Page 9 of Prickly Pair
Levi
God knows you fucking need it
Dallas
You’re going to be a pain in the ass about this, aren’t you? I think it’s a good thing. A spa like that will bring in more business for the town
Me
Love that y’all can text me back but can’t pick up my call. Fuck off
My mood soured even more as I cranked the engine and pulled onto the quiet road that led back to town. What the fuckdid Dallas even mean? A spa like that was going todisruptbusiness.
I turned up my music, shaking my head. I had a playlist for when I was in amoodand it mostly bounced between heavy metal, classic country music, and three pop songs from the 80s.
This was bad. What the hell was Nick doing, coming back to Whynot? He’d always hated this place. Hated me. I’d hated him back. He’d been a womanizer, a bad influence, a liar. Heusedme to get what he wanted in high school, including stealing stuff from my locker. I knew it was him.
He was the last person I wanted to see aroundmytown. I was not going to welcome him here. Maybe I could run him off.
I was going to be stewing about this all day. I didn’t even have the time to be pissed off about it. Between fixing the roof at the hotel, taking groceries to my mom, helping patch up the gazebo at the park, and listening to whatever new grievances Ms. Carlson had about the construction noises on her street—it was a stacked day.
Everyone was right. Ididneed a vacation. But at this point, that was never going to happen. It was impossible when everyone and their uncle needed something from me.
Whynot Treat Yourself edged into my vision. The little bakery looked lovely, as always. It had a fresh coat of paint on it and June had replaced some of the plants out front. We’d all worked hard to get the businesses on Main Street refreshed earlier this year, and I’d worked hip to hip with Evie for a few hours to paint her bakery. It’d been perfect.
My day was nonstop, but not enough to keep me from the bakery for a quick treat. I slowed on Main Street and pulled up next to the sidewalk.
Admittedly, anytime I came here, it was just to see Evie. I’d never had much of a sweet tooth. My Achilles’ heel was anythingsalty. French fries, tortilla chips, pickles. But seeing her always made my day a little brighter.
The bell above the door jingled as I stepped inside. I inhaled the scent of freshly baked goods and groaned. Okay, maybe I did like baked goods. But onlyherbaked goods. The display case was already crammed full with bread, croissants, cookies, and her famous pecan pies. It was early, but there were already three people in line ahead of me.
“Welcome in,” Evie called out automatically.
She glanced up at me and smiled from the counter.
Sweat immediately sprouted at my palms and I swallowed hard, smiling back. Nerves danced in my stomach as she packed up people's orders. She was gorgeous, as always. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a French twist, which I only knew because Avery had spent an hour lecturing me on hairstyles one time years ago. Her lips were dark red and popped against her rose-beige skin, her eyes bright and friendly despite how busy she was. Her cheeks were flushed, and I found my gaze drifting over the dusting of freckles there. I was tempted to jump in to help her, but she worked the counter like a well-oiled machine. If anything, she’d probably scold me for trying.
The door opened behind me, and I scooted forward to make room. I glanced back but then spun in surprise.
“Matthew,” I blurted out. “Hi.”
Matthew smiled at me, and my heart fluttered. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his broad nose and winked at me.Oh god,he was hot. I drank in how tight his denim shirt was over his muscled shoulders. Matthew had rich dark brown skin, a short black beard, and short curly hair that was cut into a fade. Every time I looked at him, my heart beat faster. He was unbearably handsome and smart and dreamy. Matthew was a doctor at the hospital, and possibly the best our community had ever had.
I definitely had a crush on him but didn’t know exactly what to do with it. We hung out regularly, and every time, I was nervous I’d do something silly. I was helpless when it came to romance. The last person I’d been with was over five years ago, and I was so out of practice when it came to flirting. I was pretty sure all my attempts came off as me not caring, even though that was the exact opposite of how I felt.
“Here for your daily dose of Evie?” Matthew asked.
“Uh.” See, I didn’t know what to say to that. “Just here for coffee, of course.”
Such a fucking lie.
Matthew’s gaze darted past me to her. “Not me.”
Oh.I followed his gaze back to Evie as she helped the person in front of me. She bagged up their purchases and they headed for the door. The moment they were out of the shop, she blew out a long breath and planted her forehead on the counter.
I frowned. I rarely saw her like this.
“You doing okay?” Matthew asked her.
