Sweet, Sexy Heart – the Bradens & Montgomerys (Pleasant Hill – Oak Falls)

by Melissa Foster

  For the rest of the afternoon, every time customers came into the store, Amber held her breath, waiting for inquisitive or judgmental looks and whispers, but not one person said a word about last night’s events. Not even Nana when she’d stopped by to pick up a book for her husband and had gossiped about neighbors and friends. After that, Amber wondered if she’d woken up in an alternate universe.

  As she finished setting up a new children’s display in the back of the store, she thought about the lack of gossip. It should probably make her feel better, but it only confused her. Had she been out of the loop for so long that she’d become blind to the gossip?

  A horrible thought struck her.

  Brindle and Trace had been on-again, off-again lovers for years, and when Brindle had gone to Paris alone to figure out her life, Nana had started a Facebook poll about their relationship. It had taken over several social media platforms with a Team Trindle hashtag. Had everyone started gossiping online again?

  Amber whipped out her phone, quickly navigating to the Oak Falls Facebook page. Her heart slammed against her ribs as she scanned it. There were pictures of Dash at the football clinic with the kids and at the park exercising with a ridiculously large group of women, most of whom were openly gawking at him. Someone had even posted pictures of him from the jam session, his arms around groups of young women and men, that killer smile beaming at the camera. She continued scrolling and saw the announcements she’d posted about his book signing and the contest she was running for decorating next month’s front window display and was relieved that there was nothing about her and Dash.

  She debated checking Dash’s Instagram feed and wondered if he had an assistant handling it. Although when she’d researched him, he’d posted nearly every day. She’d seen selfies and pictures with gorgeous women and attractive guys in bars and restaurants that definitely weren’t professionally taken. Her stomach twisted as she realized he hadn’t taken any pictures of them when they were together. What did that mean? She wasn’t important to him? Not worthy of his page? He didn’t want people to know about them?

  That made her feel sick to her stomach. She purposefully hadn’t looked at his feed since he’d arrived in Oak Falls. That was part of her ignore Dash plan, which she’d failed at epically. But now she felt an unyielding need to check his page and see what he’d been posting.

  Her pulse quickened as she touched the Instagram icon and navigated to his profile. The most recent post was a picture of the WELCOME TO NEW YORK highway sign with the caption Goodbye, small town, hello, Big Apple! Home sweet home. She checked the date, and her chest tightened. It had been posted earlier today.

  He’d left town without so much as a goodbye? She really had scared him away.

  That dull ache turned to a stabbing pain, her gaze drifting to the beautiful flowers Dash had given her and the acorns in the vase. She couldn’t believe the thoughtful man who’d collected acorns and filled a vase with them would leave town without saying goodbye. She rechecked the date on the post, and sure enough, it had been posted today. She checked his other recent posts and saw one from last night at midnight with the caption Small Town USA and several pictures he must have taken earlier in the day of himself and a group of women at the park, including her mother, and of him and Sin eating lunch. There were pictures of the Majestic Theater and artwork from one of the Wishing Creek alleyways. He’d posted just past midnight the night before last, too—a picture of an acorn lying on the forest floor with the caption Sometimes it’s the start of something new, and sometimes it’s just a nut.

  Her mind traipsed back to the night he’d given her the flowers, when they’d shared so much of themselves, and she’d told him she just wanted to be friends, driving that stabbing pain deeper. She continued scrolling through earlier pictures of Dash with kids from the football clinic, and him and Trace, and other friends of hers. She found a picture of him and Sin arm in arm outside Sin’s house dated last Friday night, which he must have taken before the jam session, with the caption Let the good times roll. The picture posted the day before was of Dash with a gorgeous blonde on one arm, a brunette on the other, and a group of people gathered behind them.

  She scrolled back up to the picture of the highway sign, hurt and anger whirling and tangling insider her, tightening into a painful knot. To think she’d worn one of her favorite short dresses today in anticipation of seeing him again.

