Hometown Hope: A Small Town Romance Anthology

by Zoe York

  “It might. She’s got a big heart, man. Just treat her right.” Benji studied him in the low light. “Have a good night. See you Friday.”

  Cole stopped by the Buick and watched Cole climb into a pickup truck.

  Scarlett.

  She was the first person he’d met in this town who’d shown him kindness. It was his fucked up head. This wedding business and moving had him stressed out. That was it. But it wasn’t. He’d spent hours trying to tell himself the connection was all in his head. He knew better. This thing he had with Scarlett was different, and damn it if he didn’t want to take the chance he hadn’t been brave enough to before.

  * * *

  * * *

  Scarlett plopped down in the lawn chair Kasima had saved for her and breathed a sigh. The Friday homecoming parade was one of the things Scarlett liked about all the festivity. She’d organized her night to allow herself to be here for this.

  “Why did we booked a high maintenance bride this week?” She groaned.

  “Wine cooler?” Kasima offered her a pink beverage.

  “Sure.” Scarlett glanced around, but she hadn’t spotted the guys. They’d been scarce, no doubt doing their best to avoid getting roped into last-minute preparations for tomorrow. They all enjoyed homecoming.

  She secretly wondered if Cole would be there. While she didn’t have any guilt about drawing the boundary between them, she still wanted the best for him.

  “Have all the fun you can tonight and worry about tomorrow later,” Ingrid said.

  “I wish. I have to go home around halftime to try to finish the centerpieces for tomorrow. The bride had this sob story about her sick cat so I spent all morning redirecting deliveries and picking up boxes.”

  “That’s your own damn fault.” Ingrid shook her head.

  “Be nice,” Kasima muttered.

  “I know.” Scarlett sipped from her bottle. “I love homecoming.”

  “Then next time, don’t work this weekend.” Ingrid shrugged. “Nothing else is open. Everyone shuts down for this week.”

  “I know.” Scarlett really had to stop being such a softie. “Have you seen Benji?”

  She sat up and twisted around, searching for her cousin in the crowd. The people parted and a familiar dark head of hair stood out to her.

  Cole.

  Her silly heart did a little squeeze. She wanted him to find his place. To be happy. He deserved that much.

  “Penny for your thoughts?” Ingrid asked.

  “I can’t trust you to keep your mouth shut.”

  “True.” Ingrid winced. “You should talk to Kasima. She’s better about secrets.”

  “Cole’s not right for me. I think we both realized that chemistry isn’t everything.” The attraction was there, and they were each trying to resist it in their own way.

  “If you aren’t interested in him you should stop staring,” Ingrid said in a sing-song voice.

  “I know.”

  One more look.

  He tilted his head and laughed. His conversation partner swayed into view.

  Benji?

  What the hell?

  Scarlett sank down farther in her seat and sipped her beverage.

  When had Benji and Cole gotten so chummy?

  Ingrid twisted, looking up and down the street.

  “Something’s up with the L.O.L.s,” Ingrid said frowning at a cluster of grannies across the street.

  “Yeah?” Scarlett pulled her phone out and peered at the text from Benji. Had he spotted her staring? What was he doing talking to Cole?

  * * *

  Did you bring the garters?

  * * *

  Ug. Of course.

  She rolled her eyes.

  * * *

  Come and get ‘em.

  * * *

  She dropped the phone into her lap and lifted the bottle to her lips, drinking deeply of the fruity liquid.

  “Thirsty much?” Kasima asked.

  “I needed today.” She stared at the asphalt and willed her mind to focus.

  “Sounds like you do,” Kasima said.

  “You have no idea how much.”

  “There she is,” Benji called out. “Look who else I found.”

  Scarlett flinched and stared up as Benji followed by Cole stepped onto the narrow curb between her and the street. Cole’s gaze went straight to hers and she pressed her thighs together. Just because her mouth said they were a bad idea didn’t mean her body got the memo.

  “Hey, guys.” She wiggled her fingers at them.

  “There’s more room here.” Benji studied the sidewalk next to Scarlett. “I say we move down. Hang tight, I’ll get the chairs and the guys.”

  Benji slapped Cole on the shoulder and left before she could tell him to go find his own piece of curb.

  “Cole. Hi, nice to finally meet you.” Ingrid thrust her hand forward. “I’m Ingrid. The L.O.L.s haven’t stopped talking about you. This is Kasima.”

  Oh, shit.

  Scarlett sipped her wine cooler and cast furtive glances after her cousin. She hadn’t mentioned her little chat with Cole to him because she didn’t want the looks or the advice or anything else Benji had to offer. Maybe she should have?

  Benji hauled a couple lawn chairs toward them, followed by a group of guys with more chairs and coolers.

  “Here you go, man.” Benji handed Cole a lawn chair with LIVELY written on the bottom.

  Scarlett leaned toward Benji.

  “Don’t you dare,” she muttered.

  He didn’t even acknowledge her protest.

  “Here, Cole.” Benji patted the chair whose armrest overlapped her own.

