ignored it when she did something shitty. But I’m tired of being that guy. I need to deal with this before she makes things worse. I bring up her number and hit send.

Jennifer answers, her voice cold. “Cody.”

“Hi, Jennifer,” I say. “I suppose you know I’m calling because I heard you were at my house today.”

“Yes.”

I decide to be nice, but direct. “So, what was up? Did you need something?”

She’s silent for a few seconds before answering. “I thought I left some things at your place.”

“You should have asked,” I said. “I knew you still had a key, but I’m surprised you felt like you could just come over when I’m not home.”

“Fuck, Cody, I just wanted my stuff,” she says. Her voice grates in my ear. “You made it pretty clear you didn’t want to have anything to do with me. What else was I supposed to do? Call you? It’s not like you would have taken my call.”

I roll my eyes. Of course this is my fault. “You didn’t even try to call. And you don’t have anything here, so we both know that’s bullshit.”

“Yeah, your new girlfriend told me,” she says.

I sigh. “She’s actually not my girlfriend.”

“Oh, just a casual fuck then? I hope it makes you feel better.”

“Son of a bitch, Jennifer, Clover is just a friend. She got a concussion and didn’t have anywhere else to go, so I let her stay with me.”

“Oh my god, she’s a patient? You brought a patient home to your house? Cody, that is so unprofessional. You can’t bring a patient home and start sleeping with her.”

“No…” I put my hand over my eyes. Why the fuck am I discussing this with her? “That’s not what’s going on. It doesn’t matter. I didn’t call you to discuss Clover. I wanted to know why you thought it was okay to come into my house when I’m not home, but I don’t know why I bothered. Of course you breaking into my house is somehow my fault, just like everything else. You left your key, but I’ll change the fucking locks anyway. I don’t have any of your stuff, so just back off.”

“Believe me, I’m done with you,” she says, and hangs up.

I toss my phone on the couch next to me. Of course she hung up. Always has to have the last word. She took zero responsibility for any of the problems in our relationship.

I can admit, I was a shitty boyfriend to her. But fuck, she’s aggravating. She has a way of making herself out to be the victim every time, and it makes my blood boil.

Clover appears at the bottom of the stairs, and all thoughts of Jennifer vanish in an instant. Her hair is damp, weighing down her curls, and she’s dressed in a short yellow sundress with spaghetti straps.

She comes closer and points to her hair. “I have to let it air dry, or it goes super-fro. Is this dress okay? I have no idea what to wear.”

I can’t stop staring at her.

“Um, is that a good look, or a bad look?” she asks. “I don’t know you well enough to know what that expression means.”

It means I want to rip that dress off of you and fuck you on this couch right now.
I clear my throat. “Sorry. The dress is perfect. You look great.”

“Yeah?” she asks, giving me that sweet smile.

“Definitely,” I say. I grab my phone and stand up. “You look beautiful.”

“Thanks.” She smooths down her dress and takes a deep breath. “Okay, let’s go have dinner with your family.”

“I’m ready if you are,” I say. I hold out an arm and she puts her hand in the crook of my elbow.

I’m not at all sure that I
am
ready. But she’s just a friend who’s new in town. I’ll introduce her to my parents and my brothers. Maybe she and Nicole can be friends. That’s all this is. Completely platonic.

Isn’t it?

Cody’s family lives in a beautiful two-story house. I can tell it’s right on the beach; the sound of the waves is loud when we get out of the car. Strong wind blows my hair around my face—I’m going to look like a disaster by the time we get inside—and the salty smell of the sea is heavy in the air.

I’m beside myself with nervousness. Meeting new people is one of my favorite things, so I don’t know why I’m so worried, why I’m terrified of them not liking me. People always like me. I’m friendly and good at conversation. I’m awful at plenty of other things, but meeting people and making great coffee are things I know I have a lock on.

Yet meeting Cody’s family has my stomach twisted in knots. It shouldn’t be such a big deal. He isn’t my boyfriend, so this isn’t
going to meet the boyfriend’s family
. If it was, my nerves might be justified—but this is just dinner with new friends. I should be thrilled.