  The bell rang above the door, and as Amber came around the display tree in the children’s area, her mother came into view, leading Patsy on a leash. She looked cute in an oatmeal sweater and jeans, her dark hair pulled back in a ponytail.

  “Hi, honey.”

  Amber adored her mother, and she could probably talk to her about anything. But she wasn’t even comfortable talking about intimate aspects of her personal life with her girlfriends. There was no way she wanted to discuss last night, or the fact that she was probably being ghosted, with her mother. She silenced a groan and mustered a smile. “Hi, Mom.”

  Reno lifted his head from his bed by the register and looked at Amber.

  “Go visit,” Amber said, giving him the okay to socialize.

  Reno soaked up her mother’s attention, and then he and Patsy got busy sniffing each other. Her mother often brought the dogs she trained into town for socialization. Reno knew not to run around the store, and he was a good role model for her mother’s pups.

  Her mother admired the flowers Dash had given her. “These are lovely. Did you pick them up at Twyla’s?”

  “Uh-huh.” It was only half a lie, but Amber didn’t want to bring up Dash. “Where are you headed so late in the day?”

  “I took Patsy to the dog park. I was just on my way home and thought I’d see how you were doing after last night.” She lowered her voice when she said last night.

  “Can we not talk about that?” Amber started straightening displays, as she’d been doing all day. Nothing in the store was out of place, but she needed to keep her hands busy.

  “I’m sorry.” Her mother followed her around the store, speaking in a hushed tone. “I assumed it was okay for us to talk about last night. Just not anyone else.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Her mother’s brow furrowed. “This morning at the park when Dash gave us a stern talking-to, I assumed that didn’t apply to you and me.”

  Amber stopped fidgeting with the books, giving her mother her full attention. “Mom, what are you talking about?”

  “Nancy and I have been exercising with him and some other ladies in the mornings. He didn’t tell you?” Nancy Jericho was one of her mother’s best friends.

  “He did, but just…What happened? What did he say?”

  Her mother exhaled loudly. “Don’t ask me how, but one of the ladies heard what happened last night, and she asked Dash if you were okay. He forbade us, in no uncertain terms, from talking about the two of you. He said anyone who wanted to gossip should leave the group right then. And let me tell you, darlin’, he was adamant. He made us all promise to shut down any rumors if we heard them.”

  “That doesn’t make sense,” she said, more to herself than to her mother.

  “Of course it does. He likes you.”

  Amber scoffed. “A guy who likes you doesn’t ghost you.” She walked away, but her mother stuck with her.

  “I don’t know what that means.”

  Amber spun around, hurt clawing its way up her chest. “It means he left town without even saying goodbye, Mom, and I don’t want to talk about this.”

  “What do you mean he didn’t say goodbye? He told us he was leaving town.”

  “That’s just great. You guys rank above me, and I’m the one who kissed him.” Amber breathed deeply, futilely trying to calm down. “He blew into town, pursued me with his charm and that ridiculously engaging smile, talking about his family and collecting acorns, and he convinced me that he really liked me.” Saying it aloud drove the hurt deeper and made her feel stupid for falling for him. “I
can’t believe I bought it. I played right into his hands. And last night I thought we’d actually connected on a deeper level while we were out, and I let myself…”

  “Open up to him?” her mother suggested carefully.

  She nodded. “That’s not easy for me, and last night was really hard and embarrassing. He had to know that today would be difficult for me.”

  “I think he did. That’s why he told us not to gossip.”

  Amber shook her head. “I don’t think he said the things he did to protect me. I think he was protecting his own reputation. He made a comment last night about it, but I thought he was joking. He probably didn’t want word to get out about what happened. And here I was, waiting all day to hear from him, thinking he’d walk through the door any minute. When it hit seven o’clock, I finally checked his Instagram account. I guess it took the ambulance and the embarrassment for him to show his true colors, because he’s back in New York, like the last couple of nights never happened.” Tears sprang to her eyes. “How can it hurt so much so fast?” She wiped her eyes. “Did he say how long he was going to be gone? Wait. Don’t tell me. If I’m not worth a goodbye, I don’t even want to know.”

