If It Makes You Happy(63)

“How wonderful to see you,” Cliff continues through gritted teeth. “How can I help you?”

“I didn’t know if Emily was here. She didn’t stop by like she usually does.”

“She’s at the inn,” I interject, somehow out of breath. “She’s been waiting on your call.”

“Crap, I knew it,” he whines. “My mom has been hogging the phone. She got some radio sweepstakes thing.”

“Shame,” Cliff says, but he seems disconnected from the conversation as much as I am.

I’m so lost in what happened. Whatever it was. If it was anything at all. One minute, we were dancing, and the next, I’m so nervous. I’ve never been this nervous around Cliff.

“I’ll go find her at the inn,” Josh says.

“Front door is unlocked,” I say.

“Thanks. Oh, and, Mr. Burke?”

Cliff’s eyes squeeze shut. “Yes, Josh?”

“Can I … can you tell me what her favorite dessert is? I figure … I don’t know … I’d like to find out how to make it or something.”

Cliff’s shoulders deflate, and he nods, breathing out, “Apple fritter.”

“Apple fritter, apple fritter …” Josh repeats.

“I’ll give you my recipe.”

“Thanks, dude. I mean, Mr.—”

“Call me Cliff.”

I swear the boy’s grin gets so big and energized that it could power the entire town of Copper Run.

“Thanks, Cliff. I’ll, uh, be seeing you.”

The bakery door shuts, and Cliff slowly turns on his squeaking boots. He tucks his hands in his pockets as his gaze trails from my hair, down to my lips, and back up. He’s taking me in, and even though he’s always looked at me like that—with a stare that sees through me—I’ve never felt more exposed than I do in this moment.

My face flushes red, and I can feel heat everywhere. Not in my cheeks or my chest, but down to my stomach and dangerously lower.

“I’ve got to get back,” I blurt out. “Lisa and Carol are probably overwhelmed.” I dig in my pocket and hold up Carol’s five-dollar bill. “She gave me money to get her a pack.”

He swallows and forces out a laugh, looking down at his shoes instead of at me. “Oh. Well, definitely don’t do that.”

“Didn’t plan on it,” I respond. I place it on the counter. “I’ll tell her I lost it.”

Cliff grins. “I’ll sneak it back into her purse tomorrow.”

“Thanks.”

I bypass him without another word and push out the door. Behind me, the dead bolt locks.

I don’t want to turn around. I don’t want to know if he’s watching me walk away. I don’t want to potentially see his subtle smile rise up the corner of his mouth. I don’t need to feel my heart beating faster. And I definitely don’t need to confirm my newest secret.

I like Cliff Burke. Like like, as Emily might say.

I like his deadpan humor and his messy, complicated life. I like the fact that he needs touch as much as he needs oxygen. I like that he says what he wants and takes what he wants and doesn’t apologize for either. I like that, at the end of the day, he’s my friend.

I like Cliff Burke. And this charming guy who has the entire small town wrapped around his finger? I know he could never like an abrasive woman like me.





CHAPTER 17





Cliff




Halloween is the biggest holiday in Copper Run. Sure, we love Christmas too, with the snowflakes hanging on bare branches and hot chocolate stands, but if you want to get Copper Run hyped up, place a few crusty skeletons in the yards and blast the “Monster Mash.” If you live here, it’s expected that you celebrate ghouls and slasher films like the good resident that you are and you always wear a costume.

I look at myself between the stickers on Emily’s long mirror and sigh.

“Remember when you used to make me a ghost?” I say. “Or Batman. Why not make me Batman again?”

“Because Ghostface is what’s cool right now,” Emily answers nonchalantly.

Emily has been either choosing my outfits or making them since she was little. And this year, she chose the most popular costume of the season from the biggest slasher movie of the past year.

I hold out my arm. Black fabric slithers down and hangs in a large open sleeve, revealing the cuff of my red flannel underneath. Only an inch of skin shows between that and my black gloves.

She bends at the waist to stroke more black nail polish onto her toes. “It was the last one at the mall, Dad. You have to wear it.”

I pick up the white mask from Emily’s dresser and place it over my face. Through the thin black mesh, I can see drooping eye holes and a yawning mouth staring back.

I take it off. “I’m gonna scare your sister.”

“I showed it to her beforehand. I told her it’s from an old kids show,” Emily says. “She thinks it’s funny.”

“Em, that is incredibly irresponsible.” I straighten the black robe on my shoulders. “But also genius. You’re ungrounded.”

Her head jerks up. “Wait, I wasn’t grounded.”

“I was debating it.”