Page 12 of Just Say Yes

I leaned my head back, closing my eyes, but the memory of a certain sharp-tongued nurse invaded my thoughts.

MJ’s hazel eyes had a way of sparking with fire one moment and softening the next, like she couldn’t quite decide whether to let her guard down or not.

She wasn’t like most women I encountered. Usually they were eager, excited, quick to laugh at anything I said. MJ had been ... different. She didn’t fawn. She didn’t try to impress me. If anything, she seemed hell-bent on resisting whatever pull we might’ve had.

And I liked it more than I should.

But the last thing I needed was a distraction. Especially one as unpredictable as her.

When the silence grew into the wrong kind of quiet, I found myself standing up before I realized what I was doing, tossing the ice pack aside and grabbing my keys.

The drive was uneventful, the sun setting in streaks of orange and pink across the horizon. By the time I pulled into Outtatowner, the town was alive with a gentle hum of activity. String lights hung like boughs across the storefronts, glowing softly as people meandered from shop to shop. I parked my truck near Bluebird Books and stepped out, feeling like an outsider in a place where everyone seemed to know one another.

I wasn’t sure what I was looking for, exactly, but I walked anyway, my hands shoved into the pockets of my jacket, taking in the town that felt both foreign and familiar.

The tattoo shop caught my eye first, its neon sign glowing in the window. Inside, a man with sleeves of ink leaned over a customer as they discussed a design. I lingered by the door, glancing at the drawings taped to the window—a mix of delicate florals and bold, edgy pieces.

“You thinking about getting something?” a woman’s voice asked, pulling my attention.

I turned to see a petite woman with angular features and a confident smirk. Her hair was bleached icy blond, and she wore a leather jacket and short miniskirt despite the crisp September air.

“Not today,” I replied, giving her a polite smile. “Just looking.”

She tilted her head. Diamond piercings in her cheeks glinted as she studied me with a curiosity that felt a little too perceptive. “You’re not from here, but also not a tourist.”

I looked down at my jeans and jacket. “Is it that obvious?”

Her laugh rang out as she pulled a cigarette from her purse. “Very. You’re the rugby player.”

My brows lifted in surprise. “How’d you know?”

“Small town,” she said with a shrug. The woman placed the cigarette to her lips, but didn’t light it. “People around here like to talk, and you gave them plenty to talk about when you followed MJ into the bookstore.”

I nodded slowly as the woman continued to suck on the unlit cigarette. “Do you need a light?”

“Nah, I quit.” She smiled and gestured toward the shop. “It just annoys the boss that I still take breaks.” The woman vaguely gestured across the street. “If you’re looking for MJ, you’re in the wrong place. She’s working tonight.”

“I’m not—” I started, but she raised a brow, cutting me off.

“Sure you’re not.” Her smirk widened as she stepped back and dropped the cigarette into her purse. “Good luck, city boy.”

Before I could respond, she disappeared into the tattoo shop, leaving me feeling both amused and utterly confused.

I wandered aimlessly for a while longer, down to the end of the lighthouse pier and back up again. The sounds of laughter and clinking glasses spilled out from the town’s local bar. It would’ve been easy to step inside, grab a drink, and blend into the crowd, but my heart wasn’t in it.

I was restless, unsure of what I was even doing here.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out, seeing Trent’s name flash across the screen. I answered on the third ring, bringing the phone to my ear.

“Hey,” I said, keeping my voice neutral as I made my way toward my truck.

“Hey, man,” Trent said, his tone light. “How’d today’s game go?”

I sighed, ignoring the fact I was still favoring my knee. “We lost.”

“Damn. Thought you were the golden boy of the exhibition matches,” he joked.

“Yeah, well, not today.” I rubbed a hand over my face, fresh irritation prickling under my skin.

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