Page 13 of Small Town Boy

“Damn, there’s a lot to unpack there,” she mutters.

“Did I do something wrong?”

“No, Bronwyn,” Willa continues. “You apparently did a whole lot right.”

Right? Okay, now I’m extra puzzled. I did very little right yesterday on our drive down. I was cold and borderline mean at times. There is no way any of that was “right.”

“Noel isn’t particularly loquacious,” Kenzie explains. “Even with us, who have been his friends since forever. He talks; it’s not like he’s a mute. But, he doesn’t talk just to talk. He’s very careful with his words—only speaks when he really has something to say and really, half the time speaks in grunts and shrugs. Which, after a while, start to make sense—at least once you’re fluent in Noel. So, to hear he made conversation, just because, well…it’s a mind bender.”

“I’m sure it was just to be polite,” I answer, sipping my drink to try and distract how taken aback I am by what Kenzie said. Sure, Willa said something very similar before Noel picked me up, but hearing it again makes it real somehow. Although, hearing her say that he chooses his words carefully doesn’t explain the multiple times he called me “honey.”

“He likes you,” Sylvie adds.

“He doesn’t know me.”

I scoff into my drink, taking another longer sip, trying to hide the smile that is pushing its way through. Because my insides like hearing that he likes me, way more than I want to admit.

“You crank his tractor though,” Willa states.

Excuse me?! Did she just…

“I’m sorry, come again?” I say, almost spitting out that last sip.

“It’s this thing he says,” she explains. “Whenever anyone gives him a hard time about the fact that he hasn’t dated since college. When I find a girl who cranks my tractor…”

Her Noel impression isn’t bad. I would laugh, except I’m too perplexed by the most ridiculous statement I’ve ever heard. Cranks his tractor? Who talks like that?

“Yeah, no. There is no tractor cranking over here. Sorry to disappoint you.”

It’s Willa’s turn to almost spit out her drink. She covers her mouth in time, her laughter making it hard for her to keep it in.

“Oh, Bronwyn, you’re gonna fit in just fine.”

I smile, feeling pretty proud.

“This does make me wonder what’s going on at game night though,” Kenzie says.

“Game night?”

Kenzie nods. “Yup. Time to let you in on your first secret. They don’t know we know, so you can’t say anything, but when the guys get together to “watch the game,” what they are really doing is playing board games. They’ve been doing it since we were teenagers. Although, I think since Camden joined the mix earlier this year, they might have tossed cards into the rotation. But that’s just a guess based on Sylvie seeing Camden pocket a deck before heading out.”

“So, if they don’t know you know, how do you know?” I ask, loving being in on the secret.

“One night in high school, we snuck out and peered in the window when they were having a sleepover and told us they’d be watching the game. They were really playing some game that involved a map,” Willa answers.

“Risk?”

“Er, sure? No idea, but we have since worked out that they still maintain the ruse. We’re not sure why they don’t come clean, but we let them have it. Regardless, I’d love to be a fly on the wall there tonight.”

“Yeah, about that…” Sylvie chimes in, surprise taking over her face. “Looks like their plans changed.”

“What?” Kenzie and Willa exclaim, all of us turning in our chairs.

Sure enough, four very good-looking men—two of whom look basically identical—are heading our way. They are clearly on a mission, not stopping as others in the bar say hi.

Letting my eyes roam over them, I can see Noel is right. His brother’s shit-eating grin does give him away.

Willa growls under her breath, not bothering to hide her annoyance. “Fucking Nash.”