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

  “I’m surprised you remember that,” I say softly, and he hides his grin behind his glass.

  “I remember a lot. Especially all those memories you’re in.”

  I smile. “I didn’t go away easy.”

  He laughs, a deep, throaty laugh. “No, but I never minded.”

  My cheeks fill with color as I look away. I watch the dance floor, where Theo is holding Gen, along with other couples swaying around them. It’s a slow night, which is unusual for a Friday, but then, the fair is in Hamby County. As the jukebox blares “Drunk Me” by Mitchell Tenpenny, a little grin pulls at my lips. I glance down the bar and notice everyone is doing okay. When I look back to Reed, he’s watching me. “Dance with me?” I ask.

  His brows pull together. “Here?”

  I nod. “Yeah.”

  “How about I take you back to my place and we dance there?” he suggests as he leans forward to me. His pinkie comes out, brushing along my knuckles. The touch is sweet, beautiful, but I shake my head.

  “If you want to dance with me, you’ll dance with me. It doesn’t matter where we are.”

  He nods slowly. “True, but I don’t want everyone watching us and knowing.”

  The way he says that bothers me. He looks around, like he’s already worried people are talking, and that doesn’t work for me. I hold my finger up, my gaze blazing into his. “I don’t care what we are doing. If you don’t want to label it and just hang out, fine, but you won’t hide me. I’m worth more than that.”

  “I never implied you weren’t. I just don’t want everyone in our business.”

  “Do you know where we live?” I ask, and I see the argument in his eyes. This isn’t his home. I reach for my rag, shaking my head. “My mawmaw and your mom know. Everyone is already in our business. But then, what business do we have? I gotta get back to work.”

  And I walk away.

  Reed McElroy may be one gorgeous man and a great lay, but I won’t play games.

  Been there, done that.

  Not again.

  Chapter Twenty

  Reed

  What in the hell just happened?

  I sure as hell don’t know, but if she thinks I’m leaving this bar before I find out, she’s got another thing coming. I look down the bar top, and I’m about to yell her name when Holden falls onto a stool on one side of me and Theo on the other.

  I look between the two of them, and I know they have something to say. Probably something about Delaney and me, but I don’t have time for that. “Not right now.”

  “We have a question,” Theo asks. Obviously, these two butt nuggets don’t listen. “Are you sleeping with Delaney?”

  “Yeah, Mawmaw told me you dropped her off in her drawers.”

  I look to Holden, and I wish like hell I had made Delaney put those pants on. Then I glance at Theo. These two are my best friends, my brothers, in a sense, but all I care about is talking to Delaney.

  “Not right now,” I say once more, and then I look down the bar. “Hey, Del.”

  She ignores me. Completely. I call her name once more. Everyone at the bar looks over at me but her.

  “I think she’s ignoring you.”

  “Thank you, Holden.”

  “What did you do?” Theo shakes his head. “Never mind. It’s you and Del. I’m sure you pissed her off.”

  I give him a rueful look. “Maybe she pissed me off?”

  “She’s ignoring you.”

  “Don’t you two have something else to do?” I call Delaney’s name again, but she’s still ignoring me.

  “Yeah, we need to know what’s going on,” Theo says, directing his gaze to where she is deliberately ignoring me.

  “Are you two dating?”

  They won’t leave me be; I know they won’t. “No, we’re hanging out.”

  “Oh.” Holden looks back to Theo. “She knows that, right?”

  “Yeah, of course. We just talked about it. But then she wanted to dance, and I didn’t want to dance in front of all these people. I asked her back to my place, and she got pissed because she won’t be hidden. I wasn’t trying to do that. I just don’t want people in my business.”

  “We live in Spring Grove. Everyone is in everyone’s business,” Holden adds, and I groan loudly.

  “Well, maybe I want to be private with her.”

  “Good luck,” Theo says, and then he smacks me hard on the back. A little too hard. “And watch what you do.”

  Then he walks away, the warning loud and clear. Well, that was surprising. Holden is smaller than both of us, but his eyes meet mine and are commanding. “I love her, and if you want to have fun—as long as she’s okay with it—I’m okay with it. You two are adults. But the moment the fun changes, don’t think I won’t choose her over you.” What in the hell is happening? I look at him, confused as fuck as he slowly lifts a shoulder. “Her favorite song right now is ‘Parallel Line.’”

  He follows off behind Theo, and I’m left completely bewildered. I fully expected them to give me shit for fooling around with Delaney, but I never anticipated a warning. I don’t know what they think is happening, but it’s not serious. We’re just fooling around. I’m leaving, and she’s not. Not that I want, or would ask her, to.

  Though, Delaney would look mighty fine in Lexington. What the hell is wrong with me?

  I look down the bar for her. She’s leaning on it, talking to someone, and I almost want to go down there.

  “Parallel Line” is her favorite song.

  I get off the stool and head toward the jukebox. I find the song quickly. After putting in my money and hitting 6-D, I hear Keith Urban’s voice fill the bar. I turn, and I find her watching me. Her eyes are a bit wide but not enough for anyone else to notice. But I do. I head for the bar, and she watches my every step. My gaze is on her too, enjoying the little tip of her lips as she mouths the words to the popular song. I stand by the side entrance to the bar as she leans onto the back counter of the bar where the liquor is. I jerk my head to the floor, and she raises a brow. Oh, she’s such a pain.

  “Hey, Del.”

  “Yes?” she calls back to me, crossing her arms over her chest. “Did you need a refill, Reed?”

  “No,” I say, shaking my head. “I need to dance with you.”

  “Need?”

  “Need.”

  Her lashes fall a bit as a slow grin pulls her lips the rest of the way up. “Hmm.” I raise a brow, but then she’s moving to me. “It is my favorite song.”

  “Is it?” I ask as I hold my hand out for hers. She takes my hand, and I walk backward as we head to the floor, my eyes on hers. “Why’d you get mad at me?”

  “I’m not mad.”

  I scoff. “You ignored me.”

  “I didn’t hear you calling my name,” she says as I bring her in, fighting back a grin. I never said I called her name, but I don’t want to go back and forth with her. She brings her hands to my chest, pressing her cheek to mine, and I hold her so close not even a piece of paper could get between us.

  “I upset you.”

  “I don’t want to be used.” Her breath is warm against my jaw and my ear.

  “In no way did I plan on doing that.”

  “Most do. I may have a few insecurities about it.”

  “You may?”

  “No one ever wanted to date me in high school unless I kept it under wraps. Since I was pathetic and needed love, I did it. But I won’t any longer. I am worth more than that.”

  “Hell yeah, you are,” I say against her cheek. I feel her lips curve against my cheek. “But fuck those guys. They didn’t deserve even a second of your time.”

  “Well, when you’re a cow, you have to settle.”

  “You weren’t a cow.”

  “Maybe a donkey.”

  I roll my eyes.

  “For sure, a pig.”

  I shake my head. “Stop being so hard on yourself.”

  “It’s so easy.”

  “I know, but stop.” She presses