Page 92 of All Autumn
As I droveby Mary’s Bread Company, I made an impulsive decision to stop and get something decadent. A poor-little-me slice of her chocolate fudge cake. When I walked inside, I came to a dead stop at seeing the back of Connor. I guess I was so wrapped up in my misery that I hadn’t realized the Jeep I’d parked next to was his. Deciding to make a hasty retreat, I took a step back.
“You leaving already, Autumn?” Mary said.
“Um… no.” If I walked out now, it would cause all kinds of speculation, and God forbid Mary getting involved in my troubles.
Connor’s back stiffened, but he didn’t turn around. “The guys will appreciate this, Mary, but it’s the least you can do after that trick you pulled yesterday.”
Mary laughed. “It was the only way to get you boys all pretty.”
He let out a snort as he picked up the large box sitting on the counter, and then he turned and headed for the door.
“Hi.” I forced my mouth to smile as he passed. He nodded, barely glancing at me, and kept going. It was as if we were mere acquaintances now, and that made me sad. Sadder than I already was.
“Uh-oh,” Mary said as the door closed behind Connor. “Trouble in paradise?”
I pasted on a blank face. “Have no idea what you mean. So what trick did you pull on the guys?”
She beamed. “Tricked them into getting their chests waxed. Couldn’t have hairy chests for our Heroes of Blue Ridge Valley Calendar, now could we?”
“Of course not.” Connor was manscaped? “I’ll take a slice of that chocolate cake.” And I wouldn’t get to see his chest? “On second thought, I’ll take the whole thing.”
46
~ Connor ~
“Let’s see some sexy smiles,” said the photographer Mary had hired to shoot the photos for the calendar.
“I thought our smiles were naturally sexy,” Adam muttered.
“Guess not.”
Wearing only hiking boots and camo pants, our chests and backs slicked up with some kind of oil, we were hanging from ropes halfway down the outside wall of the firehouse. Apparently the photographer was going to Photoshop us scaling the side of a mountain. The truth? I’d rather be scaling the side of a mountain right now over hanging here without my shirt on while half the town hooted and hollered. And was that Mary wolf whistling? I glanced toward the direction the whistles were coming from. Nope. It was Granny, Hamburger’s ma.
“Pull hard on those ropes as you climb so your muscles expand and flex,” the photographer instructed. “And look at me over your shoulders.” He snapped his fingers. “You both look like you’re sucking on sour lemons. Where are those sexy smiles?”
“Just shoot me now,” I said as I smiled through gritted teeth.
“And leave me alone to do this? Not happening, bro.”
Careful not to put too much weight on my injured ankle, I pushed my good foot against the wall, flexed my arms to show off my muscles, looked over my shoulder, and bared my teeth in what I hoped was a smile sexy enough to satisfy the photographer. My doctor had released me from the crutches, which had made me enormously happy. I still had to wear the medical boot, but for the photo shoot I’d wrapped my ankle and eased my foot into my hiking boot, leaving it unlaced.
Another twenty minutes of torture as the photographer took pictures of us in ridiculous positions and we were finally done. Thank you, God.
“Loving me some eye candy,” Granny hollered, giving Adam and me a toothless grin.
I couldn’t get my shirt on fast enough. And how did Granny even know the wordseye candy? It seemed that the only town resident missing was Autumn. Even Jenn was here and had done her share of hooting. Dylan was up next, and Adam decided to stick around. I just wanted to be gone.
Seeing Autumn at Mary’s when I’d stopped to pick up the box of pastries to bring to the shoot had left me in a foul mood. To keep from causing a scene in front of Mary, I’d walked out. If I’d even looked at Autumn, I would have done something stupid, like kiss her until she admitted we meant something to each other. Then minutes later a video of me attacking her would pop up on Mary’sHappenings in the ValleyFacebook page.
Autumn and I needed to have a long talk but not in front of witnesses. Not knowing where else to go, I went home. I used to love my log home, but Autumn had ruined that. Too often the past few days I’d wandered through the rooms, seeing all the places she had sat or ate or watched a movie with me. I especially hated my bed, where I could still catch her scent on the pillow. Or maybe that was just my imagination. I didn’t know anything anymore.
Iwas sittingon my back deck, a beer bottle dangling from my fingers, watching the sun set, and considering how to tell Autumn I was in love with her. I should have talked to her when she’d walked into Mary’s, but I’d panicked. It wasn’t a good feeling to realize that I really was the idiot my brother claimed.
Adam had called earlier, asking if I wanted to meet him at Fusions for a beer, but I’d blown him off. Apparently when you were in love and the woman didn’t love you back, you preferred to wallow in your misery. Who knew?
My phone buzzed again, reminding me I had a new e-mail. I set my beer on the table and picked up my cell. After reading the e-mail twice to make sure my eyes weren’t deceiving me, I called Adam.
“We got the land,” I said when he answered.
