"I didn’t say there was." She plucked a jar of honey from the shelf behind me and gave it her full attention. “People around here talk, that’s all. And in a town this size, talk spreads faster than wildfire in July."
I shifted my shopping basket from one hand to the other and willed my pulse to slow down. "I'm here to find a horse and get back on the circuit. That's it."
Ruby's smile softened. "You're a smart girl, Waverly. I can see that. But smart doesn't always protect you from what people assume. Especially when you're carrying a name like yours and spending time with a man like him."
The knot that had been forming in my stomach since I’d walked in the door tightened. "I'm not worried about assumptions."
"Maybe you should be." She set the jar of honey back on the shelf and turned to face me. "Whether you like it or not, this valley's been keeping an eye on that feud for longer than either of you have been alive. And the second people think it's cracking, they're going to push. They want to see how far it bends before it breaks."
"Then they'll be disappointed," I said. "Because there's nothing to break."
"If you say so." Ruby studied me for a long moment, then nodded and moved past me toward the front counter. Halfway there, she paused and glanced back over her shoulder. “Just remember, small towns have long memories, and they don't forget or forgive when people keep secrets."
She disappeared around the corner before I could respond. I stood there for a moment, staring at the empty aisle, feeling the weight of her words settle around my shoulders. People were watching, and obviously, they were talking. Seemed like everyone was already forming their own opinions of what was happening between me and Tanner.
I finished finding the few things I needed and headed for the register. Ruby rang me up with the same efficient smile she probably gave everyone, handed me my receipt, and told me to have a good day.
I thanked her and left. But as I climbed into my truck and pulled onto Main Street, I couldn't shake the feeling that our conversation had been more warning than small talk.
After the day I’d already had, I decided to treat myself to something hot and homemade at the café just down the street. There was nothing waiting for me back at the campground, and I wasn’t in a huge hurry to get back to an empty trailer. So I pushed through the door and headed straight for the counter.
Tanner sat in the corner booth with a cup of coffee in front of him. Steam rose in lazy spirals, and his hat rested on the table next to a folded newspaper. His eyes found mine the moment I walked in, held for half a second, then dropped back to the paper like he hadn't noticed me at all.
I ordered black coffee and a made-from-scratch chicken pot pie, then headed toward a booth near the window. It wasn’t too close to Tanner but not far enough away to make it seem like I was avoiding him either. He wanted professional distance, and that was what I was giving him.
As I settled into the booth, I wrapped my hands around my mug and stared out at Main Street. Trucks rolled past, Noelle swept the sidewalk in front of the salon, and the world moved on like nothing had shifted at all.
But it had. Even though he was halfway across the room, I could feel tension hanging in the air between Tanner and me.
I stabbed my fork into my early dinner and tried to erase him from my mind. It was just a kiss. A kiss that didn’t mean a damn thing.
Footsteps approached. Tanner stopped next to my table, holding his mug in one hand. "You got that address yet for tomorrow?”
I glanced up. His face didn’t give anything away. He looked calm and in control, exactly like he’d been in the arena before everything tilted sideways.
"Not yet," I said. "The owner's supposed to text me tonight."
"Let me know when you do."
"I will."
He didn't move. Just stood there like he had more to say but couldn't quite figure out how to start.
I took a sip of coffee and waited, keeping my expression neutral.
Finally, he exhaled through his nose. "About earlier?—"
"Don’t."
His brow furrowed. "We need to talk about it."
"No," I said. "We don't."
"Waverly—"
"It happened." I set my mug down and somehow managed to meet his gaze without flinching. "You called it a mistake. I'm not going to argue with you about it. As far as I’m concerned, it’s in the past."
"It can't happen again."
