Zero Forks: An Opposites Attract Romance (Smalltown Secrets Book 4)

by Cat Johnson

  She drew in a breath then met my gaze. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

  “That’s my girl.”

  I hadn’t meant it to be a big deal, but I saw her react to the words. My girl. Her cheeks colored. She looked torn between a smile and shock.

  I had definitely thrown her off balance, which made my new goal to keep her as happy—and as off balance—as she was right now.

  “Ready to go now?” I asked.

  “No.” She looked panicked. “Do I need to change first?”

  “No. You can go just like that. Or you can change into something more comfortable, if you want. You’ll be fine either way. There are all kinds of people there. Suit. Jeans. Whatever.”

  “Really?” she asked, looking skeptical.

  “Really.”

  It was the truth whether she believed me or not. Millionaires. Farmers. Locals. Out of towners. Young, old and in between. They all ate and drank at the MRI.

  “Just stay like you are. I’ll grab Stewie. The car seat’s already in my truck.”

  “So I guess we’re taking the truck.” She looked less than thrilled at that as she followed me into the house and dropped her bag on the table inside.

  “Listen here, missy. Many a city girl has fallen in love in a pick-up truck.”

  Her eyes flew wide.

  “I meant fallen in love with a pick-up truck.” I shot her a grin and walked to open the back door. “Stewie. Come on inside now. I’m taking you and Auntie Sarah out to the bar for dinner.”

  “To the bar,” he repeated as he carried his truck indoors.

  I glanced back at Sarah and saw her brows rise.

  “It’s not a cuss,” I defended, as I closed and locked the back door.

  “No, but it might get us a call from child services if he repeats it.”

  I waved away her concern. “Nah. Besides, it’s not just a bar. There’s a full menu. The wings were voted best in the county two years running.”

  She pressed her lips together and nodded. “Mmm, hmm. I’ll be sure to tell them that when they come to take him away.”

  Those kissable lips and that smart-mouthed attitude combined were irresistible. I moved toward Sarah, cornering her between the counter and me, before I pressed a long hard kiss to her lips.

  When I pulled back her eyes were wide. “You shouldn’t do that here. Now.”

  “Why not?” I asked.

  “Stewie’s right there,” she hissed.

  “Hey, Stewie. Is it okay if I kiss your aunt?” I asked.

  “Yes.” He didn’t even look up from his truck, which he was pushing slowly but steadily across the floor toward the front door and dusting the floors with his knees as he went.

  Luckily, I’d swept up this afternoon. I didn’t want to take the time to change him into something else. I was taking my girl out on the town. Or as close as you could get in Mudville.

  “Thanks, bud.” I grinned and looked at her. “See?”

  She drew in a breath. “Yes. I see you’re insufferable.”

  “I’ll take that as a compliment—and google exactly what it means later.”

  That won me a small smile as she shook her head. “Don’t play dumb with me, Boone Morgan. You are far smarter than you let on.”

  “All part of my plan to win your heart.”

  There was that blush again. That alone was enough to make me fall for her. That coupled with what had happened between us last night—and again this morning—and I was a goner for this woman.

  I pressed a kiss to her lips then offered her my arm. “My lady.”

  She hesitated but finally looped her hand through the crook in my arm.

  “And off to the Muddy River Inn we go,” I said, happier than Romeo with a bone.

  “This is going to be an experience, isn’t it?” she asked.

  This citified woman inside the best—and the only—dive bar in town? Yup. I had no doubt.

  “Oh, yeah.” I grinned.

  And I couldn’t wait.

  NINETEEN

  Sarah

  There were a few things I’d never thought I’d do in my life. One, take a three-year old to a bar. Two, go out to dinner with a man thirteen years my junior. And three, have such a good time doing both of them.

  I hated to admit it but Boone was right. The place was as much restaurant as it was bar. And in spite of the presence of all the usual bar elements, such as the pool table, juke box and dart board, it felt pretty family friendly.

  At least at this early hour it did. Stewie wasn’t even the only kid eating dinner there tonight.

  That was the good part of the evening.

  Then there was the bad part.

  Boone was apparently well-known—and well-liked—in this town. Everybody seemed to know him. Almost everyone said hello to him. And those who didn’t still stared as we walked in together and sat at one of the tables.

  I—or rather Boone and I being there together—was definitely the topic of the hissed conversations going on around us, judging by the looks I got from young and old alike.

  They were staring at me, making assumptions, but I had to admit that I did some observing and assuming of my own.

  Such as I assumed the hot young thing in the corner with her girlfriends all shooting daggers at me with their eyes had a thing for Boone.

  Hell, maybe she’d even dated him. She was the right age, which I—I reminded myself—was not.

  Then there was the old couple seated nearby. She spent the night alternating between watching me and leaning in to whisper to him, only to have him tell her, loudly, that he couldn’t hear her and she needed to talk louder. After which she’d glance at me then tell him it was nothing and that he needed a hearing aid.

  But there were friendly, kind people too.

  Boone introduced me to the owner, Lainey, who couldn’t have been sweeter. She offered to make Stewie anything he wanted, whether it was on the menu or not.

