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“Better, no thanks to you.”
“That’s why I wanted to come by. I won’t keep you. I just wanted you to know I’m sorry you were hurt. If I’d had any idea—”
“You wouldn’t have forced the town to endure a bullshit trial?”
“It’s not personal.”
“Maybe not for you.”
Another pause, this one thick and electric.
“I might have been away, but this is my home, same as yours,” he said. “Mitchell has put Lindenbach in a heap of trouble that needs untangling, and I think I’m the right person to fix it.”
“All that city air’s made your head soft. You don’t know this town anymore, and we don’t know you.”
Resigned, he sighed and nodded. “I don’t want to do this, Poppy. I don’t want to go up against you.”
“Because you know I’ll win.”
“Because I know I’ll ruin you.”
My eyes narrowed. “You’ve got too much gumption for your own good. I was gonna apologize for Wyatt hitting you—it wasn’t his place, and it wasn’t his fight—but now I might sic him on you myself. Maybe he can beat some sense into you.”
He shrugged. “I had that punch comin’, though I wish it’d been you who hit me. Wyatt’s got a mean right.”
“You think mine isn’t as bad?”
Duke stuck out his jaw. “Wanna give it a try?”
“Wouldn’t help my poll numbers. But it’d probably help yours. Is that why you came over here? To bait me?”
“No, but it’s not a bad idea.”
When he smiled, my gaze moved to his mouth unbidden. The slightest crease was still healing on the plump swell of his bottom lip. But my eyes didn’t meet his again. For a second, they just hung on those wide, lush lips. Those lips had been all over my body, on every inch of my skin. The thought sent a shudder of pleasure down my back.
I unhooked my gaze. “Too bad he didn’t bust your nose, maybe give you a black eye for good measure.”
When he laughed, I fantasized about hitting him right where Wyatt did, and to my shock, imagined kissing him right after.
You should really talk to somebody about that.
“You’d like to see my face all mangled for the debate, wouldn’t you?”
“Oh, more than you could ever know. Now if you’ll excuse me, we have work to do.”
He slipped his hands into his pockets and nodded again, his eyes cast down like he had the capacity to feel ashamed of himself. When he met my gaze again, I tried to pretend like my heart was a solid and not the hot, goopy mess he’d melted it into.
“I mean it, Poppy. I’m sorry. And I’m glad you’re okay. I never would have forgiven myself—”
“Please don’t finish that sentence. Just add it to the long list of things you should never forgive yourself for.”
He took the hit like a champ and turned to go, leaving me shaky and weak-kneed. Evan noticed and chivalrously guided me to sit, handing me my water.
I just hoped no one noticed that my state had almost nothing to do with my concussion.
8
NICE TRY
POPPY
The town hall dance that night was tense for the first time I could remember.
Jo stood at the mic with the rest of us behind her. I’d stepped out from my drum set to play guitar with our cousin Presley, backing up Jo for an Emmylou Harris song. Daisy played the violin and Mama was on the standup bass as the town two-stepped in a slow circle around the dance floor.
I was still a little shaken after talking to Duke that morning and uneasy at his declaration that he had plans to ruin me. I couldn’t give a shit that he didn’t want to use them. Bottom line was that he would. But he felt bad about it, which was better than nothing.
At least now I knew he had a sliver of heart left after chopping it up and selling it to the highest bidder.
He was here tonight with Evangeline, as usual. His parents were here too, the four of them palling around and occasionally dancing. And I stood on the stage, a prisoner to the show.
I’d never been so unhappy and uncomfortable here. Our town had maintained these weekly dances for five generations, and my family had sung at them nearly all of those years, passing down the legacy with just as much reverence as they did the bee farm. I loved this tradition, the time spent with my family, the singing and joy on this one night a week when the town put their differences aside and enjoyed a night together.
Tonight, I’d rather be on the moon than standing here having to watch that asshole infiltrate my space. Unlike usual, the town hadn’t been able to put their differences aside tonight. I could feel it in the air, in the hard faces along the outside of the dance floor, the clusters of people refusing to mingle.
