Summer Love_ A Steamy Small Town Romance Anthology - Piper Rayne Page 0,3

cut on her leg is oozing blood.

He pushes his hands through his hair and looks over at me. We both know he’s gotta leave.

Savannah looks over at me. “We were leaving Lard Have Mercy after our dinner and she fell down and cut herself on something.”

I can tell Savannah is worried.

Liam returns with the first aid kid and bends to whisper into Brinley’s ear, “This might hurt a little, but you’re a strong little girl, right?”

She shakes her head against her mother’s chest, not bothering to look over at him.

Liam looks to Savannah investigating the cut. It’s way too deep for just a Band-Aid.

“You know what, we can do this another night. It’s no big deal,” Reagan says.

“No, today is the anniversary.” Brooklyn frowns at her friend because what choice do they have at this point..

It’s then I realize what today is and my gaze darts over to her. She peeks up at me for a brief second before she looks at Liam.

“It’s fine. Really.”

“I’ll do it.” The words are out of my mouth before I consider the repercussions of this decision. Everyone in the room turns to look at me, and I shrug like it’s no big thing. “You know, if it needs to be tonight. Just sayin’, I can do it.”

“You sure, man? What about your—” Liam starts.

“It’s fine.”

Brooklyn turns to Reagan. “What do you think?”

“Um, yeah. If you’re sure you don’t mind.” She looks less than thrilled with the idea and I don’t know if it’s because it’s me or just because today is the anniversary of her mother’s death. Whatever, I’m not gonna overthink it.

“You’re a lifesaver,” Savannah says in a rush of words. “I’m not really good when she gets hurt and the fact she needs to go to the hospital.”

Brinley’s head pops up and she turns, reaching out for her dad who takes her in his arms. Savannah blows out a breath and gives me a look of gratitude. I have no idea what it would be like to have a kid nor do I know if I’ll ever find out.

“She’ll be fine. Just think of Rome and Denver and how many injuries they had growing up,” Brooklyn says, smoothing her hand down her sister’s back..

Savannah nods at her sister. “They were swinging from jungle gyms, she just fell off a curb.”

“It’s my wild streak,” Liam says with a chuckle.

Savannah rolls her eyes.

“Thanks again, Moose. Really appreciate it,” he says.

“It’s no trouble. I just gotta make a call first. Be right back.” I head back to the office without looking at Reagan again, because I’m going to have to touch her for the next couple hours depending on what kind of ink she wants and that’ll be hard enough.

I pull my cell from my pocket and pull up the number for the owner of Poppy’s so I can call off work for the night. He won’t be happy, but it is what it is.

I’m there for the people I care about when they need me, even if they no longer care about me.

Chapter Three

Reagan

“That was nice of Moose, wasn’t it?” Brooklyn says, sitting beside me in the waiting area.

“Yeah, definitely.” I shift in my seat, eyeing the hallway he just disappeared down.

Liam, Savannah, and Brinley have all left to go to the hospital, leaving just the three of us in the shop. But Moose is still in the back doing, well, whatever it is he needed to do.

I’m shocked he offered to do my tattoo. The last time we spoke, things got heated. But everyone else here was none the wiser, so what could I say except, yes? But the idea of him looming over me for an hour or two, his body so close to mine… I’m already struggling to breathe.

He still looks amazing. Six-foot-six of real man wrapped in muscle and tattoos. He still shaves his head, and the tattoos on his neck still stick out from under the collar of his shirt. I momentarily think of the way my tongue used to trace those patterns up his neck and my eyes drift closed.

“Are you okay?” My eyes snap open at Brooklyn’s voice, and I turn my head in her direction.

“Yeah, why?”

“I don’t know, you look flushed or something.” She places the back of her hand on my forehead like the mom she is now and shrugs. “You feel fine.”

Moose’s heavy footsteps sound in the hall and I glance back in that direction. His gaze is trained on me the entire way