Page 32 of Country Charm

“I’m glad it’s good. Wouldn’t want you disappointed.” She takes another healthy bite, about the size for an animal rather than a small woman. I don’t dock her points for her eagerness to eat in my book. She likes food and has no qualms about showing it. I can’t imagine she cooks a lot in that small kitchen of hers. So, her taste in food is probably more refined than mine, unless she lives off burgers andstreet tacos.

“So, when was the last time you slept with someone?” I repeat.

“Somewhere around two weeks before I met up with you. The weekend before I met you, I went out with the girls for my birthday, and I was indeed sporting that hangover the size of Texas. I think it was a few days before that, maybe a little longer.” She purses her lips together in thought.

My blood boils.You set yourself up, Hunter.I can barely form a sentence to respond to her. The only words I can think of are—Fuck. Who? Good? Bad? Was the orgasm I gave her on the couch better than a full night with another man?I can’t stop the thoughts running through my mind, and none of them are good.

If I had given in to her that night at her place, would she have texted me all week?

If I give in to her tonight, will she talk to me next week?

Does she still want to even take a chance at a night with me?

My thoughts are a mile a minute.

“Hunter?” Her voice breaks through my thoughts. I didn’t even hear what she said before my name.

“Hmm?” I ask, not trusting actual words to come out of my mouth.

“When was the last time you slept with someone?” She finishes her question by shoveling more pie into her mouth.

“It’s been months, maybe a year, Cassidy. This is a small town; if I sleep with someone from here, everyone knows about it. I don’t need to start any kind of drama.” I suddenly feel exhausted.

“So, you drive to the city and sleep with women and then drive home?” she asks. I nod. “Why did you stop last week? I just don’t get you. If you’re looking for serious, youand that Franny could be all settled, probably already have a mini-Brawny Man on the way.” She’s shoveling food into her mouth and rolling her emerald eyes. The action is more endearing than annoying.

“I’m no lumberjack.”

“Oh, shut up.”

I chuckle at her annoyance, and for some reason, her slight irritation lightens my mood. She just shakes her head and finishes her dessert.

“I can’t believe you really didn’t even offer me a bite.”

“You could have ordered something for yourself if you were hungry.” She leans over the table, resting her weight on her elbows and her chin on the heel of one hand.

“Why don’t you just go out with Franny if you know she has a crush on you, and you want to settle down? It just makes sense. Girls like me aren’t the settling kind.” She’s selling herself short, but I’m curious why.

“Bad boyfriend?”

“It’s not like that, Hunter. My last boyfriend was in college, and we dated for two years. He was the epitome of a good guy. Regular dates, affectionate, sweet, good morning and good night texts, considerate, smart, driven. He was the total package… for a girl who wants a boyfriend. The longer we dated the longer I felt suffocated and thought about how I wanted more alone time. To not have to answer to anyone. To have the whole bed to myself; I sleep in the middle.” She sits up straight and looks around the town. The sun is starting to set and the sky mixes oranges and pinks with blue and purple. She swings her legs to the other side of the bench facing away from the table and leans back on her elbows.

“He asked the girls to help him pick a ring. Lynn was so excited. She was going to keep it a secret and record myreaction; she went right into planning mode. Georgie texted me to meet up with her right away. She could see how I was feeling. So, she told me to break things off with him before he spent 2K on a ring.”

Holy shit. She was so close to getting engaged but dipped at the last second before getting trapped in a marriage she would hate. I hang on to each word, listening to her even and unwavering tone as she speaks. This is something she doesn’t talk about a lot. I can see the lost look in her meadow eyes as she’s walking down memory lane.

“So, I called him up and told him I was coming to his place. You know, that way I could leave after we talked it over. I didn’t want to have him drive to me, just so I could break up with him. When I got there, he was so happy. I can only imagine the brainstorming he and Lynn did. Then I crushed him, ripped his damn heart out. He cried and I just stared, not knowing how to comfort him at that moment. I thought to myself ‘Damn Cass, look at this poor guy, don’t do this to someone again’, and I haven’t.” She runs one hand through her long, brown, shimmery hair and then shakes her head.

“Damn, it’s been a minute since I’ve thought about him. I bet he’s married with a herd of kids by now.”

“You haven’t met anyone who’s piqued your interest since?”

“Nope. Not once. I’ve had maybe two or three repeaters since college, but once I feel things shift toward regularity or some kind of routine, I end it. Or if I sense the guy is looking for something I can’t offer, I don’t even go past dinner with those.” She eyes me. “You haven’t had a girlfriend since high school, right?”

“Yeah, but that’s because I was so focused on working on the farm. Girls were a distraction.”

She nods her head.

“Now you have the farm all good and ready for a wife and kids, huh?”

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