Page 63 of Feel It in the Air

“I met Mrs. Burch. And I may or may not have a date with Jake Wright tomorrow evening. I’m not really sure.”

Gus drops his hands, eyebrows arching upward. Yup, saw that coming.

I turn back to the food, grabbing a bell pepper and starting to chop. My weird mess of emotions and need to eat my feelings will only be properly solved once these ingredients are in a pan, properly spiced.

“Come again?”

“I met Mrs. Burch. And I may or may not have a date—” I start, but Gus stops me with a kiss, this one hot, hard, and punishing. The exact opposite of the serene, restorative moment we shared before.

“You do not have a date with Jake Wright this weekend.”

“I wouldn't be so sure about that,” I taunt, liking that this is getting such a rise out of him. “I just might.”

“Nope, sure don't. Know how I know? Because you're going to be here with me all weekend.”

I swallow hard, a shiver shooting straight down my spine, desire coursing through the rest of me. Possessive Gus is something I didn’t realize I was going to like so much. Nor did I realize that was his plan. I didn't pack for an overnight, much less all weekend. Not that Hayes House is all that far. We are on the same property. It wouldn't be that hard to go get my toothbrush, but still.

“Am I being held captive?” I push, because I know I can. Because I know he knows that I’m in this, and that even if I wasn’t going to be here, that I wouldn’t be going out with the local grocer.

No matter what the town gossip says.

“I wasn’t planning on keeping you tied to my bed naked,” Gus replies, narrowing his eyes and licking his lips. “Unless that’s what you want.”

Oh, fuuuuck…

Pure lust ripples through me, shooting straight to my core. I shift my weight, feeling myself go wet just from that one offer. Because there is a part of me that does want that. Another part that might want to reverse the roles.

“Don’t threaten me with a good time, Gus Hayes.”

I turn back to the veggies, chopping in earnest now. Gus tsks next to me, grabbing another pepper and joining me in the chopping. I manage to hold back a laugh, but only barely, my mood lightening significantly as we continue. Just being here with him is more than enough to alleviate so much of the weight that I’ve been shouldering.

Rocking to one side, Gus nudges me. “Tell me what Mrs. Burch said.”

“I don’t even know how she knew who I was, but she walked right up to me as I was picking out veggies and started giving me the once-over, like I was the prize hog at the county fair.”

“Sounds about right. And she has her ways. Best not to ask how she knows things. One of those moments that ignorance really is bliss.”

I tip my head to the side, accepting that he knows. He’s put up with this longer than I have. Willa and Bronwyn warned me about the old lady and her counterpart, the town math teacher, Mrs. Chamberlain, who apparently rule this town with tongues that waggle faster than puppy dog tails. And it’s not that I thought they were lying, but that still somehow left me unprepared for how sharp her tongue was. Much harsher than any puppy dog tail I’ve ever encountered.

“I passed appraisal, but only just barely.” I clear my throat, trying to imitate her voice. “Hmmm, at least they hired a Southerner this time.”

“That’s a jab at Bronwyn.”

I figured as much. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to deduce that a Yankee wasn’t going to be immediately welcome in some circles around here.

“Then she starts in on the questions. Very personal questions. We couldn’t start with the basics like where I grew up or even my favorite color. No, we went straight for why I’m not married, and if I really think that those fancy degrees of mine are going to impress men. Next thing I know, Jake, the manager, got roped into the conversation and she’s telling me about how he’s also single, semi-recently jilted by Kenzie now Wilder and that we should go out. Tomorrow night. She even went as far as to call the Kountry Kitchen and tell them to expect us at seven p.m.”

“Sounds about right. Although, I’m not sure I’d call Jake jilted by Kenzie. It’s not like they were all that serious. I don’t think. And that was like two years ago. But one thing I can absolutely promise you, pretty girl, is that you don’t have a date with Jake Wright.”

I stop chopping, turning to face him, cocking my hip out. “And how can you promise that?”

“Because Jake Wright hasn’t stepped foot inside the Kountry Kitchen in more than a decade. Not since Suzanne Douglas, his ex, who also happens to be the owner’s daughter, tried to poison him after he broke up with her.”

I gasp, my jaw going slack, eyes about to pop out of my head. Holy shit. Talk about small-town gossip. Where was Mrs. Burch with that one?

“What?”

“Poisoned may be a bit harsh, and no one’s ever been able to prove it, but…” Gus starts to laugh, and it takes him a moment to regain his composure. “He, Z Noble, and Hux had the shits for weeks. She told him no hard feelings, but…”