Chapter Five
Cara
Smith’s shoulder brushes against mine as we walk down the sidewalk.
I purposefully quicken my steps, but Smith snorts a laugh and lengthens his stride.
Our breaths create puffs of fog and I pull my jacket tighter around me to keep back the chill.
It’s the time of year that has our mornings cold enough to make you want to stay huddled in bed but warm enough in the afternoons that it’s too gorgeous to stay indoors.
We’re bathed in the warm sun, the scent of fall lingering in the breeze, and I wish I could bask in it, but I can’t. Not when Smith keeps glancing my way. He’s trying to play it off like he’s admiring the buildings, but I can tell.
“Are you going to tell me where you’re taking me, or is that for you to know and me to find out?
” The corners of his mouth tilt up playfully as he looks down at me, blue eyes shining.
It’s the kind of look I used to love getting from him.
The kind that says so much without a word being uttered.
Soft and loving, but with a hint of challenge.
Damn him for bringing up our past this morning. Now all I can think about are the memories I’ve buried deep. Kept buried to stop from feeling my heart being ripped from my chest.
Before I left, Smith was the man of my dreams. The man that I spent my whole life longing for and always believed was too good to be true.
Smith brought me to life. We brought each other to life, always playing and laughing with one another.
It could have something to do with being young and in love, but already I’m starting to feel that comfortable familiarity wrapping around us.
Having him so close has me letting my guard down.
My steps falter, so caught up in this gaze, and I blink rapidly to shake off these feelings coming back to the surface. “You could say that,” my voice is low and deadpan as I place my cold hands in the pockets of my jacket.
It actually is like that. My carefully laid plan that June helped me concoct at our dinner last night is about to be put into action.
We’ve come to a stop at the intersection of Main Street and wait for the little blinking man to appear before we cross.
Smith reaches across me to push the button, his cologne lingering in the cold air, and I have to fight to keep my eyes open.
To not make a fool of myself for breathing in and losing myself in it.
He chuckles softly, shaking his head. “Why do I feel like this is a trap?” He swivels his head toward me, blue eyes squinted against the sun.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I reply innocently.
“Right,” he murmurs. “You forget I know you.”
The loud beeping from the crosswalk startles me, making me jump. Smith’s large hand settles on the small of my back and I can’t breathe as he leads me to the other side, not dropping his hand until I’m safely on the sidewalk.
First, he’s bringing up old memories, and now this? He’s knocking me off balance this morning, and I’m not sure I can handle it. I’ve kept Smith in a sealed box, locked away with no intention of opening it back up again, but now that he’s here, that lid has been blown wide open.
Maybe June was right and we should just cut off his balls and be done with it.
Lucky for me, it’s a quick walk to our final destination and Smith stays blissfully quiet.
The community center is an old brick building across the street from the town hall and is already bustling with people.
Rose Prairie Community Center offers all sorts of extra-curricular activities for students to join, and gives the retired community a place to hang out, which is precisely why we’re here.
Smith raises an eyebrow at me as he scans the rows of tables. He leans in close, his breath whispering across my skin. “Is this where you kill me? I hate to break it to you, but there are far too many witnesses.”
Without thinking, my hand smacks against the firmness of his stomach in a move that was once second nature.
“No,” I chuckle, trying and failing to not think about what he’s packing under that damn henley.
The green ribbed fabric showcases the broadness of his chest and shoulders, hugging his clearly defined physique. Did he wear this on purpose?
I have to admit that my mind was on Smith as I got dressed this morning, remembering how he loved scanning down my body when I wore fitted jeans.
But jeans and a Tall, Dark, and Coffee t-shirt are my normal work attire, and his eyes still managed to flick over my body.
Repeatedly. I clear my throat as I try to get my mind off that damn shirt and roll my shoulders.
“There’s someone here who I know is dying to meet you,” I tell him as I scan the crowd. She doesn’t even know about him, but she would be tearing this town apart looking for him if she did, so my exaggeration isn’t too far off.