  Scarlett wrapped her lips around the bottle and gulped the last of the beverage. She’d deleted Cole’s number from her phone as a way of telling herself this wasn’t going to happen. She didn’t need Cole to pay attention to her or flirt with her for her mind to run off to parts unknown and create a fantasy that was never going to happen.

  “You bring the garters?” Benji asked.

  “I did. You know it’s kind of weird you still want to wear them?” She slid the tote bag she’d brought forward and produced Benji and Garth’s garters.

  “It’s called school spirit, nerd.” Benji bent and kissed the top of her head.

  “Cole, what do you think of homecoming?” Ingrid asked over Scarlett.

  “It’s different. Kind of intense.” Cole perched on the edge of his seat.

  Scarlett could feel his body heat from here. Her throat tightened, and she itched to touch him. Instead, she pulled out her phone, keeping the screen close to her and typed out a message to Benji.

  * * *

  WTF are you doing?

  * * *

  She hit send and saw him glance at his phone almost immediately. His smirk said he knew exactly what was going on. Or at least what he thought was happening. She should have told him. Benji had been her shoulder far too many times for him to not recognize her type. The guys she gravitated toward. But if he knew about the conversation Monday, he’d have understood.

  “Want another?” Ingrid passed her a second wine cooler.

  “Thanks,” Scarlett muttered.

  Cole turned toward her, his expression neutral. But he couldn’t control his eyes. Those burned her with a mutually destructive fire.

  “Had a good week?” he asked.

  “Yeah. You?”

  “I got roped into float making.”

  “You did?” Scarlett glanced at Benji. Well now it all made sense.

  “This is something else.” Cole leaned back in his chair, his arm brushing hers even though she wasn’t vying with him for space on the arm rests.

  A little girl, no older than ten wearing a cheerleader outfit and carrying a basket of carnations strolled into view. Her wide smile and painted face was adorable. She stopped directly in front of Benji and Cole.

  “Want to buy a flower?” she asked.

  “Oh, sweetheart, I don’t have any cash on me.” Benji’
s face crumpled.

  “I think…” Cole dug in his pocket. “I’ve got a few dollars.”

  The little girl presented him with three flowers then skipped off to the next man.

  “Ladies?” Cole turned and handed the flowers out, one to Ingrid and Kasima. His gaze slid to hers and he held out the last one. “Scarlett?”

  She considered not taking it, but that would be petty.

  “Thank you.” She took the flower and smelled the barely there fragrance.

  He’d bought flowers for all of them, not just her. It didn’t mean anything. So why was he still looking at her like that?

  Cole shifted toward her and bent his head.

  “Can we talk about Monday?” he asked in a low voice.

  A horn blared at the far end of the street and a cheer rose up, drowning out the ability to talk. She sat forward and clapped as the parade began on the far side of town.

  Cole sat up, his gaze still on her.

  Was he going to stare at her through the whole parade?

  “Later,” she said to him.

  That answer appeared to satisfy him and he eased back, content to watch the show. She was grateful for something else to focus on, the kids running out to snatch up candy or trinkets, the various floats, the marching band and football team. It was a short parade, but it packed a lot of punch. As always, two police cruisers brought up the very end.

  No one was prepared for the after-parade show…

  Strolling along behind them as though she belonged there was Sissy.

  In a buggy pulled by a pony with streamers in its mane and balloons trailing behind them.

  “Oh—my—God,” Ingrid said.

  Scarlett stared while others howled in laughter. Sissy waved and flicked the ends of the reins at people as her pony trotted on.

  “How much trouble is she going to get in for that?” Kasima turned, eyes wide.

  “I don’t know that she can get in trouble. You don’t have to have a license to operate a buggy.” Scarlett stood and stared at the caution triangle on the back of Sissy’s pony cart.

  That was going to make quite a stir.

  They stowed the chairs and coolers in Ingrid’s little car, leaving no room for other bodies. But that was okay. Most people parked by the field then walked to Main Street. Their group merged with other familiar faces, all headed toward the field. The others drifted away until it was just her. And Cole.

  She slid the carnation behind her ear, freeing her hands and wiped her palms on her thighs.

  Cole was just a guy she knew from town. Just because they had chemistry didn’t dictate they become a couple or even explore what it might be like.

  “I’m sorry if I was an ass Monday before you left,” he said after they’d walked a block or so.

  “You weren’t.”

  “You should get to have everything you want.” He glanced down at her and she swallowed.

  His lips curled as though there was something he wanted to say.

  She was so caught up in what he might be thinking that she didn’t pay attention to the uneven ground. Her toe caught on a bit of uneven street and she pitched forward. Cole grasped her arms and pulled her close to his side, steadying her.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “Just testing gravity.” Her cheeks heated. This was not the way to stay on her side of the boundary line.

  “That didn’t work out well last time.” He chuckled, a husky sound that she shouldn’t like then let go of her.

  Scarlett couldn’t help but laugh along with him. The pig incident was pretty darn funny.

  “Scarlett?” He put his hand on her arm. “We can be friends, right?”

  “Of course.”

  “You were right. Chemistry doesn’t mean anything, and right now I’m not good for anyone. I don’t want to hurt you or anyone because I’m a mess right now.”

  “You aren’t a mess,” she said.