  “Oh, baby girl. I’m so sorry. He didn’t tell us when he’d be back. He said he’d let us know when we could reconvene.”

  Amber crossed her arms, steeling herself against the anger and hurt consuming her. “What’s wrong with me, Mom? Sable kisses guys and doesn’t care if she ever sees them again. Why can’t I be like that? It takes a lot for me to want to kiss a guy. It takes moving heaven and earth for me to actually do it, and yeah, it happened pretty quickly with Dash, but I really thought…” She looked down, trying to keep her tears at bay.

  “It didn’t happen that quickly, honey. It only feels fast to you because you’ve always led with your heart, and because of that you take your time to think things through before moving forward. If your sisters were in your shoes, most of them would have been lip-locked with him last Friday night. And don’t get me started on your brother. He would have had the man’s trousers around his ankles in the men’s room at the jam session.”

  “Mom.” Amber felt her cheeks burning.

  “Why do my children all act like sex is only for young people? I’ll have you know, your father and I—”

  “Don’t.” Amber covered her ears.

  Her mother tucked Amber’s hair behind her ear like she’d always done in these mother-daughter moments, looking at her with so much unconditional love, it brought a lump to Amber’s throat.

  “You listen to me, Amber Mae. There is nothing wrong with you. That man should be an actor, because he had us all fooled, and believe me, you do not want to be like Sable. I wouldn’t change a thing about my confident, tough girl, but I don’t think she’s as unaffected by her actions as she appears.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “A mother knows these things. But this isn’t about your sister, honey. If Dash really…ghosted? Is that the right word?”

  Amber nodded.

  “If he ghosted you, he is not the man he appeared to be, and he is not worthy of my beautiful, smart, big-hearted girl.” Her mother pulled her phone out of her pocket. “I’m going to call Sin right now, and—”

  “No, you’re not.” Amber took her mother’s phone. “I’m an adult, Mom. I can handle this. It’s not a big deal.”

  “Isn’t it, sweetheart?” Her mother’s gaze softened.

  Amber relented. “Fine, it’s a big deal to me, but I guarantee you nobody else would feel this way if it happened to them. It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours. I hardly ever date, so what do I know? Maybe guys never call the day after. Maybe I’m being overly sensitive.”

  “No, you’re not. You’re doing what we taught you to do. To know your self-worth and not settle for anything less than you deserve. It’s not about the number of hours that have passed. It’s about how his lack of action makes you feel. The right man will know in his heart what you need, and he’ll see to it before he does anything else.”

  “Those men only exist in romance novels.”

  “Thirty-plus years with your father tells me you’re wrong, and I think Grace, Morgyn, and Brindle would give you an earful about just how wonderful their men are. Do you want me and Patsy to hang out with you tonight? We can watch a Hallmark movie and pig out on Chunky Monkey ice cream.”

  “I appreciate the offer, but I’ve got some bookkeeping to do, and then I’m going to walk home and snuggle up with the one guy who never lets me down.”

  “Is your father coming over?”

  Amber smiled, feeling a little better. “No. I mean Reno. Thanks for talking me off the ledge.”

  “I didn’t talk you off the ledge, honey. You hadn’t stepped onto it yet. You were still deciding if Dash was worth climbing up or not. And right now, I’m sure glad you’re not Sable.”

  “Why? At least she wouldn’t be sad.”

  “Because she’d push Dash off the ledge, and we’d be having a hide-the-body conversation instead of a my-heart-hurts conversation.”

  THE REST OF the evening dragged by. The bookkeeping took twice as long to do half as much work because Amber’s mind kept trailing back to Dash, her hopeful heart not wanting to believe she’d misread him so badly. She finally gave up on getting much done and headed home just before ten o’clock.

