Page 89 of Small Town Sizzle

I don’t know how he’s going to react. But I know that I have to tell him, I can’t keep this to myself any longer than I already have.

Will he be angry? Hurt? Confused? Will he leave again? I want to be with Garrett. I want a relationship with him, but each time I have thought about that today, a different scenario pops into my head that starts with me telling him he’s Alex’s father and all ends with him leaving and never coming back.

I shake my head and rub my hands down the sides of my jeans.Focus, Maya. Tonight’s not just about the journal. We’re going to the football game together.People are going to see us, and for the first time, we’ll be… us. A couple.That thought is just as nerve-wracking as the journal.

Should I even be doing this, knowing that he’s my nephew’s father? Is this some twisted backwoods reality show crap that I’ve gotten dropped into?

The sound of a car pulling up outside breaks me out of my spiral, and I glance out the window. It’s him. My heart jumps into my throat as I watch Garrett step out of his car, tall and confident as ever. He’s wearing jeans and a simple black button-down, but somehow, he looks like he just walked out of a photoshoot. I don’t know how he does it. I watch him get out of the car and start for the house. He runs his fingers through his hair, and I see Alex there. I chastise myself for not seeing it earlier, but it’s a nervous tic they both have.

Before I can overthink anything else, there’s a knock on the door. I take a deep breath, smooth my shirt, and open it.

“Hey, beautiful,” he says with a grin, and my knees practically give out right there. His voice, that damn smile—it’s all too much.

“Hey,” I manage to say, trying to keep my voice steady. “You’re early.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” He steps closer, leaning against the doorframe. “I was excited. What can I say?”

His words make my cheeks flush, but before I can respond, he dips his head and kisses me. It’s not a quick peck, either. It’s slow and deliberate; I swear I feel it in every part of my body. By the time he pulls back, I’m breathless.

I smile goofily back at him, silently praying that when he learns that he’s Alex’s dad, he acts right and steps up.Please, don’t let me have fallen for another dirtbag.

“You’re going to be a little cold in that,” I tease.

“Mason gave me a couple of hoodies to try out. I think I’ll be fine.”

“Uh oh, Hicks Creek High School hoodies? Someone might be planting roots.”

There’s an awkward silence between us as the words hang there.

“Ready to go?” he asks.

“Yeah,” I say, grabbing my purse and locking the door behind me. Megan’s journal feels like it weighs a ton inside my bag, but I force myself not to think about it. Not yet.

Garrett opens the passenger door for me, his hand brushing mine as I climb in. He’s always doing little things like that—opening doors, touching the small of my back, making sure I’m okay. It’s sweet, and it drives me crazy in the best way.

The drive to the game is filled with easy conversation. He tells me about Chantelle pulling him into a TikTok video with her, and I tease him about being a bad mechanic. He laughs, throwing me a playful glare.

“You’re lucky you’re cute,” he says, and I roll my eyes.

“It’s gotten me out of a lot of trouble.”

“I’m certain it has,” he says with a wink, and I can’t help but laugh.

When we get to the stadium, the parking lot is already packed. The buzz of excitement is contagious, and for a moment, I let myself forget about the weight of the journal in my purse. Garrett grabs my hand as we weave through the crowd, his grip firm and reassuring.

“Your parents are already here, right?” he asks.

“Yeah,” I say, glancing around. “They’re saving us seats near the front and the fifty-yard line, where Laura and Ethan will be, too. Heaven forbid that Chantelle and Jazlyn weren’t sitting together.”

“Perfect,” he says, flashing me that grin again. “I’m ready to see Mason and Alex run the field again.”

I suck in a breath quietly. He mentioned Alex’s name as if he were grouping the two boys together—as if he knows they’re family. He doesn’t, and I know it’s because he’s doing it because of his feelings for me, but it still sends a jolt through me.

Will he still feel that way when he learns the truth?

“Oh, please,” I say, bumping his shoulder with mine. “You’re only here for the snacks.”

“True,” he admits with a chuckle. “But I’m also here for the company.”

---