Page 11 of Boy Next Door at Mountain Creek Ranch
“You know what, don’t answer that. I’ll answer it for you.” He pauses for dramatic effect. “Yes, you are a complete and utter idiot who should seriously look into getting your head removed from your ass.”
“Okay, enough. Your brotherly love is too much for me.”
“What are you doing about Willow?”
“What do you mean?” I look at him in confusion.
“I mean, she’s perfect for you in that gross star-crossed lovers kind of way.”
I shake my head. “It was stupid of me to think that what we had could be bigger than this stupid feud.”
"Screw the feud. Do you think when our great-great-great-grandfather started this whole thing with Willow's great-great-great-grandfather, they thought it would have lasted this long?” When I don’t answer, he continues. “You have been in love with her since you were a kid. You have a chance to be with the woman you love, and you are going to throw it all away?”
“I can’t believe you are you pushing me towards this.”
He runs his hands over his face. “I can’t believe it either, but I don’t like seeing you miserable.”
“That’s possibly the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
He elbows me in the side. “You’re a slow worker when your lovesick and mooning over the girl next door. I don’t want to have to keep picking up your slack.”
“There it is.” I chuckle. I know he’s pretending that he doesn’t care, but I know that he does. “What do I do? She isn’t responding to any of my calls or texts.”
"Go after her. If not for the fact that you will never find a girl like her that will actually love an idiot like yourself, do it for more of those peach fritters. Those were the best things I've ever tasted, and I'm going to kick your ass if you are the reason I don't get more of them."
“I appreciate how much you care about me.”
"I care about my stomach." He stands up. "It's Saturday, and you know where she will be."
I stand up too. I pull Dean into a hug, knowing that it will make him feel uncomfortable. That's what he gets for calling me an idiot, even though he wasn't wrong.
“Will you get off me.” He pushes me away, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“Thanks, man.”
WILLOW
Beau's not here today, and I'm not sure if that's what I wanted or not. A part of me knew it would hurt to see him, but if I don't practice seeing him in public to help me get over him, I will have to sell Sugar Gravel and move out of state.
I search the crowd again for his face, but instead I see the annoying couple that was the reason Beau, and I got together in the first place. The woman is looking over and pointing. She hasn't noticed me watching, but I know that she's pointing to the sign announcing my new product—Peach Fritters. They've been a big hit all day, and I'm nearly out.
I wonder if she wants one. Even though it ended way too soon between Beau and me, because of her, I won't be wondering what if? I move before I can talk myself out of it. I grab the tongs and put a peach fritter in the paper sleeve and run it over to her.
“Ma’am.” The woman turns to me, a look like she’s trying to remember how she knows me crossing her face. “I wanted to give you this.”
"What is it?" She looks down at it like it's a bomb or something.
“My newest dessert. Before you said you didn’t like apple fritters, so I made some peach ones.”
“I love peach.” She looks up at me.
I hand her the fritter again. “On the house as a thank you.”
“For what?”
“For being you.”
She smiles, thinking it's a compliment and takes it. I watch as she bites into it, and her eyes close as she moans in pleasure.