  As it turned out, Stewie wanted plain old french fries. No surprise. I ordered him chicken fingers to eat with the fries so the kid didn’t turn into a potato before his mother got back.

  The waitress was nice, even if she did look a bit too interested in who I was and why I was there with Boone. But she delivered our food with a smile and restrained herself from flirting with him in front of me.

  For that I was grateful. I was too raw from what I’d let happen between us to be faced with a girl who was not quite but close enough to being half my age throwing herself at Boone.

  But damn, how many of the girls in here had he dated? Worse, how many would he go on to be with after me?

  “Hey, my brother’s here.” Boone’s announcement knocked me out of my dark thoughts.

  “Cash?” I asked, glancing around.

  “No, my older brother. Stone. You haven’t met him yet but I’m sure I’ve talked about him. In fact, he’s dating Harper. You met her and Red at Bethany’s bakery.”

  I nodded. He was throwing a lot of names at me, but I remembered that day at the bakery. How could I forget it since it was the source of my bee’s knees campaign?

  Boone stood and waved his brother over. “Stone!”

  As Stone made his way across the bar toward our table, I had to think they should bottle and sell the water over there at Morgan Farm since it had obviously produced three prime male specimen.

  “Hey.” Stone lifted his chin to Boone then turned to me. “Hi. I’m Stone.”

  “I’m Sarah and this is Stewie.”

  Stone’s gaze dropped to my nephew. “Stewie, I know. We’re old friends by now. Right, kid?”

  Stewie nodded. “Stone lets me drive.”

  I lifted my brow. “Does he?”

  “He sits in my lap and holds the wheel while I drive the tractor out to dump a load on the manure pile,” Stone explained.

  “It’s one of Stewie’s favorite things to do,” Boone added.

  I let out a burst of a laugh. Tractors and manure. It sounded as if not having a father
in his life hadn’t made Stewie any less of a boy.

  Though he had a male role model in his life now, didn’t he? More than one, since Boone took him to the farm every day to work with his brothers.

  I’d been wrong to ever doubt Boone’s capabilities with the boy.

  “Auntie, I have to go.” Stewie was wiggling so much in his chair I didn’t have to ask where he had to go. I assumed it was the bathroom.

  “Potty?” I asked.

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll take him.” Boone started to stand.

  I held up my hand. “No. Stay and visit with your brother. I've got him.”

  Stewie and I made our way to the ladies’ room and into a stall. I’d been a bit trepidatious about what the bathroom situation would be like at this bar, but it was surprisingly nice inside. And very clean, so another one of my stereotypes and assumptions got shot down.

  I helped Stewie out of his little jeans. It had been a challenge the first day, but I’d eventually figured out how to help a little boy go number one in a big person’s toilet.

  Now I was a pro.

  As we worked as a team to keep the pee in the toilet and not on Stewie, me or the floor, I heard the door open and close and voices as what sounded like two women came in.

  “Can you believe he’s here with her?”

  I froze, my heart pounding as I immediately assumed they were talking about me.

  “I know, right? She’s old as hell. And she’s got a kid.”

  “It’s probably just a pity date.”

  I was ready to swing Stewie out of the way and vomit up the crispy chicken salad I’d been enjoying—until now.

  “Done,” Stewie said. When I didn’t move, he said, “Auntie. Done!”

  “Oh, yeah. Sorry, bud.” My hands were shaking as I bumbled fastening his jeans.

  Finally, I got them buttoned up and unlocked the stall door.

  There they stood. Two of the girls I’d noticed before out in the dining room.

  One made an oh with her mouth, while the other said, “Oops.”

  Neither looked all that sorry at being caught. On the contrary. They looked more amused.

  “Come on, Stewie.”

  “Wash my hands.” Stewie turned toward the sink.

  I’d trained the kid well. Too well.

  “I have wipes in my bag. We’ll clean your hands at the table.” I couldn’t be in there another moment. I pulled him toward the door.

  I heard them giggling and walked faster, practically dragging Stewie behind me to get away from those judgmental bitches, even if what they said was the truth.

  They were right. I was too old for Boone. The more I thought about it, the clearer it became.

  “Hey. Everything work out okay in there?” Boone smiled as I plopped Stewie in his chair and sat heavily myself, my shaky legs giving way beneath me.

  “Everything’s fine.” Not making eye-contact with either Boone or Stone, I concentrated on pulling the packet of wipes out of my bag.

  I tore one out, wiping Stewie’s outspread hands probably harder than I needed to.

  “So Stone was just saying how you and Stewie need to come to the party we’re going to have after Autumn Fest,” Boone said.

  “I don’t know what that is,” I said, tossing the wadded up used wipe on the table and wishing the waitress would bring the bill so we could go.

  “It’s a big town festival that’s held at the farm in September. There’s vendors and a band and animal rides. But it ends early and since it’s a hell—” Stone’s gaze moved to Stewie as he cut himself off. “Heck of a lot of work, this year we decided to have a little celebration after it’s over. Just friends and family.”

  I glanced at Boone. “That’s fine. You can go. Take the night off. I’ll watch Stewie.”

  “There’ll be kids there. You and Stewie can both come. With me,” Boone explained.