I feel all trembly as Cody leads me inside. The front room is so quaint, with a slightly shabby couch and a big grandfather clock. We pass a set of stairs and come into a wide-open great room at the back of the house. There’s a spacious kitchen with a butcher block island, some comfy-looking seating, and a big dining table.

I recognize Cody’s mother. Her graying hair is pulled back and she’s wearing a long green dress. Her face breaks out in a smile when she sees me, settling a little of my nerves.

“Hi, Mrs. Jacobsen,” I say.

“Clover,” she says. “Please, call me Maureen. You look so much better than you did last I saw you. Cody must be taking good care of you.”

My hand brushes my forehead. The lump is almost gone, although it’s still bruised. “He certainly is.”

Her eyes flick to Cody. “Hi, baby boy.”

“Hi, Mom,” he says. He steps in to kiss her on the cheek. “Is everyone upstairs?”

“Yes, of course they are,” she says. “It’s such a beautiful day. Your dad is grilling something, even though I told him I’d make lasagna.”

“You know Dad and his grill,” Cody says.

“Oh, goodness,” Maureen says, putting a hand to her chin. “I forgot to ask if there’s anything you don’t eat, Clover. Are you allergic to anything?”

“No, nothing like that,” I say.

“She’s vegan, Mom,” Cody says. He winks at me.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Maureen says. She opens the fridge. “Why didn’t you tell me? What do vegans eat? Do you eat cheese, Clover?”

I smack Cody on the arm. “He’s teasing you, I’m not vegan. I mean, I was raised that way, but I eat everything now.”

She shoots Cody an annoyed look. “Well, that’s a relief. Cody, get upstairs and introduce Clover to everyone.”

“I will,” he says with a grin. “Although she’s already met everyone except Dad.”

“Not under the right circumstances,” Maureen says.

Cody takes me up a staircase. We emerge on the roof, but it isn’t sloped. It’s completely flat, with a railing going around the entire perimeter. There’s seating, and patio umbrellas, and a built-in grilling station. But it’s the view that makes my mouth drop open. The ocean stretches out in all its sparkling glory. A few seagulls soar through the air, and the wind blows.

“Wow,” I say. “This is amazing.”

“Yeah, it’s pretty great,” Cody says. “I don’t ever get tired of this view.”

We join the others near the grill. Cody introduces me to his dad, Ed, who’s busy brushing sauce on some crackling chicken. I recognize Ryan, Nicole, and Hunter from the restaurant. Ryan looks so much like Cody, except maybe an inch shorter, with a more serious face. Nicole is just as pretty as I remember, with shoulder-length blond hair and a friendly smile. She’s wearing a turquoise dress that makes her eyes look bright blue. Hunter has a thick build, his muscular arms stretching his green t-shirt. They all ask me how I’m doing, and I assure them I’m fine.

Maureen brings up a big salad and puts it on the table, which is already set. There are bright yellow placemats, white dishes, and blue cups that look like the glass is full of bubbles. It all looks so nice and coordinated.

I swallow hard, a fresh wave of nervousness rolling through my tummy. Cody jokes with his brothers; Nicole rolls her eyes but laughs at their antics. Maureen bustles around, helping Ed bring the food to the table, and Nicole jumps in to help. I feel like I ought to pitch in, but I’m not sure what to do, and no one stops moving long enough for me to ask. My hands feel twitchy, and I have a sudden fear of dropping something. Maybe it’s better if I just stay out of the way.

When everything is ready, we sit down. Maureen and Ed take the heads of the table, and the rest of us sit in between. I wind up on the end, with Maureen on my right and Cody on my left. Everyone starts grabbing food and passing it around the table. It all looks amazing, but I’m afraid my stomach is too agitated and I won’t be able to eat.

“Clover,” Maureen says. “Tell us about yourself. Where are you from?”

“Oh, okay,” I say, glad to have an excuse to put my fork down. “Well, I lived in Walla Walla for a while. Before that, I was in Idaho. Before that…” I pause, trying to remember. “I guess it was Colorado. That was a big move. I’ve also lived in … let’s see. Kansas for a few months, Missouri before that. Also Mississippi, North Carolina, Massachusetts, and upstate New York.”