  The moon hung high in the blue-gray sky, casting dusky light on the sidewalks as she turned off Main Street toward home with Reno ambling beside her. A car turned down the street, its headlights illuminating their path. It slowed to a crawl beside her, and she looked over. Dash’s smiling face came into view, sending her pulse into a frenzy, then tightening the knots in her belly.

  “Hey, beautiful, want a ride?”

  He sounded happy, as if he hadn’t let her down. Was he really that clueless about her feelings? It was ten o’clock at night. In what world was that an appropriate time to show up to see a woman after a date that had gone haywire? “No, thank you.”

  “You’d rather walk?”

  No. What she wanted was answers. Why hadn’t he reached out to her earlier? Why had he taken off? What was he doing back in Oak Falls? But her mother’s words halted those thoughts—The right man will know in his heart what you need, and he’ll see to it before he does anything else—bringing others. Was it fair to expect him to know what she needed after knowing her for only a short time? Ugh. What was she doing? She was not going to be one of those women who rationalized being low on a man’s priority list.

  Holding her head high despite the ache in her chest, she stared straight ahead as she made her way down the sidewalk. “Yes. I like walking.”

  He continued talking through the open window, the car barely crawling along the curb. “Are you okay? You seem annoyed.”

  “I’m fine.” She hated acting this way, but hurt could turn even the nicest of girls into witches. “It’s late. You should go on your way.”

  He threw the car into park, but she kept walking. He caught up to her on foot, blocking her way. “Amber, what’s going on?”

  The concern in his voice and confusion in his eyes had her throat thickening, but she didn’t hold back. “I thought we connected, and that’s on me, but I’m worth a two-second text. Especially after a night like we had that ended so embarrassingly.”

  “A two-second text?” He looked at her like she was crazy.

  Her heart sank. “You sound like it’s asking for the world. I guess we’re just too different. Like I said before, you’re a big-city guy who’s used to women waiting around for you, and I’m a small-town girl who wants a guy I can rely on. A guy who will worry about my reputation ahead of his own. And before you say anything, my mom told me what you said this morning to the ladies at the park. Don’t worry. As near as I can tell, you scared them silly, and your rep isn’t tarnished.”

  DASH COULD SEE how difficult it was for Amber to say all that she had, and hearing it stung. But that didn’t change the urge t
o bend over backward to take away the sadness in her eyes. The trouble was, he’d thought he’d already done that. “Wow. I don’t know what’s worse—that you think so little of me or that the letter I left you wasn’t enough.”

  She shook her head. “Letter?”

  “The one I put on your car this morning before I went to the park.”

  “You left me a letter?” Her brow wrinkled. “Oh my gosh, Dash. I’m sorry. I never saw it.”

  Relief swept through him. “I was wondering what the heck was going on.”

  “Sorry. What did the letter say?”

  “Romantic things that I hoped would leave you as excited to see me tonight as I am to see you.” He drew her into his arms. “Because you, Amber Montgomery, are worth way more than a two-second text.”

  A nervous smile played on her lips. “I didn’t want to believe that I’d misjudged you, but then I saw your post on Instagram about going home to New York, and it seemed like you were done with us, with Oak Falls.”

  The emotions he’d been wrestling with all day rushed out. “How can I be done with the woman I can’t stop thinking about? The secret sexy reader whose kisses left such a mark on me, I’ve been getting turned on just thinking about them?”

  She blushed fiercely.

  “You have done something to me, Amber. You brought out a protectiveness I’ve only ever felt toward family. The idea of anyone gossiping about you made me crazy, and you’re right, I probably did scare the ladies this morning. But that wasn’t my intent, and I sure as hell didn’t ask them not to talk about us to protect my reputation. I wanted to be sure you were respected and that you didn’t have to deal with any gossip while I was gone.”

  She looked like she might cry and lowered her eyes.

  “Amber.” He waited for her to meet his gaze. “I didn’t go to New York because I was done with you. I went because I want more time with you. I have to leave for LA in the morning, and I didn’t want to go before giving you something I had back at my place in New York.”

  “You went all that way just to get me something?”