Back to Us (Cameron Falls: A Small Town Romance Book 2)

by TC Matson

  There’s a knock on the door and Momma starts to get up. “I’ll get it,” I say, not wanting her to stop the conversation she is having with Charlotte. Momma’s done nothing but smile and I’d like to keep it there as long as possible.

  When I open the door, I come face to face with Blake. The air stalls in my lungs and my heart batters against my chest. His shoulders tense and the easy smile that was resting on his lips falls. His jaw clenches, the muscles popping. His brown eyes, flecked with a hint of gold—the ones I used to love staring into—are now shooting daggers at me.

  “Pops called. Said Ma forgot the dessert,” he offers, his voice strained with a twinge of anger.

  “I’ll take it in,” I tell him, reaching out to grab it.

  Instead of handing it to me, he shoulders past me. “I got it. Don’t want your city hands to get dirty.”

  Spinning around, I stand there staring at his back as he disappears into the kitchen with my mouth hanging open. Blake’s rarely rude. Well, he didn’t used to be. Growing up, although he didn’t take shit off of anyone, you had to push him pretty far to get to that point. Before then, he always wore a smile.

  I step back into the kitchen in time to see Momma giving him a big hug. “Thank you, Blake.”

  He flashes a smile, the one that makes his dimple come out of hiding and could charm the sugar out of a baker. “No problem. Happy to help.”

  “Would you like something to eat? We’ve just finished but there’s plenty for you,” she offers and I’ve never wanted to scream at my mother as badly as I do now. Not even the time she grounded me for something Delaney did.

  The easygoing smile he’s wearing tightens slightly. “No, ma’am. I’ve already eaten. I appreciate the offer, though.” He kisses his mother on the cheek, says his goodbyes, and walks past me without giving me another look.

  The room feels awkward after he’s gone. I feel everyone’s eyes, although they’re pretending not to acknowledge that just happened, as I stand at the entrance with all types of emotions swirling within me. Once upon a time, Blake held my heart in the palm of his hand. I thought I’d marry him—wanted to so desperately. I knew he hung the stars in the sky. But he also devastated me… Love and hatred war inside of me. I want to run after him and throw myself into a hug I know was always comforting, but I also want to punch him as hard as I can in the nose.

  I thought seeing him after all this time would be easy…

  It’s not.

  Chapter Five

  Blake

  While out with Hunter checking the fence line in the northern pasture, Rhett texted me to stay out for a while without giving me anything to go on. Little fucker should know that will only fuel my curiosity and speed up the process. Although, the last time I really should’ve listened. I just about walked in on him and Presley having some fun time in his office. A moan from him stopped me in my tracks and I jerked my hand back from the knob like it was on fire. I also almost puked on the floor because no one, and I mean no one wants to hear their brother getting it on.

  After unsaddling Onyx and handing him over to Davis, I’m just about to push out of the stables when I hear my favorite little person in the world and my smile explodes.

  “It can’t be as pretty as it is here, but sometimes it stinks. Does it stink there?”

  Stepping outside the barn, my gaze falls onto three figures—Rhett, Hadley, and her. My feet falter a step, my body tenses, and my heart… well, it does some sort of swan dive.

  “Uncle Blake!” Hadley shouts and starts toward me in a run. Her little boots pound the ground, her caramel-colored hair bounces behind her in two braids, and her smile is from ear to ear.

  Squatting, I scoop her up as she slams her arms around my neck, giving me a hug like she didn’t just see me a few days ago. “What are you doing here?”

  She leans back in my arms, and using both of her hands, she squishes my cheeks together, something she started doing about a year ago after I did it to her. “Presley brought me to see Daddy so I can meet his old friend, Dakota. He said he’s known her since forever and she knew my momma. But she moved away a long time ago but she had to come back because Granny was her granny and Granny died,” she rambles. “I got to see Babs today. She was frocking and kickin and being silly.” Babs is a four-month-old calf that Hadley took a liking to.

