Page 34 of His Southern Temptation

“David.” He was surprised to see his dad so close and using his given name. He’d moved across the room when Lucky had been lost in thought and now he reached out to place a hand on his shoulder, the grip strong and the warmth seeping through his T-shirt. “I’m not saying no, but I want you to think about it. Make sure it’s what you need to have peace. I’ve got some time before I have to get back to the Summerfield people.”

His father started to leave, but paused, looking straight into Lucky’s eyes with his parting words. “You know, this life wouldn’t have been anything without your mama to share it with. Maybe what you’re looking for isn’t a place but a person.”

Lucky listened to his sure footsteps retreat across the floor, the whoosh of the front door and the clang of the screen prompting him to act. He wasn’t sure what just happened, but he thought it might have been the first real conversation he’d had with his father in fifteen years. It left him unsettled, a little pissed off, and raw. His dad said he needed to find his peace. He knew it was here and he understood his father’s hesitation. He just wasn’t sure how he could convince him.

Taylor. The person he wanted to talk to most wasn’t speaking to him because he’d been a jackass and treated her like a child. She’d found a new path, thrown off everything she thought she knew, and took off on faith. She was so sure of her future. Maybe she could help him find his own.

Chapter Twelve

If the Southern Comfort Diner was the heart of the town, then Sissy’s Southern Style was the mouth.

The bell jangled over the door of the beauty salon as Taylor entered with Dr. Michaela Cantrell. The chatter died down for the briefest moment, but then surged again, the ladies resuming their conversations without missing a beat. Familiar scents of coffee, perm solution, and the uniquely southern hairstyling staple of Aqua Net hairspray enticed them inside the bustling shop. The place was full of women in various stages of getting beautified, while some were just here for the news. Growing up, Taylor’s mother had said that Elliott didn’t need a post office when you had Sissy’s.

“Well, I’d say you’re definitely in the top five of newsworthy topics today,” Michaela said as they slid into the side-by-side mani-pedi chairs. Her smooth and twang-free voice was perfectly suited for the tall, cool blonde.

“What? They barely looked at me.”

“Exactly. Talking about you is one thing, but staring is rude.” Michaela laughed.

Her feet slid into the warm, swirling water and Taylor sighed as the tension left her body. Sleep had eluded her last night, but she’d had her anger for company.

Replaying the scene from the jail in her head for the millionth time, Taylor still couldn’t believe how it had all gone down. Teague’s attitude wasn’t a big surprise—he’d written the manual for overbearing brothers with a stick up their ass. But Lucky was a different story. It hurt to have him treat her like a kid and not like the woman he knew intimately.

She really couldn’t wait to get the hell out of this town.

“Michaela. Why’d you pick Elliott?” She was mystified as to how the governor’s daughter could possibly have chosen to live here.

“The official version is that a pediatric practice was for sale and I liked the location.” Michaela smiled, glancing down at the lovely young woman adding bath salts to the swirling water. “The real story is that I fell in love with Dolly’s peanut butter pie at the Comfort.”

“Ah. So that’s why you married my crazy nephew,” Sissy Landon laughed.

Looking up, Taylor watched Sissy lead a woman over to one of the two empty chairs near them, place the cape around her, and towel off her hair.

Michaela put a finger to her lips. “Don’t tell Jackson. I don’t think his ego could handle it.”

“His ego isn’t what I’m worried about.” Sissy shook her head, laughter spilling out so effortlessly, looking so much like Lucky that Taylor’s breath caught at the ache blooming in her chest. “That boy is so gone over you, he’d die on the spot if he lost you.”

Michaela blushed, the pink starting in her cheeks and creeping down her neck into the top of her blouse. But the most remarkable thing was the way her eyes lit up at just the mention of her new husband’s name.

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