Small-Town Sweetheart (The Spring Grove Series Book 2) Read online

  For the next half hour, we work together. Him from the door, and me performing the procedure. It doesn’t take long once Gary is asleep, and I find that we work well together. I take direction perfectly, and while he had to repeat a lot of his instructions since he was trying to hide from a sedated duck, we ultimately get it done. When I drop the marble into the cup, I bring it to him.

  He takes it from me and shakes his head. “Damn, he could have died.”

  I nod before going back to Gary and checking his vitals, which are great. “I know. This isn’t the first time, nor, do I feel, the last.”

  “It will be the last,” he promises as he shakes the marble in the cup. “Is Mrs. Capernackle out in the waiting room?”

  “She is. She’s the one with a cup of apple juice and a box of saltines. She and Gary share them.”

  He shudders. “I’m going to go talk to her.”

  “Okay. I’ll take it from here with Gary.”

  I expect him to leave, go the other way, but he doesn’t move. His eyes stay on me as he says, “Thank you.”

  I smile as I nod. “Thank you for saving a duck even though you’re scared of them.”

  I meant it as a joke, but he doesn’t smile. Instead, he draws in a deep breath, letting it out agonizingly slowly. He wets his lips, and gooseflesh breaks out all over me. He looks the way he did before he kissed me last time. As much as I want to kiss him, I have duck saliva all over me, and I’m pretty sure if I tried to touch him, he’d run. He doesn’t move from the doorway, though.

  He moves a piece of dark hair out of his eyes before he clears his throat. His eyes are so dark, burning into mine. He takes my breath away, and soon I feel like there is a marble lodged in my throat. “I kissed you because I wanted to. Because you looked absolutely beautiful, and I wanted nothing more than to kiss you at that moment.”

  And with that, he leaves.

  I blink twice and then a third time.

  He kissed me because he wanted to.

  What in the hell does that even mean?

  Chapter Sixteen

  Reed

  I may have been on the lookout for a fiendish duck most of the afternoon. Evil creatures. Delaney may not understand how a thirty-two-year-old man can be scared of a bundle of demon feathers, but she wasn’t the one who got attacked so long ago. She wasn’t the one who was laughed at or even teased for being so scared. Nope, that was me. Stupid ducks, stupid town. I still don’t go by the pond on our land because of it, and that’s okay. People have their quirks. Mine is being terrified of little monsters that are covered in feathers and quack.

  I know it may not make sense. I’m a vet. I love animals. But in Lexington, it’s very rare that a cluster of evil comes in. If it does, thankfully, Noah takes them. He doesn’t ask questions; he just knows I don’t treat birds. Any of them. Not my jam. I don’t want anyone here knowing either. I was lucky Delaney was there for me today. Anyone else, the whole town would already know. But no one has said anything to me. Yet.

  I watch Delaney on the mound, and I feel that sense of calmness she provided me with earlier. She was in charge back at the clinic. She made sure I was okay, that the hellish creature was okay, and she provided for both of us. She has a heart of gold. Her mouth can get her into trouble, but she’s sweet. If that isn’t the makings of a mayor, I don’t know what is. I’m unsure what her hang-up is, but she should do it. She would be the best. Aside from those thoughts, though, I just want to wrap myself around her and press my mouth to hers.

  I adore the determined little dip between her eyes. When the distillery was playing earlier, she somehow became our coach. She called out plays and yelled at us. Funny thing is, when we did what she said, we ended up winning. That pleased her, which in turn, pleased me. I wouldn’t say I’m competitive. I like to win, but then I don’t care either way. She cares, and it makes me care. It’s insane. I’m still unsure of what is happening between her and me. But one thing is certain. I can’t keep away from her any longer.

  When additional weight brings the bed of the truck down underneath me, I turn to see Holden sitting beside me. He hands me a hot dog and then presses his dog to mine like he’s cheersing. “To a good win.”

  I chuckle as he takes a bite. I do the same, my eyes still on Delaney.

  “What are you still doing here?”

  I shrug before speaking around the bite in my mouth. “Wanted to watch the next game.”

  “Over here?”

  I look around where my truck is parked under the tree positioned between the field and Mawmaw’s house. I’m so far away from everyone that I thought no one would notice me watching. “Yeah, I parked here, and then I used the pisser at Mawmaw’s house. Didn’t feel like being around all those folks.”

  Holden shakes his head. “Dude, your dad would not be happy with you.”

  I make a face. “How so?”

  “You’re doing everything you’re supposed to, technically, but you’re not really being a part of this town.”

  “’Cause I’m not.”

  “But he wanted you to be.”

  I look away just as Delaney walks toward the dugout. I missed her last pitch, but I’m too worried if what Holden says is true. Aside from working at the clinic, I have been doing the bare minimum of what my dad asked. I have every opportunity to go over and sit with most of the townspeople, watching a great game, yet I’m sitting here by myself.

  I swallow hard past the lump in my throat. Am I letting my dad down? “I’m just not ready.”

  He nods slowly. “Well, can’t force something that doesn’t want to move.”

  My face breaks into a grin. My dad used to say that all the time. “True.”

  He taps my knee before getting up. “I have a date tonight over in Hamby. I’m gonna head out.”

  “Have fun.”

  “Oh, I will.” He takes a few steps but then turns around. “Hey, when’s Ambrosia leaving?”

  “After Theo’s wedding,” I say, and even though I find it weird he’s asking about my sister, I don’t question him.

  “Cool. Think she’ll come back?”

  “She’s supposed to.”

  He nods once more. “Cool. See ya.”

  “See ya.”

  As he walks away, I look back to the field, where Delaney is up to bat. As she’s been doing the whole game, she hits it way out to the fence with no effort at all. She runs the bases as everyone cheers, her face solely focused on running. She doesn’t listen to the cheers or even her teammates; she runs. When she gets to home base, a grin that hits me right in the chest covers her sweet face as she high-fives everyone.

  “Ball game!”

  I look over at the scoreboard. The church won by nineteen. “Jesus.”

  I chuckle a bit as people start to clear out. This is my cue to leave, so I get up, gathering my trash before shutting the back of the truck. I walk around, throwing my trash into the cab before looking over my shoulder to where Del is. She’s gathering her things, her effortless laughter reaching me. I pause while opening the door, leaning on the side of the truck as I watch her. I should leave, but I guess I don’t want to.

  She’s the last to leave the dugout, and I know it’s because she wanted to make sure everything is clean. She loves the fields; she’d live here if she could. During the summers of our childhood, she was made up of sweat and red dirt. It was everywhere, and even then, I was drawn to her. We were Spring Grove’s version of The Sandlot, and those summers were what kept me going.

  When Delaney starts toward me—well, not toward me, toward her house—my heart kicks up in my chest. She’s wearing tight baseball pants and a tank that clings to those spectacular breasts of hers. Her hair is in a tight, no-nonsense braid while her bag hangs loosely on her shoulder. Her gaze falls on me, and she arches a brow. She has a streak of red dirt along her cheek, and my thumb is begging to wipe it off. “I haven’t seen any ducks around, Reed. I think you can make it home.”

  A grin pulls at my lips