Chapter 7 Scarlett
SEVEN
SCARLETT
I’m not a self-conscious person, but I can’t stop feeling like everyone is looking at me. It’s an odd prickling on the back of my neck and when I turn to follow it, there’s no one there.
I’m inclined to think that I’m being stalked.
And the only person who would stalk me is Connor, though I don’t think he’d take his life into his hand like that.
No, it’s the town people who are giving me strange looks the whole afternoon.
I almost feel like I’m the part of a joke I’m missing or don’t understand.
I stand up from the table I’m sitting at and walk up to the counter again to check on our food.
After we visited Cedar Creek Ranch, we walked around the town, but Mom was too exhausted for the Christmas market.
We decided to call it an early night and while the rest of my family went back to the Inn, I stopped in to pick up our dinner.
Dad wanted to stay with me, but I sent him back as well.
The Inn is only a five-minute walk away.
“Excuse me, I just wanted to check on my order, for Monroe. I’ve been waiting for over an hour,” I say to the server behind the counter.
“It will be another few minutes. We’re just very busy,” she says, without looking up at me.
I didn’t doubt they were busy because we’d seen a bus full of tourists arrive earlier in the afternoon.
But people who came after me had already picked up their order, so I found it a bit suspicious that mine was still not ready.
“Can you please check?” I ask in a voice that I hate to use. Sienna calls it my ‘dealing with a bully voice’. It’s hard and leaves no room for an argument.
The girl finally looks up and heaves a sigh. “Sure. Let me just drop everything and check.”
Okay, something weird was definitely going on. All I’d ask her to do was her job. Maybe I caught her on an off day and maybe it was my fault for pushing her to check on my order. I will make sure to leave her a big tip.
The door behind me opens and I step aside to let the new person come in. Heat spreads across my back and when I breathe in, I’m hit with the clean, cool scent of winter and something warm and woodsy like sandalwood.
I stiffen, looking over my shoulder. My eyes meet dark green ones. Of course, it’s Connor because the universe hates me and seems to have a personal vendetta against me. For a second, I consider leaving the food that’s never going to be ready and walking out of here.
But why do I have to leave when I haven’t done anything, and he gets to exist like he’s the king of the world?
I turn around and face the counter, completely ignoring him.
Which is hard to do when the man is 6’5” and he still makes my body hum like I’m coming alive.
I feel him step up to the counter and I pull out my ereader to read the book I’ve auditioned for.
Gemma St. James is one of my favorite authors and I’ve already recorded two books by her, but I definitely want this one.
The main character is a little edgier, a lot unlikable, and a part of me really connects with her.
“Oh, Connor!” The server is back. “Your order will be ready in another minute or so.”
She smiles at him sweetly and I feel that familiar hum of frustration and jealousy. I tamp down the latter emotion because I have no business being jealous over Connor.
“Thank you, Anna.” God, the sound of his voice. It’s rough and unexpectedly smooth, like a blend of whisky that’s been aged to perfection and hits all the right notes.
“Can I get you something to drink while you’re waiting?” Her cheeks flush pink and I get it. I’ve been there, specifically
I might as well be invisible to her, even with my bright lavender hair.
“Excuse me, what about my order?”
She frowns, looking at me like she’s forgotten why I’m here. “Oh, uh, it’s going to be another few minutes.”
Either they were really, really busy, or something fishy was going on.
I feel Connor look at me as I try to control my anger.
I have never in my life been rude to service workers because I might be an angry person but I’m not a shit person.
I’ve worked in the service industry, and these are my people.
So, my only choice here is to walk away and leave the order.
Right? Because I can’t be fucking angry at her that my order has taken over an hour to prepare.
“How long have you been waiting?” The question comes from Connor.
“Not long,” Anna says. “We’re very busy.”
Connor is still looking at me and I wish he’ll stop. Why is he making this more difficult than it needs to be? Something brushes against the edge of my coat, and I look down to see Connor’s hand flexing towards me before he clenches it into a fist.
I look up at him. He’s looking at me plaintively, almost desperately.
