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

I crave it.

  I want it.

  Reed McElroy could love me something dirty, but he’d leave me behind.

  Question is, is that a bad thing?

  “I don’t get it, Del. If you hate him so much, why are you always talking about him?”

  “Because he bugs me,” I grunt out, hitting the ball once more and watching it sail to the fence. “I don’t get why he doesn’t like me.”

  “Del, everyone loves you.”

  “He doesn’t,” I call back to her before reaching for my beer. I lean into my bat as I take a sip. “He’s weird around me. Like his eyes are all hot and demanding, but his words are like a zapper! Remember the zapper?”

  She rolls her eyes. “Yes, I remember the goddamn zapper. You’re a nut.”

  “I’m nice, and of course, I like to chitchat. But he wants nothing to do with that.”

  “Then stop talking to him.”

  But I don’t want to. I know that’s the logical thing to do, the smart and sane thing. But I want him to like me. “I just want him to be nice to me.”

  “Or you want to bang him, and you won’t admit it.”

  I toss my empty can at her, and she laughs. “Aw, Delly likes Reedy.”

  I glare over at her. “How old are you?”

  “He is handsome, though, and so tall.” She chuckles. “I could write a nasty romance about him.” She then smacks her hands together, rubbing them as a brow shoots up under her ball cap. With a devilish grin, she says, “Reed’s callused hands pulled Delaney’s hair back as he buried his thick cock deep inside of her. He felt right, perfect, but oh so wrong. He doesn’t like her, but maybe he does. A soft moan leaves her red-apple lips as his teeth rake along her shoulder. ‘Give me more, Reed. Give it to me hard—’”

  “Are you done?” I ask, and good Lord, I know I’d come reading that damn book. If it happened for real, though… A girl can dream. I shake my head to get the thought out, looking wide-eyed at my best friend. “Jesus Joseph, Zoe Jayne, there are young ears around.”

  Gen looks around, confused. “Where?”

  “Me!” I inform her, and she laughs some more.

  “You know you want that book.”

  “I know that book would cause nothing but trouble.”

  “Oh, it would. That guy has one foot out of this damn town, and I’m pretty sure you were grown from the soil here.”

  I throw a ball up, smacking a line drive to the fence. I was. It’s never pissed me off before, but right now, it does. I’ve always had a thing for Reed. He’s always been a dick to me, but I never truly believed it was who he was. Maybe I am just a sweetheart and see the good in people, but I can’t help but feel there is more to Reed than what he lets people believe. I’ve seen glimpses of it, and just the thought has me yearning for more.

  I throw another ball up just as my mawmaw’s voice fills the field. “Hey, you two, dinner is ready. Clean up your mess and come on now.”

  The ball sails through the air once more as I call back, “We’re coming.”

  I drop my bat before glancing over at Gen, and she isn’t moving. “You gonna help me?”

  She nods with her eyes closed and then reaches down to pick up the can I threw at her. “Done.”

  “Asshole,” I mutter as I run out, collecting all the balls I hit out of frustration. I really don’t know what to do about this. Do I ignore him like Gen says, or do I continue trying to get him to see that I could still be his friend…or more? Maybe I should just let it go. He didn’t want me then, and he probably doesn’t want me now. I really need to get laid, is what needs to happen. It’s been a couple weeks since I broke it off with John Aaron. I need to find someone else to fill my thoughts—and me—instead of Reed.

  ’Cause all he’s gonna do is drive me crazy.

  I head to the bucket, dropping the balls in it as Gen pushes her cap up. “When is the season starting?”

  “Tomorrow,” I say dryly. She should know this; she’s playing for the church too, along with Theo.

  “Oh. Shit.”

  “What?”

  “I don’t want to play.”

  I roll my eyes. “We’ll make you the bat girl.”

  “God bless you,” she coos, standing up and gathering her things. “But hey, I have an idea.”

  “Which is?” I ask, tucking the six-pack of beer into my bucket.

  Her eyes dance with amusement as her grin grows. “Nothing says you and Reed can’t have some really hot sex. You’re both obviously frustrated, and everyone knows the best stress reliever is a lot of hot sex. So, why not? And just leave it at that?”

  Leave it at that.

  Hmm, that wouldn’t be so bad.

  Chapter Ten

  Reed

  I drove two and a half hours away to get a TV and a microwave. After a couple days in this empty, silent cabin, I need something to watch. Even if it’s just Netflix, I need it. I was so close to Lexington, I almost went to my apartment to get my TV and microwave, but I didn’t want to leave Wilbur any longer than I already had. He doesn’t do well by himself. He might be a tad bit high-maintenance—not that I’m labeling him or anything.

  I was supposed to work this afternoon, or better yet, Dr. Ross had already put me on the schedule to work. I got out of it, but I’m still really annoyed I’m even on the schedule. I thought I was just helping out. But apparently, that isn’t the case. If anyone would like to explain to me how the hell that happened, I’d be grateful. I want to call my mom and rip into her for bamboozling me into working at the clinic. But usually when I try that, she rips into me. She made me cry last time I called to bitch at her. I was twenty-five. You don’t mess with my mom.

  Instead, I’m working at the very place I never wanted to work since it’s in town. And my vet tech three days out of the week is the very girl I wanted to steer clear of.

  Thanks, Dad. Oh, and Mom.

  Fucking hell, Delaney is pretty. Really pretty, and it bothers me how much I think so. How much I want to take her in my arms, feel my fingertips dig into her skin, and take those plump lips with mine. I want to taste her. I want to know if she tastes as sweet as everyone says she is. She tried talking to me the whole afternoon. She never stopped, even when I made it known I was ignoring her. I’m doing it for both of us. We wouldn’t be good together. She’s all sugary-sweet and kind, and people think I’m a jackass.

  If people hated me because of my dad going with the wrong person, they’d despise any kid who came from… Holy fucking hell, what am I thinking?

  “Jesus Christ,” I mutter as I snatch the TV cord from Wilbur and plug it into the outlet. Wilbur looks at me, displeased, but I shake my head at him. “You can’t chew on that. I just bought you a basket of toys. Go on.”

  His ears perk, and I point to the basket. “Go get ’em, boy.”

  He bounces off playfully, and I can’t help it, I’m grinning like a fool. I love that dog. He’s my baby, and that is enough. I don’t know where the hell that thought from before came from, but one thing is for sure, I can’t ever think it again.

  When a knock comes to my door, I glance around the TV as Wilbur loses his damn mind, howling and barking. Devin walks in and puts his hands to his hips. “What’s all the racket, boy?” Wilbur is jumping way higher than his back legs and hips would like, but my brother grabs him and Wilbur wiggles in his arms, kissing him over and over again. “This dog is gorgeous.”

  “I know,” I say, standing up after pushing the TV stand back. “He’s my baby.”

  “You got a TV?”

  “And a microwave, before I off myself from starvation and lack of Netflix.”

  Devin’s gruff laugh fills the room. As I walk toward the couch for the remote to make sure things are working, I notice my brother’s tight white pants and bright-yellow McElroy’s Distillery tee. “Where’s your bat and glove?”

  Devin sends me a grin. “In the car. With yours.”

  I perk my brow at him as I turn on the TV, excited with the beautiful re