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Fuck. Mike can never know that he was right about having Elsie take over. In the last week, even with the bullshit signs, she’s done more for me than I could ever do for myself.

“What time should I plan on picking up the signs?”

“Early. I just sent Genevieve a text. She’s at the Bucking Bronco with her brothers and a few friends, so it might be a while before she gets back to me. As soon as I hear from her, I’ll let you know.”

“I’m gonna head that way, so I’ll ask her when I see her.” I dump the rest of my beer down the drain.

“Oh, you’re going out?” I wasn’t planning on it, but there is no way I can stay home knowing Genevieve is hanging at the Bucking Bronco with the guys I know spend time there.

“I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Okay, have a good night,” she says, sounding far too fucking happy, and I know right then that she knows exactly why I’m going out and that I just got played.

Chapter 11:

Temper, Temper

Genevieve

I don’t know how it’s possible, but I feel his presence before he even steps a foot through the door. Maybe it’s the way the air seems to shift ever so slightly or the way everyone seems to sit up and take notice. I wish I could say that I’m able to tear my gaze off him as he moves across the wood floor toward the bar where my brothers are sitting, but my attention stays completely locked on him.

He looks good tonight. Okay, he’s looked good every time I’ve seen him, but dressed in a pair of worn jeans and a button-down plaid with a thermal under it, he looks really good. Scanning the room like he’s looking for someone after greeting the bartender and my brothers, his eyes land on me, and he stops. He doesn’t seem surprised to see me here. Lifting my hand, I wave, and he jerks up his chin in a silent hello while a tingle of awareness travels down my spine, making my nipples tighten and my toes curl.

I try to remember if my body ever reacted that way to Johnathan’s presence, if I was ever so drawn to him that he pulled me in without even trying. If I ever had that kind of reaction to him, I don’t remember it.

When the group of guys in the corner of the room shout out “Hey, hottie sheriff” in Wyatt’s direction before making their way toward him and I see his jaw get tight, I bite my lip to keep from laughing. Tiffany, Anna, Mom, and I, plus Mom’s group of friends, all had a little too much wine last night while we were making the signs Mom wanted to put in the storefronts along Main Street. The signs prior to us all getting a little tipsy weren’t so bad, but as the evening carried on, the sayings on the signs started to get funnier and funnier. Or we all thought they were funny—I’m not sure that Wyatt felt the same when he saw them.

“Here, I think you need this,” Anna says, shoving a napkin into my hands, and I frown at it, then her. “It’s for the drool.”

“You’re an idiot.” I roll my eyes and toss the napkin back at her, watching her laugh as I take a sip of my lemon-drop martini.

“Do you think he was pissed about the signs?” Tiffany asks quietly, looking over in Wyatt’s direction.

“Probably.” I glance over at him. “He doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy who would think that kind of thing is funny.”

“Funny or not, everyone is talking about him running for sheriff, and that’s what your mom wanted.” Anna shrugs.

“That’s true,” Tiffany agrees. “Before today, no one I talked to even knew that there was someone besides Joe running for sheriff in Gooseberry.”

“They didn’t know about Wyatt?” My brows drag together. I haven’t been back here long, but he’s already made an impression on me.

“They knew about him, but they didn’t know he was running. They just thought that Mike was retiring and the department was looking for someone to fill his role.”

“Ugh, incoming,” Anna mumbles under her breath, and I look over my shoulder to where her eyes are pointed and recognize JR and Tucker, who are walking our way. Both guys graduated with us, but we never really hung out with either of them, despite liking Tucker, because JR was such a douche we did our best to avoid him as much as possible.

“Ladies.” JR pulls a chair from one of the tables near us, swings it around, and places it between Anna and me. “I haven’t seen you around here in a while, Genevieve.” His eyes lock on me as Tucker stands at the side of the table with his beer, next to Tiffany.

“I just got to town a few days ago.”

“Yeah, I heard you were moving back after things ended with your fiancé.”

Oh joy, you gotta love small towns and the fact that some people are so bored that they will talk about you and your life even when you’re in another state. It also doesn’t help that my mom is one of the biggest gossips around. And she never hesitates to share the things going on in my life or my brothers’.

“Speaking of fiancées, how is Cindy?” Anna asks with a tone that is sickly sweet.

“She’s fine.”

“I’m surprised you’re not home with her.” She twirls her straw around in her drink.