Hometown Hotshot

by C. Morgan

  I shrugged. “Yeah.”

  “So, he’s capable of it.”

  “Yeah, but not of his own volition. He needs a motivator. That kind of thing isn’t ingrained into him.”

  “You could be that powerful motivator.”

  “Yeah, until he’s confronted with the idea of settling down and he runs again.”

  Jo shrugged. “Could be fun, though.”

  I paused. “What could be fun?”

  “Giving Mr. Rebel a crash course in boring domestic relationships.”

  I snickered. “I mean, can you imagine him doing laundry?”

  “Sorting the colors from the whites?”

  “And then having to take out all the reds?”

  “Oh! Teaching him how to cook. You know damn good and well that boy doesn’t know how to cook.”

  “Vacuuming: A Crash Course in Clean Carpet.”

  “There we go! See? You’re getting the hang of it.”

  I laughed. “I could force him to learn how to use the Home Shopping Network.”

  Jo and I fell apart in laughter. But the joke turned into… well, not a joke. By the end of our breakfast, we had a workable list. Things Jake could do in order to show him what domestic life really was like. Things like setting a routine. Getting a job. Making a budget. Doing laundry. Cooking dinner instead of eating takeout or going out somewhere nice all the time.

  I shrugged. “It would be nice.”

  Jo smacked her lips. “Girl, tell him about this list. You know he’ll do it. Or at least try.”

  “I don’t know.”

  “And hey, if he doesn’t wanna do it? You’ve scared him off and he doesn’t get to burn you again. You get to be right. And I know how much you love being right.”

  I grinned. “Being right is a good feeling.”

  “And if he runs? You can move on. But if he stays…?”

  “Don’t.”

  She held up her hands. “All I’m saying is, you win either way. And I get a great laugh out of it all.”

  “Stranger things have happened, right?”

  She smiled. “Stranger things have definitely happened.”

  Chapter 9

  Jake

  I jiggled my leg as I waited in the booth at the diner where Liv had agreed to meet me for lunch. Much to my shock, she told me she had a list, things I could do in order to prove to her I was serious about all this. I’d been thinking about it all day, worried this list might be more like her counting off every kernel of corn in Old Man Wither’s field or memorizing all the state capitals.

  “Hey there. Sorry I’m late.”

  I looked up at her and watched as she quickly dropped into the seat in front of me.

  “It’s okay. You’re fine. I promise,” I said.

  I smiled as she slid her hair back with her fingers. When her eyes met mine, she took my breath away. She was more beautiful than ever, even with beads of sweat glistening against her brow. We gave our orders to the waitress, with Liv still breathing a bit heavy.

  “You going to be okay?” I asked.

  She sighed. “Yeah, just rushing around. I’ve only got a half an hour for lunch since I got caught in traffic.”

  “Sounds like I’ll have to have a word with your boss. You know, since we’re best friends and all.”

  She laughed. “Don’t worry. I’ve got it covered.”

  Then, she slid a piece of paper out of her back pocket.

  She passed it to me, and my heart stopped. I looked up at her, and she urged me to take it. I picked it up and unfolded it, seeing that adorable handwriting of hers come into view. As my eyes traveled down the list, I sighed with relief. Nothing on this list was impossible to defeat.

  Actually, everything on this list seemed very doable.

  As in, I could finish this damn thing within a week.

  “Are you sure this is all?” I asked.

  I looked up at Liv and found her grinning.

  “Trust me, it’s not as easy as you think,” she said.

  “Sorting laundry? Setting a budget? I mean… this is basic stuff.”

  “Yes. These are the most boring aspects of life as an adult. Because while you might want to stick around now when things are fresh and new again, that might change once things settle into a routine. Once we start having days where all we do is go through the motions.”

  I furrowed my brow. “Taxes?”

  She giggled. “Fake taxes. Don’t worry. If you get there, you’ll figure it out.”

  “If I get there? There’s only seven other tasks before it. All I already know how to do.”

  She shrugged. “Then you won’t have any issue. Right?”

  “Is this some sort of joke? Is there a camera around somewhere?”

  “I’m hardly joking, Jake. This will prove to me you’re serious. And if you can complete this list, I’ll give you a second chance.”

  I shrugged. “Okay. I’m in.”

  All sorts of things were on the list. Cleaning the apartment. Learning how to cook three homemade meals. Grocery shopping for those meals.

  “Wait, clipping coupons?”

  She laughed. “Yes.”

  “You clip coupons?”

  “No one around here is rolling in the dough, Jake.”

  “But you’re struggling so much that you clip coupons?”

  “Who doesn’t want to save a penny or two?”

  “You’re not answering my question.”

  She sighed. “Because you’re not privy to that information yet.”

  I shook my head. “Well, you really must want me back. Because none of these are even a challenge.”

  She smiled. “I’m glad you’re confident. You always were. So, you can start with one of your homemade meals tomorrow night.”

  I paused. “What?”

  “Yep. You can cook me one of your homemade meals before cleaning up the dishes.”

  “Isn’t the rule, ‘I cook, you clean’?”

  “Nope. Because most people do both themselves. Welcome to reality, Jake. It’s not at all what you think it is.”

