“I’m a little rusty. Hopefully, it’ll get better from here.”
She nodded and turned toward the door, and it was only when her back was to me that my smile faded.
The fear was back.
It didn’t make sense. It wasn’t like I had changed my feelings for Grace overnight. It wasn’t like I regretted telling her how I felt.
But I was just terrified.
The ride into town was quiet, and I wondered if maybe my fears were because of telling the town. But when I thought about them seeing us together, it didn’t bother me.
I had my issues with most people here, but I wouldn’t lie and say that I didn’t think about them while I was gone. Despite my hatred of small towns, I was curious about what they would say and think.
We pulled up to The Reserved Bean and I once again got Grace’s door for her. There was a line down the sidewalk, asthere usually was. Theo was now one of the most popular men in town.
While we stood in line, I grabbed her hand. There was no fanfare, no one calling us out ... for all of two seconds.
Then I saw Jade walking across the square. She took one look at us and her jaw dropped.
And she walked straight into a potted plant.
“Oh, Henry’s plants.” Grace bit her lip. “Maybe I should have given her a warning.”
I wondered if Jade would run over to ask us directly what was happening. Thankfully, she had some decorum, because instead, she pulled out her phone.
And Grace’s buzzed a minute later.
“She’s asking if we fucked. I get to say no.”
“Please tell me you’ll give her more context than that.”
“I’ll also add that I’m not single.”
The second Grace sent the text message, I heard Jade call out “Yes!” and then she fist-pumped. That got a few other townspeople’s attention.
At first, they seemed curious about Jade. That something happened with her. I didn’t know her well enough to decide what it could even be for, but the town did.
Once I saw her shake her head, that was when eyes turned to us.
“Dammit!” Dale said from the front of Food ‘n’ Things. “This means Hugh won again!”
“He has to be swindling us!” Tammy yelled. “Did he interfere? I call foul!”
“Or you should all mind your business!” Grace yelled back.
I could have sworn that I saw Tammy’s cheek’s color from all the way across the square.
“You’re mean to them.”
“I’ve known them my whole life. I get to be.” She shruggedand it hit me how nice it was that she didn’t try to preach to me all the benefits of small towns. She was realistic about it. While she obviously liked it enough to stay here, there were things that weren’t perfect. People who weren’t perfect. “Also, Kerry’s not here. She gets to find out in the Facebook group for once.”
“I’d kill to see her response.”
“Don’t worry, Jade’ll send it to us.”
My eyes found Grace’s best friend and she gave us both a thumbs-up. It was a far cry from a death threat.
The first night that I spent with Grace should have been one of the best ones of my life. I had finally gotten what I wanted. I got to sleep next to the woman that I cared about, and I wasn’t alone. Sure, we didn’t have sex yet, but it was only because Grace crashed earlier than usual. She tried to convince me, but I knew her sleep was more important than anything else.