Page 31 of More Than My Hometown

9

MAISEY

This is normal. Totally, totally normal. At least that's what I'm trying to tell myself. That and I don’t need to stress eat about it.

It's been more than a week since we went fishing. Since Ewan asked me to be his. Since he almost kissed me on the boat. Which means it's been a little more than a week since he kissed me in the rain.

That seriously epic, straight out of the movies kiss.

And he hasn't kissed me since.

Which is totally normal, right?

We're taking it slow. We're figuring out what this is and who we are to each other again. Which is to be expected. It’s what we talked about.

I stab my fork into my piece of pie, harder than I should, the tines vibrating from hitting the plate underneath. The clink catches not only me but also Dolly and Emily off guard, both of their heads snapping up to look at me across the table at Oh, My Lard!—our friend Alice’s bakery. But I ignore them, too lost in my own thoughts to explain.

Because how do I explain how easily Ewan and I slipped back into being Ewan and Maisey—all our old habits and idiosyncrasies coming so naturally. We’re us again. And it feels good.

Actually, I take that back. It feels better than good. Feels better than it ever did before. Better than I could have ever imagined. Other than the fact that he hasn't kissed me again, which is making me a little…unsure.

I stab my pie again, this time scooping up the large bite and swallowing it without chewing.

“And just what did the chocolate Heath bar do to you?” Alice chides, cocking her hip to the side as she wanders over.

She looks me up and down, giving me the once-over, like she’s considering whether or not she can trust me with the rest of my snack. To be fair, that’s an honest question.

“Nothing,” I mumble, shoving more in my mouth.

See, not eating my feelings at all.

There’s no need to. We’re not teenagers. We’re adults, who are building a relationship with a solid foundation. One that doesn’t require that we jump into bed with each other.

Only I want to jump into bed with him.

The bell over the front door tinkles, an older couple I don’t recognize walking in. Alice gives me another look to tell me that she doesn’t believe me before turning to go take their order.

“Now that the cabinets are installed, and the trim is done, the Scarboroughs say that it shouldn’t be much longer. They think we should be able to start moving in within the next two weeks,” Dolly says, clearly mid-update.

I shake my head, trying to clear the cobwebs of my thoughts and pay attention to what my friend and cousin is saying.

“It’ll be so nice to finally be in our little white house!”

“I bet Gus will be glad to have you out too,” Emily jokes.

Dolly laughs. “Oh yeah. He and Margeaux put Jace on countdown. Once they’re married this fall, he’s out.”

“I’ve got ten bucks that says he drags his feet in finding a place so that he doesn’t have to move out,” Em chuckles.

“I told him my apartment was all his—’course that was before someone showed back up. Then again, that someone might be all moved into the second floor of the bank by this fall…”

Dolly’s playful and teasing tone barely registers over my thoughts, everything still sounding so far away. Like they’re underwater even though they’re barely three feet across the table.

All moved into the second floor of the bank…ha! That’s a thought. While I’ve spent plenty of time over at Ewan’s new place—a beautiful apartment that is the entire second floor of the old Middle Georgia Bank and Trust building, bought and renovated by the Hayes family when that branch was closed after a merger—I’m a long, long way from moving in. Hell, I’m a long way from spending the night. The furthest I’ve gotten is some cuddles on the couch while ordering in a pizza and watching a movie. Like a very respectable pair of high school freshmen.

“What’d I miss?” Rose Adler asks brightly as she slides into the seat next to me. No, not Adler—Adams. She got married over Christmas. To the guy she got snowed in with. Only Rose…

“We’re taking bets on how long until Maisey moves into the bank,” Em replies, not skipping a beat.