"Why? Because your neighbor saw you ringing the devil's doorbell?"
"What the hell did you call it?" She laughs again and looks at me like I'm slightly crazy—which maybe I am.
"You know, flicking the bean, a ménage à moi, paddling the pink canoe, jilling off, orbiting ve—"
"OK!" She holds up her hand for me to stop, still laughing though, so that's a win. "I get it. You know a lot of euphemisms for female masturbation."
"One can get pretty creative while spendin’ hours out in the fields dealing with farm work."
"I bet." She smiles and looks down at her hands. "I should probably get back to unpacking."
"And I should get back to the herd. Thanks again for the loan." I lift the book as I give her a half-smile before I turn to leave. "I'll get it back to you soon. See you around, flick."
"Yeah. See you around, farm boy."
"Hey, Reggie." I stop a few feet away from her cottage and turn back around before she fully shuts the door. "I'm glad you decided to stay."
She presses her lips into a soft smile. "Enjoy your book."
“Josh,” I say.
“What?”
“Josh. That’s my name. Josh Oliver.”
“Oh, OK.” She laughs. “Enjoy your book, Josh Oliver.”
I hold my hand up to signal goodbye as I head down her front path and out the front gate, a smile on my face because meeting her is the most fun I’ve had in years. I can’t wait to get home and read this book, just so I can come back tomorrow and ask for another.
REGINA
Ilock the door and lean against it, making sure Josh is well out of sight before I finally let out a deep breath. What in the world was that? I suppose he was trying to be friendly, but my heart had leapt into my throat when he appeared at my door like that. Despite Mariah's urgings to keep an open mind where my sheep-farming neighbor is concerned, I'd kind of hoped I could keep my head down for a week or two years and he'd just forget I even existed. Then I could continue on with the quiet hermit life I'd envisioned for myself when I bought this place. But no, he actually went andreadthe book and returned it looking for another one.
I don't know if I'm impressed by his reading speed or creeped out that our encounter is what made him decide to read romance in the first place. Or...am I...turned on?
With a heavy sigh, I set my copy ofPucking Gorgeouson the kitchen counter and press my palms against my cheeks. If any other man reacted as overtly cocky as he did after catching me in such a compromising position, I'd probably be horrified. But the fact is, my new neighbor is a little too attractive for his own good. I can't help but feel drawn to him despite myself. I alsocan’t deny that I get a little thrill thinking back to what might have happened had that sheep kept its bleating mouth shut.
Giggling at myself, I shake my head to clean up my thoughts. I came to Cedarwood Valley to let go of my past and find peace in a solitary life. A hot farmer for a neighbor who seems somewhat interested in me is the very last thing I saw as a part of my new small-town life. But here I am on day two and Josh Oliver, with his sky-blue eyes and easy-going smile, is making it hard to remember the reasons I chose to embrace my singledom and move to such a secluded area in the first place. And while his interest in me seems highly motivated by the head hanging between his legs, having a gorgeous guy like him to flirt with might be the thing that helps me start to feel good about myself after feeling so low and cast aside.
Cast aside…
This is the thing about a painful past, you can run as much as you like, move hours away to a tiny cottage in a farming town, and the tiniest little thought can toss your mind right back to the worst moment of your life. For me, it was standing at the altar after my ex uttered the four most heart-wrenching words I've ever heard, 'I can't do this.'
Emotion tightens in my chest, and I push the book onto the floor as my brain replays the devastation I felt when watching him walk out of the church and loudly tell everyone the wedding is off. When I asked him later why he’d do something so cruel, all he’d said was, ‘He just wasn’t feeling it.’ And thank god he said that shitty excuse over the phone, because I’d have been arrested if we’d had that conversation face to face. How can a man decide he’s ‘not feeling it’ after dating somebody for two years? The mind boggles. But in the end, I’m glad I found out before we said ‘I do’.
Letting out a slow breath, I look down to the book on my floor, instantly regretting my outburst. Then I crouch down andpick the book back up again, running my hand over its cover, checking for any damage I may have caused. It’s not the romance genre’s fault he humiliated me like that. No true hero would ever treat his woman that way. I shouldn’t take my disappointment over my failed wedding out on a defenseless paperback.
I quickly shake away my shitty thoughts, contemplate drinking the last of my bottle of wine, then wipe at my eyes before returning to my unpacking. My ex may have left me standing there, but that was months ago now, and I'm not going to keep sitting around letting his actions affect me. I’m ready to start my life anew.
And maybe, just maybe, I could be persuaded into letting a book-loving farm boy into it too.
Maybe…
JOSH
When I woke up this morning, there was a book on my face and my light was still on. After my marathon reading session the night before, I guess my exhaustion got the better of me. Which is why I'm currently sitting on the tractor inside the barn, hiding out because I want to get this book finished so I can take it back to Reggie and get another. And if I'm lucky, she might even talk to me for more than a minute too.
Even though I’ve only met her twice and had a legitimate conversation with her once, I can already tell my new neighbor is guarded. There’s something about her body language, something in her eyes and the tension in her breath. I notice it all, and when I find out who’s responsible for that hurt, I’m gonna hunt them down and make sure they never darken her door again. It’s hard to explainwhyI feel the need to do that, but there’s just something about Reggie that’s already burrowed deep under my skin. And it’s not just because I already have intimate knowledge of her. It’s because there’s something about her. Something that’s caused a spark in me I’ve never felt before. I want her to be mine, and I’m willing to fight the demons in her past to earn my place by her side.
