Summer Love_ A Steamy Small Town Romance Anthology - Piper Rayne Page 0,127

rocked my carefully constructed world, then turned my back.

She didn’t want me. No need to stick around when she’d made that perfectly clear.

I left her standing at the edge of the gravel parking lot. Then I turned and walked away. That was one thing I knew how to do.

Tori

I didn’t go back to the reception. Couldn’t bring myself to suffer the humiliation of going from feeling on top of the world to feeling like I’d been buried under everyone’s disappointment. There was no way I could face Bailey. Going back in would only make things worse. With me gone, maybe the reception would go on as planned. The appearance of Deacon would be a blip on the horizon of her happily ever after.

Fifteen minutes into my walk home, I abandoned the ridiculous shoes. Why hadn’t I listened to my gut?

A tiny part of me knew that bringing Deacon to the wedding would be a bad idea. But the bigger part had convinced me I deserved to enjoy an evening free from the snide comments and obvious stares. It sometimes seemed like the whole damn town felt sorry for me. Like they were ready to write me off as a reclusive spinster, destined to become one of those eclectic older women who collected crocheted doilies at the same rate as feral cats.

Just once I wanted to prove them wrong.

I wanted to stay in Beaver Bluff. Couldn’t think of anywhere better to settle down and raise a family. Despite the inconvenience of the ongoing feud between the Bishops and the Sawyers, it was a great place to live. And not having allegiance to one side or the other, I’d avoided getting caught in the middle.

Until now.

Now I might be better off doing what my best friend from high school did… leaving. She’d peeled out the day after our high school graduation and hadn’t looked back. Hadn’t been back to visit either. Maybe that’s what I needed to do… find a place to make a fresh start… where I could be myself and not worry about trying to make everyone else happy for a change.

The second I got home, I traded my over-the-top bridesmaid’s dress for a pair of comfy pajamas and pulled out a pad of paper. What would I tell one of my students to do in a situation like this? I was so good at helping twelve- and thirteen-year-olds figure out their problems, but had always had a hard time transferring all of my knowledge to my own life.

I drew a line down the center of the page and titled two columns. One for reasons to stay in Beaver Bluff, and one for reasons to find a fresh start where I could put myself first for a change.

Deacon

I didn’t want to spend any longer than necessary in Tennessee. Not now that I’d single-handedly ruined a wedding and chased the one woman who’d made me laugh in the last three years away. After changing my flight to leave early the next morning, I sat down to review all the paperwork regarding my cousins’ inheritance.

As I read over the conditions of the will, my stomach growled. I’d been looking forward to some authentic Tennessee barbecue at the reception. Too bad the drama couldn’t have held off until after I’d filled my belly. Cole’s fridge was bare, except for the half a pie I hadn’t gotten around to eating yet.

I sat back down at the table, fork in hand, and demolished the rest of Tori’s pie. Damn, the woman was right. She sure as hell could bake.

Figuring it would be easier to leave without making another scene, I changed out of my suit and into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I’d grab a hotel by the airport in Nashville so I could catch my early flight. I left the stack of papers on the kitchen table with my notes scrawled in the margins. I’d done what I needed to do. The rest would be up to them.

Chapter Eleven

Deacon

The next few days passed in a blur with me trying to get caught up after being out of the office. I’d gotten used to the relentless pace, but after spending a few days in Beaver Bluff, the fourteen-hour days didn’t hold the same appeal. Every time I sat down to review a file, my thoughts drifted to Tennessee.

The drive to and from the office seemed to take even longer than usual. I envied my cousins their five-minute commute. I couldn’t help but wonder…