Page 100 of Sundown Somewhere

Emily peers over her shoulder, trying to give me her attention while still focusing on what she’s serving.

“Give Ken extra ham, would ya?”

“Consider it done!” She laughs, giving me a thumbs-up.

“Hate to be you when Kenzie finds out,” Hux mutters, tickling my sides.

I giggle, twisting from the sensitive feeling rushing across my tummy. “You’ll protect me.”

“Will I?”

Raising his eyebrows, Hux steps into me, his hands landing on my hips. The heat from them radiates through my clothing, soothing me, drawing me to him. Despite being surrounded by a crowd, voices carrying in every direction, everything seems to fade away, leaving only him and me.

“Pretty sure you will.” I rest my hands on his chest and stare into his hazel eyes. Colorful strands of greens and yellow weave into the brown, creating a kaleidoscope I’m more than happy to get lost in. “Can I have some kind of hint about your announcement?”

“Nope.”

“Hux!” I whine.

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

Leaning down, he steals a kiss, brushing his lips lightly against mine. It’s a tease, one that lights me up like the runway at the airport, and something inside me clicks.

I wrap my hands in his shirt, pulling him into me. Taking his stolen kiss, I turn it into something else. Something more. Something real. Deep.

I kiss Hux like I mean it. Like I don’t care who knows it. Right here in the town square.

His hands grip my hips harder, holding on to me like I’m his. Because I am. Deepening the kiss even more, I push to my toes, finding his tongue with mine, and lose myself in him.

“Dolly Norah McLain.”

Ooops…

I pull back, my lips swollen, throbbing, and already missing Hux as I turn to find the last person I want to see. My great-aunt.

Standing there with her hands on her hips, she has the single most disapproving look anyone could possibly muster on her face. Seriously, God himself probably looked less disappointed when Eve bit into the apple than this old lady looks right now. I think I would actually prefer my father to be the one standing there watching me make out with Hux than her. Daddy at least would have some smart-ass comment locked and loaded about coming up for air or playing tonsil hockey.

She clears her throat again, pursing her lips, disapproval morphing into an expectant demand of some sort. It’s one that we both subconsciously understand, so we untangle ourselves and step back from each other, allowing room for the Holy Spirit, as Reverend Terry would put it.

“Mrs. Burch,” Hux greets, as if nothing is out of the norm.

“Huxley, make yourself useful and go help Chief Phillips with Pongo. Silly dog was supposed to ride on the truck, but the Noble boy couldn’t manage to get him in,” she tells us, her tone both gossipy and criticizing at the same time. She’s lived here her entire life, knows everyone by name and more details about their lives than she should, but will still say things like “that Noble boy” rather than using Landon’s name. As if there weren’t four Noble boys to choose from. “And now he’s bothering Mother and we can’t have that.”

I look over at my great-grandmother, who is sitting in her camp chair, the fire department’s purebred dalmatian sitting calmly next to her, enjoying the pats to the head she’s giving him. Yup, they both seem very bothered.

“And while you’re heading over there, you can bring us some extra grits,” she adds.

There it is!

Hux shakes his head, letting out a chuckle, but doesn’t hesitate. “Yes, ma’am.”

Giving my hand a quick squeeze, he plants a fast, chaste kiss on my lips before turning to go. Butterflies erupt in my chest, threatening to break through, tickling my insides. Fuck, does he make me happy.

I watch as he walks away, carrying two very full plates of grits with a couple of pieces of ham and a biscuit, knowing exactly what my great-grandmother wants. It’s way more food than she’s going to eat—especially for seconds—but I love that he didn’t think twice about it.

“What are we going to do with you?”

Errr…what?