Lovesick (The Honey Grove #2)

Chapter 1

My mother always said, ‘A man is only good for one thing, and it isn’t love.’ I wanted to prove her wrong. I believed love could be different—that I could be different. But now, as I stand in my bathroom, staring at my reflection, I wonder if she was right.

“Emma Renee Davis, please tell me you’re not calling your ex-husband again.” My best friend since we were kids huffs behind me in frustration.

I flinch at the sound of my maiden name. It’s been almost a year since I decided to divorce my husband of six years, but there were things I was still getting used to. For a large portion of my twenties, I had adopted this secret identity I was desperate to shake off.

Carefully placing my phone on the counter, I raise my hands in defeat. “I just wanted to check in on Mi one more time before we go out.”

It was the first weekend of my new shared custody agreement with Colton and the longest I’ve gone without seeing my son since he was born two years ago.

I just wanted to hear his voice. Milo could now confidently say “Mama,” and every time I heard those two syllables tumble out of his mouth, everything felt okay.

But I needed some time away from Milo. He was my favorite person in the entire world, but I was starting to forget who I was before being his mom. Hell, I was starting to forget who I was before I was Colton’s wife.

I exhale slowly, trying to relieve some tension settling in my chest. My fingers twitch against the counter next to my phone. If I could hear his little voice one more time, I would be able to enjoy the rest of the night.

As if reading my mind, Wren snatches my phone and shoves it in her back pocket. “Not so fast. You’re cut off for the night.”

I try my best to glare at her, but I know she’s right. I can’t remember the last time I did something just for me. My life was constantly revolving around nap schedules, play dates and helping Mi adjust to the new apartment we’d moved into a week ago.

I sigh, dragging a hand down my face. “This is going to suck, isn’t it?”

Wren nods her head. “Absolutely. But that’s what I’m here for. I’m going to force you to have a good time whether you like it or not.”

I roll my eyes and brace my hands against the bathroom counter. This is going to be a long night. “Do you have any concealer? I’m going to need it.”

I hear Wren reply a soft yes before sauntering off to find her purse. I attempt to dig around in the makeup bag in front of me, but I know I won’t find anything that hasn’t expired within the last two years. I rarely have time to shower as a new mom, let alone apply any makeup.

Like a magician, Wren pops into the reflection of the smudged bathroom mirror and hands me a tube of liquid gold that will hopefully cover up months of trying to sleep-train Mi. We still have bad nights, but he’s finally going to bed at a decent hour.

“So, where would you like to go on your big night out?” Wren asks before taking a seat on the edge of the bathtub in my tiny bathroom.

I stop slathering on my concealer before throwing her a look somewhere between annoyed and playful. We both know there’s only one bar in town.

Wren starts laughing at the obscure question and I join in. After the week I had, it’s nice to do something as simple as laughing with my best friend.

“I know,” she says before finally sobering up from her laughing fit. “So, the new apartment is looking good so far. How are you settling in?”

I take a deep breath as I consider her question. After months of searching for a place and awkwardly shacking up with my ex-husband, I finally found an affordable apartment on the outskirts of Honey Grove.

It was a cute little two-bedroom space in the bottom half of a duplex I was renting from Wren’s dad’s friend.

Everything about the place was outdated, but there was something comforting about the soft yellow walls and the quaint little kitchen with mosaic tiling.

It was the kind of place I could see myself building a home in.

There were still boxes haphazardly scattered in the small hallway connecting the two bedrooms, but we were mostly unpacked.

“Good. I—” Before I can finish my response, we’re interrupted by an obnoxious knock that kicks my mommy instincts into overdrive. My stomach clenches, and a familiar dread begins to creep in.

I quickly jog to the front door, expecting to find Colton on the other end with Milo wrapped in his arms. It’s the first thought that always pops up in my mind anytime I’m away from him for an extended period of time.

Bracing myself, I wrap my hand around the doorknob and pull it open. I expect to find my ex-husband standing there, but instead, I’m met with a tall stranger casually leaning against the door frame.

“Can I help you?” I ask hesitantly.

His eyes slowly roll up my body before I’m met with light blue eyes that perfectly compliment the sandy blond hair poking out of his baseball cap.

“You’re not Henry,” he says with a smirk.

I instinctively wrap my arms around my body, trying to keep his eyes from any more unwanted exploration. “Nope. Not Henry.”

