Page 79 of The Hermit on the Hill

"I appreciate this."

He nodded and started for his truck, then stopped and turned back to me. "You should have been upfront with her. She would have stood by you no matter what."

"I'm sorry if I hurt your sister, but she'll be okay." I stuffed my hands in my pockets, determined to let him go. "Just keep an eye out for her, okay? Spread the word that she and I aren't together anymore and she didn't know anything about my deal with the investors who were stirring up trouble in town."

He shook his head, his beard bobbing. "Sure, man. Of course."

I turned to start back to the house, but something huge took me out at the knees and pushed me to the ground. I landed hard, but at least I hit the grass and not the pavement.

"Jesus, George. We're not trying to kill him."

"He's fine," George said from on top of my legs. "I think I scraped my knees, though."

"I'm not fine," I shouted at them. "Get the fuck off me, you giant oaf."

I bucked and twisted, but didn't manage to do more than flip myself onto my back, George still on top of me, so that when they started pouring the maple syrup over me, a good bit of it got in my mouth. George leapt off before the maple syrup got on him and I was on my feet in an instant.

On my feet just in time to get blasted from two directions by… I blinked and looked down at myself… feathers and glitter.

I looked around for where the next attack might come from, but the guys were already racing to their truck, laughing maniacally. Wait, where the hell was…

"Smile, asshole." Cody held up a phone and almost definitely snapped pictures.

I growled and lunged, but he took off and jumped in the back of the truck just as his brothers took off down the driveway.

"Call me about the cat," Jared said, his beard shaking like he was laughing, his eyes twinkling and crinkling at the corners. Yep, definitely laughing at me.

"Yeah, yeah." I waved him off.

The movement of my mouth sent a feather into it, so I was spitting on the ground when Jared pulled away and headed down my driveway.

I swiped at my face to clear it of feathers, but my hands were also covered, so I only made it worse.

"Fucking assholes," I muttered without venom as I walked around to the side yard, where I kept the garden hose.

I deserved much worse than glitter and a few feathers from Jenna's family.

I deserved a punch in the ribs and lifelong hatred.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Jenna

"Hey, Jenna," Cody said, sliding into the chair next to me at the town hall meeting. "Thanks for meeting me here."

"Of course. I hope we can make a difference." Since the investors had revealed Sam's plan to the town, local businesses had been advising tourists against visiting Mom's inn or Cody's vineyard, and several clients had canceled their orders for landscaping jobs with Noah's company. Cody had asked me to speak to the town to ease their concerns and win back their goodwill.

"If anyone can do it," Cody said. "It's you."

My knee bounced as I watched more people file into the room. I was a roiling mess of nerves. I spoke publicly to classrooms full of students for a living, but I'd never publicly aired my personal life and my heartbreak to a roomful of people hostile to me and my family.

"Here." Cody held up his phone. "This might cheer you up."

I stared at the human-shaped form covered in feathers, blinking slowly to make sense of it.

"Is that…?" Damn it, I couldn't even say his name.

"Yep," Cody said cheerfully. "That's Sam Oakley."

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