  I nodded. “Okay. Fine. I’ll even go grocery shopping beforehand. Kill two birds with one stone.”

  “You have to do it, Jake. Not your mother. No taking her on these outings.”

  “You really have that little faith in me? I’m serious about this, Olivia. I’ll do the shopping and the cooking and the cleaning up of this meal. You have my word.”

  She shrugged. “Okay, then. You can pick me up tomorrow from work at four.”

  “It’s a date.”

  “Oh, and you can also pick up the check. And calculate the tip without using your phone.”

  “Come on, Liv. Seriously?”

  She winked. “Isn’t adulthood fun?”

  She gave me a cheeky smile as the waitress came back with our food. She set a plate in front of me but a to-go box in front of her. Which made me furrow my brow.

  “You aren’t staying?” I asked.

  “Rule number one of being an adult, Jake. Always pay attention.”

  Then, she grabbed her food and stood up, making her leave, leaving me there with the check as a chuckle fell from my lips.

  “It’s good to be back, Liv!” I exclaimed.

  “No phone for your tip, Jake!”

  Chapter 10

  Liv

  I managed to make it back behind the counter after wolfing down my food. I was still five minutes late, though. I looked around for Tandy to make sure she hadn’t seen me slip back here late, and I sighed with relief.

  Until a voice came at me from behind.

  “I won’t tell my sister about the five minutes if you don’t.”

  I jumped. “Holy shi—! Percy. Don’t do that. You scared the living daylights out of me.”

  He chuckled. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to. I figured you saw me back here.”

  “No. I didn’t. I’m sorry.”

  His placed his hands on my shoulders. “Don’t apologize. You’re fine. And
I don’t think you’ll get caught today. I mean, except by me.”

  He gripped my shoulders before he released them, and I held back a shudder. I didn’t know why Percy always did those kinds of things—coming out of nowhere, keeping his eye on me in the shop. I kept telling Tandy—his sister—to talk to him because those types of things made me uncomfortable. But she always shrugged me off, telling me that, as the store owner, watching his employees was his job. Even if they didn’t know they were being watched. How else was he supposed to run his shop?

  To her, it was normal.

  But to me? It was creepy.

  Even still, having Percy around was better than Tandy. I swear, the bitterness in her had only grown after her father died. As the oldest, she expected to inherit the general store. But when it was announced that her father left it to her younger brother, she became angry. Empty. Cold. She constantly said the only reason her father left the damn thing to her brother was because she was a woman.

  But I think her father did it because she was completely insufferable as a boss.

  Percy might come out of nowhere sometimes, but Tandy breathed down our throats and criticized us on every little thing. And if she came into the shop with personal baggage? Hell have mercy on us all. She still stood on her high horse, even well after high school. It didn’t matter that Tandy ruled the school as our homecoming queen, though. That was years ago. She needed to get off it and move on, find something else to be proud of.

  But it seemed not many of us had moved on from high school.

  Myself, included.

  “So, you know Jake’s back, right?” Percy asked.

  I looked up and saw he had made his way to the other side of the register on the customers’ side. Even with standing up on a platform that usually put me above the customer’s head, I was still eye to eye with Percy.

  “Actually, I just saw him at lunch,” I said.

  “What’d you two talk about?” he asked.

  He leaned his forearm against the counter, waiting for a response, but I wasn’t sure how to answer. He and Jake were still good friends. So, I decided to go ahead and tell him.

  I mean, he’d hear it from Jake later anyway.

  “He’s wanting a second chance,” I said.

  “So, he did say something to you about it.”

  I paused. “Wait, you knew?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, I did. I saw Jake the day he got back into town. I just didn’t know if it was my place to say anything.”

  “I can respect that.”

  “Did you give him an answer? Or just slap him across the face?”

  I snickered. “No, I didn’t slap him.”

  “How are you feeling about all this? You okay?”

  I sighed. “You know, I’m not really sure.”

  “Can’t blame you on that. Since he basically walked out on you after agreeing to cherish you forever.”

  Thanks for that slap in the face. “Yeah. I know. I was there.”

  “Sorry. I just—he’s my best friend, sure. But that doesn’t mean I always agree with him.”

  “Good to know, Percy.”

  “So, I take it you’re still trying to figure out what you want?”

  I nodded. “Yeah. But in the meantime? I’ve come up with a list of tasks to scare him off.”

  He paused. “Scare him off?”

  I laughed. “You’ll have to ask Jake on that one. You’ve got customers approaching.”

  Percy looked behind him before moving and smiling at the people lining up to purchase things. He talked with them and made them feel welcome. He cooed with the baby in the struggling mother’s arms. I rang them up and went through the motions, finishing out my shift for the rest of the day. I was thankful that Tandy didn’t approach me once during the shift.

  Or Percy, for that matter, after our little after-lunch discussion.

  I made my way to the apartment and couldn’t wait to get to bed. Even though I got off at four in the afternoon during the weekdays, I still felt beat. I flopped into bed for a short nap, figuring a nice snooze before dinner was just what I needed.

  And Jake took over my dreams.

  “And here we are. The last task.”

