Chapter 1 Grace #2
“I can get my own drugs, thank you very much.” He waved me off, looking annoyed at my suggestion, but it was our secret that if he truly needed it, he would take me up on the offer.
I was about to say something else when a vehicle pulled into the square, one I’d heard about but hadn’t seen in action yet. People were talking because it was older than anything they’d seen around town. Not many of us had a classic truck.
As it got closer, it was obvious that it was well taken care of. The paint was pristine, and it looked like it jumped through time to be here. Whoever owned it cared for it a lot.
“Damn,” Hugh said from beside me. “I haven’t seen a truck like that in such good shape in a long time.”
The window was rolled down and revealed a man with dirty blond hair wearing sunglasses. On the dashboard sat a cowboy hat unlike anything I’d seen before. It was well-worn and sun drenched. It was a working hat.
I dragged my gaze to his face and the first thing I noticed was his facial hair. It was a touch darker than his hair and lined his jaw. Above his lip was a thicker mustache.
He wasn’t from around here. Mostly because every woman in town would be clamoring for a man like that. I’d heard rumors over the last few days that Wren had brought someone new to town, but I didn’t know he was so hot.
I could have sworn he was looking back, though his eyes were hidden by his sunglasses. My heart skipped a beat. It had been too long since a man looked at me. I was sure I had cobwebs in my vagina from the lack of romance in my life.
But all of my thoughts came to an abrupt stop when he neared a corner. Whether he was staring at me or not, he wasn’t paying enough attention to the upcoming turn.
And he went over the curb and right into a stop sign.
The truck lurched and stopped suddenly. Next to me, Hugh gasped.
“The truck! He wrecked that beautiful truck! I swear, these youngins don’t know respect.”
I was less worried about the vehicle and more worried about the man inside.
“Let me check on him.” As I ran over to him, I asked, “Are you okay?”
He took off his sunglasses, blinking as if he were shocked by his own actions. “Yeah. Must have gotten distracted at the wheel.” His eyes flicked to me and stayed there.
“Why? See something you liked?”
He looked me up and down. “Definitely.”
Oh, shit. He was into me. And he was hot.
Was I finally about to break my streak?
I blinked out of it as people started to gawk. Tammy was watching us out of the window of the diner. Jackie was doing the same from her hair salon.
What was I doing being horny in front of the whole town? I needed to get it together.
“Is your truck okay?” I asked.
“It better be!” Hugh called.
“That’s something I should probably focus on.” The man got out and glanced at the bumper, then he looked back at me. “It’s just hard to look away from you.”
“You might want to. I think it might actually do Hugh in if you ruin this thing.” I nodded to Hugh, who was glaring at us.
His brow tightened as he thought about it. “I’ve heard that name before.”
“Hugh’s famous around here.”
“The term is infamous,” Hugh called. He had started making his way over as the man and I flirted. Now he was beside me. “Even I know that.”
“I was trying to be nice, Hugh.”
Hugh harrumphed, but I swore I saw a tinge of red on his cheeks. “Whatever. Check on the damn truck, kid, and stop staring at Grace.”
“Right. Sorry, sir.”
“Who the hell calls me sir?” Hugh muttered.
“People who have respect for you,” I said.
“Don’t flatter me.”
“I always have respect for my elders,” the man said.
“Did you call me old?” Hugh asked with another glare.
“Not as an insult. As a fact.”
“Damn, he didn’t even shrink away.” Hugh crossed his arms. “Am I losing my edge?”
“Definitely not,” I replied. I threw my thumb over my shoulder at the man, adding, “He’s new in town. He doesn’t yet know how grumpy you can be.”
“I’m not easily bothered,” the man added with a smile. “And I’m happy to say I didn’t just mess up my truck. I’m sure that’s all you cared about.”
“You’re damn right. Keep your eyes on the road, kid. Or I’ll take it off your hands.” Hugh walked away, clearly going for a dramatic exit.
It was too bad he moved with the pace of a snail.
“Nice moves with Hugh there. You know cranky old men well.”
“I work with them a lot,” he said, a fond smile on his face. Then he must have remembered that we had been flirting before. “So, Hugh’s the town grump. What are you known for?”
“Why do I have to be known for anything?”
“This is a small town. Doesn’t everyone know everything?”
He wasn’t wrong, but I wasn’t sure how to answer. I was known for being kind. So kind to everyone in hopes I could make up for Brooke.
But that wasn’t an answer a guy like this was expecting.
“Makeovers. And cute outfits.”
“Definitely agree on that one. I think that skirt will be imprinted in my memory forever.”
“I could give you more to remember than a skirt.”
“Please do,” he said lowly.
I was pretty sure my heart would explode if I didn’t take a second to breathe. I stepped back and eyed him.
“How about a whole makeover? Just for you. The jeans and tight shirt can go—” But what a tragedy that would be. “And I could put you in . . . the new frilly pink dress I just got in stock.”
He raised an eyebrow, a smile on his face. “Think I could pull it off?”
“Probably. You should show the whole town to be sure, though.”
“Set the time and I’ll be there.”
I was hoping to make him blush as much as he was making me blush. I could see I was dealing with an expert.
“Where’s your manly pride?”
“I know who I am. Don’t need anything else.”
“I like the confidence. More men should take after you.”
“I don’t think the world could handle that.”
“I could,” I replied. “I could handle anything you give me.”
His eyebrows crept up. I could tell he liked that I was flirting back, and I wanted nothing more than for people to like me.
He opened his mouth to say something else, but we were interrupted by a loud voice. “Dean! I told you not to—” Wren looked at me. “Ignore him!”
Wren was a former reality TV star turned resident of Strawberry Springs. I hadn’t gotten many chances to talk to her, but we were friendly. She was currently working with Theo, the town’s former handyman, on the new coffee shop that everyone was excited about.
“She’s everywhere,” he muttered before turning to Wren. “For the record, she was making sure I was alive after a harrowing accident.” He gestured to the curb he’d hit.
Wren wasn’t moved. “Yeah, yeah. You’re alive, all right. Remember what I said?”
Dean let out a long sigh before turning to me. “Sorry to cut this short, but scary boss lady calls, and she says I need to make sure my reputation doesn’t reflect badly on her.”
“You’re known for having a reputation?”
“You could say that. Nice to meet you, Grace.” He gave me a heart-stopping smile before walking toward Wren.
I stared the whole way.