Rhett & Moses (Gomillion High Reunion #12)
Chapter 1
MOSES
The Welcome to Gomillion sign loomed ahead.
Its once-vibrant paint now faded and chipped around the edges, much like my enthusiasm for this whole affair.
I gripped the steering wheel tighter, my knuckles turning white as I tried to ignore the foreboding weight in my chest. Twenty years.
Twenty goddamn years I’ve been driving down this road and it still felt like I was heading straight into the lion’s den, knowing that each and every day was one closer to my day of reckoning.
I’d lived and breathed these streets experiencing some great times but also terrible turbulent years.
Who hasn’t had that in their lives? I’d been lucky to have solid friends such as Bronwyn and Maxwell back in Atlanta to fall back on to help keep my spirits raised and the luxury of expressing my love through mixology at times.
It still didn’t stop the heavy weight that I carried on my shoulders knowing that this weekend it was the first Gomillion Reunion for my graduating class.
I rolled down the window and allowed the crisp Carolina mountain air to fill up my lungs.
The familiar scent of pine and wildflowers should have been a comfort after all this time, but instead, it only intensified the knot in my stomach.
Days away from here every week, quickly seemed to feel like years.
In the distance, the Blue Ridge Mountains cut a jagged line against the sky, lighting up the area and the reality of how small a town Gomillion really was in comparison to the surrounding area.
It really was just a tiny speck nestled at the foothills of something much greater; an area of beauty that could easily be missed if you didn’t look close enough.
“Get it together, Moses,” I muttered as I passed the sign, officially entering the town limits. “It’s just a few days. Smile, pour the drinks to the alumni and avoid any questions about that statue. Afterwards, I’ll just get the hell out of dodge and then I’ll take a break away from everything.”
That was the plan, anyway. It was a simple one and should be easily executed.
Take part in the Gomillion High twentieth reunion, do my duty as co-owner of Timbers the same one it had done twenty years ago whenever Rhett had entered a room.
“I figured he might,” I said, aiming for casual and missing by a mile.
“Just thought you should be prepared,” she continued. “Rumor has it he’s single now.”
I shot her a look. “And why would that matter to me?”
Bronwyn rolled her eyes. “Please. I’ve known you since we were kids, Moses Morley. I know what happened between you two.”
“Nothing happened,” I said automatically, the lie tasting bitter on my tongue. “And that was two decades ago.”
“Some fires never really go out,” she said with a shrug. “They just burn underground, waiting for the right conditions to flare up again.”
“Save the poetry for the drinks menu,” I grumbled, heading toward the office. “I need sleep.”
Her laugh followed me down the hallway. “Sweet dreams, Moses. I’m sure they’ll be filled with a certain someone.”
I flipped her off without turning around, her answering cackle making it clear she wasn’t remotely offended.
Once inside my apartment, I collapsed onto the narrow cot without even removing my shoes.
As exhaustion dragged me toward unconsciousness, my last coherent thought was a prayer that I could make it through this week without completely falling apart.
A hard knock on my apartment door jolted me awake.
“Rise and shine, sleeping beauty!” Bronwyn’s voice boomed through the door. “Your adoring public awaits!”
I groaned, squinting at my watch. 2:30 p.m. I’d been out for almost nine hours by the time I’d fallen asleep, yet somehow felt like I’d barely slept at all. My mouth was dry, and my head throbbed dully. A perfect start to what promised to be a hellish week.
“Give me ten minutes,” I called back, swinging my legs over the side of the cot.
“You’ve got five,” Bronwyn replied. “First reunion attendees just rolled in, and they’re asking for you specifically.”