  “Frolicking,” I correct her, using it to steer the conversation away from Dakota. “I bet she watches you bein’ silly and has learned from the best. She’s probably a pro by now.”

  Hadley giggles.

  “Where’s Hunter?” Rhett asks.

  “Told him to check the sideline before heading in for the night. Don’t worry, brother. He only has a horse and a few tools. Surely he can’t mess anything up.”

  I set Hadley down, but before she can run off, I ruffle her hair and then slide my hand over her face. I love pestering her. She swats at me and pushes my hand away, giving me her best attempt at a glare. It only has me chuckling.

  I make the mistake of glancing at Dakota. There’s a softness in her eyes, a swirl of that look women get when they see something so sweet, and her perfect lips are pulled up on the side. She looks out of place in a light blue floral sundress that stops short above her knees and falls too far between her breasts. She’s all long legs and cleavage—a reminder she doesn’t belong here. It pisses me off.

  “I’ll catch up with you later, Pipsqueak,” I tell Hadley, gently tugging on one of her braids. “Gotta finish up.” I tip my head to Rhett and ignore the hell out of Dakota even though I want to swoop her up into my arms and give her a hug.

  “Can I come?” Hadley asks, and I look up to Rhett.

  “If you want,” I tell her.

  She slips her hand into mine, and without a backward glance, we head toward the barn.

  “She’s really pretty,” Hadley says.

  “Who?” I ask although I already know.

  “Dakota. Daddy’s friend.”

  “Yeah, she is.”

  She skips a few steps and then bounces. “You should make her your girlfriend. When Daddy made Presley his girlfriend, he smiled a lot more and when they got married, he really smiles. Like really, really smiles. And she makes me smile.”

  I grab her, flipping her up and putting her on my shoulders. “You going to help me or are you going to keep yapping?”

  She laughs and squishes my cheeks, tilting my face up just a little so I can see her. “What are we doing?”

  “Filling up the watering troughs in the barn, which you will be doing while I do my paperwork.”

  “What’s my pay?” she asks, her tone dropping the playfulness and turning serious.

  “Ice cream. Two scoops. Waffle cone.”

  “Three scoops in a cup. Three toppings,” she counters.

  “Two scoops three toppings.”

  “Three scoops, three toppings. Non-negotionings.”

  “Nonnegotiable,” I correct. “Three scoops, two toppings.”

  She leans over my head, looking down at my face. “Three scoops. Three toppings. Or I quit.”

  I bark a laugh. “You’re a real butt buster. You know that?”

  “I know,” she chirps, and I can hear the smile in her voice. “Now. We got us a deal?”

  Letting go of her knee, I reach up and shake her hand. “Deal.”

  An hour later, I walk into Rhett’s office to drop off my paperwork after leaving Hadley with Presley by the stables. I’m ready to go home, shower, and head to Ma and Pops’ house for dinner. A quick glance out the window and I see Dakota’s slick black BMW still parked out front. When she was younger, her dream was to own a Chevrolet 2500 truck. She wanted red because no one owned one that color around here and she wanted to keep it “girlie.” Her words, not mine. She had it all planned out. It was safe enough for a car seat and sturdy enough to drive through pastures if needed.

  I chuckle under my breath. I’d like to see that car of hers comfortably hold a car seat or handle some of our
roads, especially in the wintertime.

  “You should speak to her,” Rhett says as he walks into his office and moves behind his desk.

  “Yeah? And say what?”

  “How about start with something nice?”

  Looking back out the window, I watch as Dakota opens her car door and disappears inside. “Got nothing much to say to her.” I turn toward Rhett and lean my ass against the windowsill. “Besides, she’s leaving for home soon anyway. No need to waste my niceties.”

  Disappointment narrows his eyes. “You know—”

  “Yes!” Hadley saves me from whatever reprimand Rhett was about to deliver by bounding through the door with Presley right behind her. “Can I come with you and you bring me back when you go to dinner?”

