Page 75 of Can't Get Over You
“Was it intended for you, specifically? Did they know you’d be walking by?”
“No. They couldn’t have known I’d be there. Anyway, I retaliated. Nailed ’em with their own weapons until they ran crying into their house. Their mom came at me with a broom, telling me to get the hell off her property and leave her poor little boys alone. I told her I didn’t start it. I even showed her the arsenal of snowballs sitting right there behind the bush, but do you think she believed me?”
“No, I don’t.” Her heart ached for the boy who’d been so completely misunderstood and all alone. “I get it. That really sucks.”
“Whatever.”
As he hammered the second nail to the other end of the mantel, she watched the play of muscles across his back, hergaze tracing broad shoulders that narrowed to a defined waist and flared to a hard, round ass. “It isn’t everyone, you know that, right? If you totaled it, you’d probably find there are maybe ten stupid people who have a bad opinion of you. The rest of the town doesn’t know you. They don’t care. You can’t let ten people keep you away from your family.”From me.
“Why do you care so much?” He sauntered closer, his gaze turning lazy when it landed on her mouth.
“Maybe I want more kisses.” She couldn’t hide the hint of defiance in her tone because she didn’t see why she had to keep hiding her feelings for this man. If they were going to live together, it was bound to come out.
“You really think that’s a good idea?” He smelled of pine and cinnamon. “You think I stay away from this town because I’m butt hurt about how people treat me, but I don’t give a fuck what they think.” He studied her features. “Mrs. Atherton was about to hand you an envelope. What was it?”
Of course, he’d seen it. She had no choice but to tell the truth. “It might’ve been an invitation to the Christmas open house.”
“And she pulled it when she saw me?”
“Yes.”
His features shuttered, and he went back to the mantel.
“I don’t care about a stupid party.”
“Yeah, Fee. You do. It’s the whole reason you moved here.”
“Well, it’s not more important than you and Cody.”
“Okay. But now you get why I’m not so excited about moving back here.”
She’d just experienced it, so of course, she got what he was saying. “I’m not sure that should keep you away from your family, though. You’re not friends with anyone in the club anymore, and I think people will come to see you for the man you are.”
“Maybe.” He didn’t sound convinced.
He was being his usual stubborn self. “What happens when your brothers start settling down?”
He glanced over his shoulder, eyebrows raised.
“What? At some point, they’re going to get married and have kids. You’ll want to be here for that, right?”
“We’re not built like that.”
“Like what?”
“The whole domesticity thing. That’s just not who we are.”
She’d heard this nonsense before. If he was still spewing it after twelve years, then there was no point in discussing it. She focused on the trio of brass stocking holders, pulling them out of a shopping bag and placing them on the mantel. “Where should we put the tree?” In the corner of the room, sunlight flooded in from adjacent windows. “Maybe there?”
“Sure. Let’s take Cody to the Merry Bright farm this weekend. He can help us chop one down.”
“He’ll love it.” Happiness rushed through her. “I’ve always wanted to do that.”
“Didn’t you have a tree growing up?” he asked.
“My mom kept one in a box under the bed. And my dad always grabbed one from the lot on his way home Christmas Eve.”
“Why’d he wait so long to get one? They were cheaper?”