  Jake’s voice caught my ear as I turned around.

  “What was that?” I asked.

  He grinned. “The last task. I’m done with it.”

  He handed me the list, with everything checked off. From laundry to learning how to cook to cleaning my apartment up and down.

  “Even the coupons?” I asked.

  He handed me an accordion folder. “Got them sorted by date and everything.”

  I snickered. “Nice.”

  “I want to thank you, Liv.”

  My eyes met his. “For what?”

  He smiled. “For showing me how boring settling down can be.”

  I blinked. “What?”

  He backed up toward my door. “Yeah. I mean, things with you are fun. Exciting. Passionate. But doing this? Day in and day out? I’m not your slave, Liv.”

  “Jake, that isn’t the point. The point is—”

  “That you wanted to scare me off. And you accomplished that.”

  “Jake, please.”

  “I love you, Liv. But not that much.”

  The door slamming behind him jolted me awake from my nap. With tears welling in my eyes, I reached for my cell phone. I dug it out of my pocket and turned on the screen. I sighed when I saw the time as I sniffled. Just past midnight. I’d slept the entire night away.

  So, I wiggled underneath the covers and passed back out, hoping my dream was simply that.

  Chapter 11

  Jake

  “Liv, you okay?”

  She nodded, but she kept her mouth shut. She’d been like this ever since I picked her up from work, barely looking me in my eyes and pulling away every time I tried taking her hand. It had me worried.

  So worried that I pulled my truck over to the side of the road.

  “Jake, what are you—?”

  “Look at me,” I said.

  She turned her eyes toward me, and I saw how fearful they were. How hesitant they had become.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “Just a dream. Nothing big,” she said

  “What kind of dream?”

  “The kind I need to forget about.”

  “Did you have a nightmare?”

  She shrugged. “Of sorts.”

  I sighed. “What happened?”

  “I promise, it’s nothing.”

  “It’s something to you. So, it’s something to me.”

  I placed my hand on her knee, and she flinched, which pushed me forward.

  “Dinner won’t be ready for another forty minutes. It’s slow-cooking in the oven. We have time to talk,” I said.

  “Slow-cooking. Sounds fancy.”

  “Olivia.”

  She sighed. “It was just a stupid dream.”

  “Then if it’s stupid, you won’t have an issue talking about it.”

  “It was just about this list. You got it done. You were proud. You thanked me for showing you how boring life is here. And then you left. Again.”

  I unbuckled her seat belt and reached for her body. I physically pulled her into my lap as she sighed. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her to my lap, and as she straddled me, I gazed up into her eyes.

  “Look at me when I tell you this, because it’s important,” I said.

  “Jake, it’s nothing. Please, can we just—?”

  I gripped her chin. “That shit isn’t happening. I’m not going anywhere. Do you hear me?”

  She nodded but didn’t say anything.

  “I’m going to win you back. I’m serious about this. And I don’t think your list is a list of boring things I have to do. It’s a list of exciting things I get to do with you. To prove my devotion to you. There’s a difference. You need to learn it.”

  She scoffed. “Yeah. I guess so.”

  I pulled her lips to min
e, and she melted against me. I slid my hands up her back and fisted her hair, drawing her closer as my tongue invaded her mouth. She moaned against me and ground against my cock. The windows of my truck began steaming up, and I slid my seat back and spread my legs, offering myself to her as she cupped my cheeks.

  Fucking hell, why was it still light outside?

  My hands slid up her shirt. They came around, massaging her glorious tits. Her head fell off to the side before she kissed down my neck, sucking and teasing as my cock ached against my pants. I wanted her. I needed her. I had to have her, no matter what I had to do.

  No matter if I had to do this damn list ten times over.

  Her hands fiddled with my belt buckle, but I stopped her. It killed me to stop her, but we’d burn dinner if we didn’t get a move on. Because we still had one last stop to make. Her eyes whipped up to mine, and I leaned forward. I captured her lips one last time, feeling electricity pucker the hair on my arms. I sucked on her lower lip and listened to her whimper. And as her hands slid up my torso, I wrapped my arms back around her body.

  “If we’re going to do any kind of eating tonight, we still need to run by the supermarket really quickly,” I murmured.

  Her forehead fell against mine. “Why?”

  “Dessert, of course.”

  “You didn’t get it when you went before?”

  I chuckled. “Maybe I wanted to take you to prove I can actually piece together a legitimate meal.”

  She smiled. “Fair enough. Lead the way.”

  I helped her back into her seat, and she buckled herself up. Then, I eased off the side of the road. We made our way to the grocery store hand in hand, without her pushing me away. We walked inside and headed straight for the produce. I didn’t just want any dessert for her, though. I wanted to put it together in front of her.

  So, I ran down the recipe in my head for the blueberry crisp I’d seen online.

  I stole glances at Liv, and she looked impressed. Flour. Sugar. Blueberries. Honey. Cinnamon. A bit of whole-fat milk. She pushed the cart, and I grabbed the ingredients. Then, I walked her through the wine aisle. I plucked a bottle of wine off the shelf that would pair well with the ribs I had slow-cooking in the oven at home.