  I’m about to tell her yes when Rhett decides to toss in a wrench. “Dakota will be at dinner tonight.” My head snaps to him. “Ma invited her.”

  Swallowing down ugly bitterness and all the words laced with it, I offer Hadley a small smile. “I won’t be at dinner tonight, Pipsqueak. I’ve got a few things I have to work on.”

  Her face falls and I feel like a dickhead for lying to her. The last thing I ever want to do is let her down.

  “You’re going to miss one of your momma’s dinners?” Presley asks, eyes wide and her brows raised high. “I do not want to be in your shoes when she comes hunting you down.”

  “Me neither,” Hadley tacks on.

  Me neither, I think, but there’s no damn way I’m going to be forced to play nice with Dakota when I’m barely able to hold in my anger as it is.

  As I start out the door, I kiss Presley on the side of the head. “I’d like for you to speak at my funeral and tell everyone how insanely incredible I am and how you married the wrong brother.”

  Her little black car is still in front of my parents’ house when I pull down the driveway to head to my house. Exasperation riddles through me and I grip my steering wheel tighter, gritting my teeth. I threw my life on the line—figuratively—by ditching Ma’s dinner. Instead of good food and family, I was at Leo’s with a burger and a beer just to get away from Dakota and all the shit she’s making me think…and feel. Thankfully, Leo kept her name out of our conversation and steered it toward work and a whole lot of random things. He’s good at that. I swear the guy can hold a full-length conversation with a cow. Not because he’s an idiot, but because he knows how to distract.

  So instead of stopping at my parents’ to explain why I missed dinner, I keep toward my house. Her being here is messing up a lot of things—me in particular. She’ll be leaving soon and I can’t wait to get my existence back on track.

  Chapter Six

  Dakota

  When I was younger, I loved window shopping in our little downtown, and nothing has changed. Small boutiques, shops, delis and restaurants line the sidewalks for several blocks—most of them family owned. I can’t fight the smile I have when I see the bakery and deli are still here. After school, a group of us would go to the deli and then afterward, head to the bakery for our sugar tooth.

  While Momma is at the bank handling a few things, I’m lost in the window of a pet shop admiring several energetic cockatiels chirping and bouncing from branch to branch when I decide I need to call Izzy.

  “Hey, girl,” she answers on the second ring.

  “Hey. How is everything?”

  “If you’ve called while on bereavement to ask about work, I’m going to have to fire you.”

  “Me? Talk about work? Never,” I jest, leaving the cute birds to see what’s in the next windowfront.

  “The only thing I’ll tell you is I removed Christy and it’s just me working on it. Happy now?”

  Relief trickles through my veins. “Very,” I sigh.

  “You were right. She’s great in her expertise, comfortable, but when you move her out of it, all hell breaks loose.”

  “Told you so.”

  “Yeah. Yeah.” She giggles. “So how are you doing? How’s your mother?”

  “Mom is being stubborn and thinks she needs to be strong for everyone, and I’m doing well. I have my moments when I’m left alone with my thoughts. Oh! Mom wanted me to tell you thank you for the flowers.”

  “Of course. I wanted to send more, but I could hear you in the back of my mind yelling at me in your country twang, the one that pops out when you’re mad. So I settled on a small bouquet and a large arrangement. I compromised with you.”

  I snicker. “I’m glad to know that no matter the distance, I can still win an argument.”

  “So, I’ve been thinking. I—”

  “My answer is no,” I interrupt, already knowing where she is going. “I’ll be leaving Saturday morning and I’ll be at work Monday.”

  She lets out a sigh. “You’re going to make me do it. Aren’t you?”

  “Do what? We all know you can’t get mad at me.”

  “I get you have other reasons to want to run away from that town, but you…”

  Her words disappear into the background as I catch sight of Blake carrying two large posts from the lumber yard and tossing them onto his trailer with ease. Teenage Blake was muscular, but adult Blake is a woman’s wet dream. Hard body. Broad shoulders. Slender waist. Tattoos. Eyes that can melt your soul and a smile that can charm the panties off you.