My heart squeezes painfully. I told myself I won’t talk to him and I’m about to break that rule because I’m exhausted and he’s here.
I’m suddenly remembering how considerate he always was, always wanting me to be comfortable and safe. So protective.
I didn’t need anyone to protect me, but I couldn’t deny that it was nice to be protected. To have someone go to bat for me, or stand behind me ready to jump in.
“Over an hour,” I say with a swallow.
Connor’s jaw flexes as he grinds his teeth. “Wait here.”
He turns and walks towards the back of the restaurant. The server glares at me and I don’t understand what I’ve done wrong.
A minute later, Connor is striding back out with two paper bags in his hands. My stomach practically growls.
“I’ve got your order. Are you going back to The Honeysuckle?”
I can only nod. How does he know where I’m staying?
“I’ll walk with you,” he says.
“I have to pay,” I protest.
“No, you don’t,” Connor said, simply. “You’re getting free food here for the rest of your life if you want.”
I…what? He shifts both food bags to one arm as he pushes open the restaurant door and waits for me to exit. I step out into the cold night and shiver, shoving my hands into the pocket of my coat.
I can hear people singing Christmas carols somewhere down the street. There’s a group of people gathered around them, listening to the carolers. Connor gestures for me to cross the street so we don’t run into them.
“You don’t have to do this,” I say. “I can carry the bag myself.”
Being away from the restaurant is helping clear my head.
Connor glances at me through narrowed eyes. “I’m going to The Honeysuckle as well.”
Why is he going to The Honeysuckle?
“This isn’t going to fix anything, Connor. You can’t do one nice thing and expect everything to be better.”
His beautiful mouth lifts into a smirk.
“Baby girl, if I thought getting you back was going to be this easy, I wouldn’t try because it’d mean I don’t know you at all.”
His words cause me to trip over my own feet.
Connor reaches out and wraps his arm around my waist, steadying me.
My body is flush against his and for a second, I’m taken back to all those times he’d pulled me close and kissed me just because.
He’d always say that. We’d be walking down the street, and he’d pull me close to kiss me just because with this secretive smile on his face.
His face is so close to mine, the feel of his body so familiar. His eyes look brown right now, thickly lashed, his nose straight, lips soft and inviting. He hasn’t shaved in at least a week and there’s grey coming through his beard now. I always found that so hot.
There’s a part of me that hates me for wanting to give in and ease my body against his. It’s the part of me which enjoys going home to my parents’ apartment where I grew up and settling into my old, comfortable places. Places where I always know I’ll be safe.
I shove away from Connor. He’s not a safe space anymore.
“There’s no winning me back, Connor,” I grind out. “This isn’t a game.”
He stares back at me with conviction. “Never thought it was, baby girl.” His eyes flicker down my body in a slow perusal, my body flushes with heat. “And these aren’t the games I want to play with you.”
“Don’t call me that,” I say through gritted teeth. “Don’t look at me like that either. Have you ever considered that I might have a boyfriend, and I’ve moved on from a man who left me without a second thought?”
I always hated when he called me that nickname, even though I missed hearing it. Connor looks at me for a long moment, tilting his head. I shiver as the wind picks up, carrying with it the scent of nutmeg and cinnamon from the bakery nearby.
“Then tell me you have a boyfriend, hellion,” he says.
Ugh. I don’t have the patience to deal with him. I turn and start walking towards the Inn again, letting him trail behind me. I hated liars and I didn’t like lying so I’m not going to tell him that I’m seeing someone, not even to get him to back off. I’ll be gone in two weeks, regardless.
“That’s what I thought,” Connor says, coming up beside me. “For the record, even if you had a boyfriend, I would do everything in my power to get you back because I know you belong with me.”
I turn to glare at him. “Thank you for showing respect for my autonomy, Connor. I can always rely on you to be considerate.”
Something flickers in his eyes, and I know I’ve hit him where it hurts. But then he smiles.
“I deserve that,” he concedes. “I suppose when we were together you never got to see how desperate I am for you. I was able to hide it better. I can’t do that anymore. So, yes, baby girl, even if it makes me a villain, I would have done everything to get you back.”
