Page 91 of Autumn on My Mind

I think he might be right.

I battle with the sofa for a few seconds before it releases me, and I stumble to my feet. “Well,” I say, “I’m heading back to the barn raising. Are you coming to the dance this evening?”

Nathan puts the bowl to his lips and proceeds to drink all of the milk, slurping sounds included. I take this to mean no.

“You’re such a frat boy,” I say, wrinkling my nose as he continues to slurp.

His loving, brotherly goodbye gets lost and turns into a rude hand gesture instead, but I just laugh. Then I hop back in my car and return to the barn raising.

I hang out with Ari and Liv for a while as the sun sinks lower and the barn comes together. A collective cheer goes up when it’s finally finished, and my eyes search for Dom; I find him talking to Ben, wiping sweat from his brow and looking tired but pleased. Our eyes meet, and his smile stretches wider.

I don’t think he needs to be that attractive. It’s rude, you know? He’s sweaty and gross. My heart should not be galloping when I see him like this.

But gallop it does, and I’m left to chase after it while waving my perfectly good common sense in the air like a flag—a reminder that letting Dom back into my heart could end badly.

I watch him as he appears to say goodbye to Bennett; then he looks around the crowd and the site, his gaze searching until he finds me again. He holds his phone up and wiggles it at me before turning and walking off in the opposite direction.

Sure enough, when I pull my phone out, I have a new text.

Dominic

Going home to shower. I’ll be back in a bit.

A jolt of pleasant nerves goes through me, the kind I got at prom wondering if my crush would ask me to dance (he did not, because it was Dom, and as previously established, he did not know me at all).

I push those feelings away, biting my lip, but I can’t stop my smile, either.

The barn dance has an easy, joyful atmosphere, one I’m happy to let sweep me away. It’s warm in here, and noisy, but I don’t actually mind. The musicians are great, too, especially when Maven Price steps in and begins to fiddle. Her blonde hair glows in the makeshift lighting—twinkle lights and construction lights hooked up to a generator—and I can say without question that she’s the best musician I’ve ever seen.

“Miss Reese.”

A voice speaks my name, and I turn to see Ben Walker, standing next to me with his hands clasped behind his back, his eyes on the people dancing around us.

He directs his attention at me, and it’s only when his face falls that I realize I’m frowning.

“Do you want me to leave you alone—?” he begins.

“No!” I say quickly, laughing. “Sorry. I was just thinking…” I wrinkle my nose, trying to remember. “I think the last person to call me Miss Reese was Hal from the Maple Bar. Or maybe Joe Bugelbach?”

“Hmm,” he says, his expression easy with humor once more. “I see what you mean.” He pauses. “I’ll call you Reese, then.”

I smile, raising my voice over the swell of the music. “Sounds good.”

“Well, Reese,” he says, leaning sideways toward me. “I have an idea I want to run by you.”

I raise my brows, waiting for him to go on.

He glances up at Maven playing the violin, and then he turns his eyes to the other side of the room.

I follow his gaze and find Dominic, who’s standing against the wall and talking to Archer Kade.

“Oh,” I say, surprised. “He’s back.”

Dom’s gaze catches mine and bounces back and forth between Ben and me, his brow furrowing slightly.

“Yep,” Bennett says, looking back at me. “So I think you and I should dance together.”

I snort. “When your ex-wife is standing right there?” I say, nodding toward Maven. “No way. Girl code is very strict on situations like this.”