  “Give me ten minutes and I’ll have the forklift for you,” a man shouts from inside the yard.

  Blake laughs, deep and smooth, as he heads back through the chain link fence. “I’ll have it done by then.”

  “Earth to Dakooootttaa,” Izzy sings, snapping me back into reality.

  “I’m sorry. I was…” watching my extremely hot ex-boyfriend who shattered my heart be sexy… “I saw something.” I go with.

  “And by something, do you mean a man in those tight jeans that hug their asses? If so, take a picture and send it to me. Every city girl loves a country ass.”

  I burst out laughing. “You’re shameless. What were you saying?”

  “Take another week off. I’ve got everything covered.”

  “You know I can’t do that. My home, job, and my friends are there. This place is full of nothing but bad memories. My parents understand. Heck, I’ve been trying to talk them into coming home with me for a week. If they decide to, I will take that other week.”

  “What about Sebastian?”

  “What about him?” I ask.

  “You didn’t list him.”

  “It’s complicated and you know that.”

  “There’s nothing complicated about that good for nothing asshole. But I’m not going to talk about him because I’ll only want to strangle you for dating such a delectable man.”

  Yep. Another person who despises Sebastian. This time was because he made me miss her thirty-fifth birthday bash because inspiration struck him and he needed to paint a waterfall in the woods. I spent that night watching him in his element while I sat on his sofa listening to the sounds of nature.

  “Take another week, Dakota. For you. For your family. For me. Please. You’re just as stubborn as your mother, and I know you’re wrestling with the idea of what to do, but just take the week and be with your family. You haven’t been back home in eleven years. Quit being so hardheaded.”

  I admit. Coping with grief and sadness is something I’ve always struggled with. It’s not that I don’t want to spend time with my family. I do. I just want to bury myself in work and not think.

  “Only if you promise to keep me up to date on my baby,” I relent because for once, spending time with my parents sounds better than working.

  “She’s running smoothly.”

  “Thank you,” I smile.

  “Call me if you need me.”

  As we hang up, an odd sense of relief passes through me. Truthfully, I’m not ready to leave. Not yet. Even though this place is a constant reminder of all the hurt I’ve experienced, it also reminds me of my strength. Where I came from. What I went through. And where I’m at. Plus, getting to see my par
ents daily… that’s better for my soul than a hot cup of chicken noodle soup.

  I shove my phone into my back pocket and walk into Granny’s store to grab a drink and talk with Delaney before heading back to the bank for Momma.

  “Hey, sis,” Delaney greets me as she steps out of the back office and up to the counter. “I take it Momma’s at the bank?”

  “She is.” I grab a bottle of water from the cooler and slide a five-dollar bill toward her. It grants me a “what the fuck” look, but I ignore it. Just because I’m family doesn’t mean I get free things.

  She places her forearms on the counter and leans down. “What’s wrong? Your mind is rolling around and I can hear it.”

  It’s always uncanny how she can know things are on my mind even when I try and hide it. “I hate this town, but I don’t want to leave,” I finally admit.

  Her lips pull up at the edges. “Well, I like having you back. So does Momma and Dad. We’ve all missed your face.”

  Grinning, I twist the top off the water and take a sip.

  “You should move back and work here with me.” She perks up like it’s a grand idea. “I mean, this place is as much as yours as it is mine.”

  “This is your place. You’ve worked your ass off to keep it up and running. Besides, my love is interior design.”

  “Then open a place in town. Work your fancy job and then help me on the side.”

  I laugh, checking the time. “As much as that sounds oh so great, I’m gonna have to pass. I need to get back to Momma. Love you.”

  “Think about it,” she shouts as I walk toward the door. “And I love you more!”

  As I push out of the door, the little bell ringing above it, I’m almost bulldozed down when Blake barrels around the corner. I stumble backward when he grasps my elbow, preventing me from falling on my ass. But when he sees who he just saved, he snatches his hand away like I’m acid.