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She leans into me, riveting my eyes.

“Be nice.”

Chapter Five

Hattie

Be nice.

Right.

I walk outside, get in my Bronco, and start the engine. Noble knows the way to the lodge. He doesn’t need me to wait for him. As I pull away, I see him walk out onto the porch, Momma close behind with a Tupperware of what I can only assume are cookies.

As I drive, the dinner conversation plays on repeat in my mind, and things start to snap into place. Finding out my brothers were actively keeping boys away from me explains so much.

I’d pretty much decided I was un-dateable.

If they hadn’t done that, would anything between Noble and me have been different?

“Doesn’t matter,” I say out loud as I make my way to the back of my parents’ property, where the lodge sits right along the lake. There are two nearby cabins, closer to the water, that got the “rustic luxury” upgrade, and in the second phase of the project, I’m planning on building a couple more.

If things work out, that is.

I’m too stubborn for things not to work out.

I park the car and get out just as Noble’s truck rounds the corner, pulling the silver trailer. I wait as he brings it to a stop next to mine, then grabs his bag from the passenger side and gets out.

He looks at me. “Thanks for letting me stay here.”

I look back. “I didn’t really have a choice.”

He smirks. “You’re annoyed.”

“I’m not annoyed.”

“You’re annoyed.”

I stop. “So what if I am?”

“You gonna tell me what about?”

I just scoff and start walking again. I really don’t want to get into this. But also? Shouldn’t he know?

“Never known you to keep your feelings to yourself,” he says from behind me. “Lay it on me.”

I sling my work bag over my shoulder and keep walking. “I don’t have any ‘feelings’ Noble. I just have a lot on my mind.”

“Pretty sure that’s a lie,” he says, because apparently, he can still see right through me. Funny how he always seemed to know what I was thinking, but he never knew how I really felt about him.

I shake my head and walk up the steps to the door.

He takes a few steps at a time to catch up to me. “Not a lie about having a lot on your mind, that part’s probably true.”

I unlock the door, and stop with my hand on the knob. “I’m not annoyed, really, it’s just . . .” I say, though at this exact moment I can’t put a name on exactly what I am. I’m something, that’s for sure. Irritated? Angry? Scared?

Well, dang it. That last one hit a nerve. Scared.

Scared that old feelings will resurface? Scared that he’ll find out how I really felt? Scared to admit that it’s good to see him again?