Chapter 2 Dean
DEAN
Strawberry Springs Neighborhood Watch
Jackie Anne: Did you see that truck that hit the stop sign on the square? That driver was YUMMY!
Comments:
Mollie Wilson: Um, Jacks, he’s Cain’s age.
Jackie Anne: I can look! I think Grace agrees. She talked to him right after.
Dale Garrett: I’m straight as a needle, but saw him yesterday. WHEW! I didn’t know they made them like that anymore!
Kerry Winsor: He’s practically a baby! What is wrong with you all!
Kerry Winsor: Wait, is he the guy with the cowboy hat??? THAT GUY?
Wren Hackett: He’s my electrician and he’s not gonna date any of you! Why are you all talking about him and not the wreck?
Jackie Anne: It’s been a while for me, okay? I can look if I want!!!
I was craving cherry limeade, and it had everything to do with Grace’s unreal outfit this morning.
It had been a long time since I was this excited to flirt with a woman, but I’d been good for a few days. It was time to ruin that.
“Are you daydreaming again?” Wren asked in the middle of her lecture. I hadn’t been listening.
“Who, me? Of course not. I never daydream during important conversations.”
“You’re a terrible liar.” She crossed her arms. “Is this thing you have with Grace gonna be a problem?”
Wren was not happy with me, and I didn’t blame her. I’d been here two weeks and gotten distracted by Grace Day over a dozen times. Wren had told me not to talk to her, and I had kept that promise up until this morning.
This wasn’t normal for me. Sure, I had flings on jobs, but they never took away from what I was trying to get done.
“Is a beautiful woman ever a problem?”
“Normally, no. But you’re acting weird about her. Weirder than usual.”
The difference was that I was stuck in a small town again. I’d come here as a favor to Wren, but I hated these kinds of places. Grace had been the only thing making it tolerable. And to find out she was even more fun to talk to?
Yeah, this was going to be a problem.
I’d dealt with attraction. A lot. But there was something about this attraction. I needed her. And being told no only made me want her more.
“Technically, she talked to me first . . . after I wrecked my truck staring at her.”
“And you used that as an opportunity to flirt?”
“What? Am I supposed to just be rude?”
Wren considered it. “No, but flirting isn’t a good option. Seriously, I asked Mollie, who asked Jade—”
“I don’t know who any of those people are.”
“Yet you figured out Grace’s name pretty quickly.
” Wren rolled her eyes. “The point is, Jade is close to Grace, and is pretty sure that Grace would not be into a one-night stand. It’s been a bit, but she always does things the usual way.
Dating, and then sex. I don’t think this would work. She would get attached.”
Attachment was the bane of my existence. I’d managed not to have that issue ever since high school, ever since Julie. I had Mom. And then I had work. It was fine.
And if I had one thing to thank Julie for, it was teaching me to protect myself early. To everyone, I was the lighthearted, fun guy. The guy to sleep with and move on.
Some got attached and I had to turn them down, but I made it clear who I was from the get-go.
There would be no relationship. It was just fun.
That’s what kept me from getting my ass hurt, after all.
Some tried to fight it. Some heard no and thought it meant yes if they pushed hard enough. I knew I was just a game. A challenge.
Wren had seen a perfect example of it when the director of the show she used to work on tried to get me to date her. I’d said no, and drama had ensued. Wren didn’t want that here, and I didn’t blame her.
I fucking hated being a part of the small-town rumor mill.
But dammit, I wanted Grace. I saw her, and every logical thought I had flew out the window.
“I’ve got it,” I said with a laugh. “Contrary to popular belief, I can listen.”
“I’m waiting for confirmation on that one. Now get your truck off the curb before it gets stolen. A beauty like that is catching eyes.”
“Is there even crime around here?”
“Most of it is committed by Hugh. But don’t test the waters.”
“I get it. No testing waters.” I put my hands up in mock defense. “I can be good.”
“Your truck, Dean.”
I turned, hoping that Grace would still be there, but she must have gone on with her day. I wouldn’t have been able to do anything anyway. I was being good.
After getting the truck into a parking spot, I was ready to get started for the day.
But I kept seeing Grace’s dark curls in my mind. They hung down her back, and I had a feeling they would look even better splayed across my hotel pillow.
When I got out of the truck, someone was waiting for me.
“Hugh?” I asked. “How the hell did you sneak up on me?”
“Your damn head was in the clouds. I was gonna ask you where you got the truck, but I don’t think you’re capable of thinking straight.”
