Page 77 of Small Town, Big Storm

“Hmm?”he asks.

“You, um”—heart speeding, I slide back a step, bump into the edge of the desk—“wanted something, what was it?”

There’s a storm of emotions in his eyes.

But it’s not anger, not even close…and it scares me in a completely different way.

“Poppy,” he murmurs.

“I can’t stay in here long.I’m the only one on the floor and someone will need something.”I edge away from him.“Plus, I’m sure you don’t want any extra online attention.”

His brows pull together.

Then his face smooths.

“The posts.”

I fuss with the hem of my Sully’s-branded T-shirt.“You saw those?”

“Kind of impossiblenotto considering Rain keeps printing them off and nailing them to my door.”

“Nailingthem?”I ask aghast.

He shrugs.“The door’s shit and will need to be replaced.”His mouth kicks up.“And Rain really likes his nail gun.”

Boys and their toys.

I shake myself, attempt to regain control of this conversation.“But doesn’t that…”

But I lose focus again.

Because Storm has come close, is near enough to smell, near enough to gently stroke his knuckles along the column of my throat.“Doesn’t that what?”he asks.

“Doesn’t”—I swallow—“it piss you off?”

His hand stills.Then he exhales and the smile he gives me is…Storm.

The Storm I knew then.The Storm I’m learning now.The Storm that’s still a mystery.

“Yeah,” he says, “but I’m coming to terms with the fact that Cedar Hollow is gonna Cedar Hollow.”Laughter bubbles up in my chest, but it doesn’t get a chance to escape because he keeps talking.“Especially when there are people I want to be with here more than I dislike the fact that there’s a photo of us in the Cedar Hollow fucking Gazette.”A beat, his palm settling on my cheek, fingertips lightly pressing into my skin and tilting my head up.“Though you look fucking beautiful in that picture, baby.So beautiful it took my breath away when I saw it.”

My lungs seize.

I wonder if it was the same picture I downloaded.

Something I almost ask him.

But luckily, I’m saved by a knock at the door, Tommy’s voice ringing through the wood.“Everything okay in there?”

Storm sighs, shakes his head, but his mouth is curved slightly at the edges.“Case in point.”

“I’m fine,” I call to Tommy, thankful my voice sounds almost normal.“I’ll be out in a minute.”

Storm drops his hand, and I feel that loss in my soul.“I guess you’d better get back out there.”

It’s dumb, but I hesitate, not wanting to leave.

Not just yet.