Page 17 of Hometown Hottie

Blinking hard, I remembered there were other people around. He was, in fact, calling me back over. Sighing as I stood up, I left the beer on the table in front of her. “I’ll see you around, Nova. Keep that. It looks like Cassidy might be a while. Excellent bear claws, by the way. I’ll have to stop in again soon and see what else you’ve got.”

Reluctantly backing away, I shot her a final smile and went to rejoin my friend. Vance had extricated himself from the gaggle of girls who had been surrounding him when I’d left, and he lifted both eyebrows at me now, shaking his head when I reached him.

“What the hell were you doing looking so cozy with Nova Murphy?” he asked as we took our places at the bar once more. “Don’t you remember what happened that summer we came back to visit from college and Ryan caught you two kissing at the bonfire? Because I remember. It was a damn bloodbath.”

“No, it wasn’t.” I motioned to the bartender for another beer and then signaled that I’d like two more and pointed at Cassidy’s head. He jerked his chin in a nod, immediately striding over to the fridge to fill my order.

When I looked back at Vance, he huffed out a breath. “Back off, Drake. Seriously. Don’t invite that kind of trouble in right now. We came back for life to be simpler, not to make it even more complicated.”

“Nova is a grown woman,” I said. “I can flirt with her if I want to. As long as she flirts back, right? Ryan can’t decide who she can and cannot talk to anymore. She’s long out of high school and I’m not the college guy back to break hearts for the summer this time.”

Repeating what Ryan had said to me that night still put a bitter taste in my mouth. I’d never meant to come back to take her heart and break it with a meaningless summer fling. It’d never been like that, yet he hadn’t given me the chance to tell him what it had been like.

On the other hand, I’d understood even then where he’d been coming from. His sister had been in high school and I’d been going to college practically on the other side of the country. Not only that, but I’d had my heart set on playing professional football and it hadn’t been like I could do that from here.

Ryan had known that I’d leave after that summer, and he’d been scared of me taking his sister’s heart with me. So I’d backed off because I’d known it too. I had known I would be gone and that it would be years before I’d really be back here, if I ever would.

But that had been then, and this was now. Vance was still looking at me like I was crazy, a resigned expression tightening his features as he shook his head at me once more. “Don’t do it, Drake. Just don’t. There are plenty of other women in this town who are just itching to warm your bed for a night. It doesn’t have to be Murphy’s sister.” He motioned at all the women who were making eyes at us as if he was trying to prove his point.

“What if I’m not just looking for a hookup?” I asked.

Vance snorted as he tried to hold back a laugh. “What are you saying, Carson? You saying that the guy who’s never had a serious relationship and lives for the game is suddenly looking to settle down?”

“That’s not the only game I lived for before,” I said. “I left football behind. Why can’t I leave the other game behind, too?”

He made a confused face at me. “Why would you? Look around you, man. Opportunities for hookups abound.”

“That’s not what I want anymore,” I said, surprising even myself that I’d said the words out loud, but it was true. I wanted more, and I glanced at the table where Nova was now talking to Cassidy again. I wanted more and I wanted it with her.

Again.

Vance, however, was definitely not buying it. “That’s exactly what you want, Drake. You want to hook up with her because you were headed that way back in the day. Before Ryan put a stop to it. Thing is, it feels wrong to think of her as just a hookup because of who she is, so you’re justifying it by thinking you want more. You don’t.”

“That’s not it.”

He gave me a knowing look. “That is it. I happen to know for a fact that you weren’t pining for that girl all the time we were gone. She’s not your high-school sweetheart that you never forgot, and you guys weren’t star-crossed lovers just waiting for the right time. This is not some sweet story about second chances and reunions. It’s your cock wanting the one girl it can’t have. That’s all there is to it.”

Before I could argue, Vance’s hand landed heavily on my shoulder and he gave a beautiful blonde at the bar a pointed look. “Be my wingman with her. Maybe she’s got a friend who can help take your mind off Nova.”

I wasn’t super interested and I really didn’t want Nova to see me doing something that would probably look like hitting on other women, but Vance wouldn’t take no for an answer. “Come on, Carson. Do this for me. If you don’t want her friend to distract you, then fine. But at least help me with her.”

“You don’t need help,” I said. “All you need to do is walk over and I’m eighty percent sure you’ve got it in the bag.”

He rolled his eyes at me. “Way to be modest, dude. Just come on and help me. Get out of your head. You and Nova have a history, is all. And look, I get that we’re both going to have to face our pasts now that we’re home, but don’t drag her into it. The way I hear it, the Murphys have got more than enough going on without having to worry about you wanting to get your dick wet.”

He took me by the shoulders and started marching us both toward the blonde. “So just forget about her and help your old buddy for a few minutes. Clear your head, and then think about what it is that you really want.”

I gave in, but only because he’d made a few good points. Not the worst of which was that the Murphys had enough to worry about. I could argue with him until I was blue in the face about him being wrong about what I wanted with Nova, but ultimately, it wasn’t just as simple as going after her.

Until I was absolutely sure that my feelings were really that and not just some throwback to the past, or to get what I hadn’t back then, I had to keep a level head. I also had to be wingman for my best friend. Even if it was only so that I would be seen doing it in case word ever got to Ryan that I was seen gettingcozy with his sister first.

Man, when did the simple life get so damn complicated?