I could’ve gotten offended, but I didn’t. He was right.
“Well, there’s no good coffee shop out here, so I’m running on empty.”
“We have all the main brands.”
Yeah, big brands that tasted like battery acid.
I knew better than to argue with Hugh. Though he looked frail, guys like him packed a punch. It took staying calm when they were cranky and listening to them when they talked.
Surprisingly, that was quite hard for some people.
“To answer your question, my mom passed the truck down to me. She got it a long time ago and kept it in good shape.”
His eyes narrowed. “I bet it needs a lot of work.”
“It does, but I do it myself. It’s what I’m up to on the weekends.” Even though people looked down on it, I loved working with my hands.
“Well, at least it’s not something you blew a lot of money on. It’s better than some of the yahoos that come through here.”
I’d heard the town had been getting tourists ever since Wren’s show had aired. Some loved the idyllic, small-town feel. I had a feeling it was played up for the cameras. A reality show had to have something fake.
“I’ll try not to make too many waves. Wren has me on a tight leash.”
“What, you usually make waves?”
“You could say that.”
Hugh squinted. “Then you’ll wanna stay away from Grace. She’s the town angel. Everyone likes her and no one likes waves near her.”
My shoulders tensed. Of course they all cared about her. Of course they didn’t want a guy like me touching her.
“Got it. She won’t have any issues from me.”
He nodded and walked off. I had to take a breath.
It was clear that this town was tight-knit. They all knew each other and any mistakes would be known by everyone.
Which was the exact thing I hated about small towns.
“That went well,” Wren said.
“Did you seriously follow me?”
She shrugged. “I was making sure you didn’t ask for more info about Grace and then get your shins kicked. Usually, he’s meaner.”
I gave myself one beat to grit my teeth together. I was annoyed, but I wouldn’t let it show.
“You know me.” I said it with a laugh I didn’t feel. “I’m charming all the ladies and grumps.”
“You’re doing something.” She rolled her eyes. “But I’d really love it if you would finish up the wiring in the back today.”
“Consider it done.” I gave her a smile before heading inside the shop to get to work, ignoring the way just being here made me more tense than I’d ever felt in my life.
Usually when I worked on a project with Wren, she kept us going until late into the night. I was one of the few who would keep up with her, mostly because Clyde was the same way. The two of us were always booked because of how hard we worked and how we got the job done right the first time.
I figured this would be no different, but hours later, I was proven wrong.
“All right,” Wren said as she came around the corner, “time to leave.”
“It’s only been eight hours,” I replied as I shook my head. Just who was she?
“And I’m under doctor’s orders to not work myself to death. And considering he’s my boyfriend, I listen to him.”
I’d heard about Wren and Henry when they’d gotten together on Renovating with Love. I’d even worked on the first season, until the director banned me from season two. When I saw the location, I hadn’t minded being left out.
I had a suspicion Henry and Wren were simply a way to get her out of dating her costar, Jude, who was as shallow as a thimble, but then she’d permanently moved here. I thought she wouldn’t enjoy it, but one look told me I was wrong. She practically glowed.
“Can I stay?” I asked. “I could get a lot done.”
“No, you need rest too.”
“I thought you wouldn’t want me getting up to anything.”
“Just don’t break hearts,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “You’re allowed to have fun.”
“Having fun gets me into trouble. I thought you didn’t want me in the Facebook group.”
“You already are,” she said. “But it’s for wrecking your truck, and most people found it . . . funny.”
“I like to make a name for myself.” I shrugged, but I had a feeling people were doing more than finding it funny.
“Go to Bell’s Brews. It’s down the road.” She pointed to one of the buildings on the square with neon signs advertising beer. The sun was getting low in the sky, and I knew I could either go do nothing in my hotel room or I could have a drink.
The second sounded less awful.
“All right, but don’t get on me if you regret this.”
“Yeah, yeah. At least you’re not working on electrical while tired.” She waved before she left the worksite.
I put on my hat and a smile, nodding at the random people who passed by. When I entered the bar, a few people were scattered around. Hugh was in a corner with a pint glass, watching something on his phone. A lone bartender was behind the counter cleaning a cup. I approached him.
“Hey, man.”
“Hey,” he said. “You’re new here. Welcome in.”
I ignored the ripple of tension that tried to make its way into my chest. The bars in Nashville were so busy that no one could keep track of anyone. Sometimes, that was nice.
“Yeah, I am. I’m working with Wren on the coffee shop.”