Page 7 of Hometown Hottie

“Yes, please,” I said. “Okay, fine. So that was an excuse. Obviously, I’ve already done that corner, but as you can see, there’s plenty of work still to be done.”

He made his way deeper inside the barn. Those broad shoulders stretched against the confines of his navy blue T-shirt as he moved. The fabric tugged around his biceps, chest, and abs, forming little lines that drew my gaze to them.

Chuckling when he caught me staring, he pulled his hands out of his pockets and motioned at his abs. “How about this? To apologize for scaring the living daylights out of you, I’ll let you cop a feel.”

“Jackass,” I muttered, fighting laughter as I finally lifted my gaze back to his. “I don’t want a feel. I was just noticing that you’ve replaced most of your muscles with steel. Are you trying to become Superman?”

“I already am.” He gave me a playful smirk. “What have you been doing for the past ten years if you haven’t seen any of my games? Because you wouldn’t have to ask me that if you’d caught even one.”

“Oh, you know. A little bit of this and a little bit of that.” I stabbed a pile of hay on the floor. “Mostly this. Do you mind, Carson? I really do still have a lot of work.”

As I asked the question, my eyes snagged on his instead of just continuing on past them like I had been doing. Looking right into them, I felt that same bolt of electricity shoot through me that used to be there when we were kids.

He and I had always had an intense connection. It was something I’d never had with anyone else, which was probably why I wasn’t married and popping out a kid every other year. But I hadn’t seen this man in over a decade and it was crazy to think it was still there.

I probably just imagined it. Like a throwback rush or something.

“I didn’t intend on going into your parents’ house, Nova. I came to check out the bakery. Mom gave me some of your pastries, and I needed more. But she didn’t mention it was closed today. Your mom found me in the parking lot, dragged me inside, and tried to feed me.”

“Yeah, she tends to do that,” I said. “I think she hangs out there on Sundays and Mondays with the express purpose of finding hungry people who had hoped to get something from the bakery just so she can feed them.”

“Well, I’m not complaining.”

“Few people do when my mother feeds them.” I smiled. “It was good to see you, but I really should get back to it.”

“Of course.” He looked so comfortable breathing in the scent of poop and standing in the middle of a barn that it was like he hadn’t spent a decade living the high life. “I’ll have to come out to the bakery some other time. See you around, Nova.”

He tossed his hand up in a friendly wave and left, and my heart caught fire. I was even panting with the force of it, so completely thrown by having him on the ranch again that it felt like it might’ve been a dream.

It had been real, though. I could still see him as he walked toward a large black truck parked in our drive. When I’d seen him just now in the kitchen, I’d figured he was just in town for a quick visit, but now, I remembered Cassidy saying he’d retired, and Mom had mentioned friends of Ryan’s who had moved back to town.

Carson might be back for good.

Unease spread through me at the thought. Having Carson back in town might turn my whole life upside down. I doubted it would be good, especially if that connection of ours was still there.

As I watched his truck pull out of the driveway, I thought back to the night he’d kissed me. It was during a bonfire just before he’d gotten drafted. He’d told me that he wanted to date me and I’d wanted to be with him too, but Ryan had seen the kiss and got into a big fight with Carson about it.

Without a word to me, Carson had left and today had been the first time I’d seen or spoken to him since. I had no idea what to do or how to feel about it, but when I finally went back inside to get that drink, my mother wouldn’t shut up about him.

He’d always had a fan in her, though, and it looked like that hadn’t changed. I hopped up on the kitchen counter, listening to her go on and on and wondering what it was about him that enchanted us Murphy women so.

Whatever it was, that hadn’t changed in the last ten years either, and I shuddered to think what my brother would do if he ever found out. Yeah, I think it’s best if I stay away from Carson Drake.

For Ryan’s sake and for my own.

Because I’d lost him once and I wasn’t sure I could go through that all over again.