  “No. I don’t think that would be appropriate. But you go be with your friends and family. It’s not a problem. Really.”

  I watched Stone react, his brows shooting up before he glanced at Boone. “Um, looks like my take-out order is ready. Nice meeting you, Sarah.”

  “You too.” I managed the nicety though my heart was breaking.

  The confusion on Boone’s face told me he was thrown by my answer. I suppose I couldn’t blame him. I had let the lines get blurred.

  Not anymore. That was over.

  Now we were back to being boss and employee again. It was how it should have been all along. That was just the way it would have to be again.

  TWENTY

  Boone

  I got Stewie cleaned up and to bed in record time and went in search of Sarah to find out what the hell was going on.

  What had caused that one-eighty at the bar?

  She wasn’t downstairs but her car was in the driveway. That meant she was in her bedroom. I strode up the stairs and found her door closed.

  That wasn’t going to stop me. I knocked, hard and loud and for long enough I knew there was no way she could pretend not to hear me.

  I was going to fix whatever was wrong. But I couldn’t do that if I didn’t know what that was.

  Finally I heard the knob jiggle. She pulled the door open and stood in the open doorway.

  I reached out for her. She took a step back, out of my reach, and I swear I heard the crack of my heart breaking. “Sarah—”

  “Look, Boone. I know things went a little too far between us and that’s my fault. But I think it’s time we go back to the way we were. Employer. Employee.”

  My mouth dropped open in shock. None of it made sense.

  Frowning, I shook my head, trying to reason out what went wrong. “Did something happen?”

  “No. No. It’s just I realized I made a mistake. And that’s on me. I still want you to watch Stewie. Nothing’s changed.”

  What was she talking about? Everything had changed.

  “Oh, and I think in light of the circumstances, it would probably be better if you didn’t come to the wedding with me.”

  Wow.

  I’d been dumped before. But I never imagined how badly it could hurt. Until now.

  “Yeah. Okay.” I stood there for a second trying to process what had happened. I couldn’t even begin to do that. But I knew one thing. I had to get out of this house. “Um, Stewie is in bed. Can I take off for a little bit?”

  “Of course.”

  “Thank you.” I turned to go.

  “Boone.”

  I glanced back, hopeful.

  “Thank you for dinner.”

  A short bitter laugh slipped out before I could stop it. “Sure. Anytime.”

  My keys and my wallet were both still in my pocket. I didn’t need anything else. Without looking back, I made a beeline to the front door and then to my truck. I suppose I could have gone to the bar and drank away my piss-poor mood.

  I wasn’t in the state of mind for a crowd so instead, I headed home. Stepping through the back door, I realized I’d chosen wrong, judging by the crowd around the kitchen table.

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “I’ve got a few days off from classes. So I came home,” Shalene explained.

  “Harper has a deadline so I’m not allowed to bother her,” Stone said.

  “And Red is away at some retail convention,” Cash added.

  I nodded, not sure if I was grateful for the company or annoyed by a house full of family when I probably would be better off being alone.

  “What are you doing here?” Cash asked. “Haven’t seen you around at night since you moved in with your lovely boss.”

  I knew there was no way he could know what had happened, but his words struck a nerve. “Shut the fuck up. This is still my house too.”

  Cash held up his hands, palms forward. “Whoa, bro. I was only joking around.”

  I blew out a breath and sat heavily in an empty chair. “I’m sorry.”

  “What’s wrong?” Shalene asked.


  I lifted my shoulders. It was the only answer I had to give them at the moment.

  “Sarah?” Stone’s guess was right on the nose.

  Not a surprise. He was there for her first shot across my bow—her saying it wouldn’t be appropriate for her to come to our family party with me.

  That had come from completely out of the blue, when we’d been having a great time up until then. At least I thought we had.

  I drew in a breath and said, “Yup. Sarah.”

  “What happened?” Cash asked.

  He might have been sincere. Or maybe just nosy. Either way, I wasn’t in the mood to talk. I was pissed, hurt, baffled and now, humiliated in front of my family.

  “I don’t know.” I swiveled to face Shalene. “You want a job for the days you’re home?”

  She cringed. “I’m already on the schedule for the lunch shift at the diner every day.”

  “What about nights? You available to babysit Stewie from say about five at night until seven in the morning? You can stay in my room in the Van de Berg house. I’ll take him during the days when she’s at work. And I’ll pay you everything she’s paying me.”

  Three sets of eyes watched me. I only concentrated on Shalene.

  “Deal?” I asked.

  She nodded, watching me with concern. “Okay. I’ll do it.”

  “Thanks.” I stood and pulled a key off my truck’s keychain. I tossed it onto the table. “That opens the front door. My room is the first on the right at the top of the stairs.”

  “Okay, Boone. I’ll handle it.”

  The fact Shalene seemed to be handling me with kid gloves and neither of my brothers had anything more to say about the situation told me one thing. I must have looked in as bad shape as I felt.

  Somehow, I found that comforting.

  “I’m going upstairs to bed.”

  They didn’t comment it was barely eight o'clock. I counted that as a win.

  I’d had few enough wins today. I needed every one I could get.