“My goodness,” Maureen says. “You’ve certainly been all over.”

“Yeah,” I say. “I moved around a lot as a kid, too. We lived in an RV.”

“Well, that must have been an adventurous childhood,” Maureen says.

“I suppose,” I say. “My parents were … different. Free spirits, I guess. They didn’t like to be tied down.”

“And what brought you here, to Jetty Beach?” she asks.

“Mom, let her eat,” Cody says.

“It’s okay,” I say. “It was time for a change, I guess. People sometimes think I’m crazy, but I like to follow fate. There were signs that it was time to move on, and signs that I should come here. So I followed them.”

“That’s amazing,” Maureen says. There isn’t a hint of judgment in her voice.

The conversation turns to other things. I wonder if anyone will ask about Cody’s ex, but her name doesn’t come up. Ryan talks about the remodeling work he’s doing on his house. Maureen and Nicole chat about the wedding. Ed asks Hunter about his business, which he says is going well. Cody asks Nicole about someone named Melissa, who turns out to be Nicole’s best friend. By the look on Nicole’s face, I can tell she’s concerned for her friend, but they don’t talk about it further, and I don’t feel comfortable asking questions. Maureen starts in with stories about the three boys when they were kids, until they all beg her to stop.

I’m in awe of Cody’s family. They’re such normal, nice people, living in this sweet little town. They’ve all been here most of their lives, and seem perfectly content to stay. My nervousness doesn’t dissipate as the meal goes on; it only grows. I feel like the one yellow flower in a sea of white, sticking out for all the world to stare at. They’re so comfortable with each other, even Nicole. They’ve obviously embraced her.

I feel awful for being so fidgety, but I can’t sit still. I pick at my food, trying hard to eat enough so that I won’t offend anyone. It’s delicious, but I’m so off kilter. I desperately want these people to like me, but I can’t seem to find my usual charm. They’re so … intimidating. I know they don’t mean to be, and the panic I’m feeling is entirely in my own head. Maybe it’s the concussion. But I have the sinking feeling that I don’t belong there, and I never will.

“Clover, will you pass the chicken down this way?” Ed asks.

“Of course.” I grab the half-empty platter of chicken—but my hands slip, and the platter crashes onto my plate, dumping the chicken into my lap.

I hesitate for a second, half-frozen with shock. The chicken is still warm, but worse is the sticky sauce dripping down my chest, beneath my dress. Cody grabs the platter, revealing my broken plate underneath. Suddenly there are hands grabbing the chicken, napkins coming from every direction, and sympathetic voices surrounding me.

I can’t believe I did that.

Tears sting my eyes. “Oh, no. I’m so sorry.”

I push my chair back and, clutching a napkin to my chest, hurry downstairs.

Cody is right behind me; I stop in the kitchen, trying desperately not to cry.

“Hey,” he says. He grabs some paper towels from a roll on the counter. “Here, let me help.”

“No, I’m fine,” I say, turning away so he can’t see my face.

“Did it burn you or anything?” he asks.

“No, it wasn’t hot,” I say, sniffling. “Just messy.”

He’s quiet, handing me a few more paper towels while I blot my dress. I get the worst of it off, but it’s probably going to stain.

“Do you want to stay for dessert, or would you rather just go?” he asks, his voice quiet.

I look down at the brown smear on my clothes. I feel so stupid. I don’t want to go up there and face everyone. “You can stay if you want, but I think I’d rather go.”

“Okay,” he says. “Let me go up and say goodbye. I’ll be right back.”

I go out the front door and wait by his car, wishing I drove here myself. I don’t want to have to deal with saying goodbye to everyone if they come downstairs. Of course I screwed up. It fucking figures. I always do that when things get intense. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.

Cody comes out and gives me an apologetic smile. We get into the car and drive back to his place in silence. I don’t know what to say. I ruined dinner with his family, and made him leave early. I really need to find a place to live so I can get out of his way. I’m only going to mess things up.