“Young for you?” Brelynn’s kind demeanor melts off her face, and a gremlin takes over. “I’m not young, Cole. I’m a grown woman.” Her hand hitches onto her hip. “Ya know, maybe my daddy was right about you.”
I narrow my brows. “I don’t even know your daddy.”
“He knows you, Cole Maxwell. I talked to him after you turned me down for the rodeo. He told me not to lose sleep over you. That you’re like a rooster in a hen house. Just for crowin’, not for keepin’.”
The lights flicker and someone hollers from the kitchen saving me from whatever hell this conversation is. “Oh, shoot.” Her shoulders fall. “I’ll be right back to get your order.”
Thankfully, Brelynn disappears into the back, but I’m left remembering why I prefer the quiet company of my own four walls. Everyone in this town thinks they know everyone.
There’s so much good to be had in a small town, then there are things like this where you run into the same people over and over and there’s seemingly no good way to escape.
Tess glares at me, her brows narrowed as she fights with a smile. “There are so many things to unpack here. First off, how dare you tell that girl she’s too young for you? I thought old men were the answer to everything. You’re cheating her out of amature, stable relationship. Second, I’m not sure I’ve ever heard anyone compared to aworthless cock!” she says, laughing so hard she tips over in the booth.
“A woman scorned,” I laugh.
“Oh,” she chuckles, “is that what this is? Brelynn was so hurt by your rejection that she’s making up stories about you now?”
I shrug. “I don’t claim to understand women. I just—”
“Love the chase, apparently.”
I hold my palms up. “I told you. I haven’t dated in years.”
“Years?”She tilts her head to the side. “You expect me to believe that a man who looks like you… hasn’t dated in years?”
I laugh. “I like that you’re finally admitting you like the way I look.”
“Oh God. Don’t start.”
“Too late.” I grin, leaning back. “The truth is out. You think I’m cute.”
“I’m pretty sure I should just leave now. Something tells me you’re not going to let me live this down.”
I shrug. “Good luck getting away from this dream boat.”
She rolls her eyes. “More like a tugboat with abs.”
“I’ll take it.” I chuckle and glance out the window as the snow piles up outside. “You’re not going to miss any of this? I mean, outside of Brelynn?”
She shakes her head and bites back a smile. “No. I mean, I’ll miss the bookstore here and the girls I’ve met, but I was a librarian back in the city, and I miss that too.”
“I don’t know why I pegged you for the marketing type. Maybe it’s because of all the promotion work you’ve done with the bookstore.”
“I was a dual major in college. My first degree was in marketing. My second is in Library Science. I was involved in the outreach for the biggest library in New York City. Fundraising,community events, things like that. I loved it. There were days when I worked fourteen hours and none of it felt like work. I was stupid to leave.”
I glance down at the table and up again. “I’m sorry your mountain love story didn’t work out.”
“I learned a lot about myself. That’s worth something.”
Wind rattles through the diner windows as Brelynn returns with an inauthentic grin slanted sideways on her face. “Sorry about that. We’re shorthanded and apparently the fryer is acting up.” She glances toward Tess. “What can I get you two folks who aren’t on a date?”
Tess bites back a grin as she scans the menu. “I’ll have a grilled cheese sandwich and a peppermint milkshake.”
The short blonde jots the order down on her pad then glances toward me. “And for the player?”
I’ll never get over how quickly a woman can flip the script when she’s angry.
“Lumberjack special with fries. Thanks.”
