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

  “Yes, when we were drinking. Is that holy, Sister?” Mawmaw pauses, and then she points to Sister, her eyes blazing with mischief. “Oh wait, I guess it can be since Jesus did turn water into wine.”

  Delaney snorts, but Sister isn’t happy. She stomps away as Mawmaw shakes her head. She looks down to us, and I cover her hand. “Thanks.”

  She pats my hand. “You two don’t listen to her or anyone else in this town. She’s just mad ’cause William broke his hip and can’t give her what she wants.”

  Delaney laughs. “Ooh-wee, Mawmaw, you’re on a roll today.”

  Mawmaw gives her a wink. “You two just keep doing you. Some people aren’t as hip and cool as me.”

  I smile. “You’re the coolest, Mawmaw.”

  She blows me a kiss. “Don’t you forget it. I think it’s sweet you two are screwing around with each other.”

  With that, she walks off toward the front where everyone is gathering for the town meeting. I look at Delaney just as she looks at me. Then we dissolve into laughter. Her hand is lying on the back of the pew just where mine is, so I hook her pinkie with mine. “I like that we’re screwing around too.”

  She waggles her brows. “Yeah, but not for the reasons Mawmaw is.”

  My brow perks. “She doesn’t want us to get off?”

  She giggles. “Nope. She and Shirley are convinced you’ll fall in love with me and not leave.”

  I roll my eyes. “That won’t happen.”

  I feel her staring at me. “Jeez, don’t worry about my feelings.”

  “You don’t want me falling for you anyway.”

  I meet her gaze, and I think I see in her eyes that she does. She wants me to fall for her? Wait, what?

  “Yeah, sure.”

  “You don’t.”

  “I don’t,” she says, looking away. “We’re having fun. We both know that.”

  “Yeah,” I say cautiously.

  “Yeah.”

  That doesn’t sound convincing, but it is what it is. She knew going in what we were doing. I said it, she said it, so I don’t know what she’s thinking. The stupid fucking thing is I want to know. It’s going to kill me.

  But then the damn town meeting starts.

  I lean in. “You’re not mad, are you?”

  She side-eyes me. “Why on earth would I be mad?”

  “For what I said.”

  “For being honest? I’d rather you be honest than smash my heart like a bottle of whiskey.”

  God, she’s so pretty. Her eyes burn into mine, and those lips are fire, I just know it. I can’t help it. I lean closer, pressing my lips to hers. I have to taste her before I lose it. She snuggles closer to me, her fingers moving along my jaw, but then I pull away. I hold her gaze once her eyes open. “No reason to give anyone else anything to talk about.”

  She shrugs. “Yet, they already do.”

  They do, but if I’m able to avoid throwing gasoline on that fire, I will. I watch her for a bit, loving her profile, as Sister Engelmann goes on about stupid shit no one cares about.

  When Bryce drops down beside me, Delaney waves, and he returns the gesture. He leans back, his eyes on me. “Sitting next to your girlfriend?” He waggles his brows at me, and I roll my eyes.

  “Don’t make me shoot you with your gun.”

  “I’d take you down before you could even try.”

  “Please, you’re too slow.”

  “Wanna go?” I ask, my eyes challenging. I could easily take him. He’s fluffy. Donuts, if you will.

  Bryce doesn’t back down though. “I sure do—”

  “Guys? Really,” Delaney whisper-yells at us.

  We’re in a stare-off. “I can still kick your ass.”

  “Please, you couldn’t kick a ball.” His lips curve teasingly, and I roll my eyes. He’s such a pain. But we aren’t here to prove who is the superior brother—me. No, we’re here to support Del. It took some convincing, but she’s going to run for mayor. Well, not run so much since there is no one else who wants it. So I’m pretty sure we’re here to accept her as ours. Well, the town has to accept her…not me… Okay, I’m done thinking.

  Holden and Devin sit down next to Delaney just in time as Sister Engelmann says, “We had another candidate apply for mayor.”

  We’re all shocked—hell, the whole church is. Chatter runs around the pews, and people gasp and ask questions. Mawmaw stands, her hands on her hips. “Who?”

  “William Jr.”

  I look at Delaney as she sits at the edge of the pew. “Seriously? He doesn’t even live here.”

  Mawmaw points back to her granddaughter. “Exactly.”

  “Yes, but he is moving here.” Sister Engelmann leans into the podium. “So as long as no one else wants to put their name in the running, it’ll be Delaney Abbot and William Engelmann Jr. Votes will be cast July thirty-first.”

  Delaney leans back in the pew, and I turn to glance at her as Bryce speaks. “You got this. William hasn’t even been in town for the last ten years. He’s a loser. No one likes him.”

  She shrugs. “But they love Sister Engelmann.”

  “But they love you,” I reiterate, and she looks at me. “Don’t worry. You got this.”

  “You think so?”

  “I know so.” I say it like a promise.

  Because if Delaney Kate isn’t the mayor, then nothing will ever be good about this town.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Delaney

  “Tell me something no one knows.”

  I look over my shoulder at Reed. Our legs are tangled as I lie on my stomach and his hand squeezes and circles my ass. I think he’s obsessed with my ass, which is fine until he wants to stick his cock up there. Nope. “Something?”

  “Anything.”

  He has this playful, sexy quirk to his lips that drives me absolutely crazy. He always gets like that after we go at it for a while. I hadn’t expected to stay as late as I have. But one thing is for sure, the hungry look in his eyes tells me I’m not going anywhere for a while. Our gazes play as I think over what I want to tell him. “Like what?”

  He squeezes my ass, squinting his eyes a bit. Now, he’s the one thinking. “Something you never told me when we were younger. Remember what you said to me outside of the church?”

  My face fills with color. I was really upset with him that day. Such a jerk. “Yes, I remember just fine.”

  His lips curve more. “Tell me something like that. I would love for you to elaborate on what exactly you did when you thought of me, but I’m gonna save that for a day I’m really needing a pick-me-up.”

  I roll my eyes. “It’s really nothing.”

  His eyes say otherwise. “The thought of you with those magically skilled fingers—”

  “I was a virgin until I was nineteen. There was nothing skilled about how I got off.”

  “I beg to differ.”

  I snort out a giggle as he laughs. “Please. You, Reed McElroy, who got around just fine? You would have laughed at me.”

  His laughter cuts off. “I wouldn’t. I would have taken care of you.”

  I press my lips together. “Well, you ran off before you ever got that chance.”

  “There wouldn’t have been a chance. I knew I was leaving.”

  I nod. “But this time?”

  He shrugs, his hands still gripping my ass like he is molding a damn pot back there. “This time, well, there was no keeping me away.”

  My lips quirk a little as I look away shyly. “You make me sound irresistible.”

  “Exactly.”

  God, the way he says it, like it’s just a fact, makes me feel like he’ll never leave. But I’m not naïve. I know the truth. It’s okay; I’ve got that thick skin I inherited from my mawmaw. I can handle anything. Though, the thought of watching him leave does make me feel like I swallowed a knife. One that pierces my heart, my lungs, and then my gut. Slits me completely open, throat to pussy. Well, that’s graphic…

  I lean on my hands as I lo