Lainey said something under her breath, but Courtney didn’t hear it over the blood rushing through her ears. Because he was there. Walking across the square with two men – his brothers? He’d told her he had three of them, she remembered that much. Her breath caught in her throat as she took him in. Dark tailored pants perfectly molded to his strong, muscled thighs. A white shirt rolled at the sleeves and unbuttoned at the neck. And mirrored aviators that covered eyes she knew were hazel with flecks of blue and green. Eyes that felt like he could see right through her.
Eyes that made her feel things she hadn’t felt in years.
As if he could feel the heat of her stare, the man slowly turned his head, and even with those sunglasses on she knew he was looking at her. She had to remind herself to breathe, because her lungs felt like they were on fire. He slowly lifted his sunglasses from his face, and his gaze met hers.
Suddenly, her legs felt boneless.
“Honey, are you okay?” Lainey asked.
Courtney let out a slow breath. “Yeah,” she said, her voice tight. “I’m fine.”
Lainey glanced over to the square, her eyes widening as she took the three men in. “Ah, the Heartbreak Brothers. I swear they get sexier every time I see them. Can you believe Gray Hartson lives in our little town? He’s like a superstar.” Lainey lowered her voice. “Though you probably should stop staring. It’s kinda embarrassing.”
It wasn’t Gray Hartson that Courtney was looking at, though she didn’t bother to correct her best friend. It was only natural that Lainey would think she was staring at the rock star.
But it was his brother, Logan, who took Courtney’s breath away. The man on Gray’s left who was the same height, but with a broader build, and thick muscled arms that could pin a woman to the wall with ease.
Don’t ask her how she knew.
Reluctantly, Courtney pulled her gaze away. There was only so long they could stare at each other before people got to talking. And she’d had enough of that in the last two years. Kind words, sympathetic glances, worried discussions behind her back. She’d been called Poor Courtney so many times she wondered if it was her new name.
“I need to go,” Courtney said quickly. “I’m late for Mary and Ellis.” Her in-laws. Or ex-in-laws. What were they after your husband – their son – died? She had no idea. All she knew was that they were reality, along with the chickens, the dirt, and the curls she always had to wear in a hairband.
As for Logan Hartson, he was a fantasy. A brief dip into something she should never have touched.
And if she could still feel him staring at her as she climbed into her old F150 and pull the door behind her? Well, that was fine. She could live with the way he made her skin tingle.
Logan Hartson stared at Courtney Roberts, his eyes dark as they met hers. Everything about her affected him. Even from ten yards away, while walking with his brothers across the square of the town he grew up in, he was so damn aware of her it made his muscles tight and his skin heat up. He swallowed hard, his eyes still on her as she climbed into her huge truck and slammed the door shut. The only thing he could see was that mass of curls through the narrow window at the back of the cab.
“Dammit, Logan, are you listening to me?”
He reluctantly pulled his gaze away, though he still listened to the roar of the old engine as she started it up. The smell of gasoline filled the air, mixing with the scent of the flowers lining the beds around the square. That truck was ridiculous. Old, rusty, and so big it dwarfed all the cars around it. Yet somehow it made her more attractive.
“What?” he asked, looking at his oldest, and most famous brother, Gray. A rock star who’d taken the world by storm, Gray had moved back to Hartson’s Creek a couple of years ago, after falling for a waitress in the local diner. Now the two of them were up to their knees in diapers and toddler toys, thanks to Maddie having given birth to twins the previous year. They were the reason Logan was here – to celebrate their first birthday.
“I asked how the restaurant refit was going.” Gray’s voice was full of amusement. “You were somewhere else for a minute.”
Taking a deep breath, Logan brought his attention back to his brother. Even with his gaze firmly averted from the truck, he could still hear the rumble of the engine as it pulled away. He gritted his teeth to keep himself from turning to watch her leave the town square.
He lifted his hand, raking it through his stylishly trimmed dark hair. He’d always prided himself on his appearance. Today he was wearing dress pants and a shirt – his tie rolled up and stuffed in his pocket – thanks to the early morning business meeting he’d had before leaving Boston for his home town.
He’d been living in Boston for years. Ever since he’d graduated and started working in the restaurant business. He’d slowly worked his way up through management, before striking out on his own. Now he owned three – make that almost four – restaurants across the city, all of which were highly rated by critics, thanks to his attention to detail.
“It’s going slowly,” Logan told him, wincing at the memory of his meeting this morning. “We’ve had a few snafus, and a couple of arguments over the building regulations, but we’ll get there. Paris is going in this weekend to make sure we’re on track.” Paris Northman was his business partner. She had been for the last five years. Initially, she’d brought the money while he brought the drive and expertise. But after all this time, they were on a level playing field. Both of them lived for their careers, spending stupid hours at their restaurants, and their free time scouting for new locations.
“Ah, the lovely Paris.” Gray winked at him. “How is she?”
“She’s hot,” Tanner agreed. “You tapping that, bro?”
Logan screwed up his nose. “No. We’re in business together.” And anyway, he hadn’t touched any woman for months. Not since he was last in Hartson’s Creek. Hadn’t had the inclination to, not even when one of his old friends-with-benefits had called him looking for an evening of fun.
He blamed the new restaurant. It was taking all his energy and concentration, leaving no time for things like sex. He was too busy to think about women.
Yeah, you carry on believing that. So why do you have a hard-on just from looking at Courtney Roberts?
“Are we gonna stand around here and gossip all day, or are we gonna go into the bar?” Logan asked them. He already knew his twin – the fourth of the Hartson brothers – was waiting inside for them. Though Cam also lived in Boston, he’d taken a later flight in and headed straight for the Moonlight Bar on the edge of the town square. No doubt wearing a cap down low on his face to hide his identity.
Like Gray, Cam was famous, though for a completely different reason. He played defense for the Boston Bobcats, the town’s NFL team, and was beloved by their legion of fans. Here in Virginia, he was still a familiar face. Logan thanked god that his twin wore his hair longer than he d