Page 15 of Small Town Boy

That was a lie. It was anything but uneventful. Hell, my stomach is still in knots over it. Camden feeling unnatural and awkward was nothing compared to me yesterday in my own truck driving home from Atlanta. All because a beautiful woman was two feet away from me on a bench seat.

No, not just beautiful. Stunning.

Bronwyn Ainsworth was unlike anyone I’ve ever seen. I can’t explain why, but she knocked me stupid. Like a kid on the playground who just saw a naked woman for the first time. At least I held my composure a little better than that. But only a little. Because there is just something about her, and whatever it is…it’s ineffable.

Only, she’s perfectly eff-able.

And the fantasy I had about doing just that to her when I was in the shower this morning while stroking my cock is something I will never admit to.

“So we’re not gonna talk about it then?”

“Talk about what?” Nash asked.

“Nope.” I didn’t waver in my answer. Dustin is the word vomiter of the group, which is part of why he’s such a damn good songwriter. But it also means he’s just as gossipy as the old ladies of this town.

“Talk about what?” Nash asked again, his gaze whipping back and forth between Dustin and me.

“Nothing,” I answered.

“I wouldn’t call you driving the new girl home from the airport and then commenting that she’s ‘cute’ nothing.”

“New girl? What new girl?” Nash’s questions flew out faster than he could shift toward me, but when he did, I could see the annoyance in his features. “And you drove her home from the airport? And she’s cute? How do I not know any of this?”

“Bronwyn,” Camden answered for me. I’m grateful he did, because I was too busy giving Dustin the death glare. I don’t care how famous he is, that wouldn’t stop me from clocking him if he deserved it. Which, right about then, he sorta did. “She’s the new marketing person for Hayes. She’s renting Sylvie’s cottage.”

“Since when?”

“She arrived yesterday.”

“And apparently there was an issue with the rental car or something, so Noel gave her a ride,” Dustin added.

“How do y’all know this and I don’t?” Nash asked, borderline exasperated. “I’m his damn twin and the last to know?”

“The girls.” Camden shrugged.

“Willa has mentioned her at least half a dozen times,” Dustin said. “So I don’t know how you didn’t⁠—”

“Because it’s Willa,” he snapped.

I bit back a laugh, not wanting to put the attention back on me. As long as Nash was pitching a mini fit about not knowing about something simply because he was too busy…doing what he does when Willa speaks…then I didn’t have to answer questions.

But then, he shifted his focus to me.

“Is there finally a girl in Hickory Hills who cranks your tractor?”

I made a face, one that I hoped simultaneously told him to fuck off and that I’m never going to answer that. Only, the jackass took it as confirmation, that shit-eating grin I mentioned to Bronwyn spreading across his cheeks.

“Oh, there is…”

“She’s cute. For a Yankee. That’s all.” I brushed it off, hoping—no, praying—that that was the last of it.

Nope.

“This I gotta see.” Nash pushed up from the table, his scorecard wafting to the floor. “Let’s go, boys. We’re off to Pour Decisions.”

“Why?” I questioned, even though I knew the answer.

“That’s where the girls are.”