Like clockwork, Lori Haverford, the town’s most enthusiastic and downright nosy resident, spots a new face in town and I can see the moment she locks in on Smith.
My cheeks ache from holding back a maniacal grin.
“Oh, there she is.” I point across the room to the older woman, now parting the crowd like the Red Sea.
Lori Haverford is a born and bred Rosie and she’s proud of this town and the people in it.
She might have an odd way of showing it, always in everyone else’s business, but the woman does care for the people here.
In her own way, that is. There were many times this past winter that Sammie would vent to me about “that busybody” when Lori would inevitably show up unannounced to give her critique on her hard work.
“Cara.” Lori reaches out her hand to me before wrapping me in a hug. She must be in a good mood today because this is a rare greeting. Usually, it’s more of a quick, curt nod. “And who is this handsome young man?” Her whole focus is entirely on Smith.
Exactly like we planned.
“Smith,” he answers, offering his hand to her. “I’m a journalist from The Daily Press, here to write an article about Rose Prairie.”
And there it is. I may appear calm, cool, and collected, but inside I’m doing cartwheels.
Lori loves nothing more than talking about this town and Smith just offered her the biggest platform.
“You don’t say,” she gasps. “Isn’t this just wonderful?” She looks at me and I nod enthusiastically, knowing exactly where this will go. “Well, you’ve come to the right place, young man. How long are you here?” Her head tilts expectantly at Smith.
His blue eyes glance over at me. “Well, Cara was just telling me that you were wanting to meet me. I’m not sure how long we have.”
The smile I’ve been holding back slides across my face in a shit-eating grin. “He’s all yours.” She doesn’t hesitate to grab him by the arm and pull him through the crowd.
“So Smith,” I hear her say as she pulls him away. Smith cranes his neck over his shoulder to look at me, a dark strand of hair bouncing over his forehead, his eyes squinting suspiciously as I laugh.
There’s absolutely no chance that Smith is going to slip through her grasp anytime soon.
If I know anything about Lori, it's that she would do anything for this town, and dragging a journalist whose job it is to listen while she rambles on emphatically about it?
Shit, I kind of wish I was there to witness that brand of torture.
With a wicked grin, I snap a picture of Smith to send to June. My ex nods his head politely as he listens to Lori, but his gaze flickers over to me.
Those eyes? Burning. The blue flames blazing in them work to revive that nearly dying ember buried in my chest.
***
Something is calming about being in the coffee shop after it’s closed for the night.
The stillness is peaceful. Most of my best thinking happens after the last customer leaves and there’s nothing and no one to distract me.
Warm lights drift over the book section, the fairy lights twinkling, and the combination of the darkness coupled with the glow works to settle me.
But not enough it seems.
It’s the second time my newly formed book club is meeting and for some reason, I find myself more nervous now than I was last week.
It was simple enough to rope June, Scarlet, and Mariah into joining.
They’re my friends and it’s nice that they didn’t put up too much of a fight when I begged them to join.
Especially when I told them we would be reading dirty books.
But it’s everyone else who’s making me bounce anxiously in my seat.
The paperback novel we’re reading flops against my knee with a dull thud as I try to get rid of the anxious energy.
The women gather around the snack table, chatting animatedly while they get their coffee and tea. Everyone brings something to contribute and from the looks of it, the cookies Scarlet brought are a hit.
What if they don’t like it?
Wendy, Elle, and Tiffany are my wildcards. We’ve known each other since we were in our middle school days, but they seemed a tad reserved when we picked our book. I know that Rose Prairie isn’t a big smut-loving crowd, but I’m hoping I can win them over.
As far as I know, there’s never been a romance book club in this tiny town. Not that I’m going to ask. The only person who would have any clue is Lori Haverford and there’s no way I’m opening that can of worms.
The thought of Lori has me grinning like a villain. I’m positive Lori didn’t let Smith out of her sight, or earshot, until she told him the town's history, most likely paired with a lovely guided tour.
June catches my eye and gives a quirk of her brow, her lips pulling up in the corners with shared laughter. She knows exactly what’s going through my head right now. She’s the one who helped me plan it.