  “That’s because I’m keeping up appearances.” He winked at her and pressed his hand to the small of her back, edging her closer to him as they traversed a ditch.

  His fingers caressed her before he removed his hand. She swallowed and fought to ignore the way her skin tingled and how her stomach was tied up in knots.

  They were friends.

  They joined the flow of people headed to the stadium, but instead of going to the bleachers they circled around to the end zone where the tailgaters were set up.

  “How have things been with Garth?” Cole asked.

  “They’ve been better. We’re back to not really speaking.”

  Cole’s mouth twisted up as though he were holding back words. He’d picked up on the tenseness with Garth. Or had Benji warned him? Judging by Benji’s current endeavor, she doubted that.

  “I hope you know that what I said Monday, it’s selfish. I don’t think I can do whatever this would turn into. I’m not ready for that.” Scarlett had taken time to heal, to build herself back up, but she also knew that chemistry as combustible as what she felt with Cole would burn her in a way she didn’t know if she could come back from.

  “It’s not selfish. You deserve someone good.” Cole slowed as they reached the area where Benji’s truck was then stopped. “If I thought I had half a chance with you I’d take it.”

  “Oh.” She peered up at him, aware of the heat crawling up her neck.

  “Just know, if I forget we have boundaries, if I flirt a little, it doesn’t mean….” His gaze traced her lips to the point she could almost feel it.

  Being friends with him was dangerous territory, but she couldn’t bring herself to walk away from him.

  “Scarlett?”

  She winced at the sound of her name and groaned.

  Great.

  Garth.

  “Yeah?” She twisted to look at Garth in a blue polo shirt.

  He stood at the front of Benji’s trunk, a scowl twisting his face up.

  He wasn’t happy.

  There was a surprise.

  “One sec.” She sighed and pushed off the tailgate.

  “What’s he want?” Cole caught her hand.

  “Don’t know, but I probably don’t want to hear it.” She squeezed it then let go.

  Scarlett closed the distance between her and Garth.

  “What’s up?” she asked.

  “What’s with the mess in the barn?” He gestured in the general direction of The Love Barn.

  “I’m working on tomorrow.”

  “It’s not done?” His brows lifted.

  “Not yet.”

  “You came to the game with that mess up there? Scarlett, I can’t sweep or do anything with that. It’s a disaster.”

  “I’ll sweep when I’m done.”

  “Are you going to finish before the wedding? Or after?”

  “Chill out a little, will you? I am only staying for a little of the game, then I’m going back to work.”

  “It should have been done before you came here.”

  “Oh, and with what help?” She planted her hands on her hips. She was getting real tired of Garth’s attitude.

  “It’s not my job to pick up your slack.”

  “Just like it’s not your job to help anyone else out. I get it.”

  “I help you all the time. With everything. You’d never get anything done if it wasn’t for me.”

  Scarlett felt the barbs dig in. He’d been saying that ever since she moved in with them after her parent’s funeral. Garth had always been there for her, picking her up, keeping her going. But he’d never thrown it back in her face like this.

  Was she that much of a disappointment?

  Or was something going on with him?

  “Excuse me?” Warm hands grasped Scarlett by the shoulders and she felt the press of Cole’s chest to her back.

  “This doesn’t concern you,” Garth said without looking away from her.

  “It does now. You need to check your tone,” Cole said.

  Now Garth glanced up at Cole. “This
is family business.”

  “Then talk like family. Not like this.” Cole’s thumbs rubbed the back of her arms.

  Garth was stubborn. He’d make a scene, and right now Scarlett didn’t want any more attention. People were far too keen on her life with Cole around, anyway. If she didn’t want to cause a stir, her only option was to bow out.

  “It’s fine. I’ll just head home now and take care of things.” She glanced up at Cole. “Enjoy the game, okay?”

  “Scarlett.” Cole grasped for her hand.

  “I’ve got a lot of work to do for tomorrow.” She pulled away from him.

  They weren’t doing whatever this was right now. She appreciated him coming to her rescue, and it was really sweet of him to stand up to Garth, but in the long run this was best.

  Chapter 7

  Cole glared at Garth blocking his path. Scarlett had already darted out of view in the growing warren of vehicles lined up for the game.

  “Stay away from my sister,” Garth said.

  “Or what?” Cole crossed his arms over his chest, unimpressed with the bully before him.

  “Hey.” Benji hooked his arm around his older brother’s neck, catching the man by surprise. “What’s going on over here?”

  Benji’s smile was too sharp, his hold on his brother too tight. How much of the exchange had he seen?

  “Get off of me.” Garth pushed his brother away. His face was twisted into a scowl.

  “You sitting with us?” Benji’s focus remained on Garth, the hostile vibe intensifying.

  “No.” Garth gave Cole another glance. His stay away message telegraphed without words. He turned and stalked away.

  For a moment both Benji and Cole watched him until the crowed swallowed Garth.

  “Is he always an asshole?” Cole asked.

  “No. I mean, he’s overprotective and a stick in the mud, but this is all new. Something’s up with him.” Benji turned his attention back to Cole. “Thanks for sticking up for Scarlett like that.”

  “Does he talk to her like that all the time?”