I swallow thickly. When we were together, he would video call me every day he was gone for an away game and we would talk for hours.
When he was in the city, he would demand we spend every minute together, keeping me in bed, fucking me slow and sweet, hard and dirty, until I forgot everything else.
When he looked at me, I knew he saw nothing else.
If that was him hiding it, what will he be like if he doesn’t hide it?
A group of old men walk out of a diner and their eyes alight on Connor. They’re probably all in their seventies or there about.
“Connor! What do you think of the Knight’s decision to trade Nolan?” One of them asks.
“They were treating him terribly. It’s the best decision for Nolan. He’s just a kid,” Connor says.
“But they were playing well with him on the team. They had a chance to go to the playoffs,” another said.
Connor laughs. “I’m sorry, but the Knights are never going to the playoffs. They have terrible plays, and they need a new coach.”
It all sounded like gibberish to me. Despite dating a hockey player, I’d never developed any interest in the game. Not that Connor ever cared. He always patiently explained the game to me when I asked, even though I was sure my questions were repetitive.
Stop, stop, stop. This is a terrible way to stay single. Don’t give in!
“Did you take Midnight out for a ride this morning? Thought I saw you out there,” one of the men says.
“Yeah, he likes it when it’s quiet and there’s no one around,” Connor says.
I glance at him in question. I assume Midnight is a horse, a black horse given the name. I was racing against a black horse this morning.
“Have a good night, fellas. Don’t get into too much trouble,” Connor says to them. He places a hand on my back and gently urges me forward. I wave at the old men. Before I can tell him to do so, Connor drops his hand back to his side.
“Was it you this morning?” I ask. “You were riding the horse.”
My voice is accusatory.
Connor looks at me from the corner of his eye. “I was.”
I didn’t really need his confirmation because now that I think about it, it made sense it was Connor. I’ve always felt this intense connection to him, this pull deep inside me, like my molecules are calling out to him.
I breathe a sigh of relief when I see the Inn. Climbing up the steps, I push open the door and step into the warm lobby. Marion is behind the counter as always, humming along to the Christmas songs she’s playing on an old radio. She looks up when we walk in and smiles brightly.
“Connor! I was wondering what was keeping you so long.”
Is there someone he didn’t know in this town? I know they always show people in small towns as knowing all their neighbors, but I didn’t think that was actually true. Who has the time in this economy to know about their neighbors’ lives? But Silverpine might as well be out of a movie.
“There was an issue at Patty’s,” Connor says.
“I see you ran into one of our guests,” Marion says, looking at me. “Will I see you down here later with the rest of your family?”
“Later?” I question.
“We’re having movie night,” Marion explains. She motions behind her where the adjacent dining room has been turned into a mini theatre. All the couches and chairs have been moved to one side and lined in rows in front of a large TV.
“Every night in December, we watch Christmas movies. Connor sets it all up. I can’t do technology,” Marion adds. The latter part is obviously a lie because that morning she’d been texting on her phone faster than Sadie, and my sister is practically attached to her phone.
“That sounds fun,” I say. I can’t imagine anything worse than hanging out with a bunch of strangers. I love Christmas movies as much as the next girl, but this set up is my literal nightmare. “I should head back up to my family before they kill me for making them wait for dinner.”
I hold out my hand for Connor to give me the bag of food.
“I can help you carry it up, it’s heavy,” he says.
“I’m not made of glass.” I make a gimme gesture with my hand.
“But you’re just as delicate.”
“And just as sharp when broken.”
I raise an eyebrow. With a grin, he puts the handle of the bag in my hand, letting his fingers graze over my palm. I hold back the shiver which threatens to erupt all over my body. Closing my fist over the handle, I lower my arm.
Connor holds my gaze. “See you later, baby girl.”
I smile at him sweetly. “Maybe in your dreams, Connie.”
His eyes narrow at me and Marion laughs lightly as I turn towards the stairs. Two can play at this game. If he wants to use a nickname I hate, then I’m going to use one he hates. And that’s how we’re going to spend the next two weeks.