The stranger squints at the apartment number beside my door, then back at me as if he’s still trying to work through his mistake. “Huh. My dad said he moved into the duplex, but I guess he meant upstairs. He did, however, forget to mention that a hot blonde moved in too.”

I arch a brow and tap my right foot, quickly beginning to lose my patience. I might’ve been flattered by his compliment if his baby face hadn’t given him away. Based on the tiny caterpillar crawling across his upper lip, I know he’s barely old enough to drink.

“Are you one of Mr. Cooke’s sons?” My few interactions with my landlord were brief, but I remember him mentioning he has two sons.

The man flashes his teeth, clearly pleased with himself. “Guilty. The name’s Knox—also known as the better Cooke son.”

Knox holds out his hand for an attempted handshake, but I just stare at him until he finally retreats. “That remains to be seen,” I say, unimpressed.

Behind me, I hear Wren mutter under her breath, “Oh, I love this.”

I tilt my head and shoot her a disapproving look before turning back to Knox. “Those stairs lead to the upstairs apartment. Hopefully, those are better directions.”

I’m about to close the door when he braces a hand against the doorframe, keeping me from slamming it in his face.

“You sure you don’t want me to stick around? Seems like I’d be a great addition to whatever’s going on in there.” His gaze flicks past me and hovers over Wren, who is perched on the couch enjoying the free show.

I exhale sharply while massaging the bridge of my nose. “And what exactly do you think is going on?”

His lips twitch, and I can only imagine the scenarios running through his adolescent brain. “I don’t know, but I’d love to find out.”

Before I can finally get rid of him, Wren chimes in behind me. “Oh, he’s fun. I like him.”

I glare over my shoulder. “You would.”

Knox chuckles, clearly entertained. “Damn. You’d get along great with my brother. It seems like you both need help loosening up.”

I open my mouth to reply, but the words feel stuck in my throat. People were constantly trying to label me as too serious, like being responsible and cautious were some kind of flaws. That was just a polite way of calling me boring.

“Wonderful,” I say quickly, trying anything to get him to leave. “As eager as I am to take you up on that offer, Wren and I have plans, so goodbye.”

He sighs dramatically, but there’s still a hint of amusement in his expression. Before he can continue his incessant badgering, a deep voice calls his name from the steps leading to the upstairs apartment.

“Knox, please leave my neighbor alone.”

Knox turns toward the voice with a bright smile, clearly unfazed by the annoyance in the stranger’s voice. “There he is,” he says. “Big brother to the rescue.”

Curious, I peek my head out the door to see who the voice belongs to. The man, who I assume is Henry, is standing at the top of the stairs and looks like Knox’s polar opposite.

The darkness conceals most of his appearance, but warm light reflects off the round frames perched on his face.

I can tell his hair is darker than his brothers and is piled high in perfectly messy curls on the top of his head.

And then there’s his outfit. A crisp linen shirt flows down his body into slacks that are tight against his thighs and a stark contrast to the lanky man standing in front of me.

I swallow hard when his eyes flick to me.

His eyes are sharp as he assesses me and slowly attempts to peel back thick layers with one glace.

It’s brief, but the air stretches tight between us, palpable and still.

His lips press together and hesitate before tilting up into a gentle smile caught between apologetic and intrigue.

Seconds later, his eyes settle back on his brother and his expression darkens. Irritation settles into the sharp cut of his jaw, and the smile he awarded me shifts into an irritated frown.

“Come on, Knox. My apartment is up here. No need to ruin her night,” Henry says, voice flat.

“I wasn’t ruining her night,” Knox scoffs. “I was improving it.”

Henry ignores his brother and looks at me again. “Sorry about him.”

I shift awkwardly, unsure of what to say. Knox is irritating, but at least he’s predictable. However, my new neighbor is unreadable and quiet in a way that makes my belly twist. The look from before still lingers on my cheeks in an unexpected rose-colored blush.

“It’s fine,” I manage, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

He nods and gives Knox one more pointed look before walking back up the stairs.

“And that’s my brother Henry,” Knox says, whipping his head back toward me. “I think he likes you.”

I roll my eyes, but my pulse betrays me, vibrating my entire body. I can feel Wren laughing behind me, thoroughly enjoying the interactions I didn’t consent to. Knox tilts his hat to Wren and me before chasing his brother up the stairs.