“Maybe I like trouble,” I say, looking toward him with a coy grin I know I’ll regret later. “It hasn’t steered me wrong yet.”
He scoffs playfully and turns away, and I can’t tell if he’s intrigued or thankful he never called me back.
Chapter Two
Wyatt
I crouch down in the attic and stare back at two seething raccoons who don’t look very happy to see me. Their sharp teeth are bared and their fur is standing up on end. I guess I should’ve thought through the fact that they could have rabies, but I didn’t. Instead, I climbed my ass right up here with no plan on how I’m going to chase them out of the space. I blame Josie for that. She’s been on my mind nonstop for months. Whether it’s drinking at the bar, working at the tattoo shop, feeding the horses, or fixing that damn water heater, she’s all I think about. It's a nightly occurrence for me to lie in my bed wondering why the hell I can’t just put myself out there. Even the shadows on my wall take her voluptuous shape, taunting me constantly for my hesitance.
“Come on,” I say, crawling into the attic toward two raccoons who have cornered themselves on the furthest side. “I’m going to get out of your way and you’re going to get out of mine.” They aren’t receptive. Imagine that.
The bigger of the two raccoons hisses and the hair on his back stands up.
Shit.I really need to get down out of here until I think of a better plan. Even then, I should’ve brought a trap. Maddox has a slew of live traps at home. He uses them for the ground hogs. I can see how that would’ve been much more helpful given the situation, but all I was thinking about on the way here was what I’d say to Josie. I really messed things up by not contacting her, but she deserves better than me in every conceivable way.
Maybe I could use food. I reach into my pocket for the half-eaten granola bar I shoved in right before I walked into the bakery. It’s crumbling in my hand, but the scent seems to have peeked the smallest raccoon’s interest. His black nose tips into the air like a zombie on the scent of brains.
This might just work.
I climb in closer, my heart pounding as I near the vintage trunk they’re tucked behind. The last thing I need is for them to leap out toward me, bite, and leave me up here foaming at the mouth. Then again, maybe it would garner me some good will with Josie. She seems like the caring type.
As I inch closer, I see the hole in the roof that they’ve widened and toss the granola bar through, hoping they follow the scent, but they don’t move. Instead, they begin a series of low chatters and squeals before I swear one of them pushes the other forward and they scurry toward the hole in the roof. They’re fast and deliberate and I rush just as quickly behind them to block up the hole with a board game box, which I wedge between two loose boards. It’s not going to hold them for long, but I need more supplies.
“You got them!” Josie hollers from downstairs. “I just saw them run down the sidewalk. I think they’re headed for the pharmacy.” She laughs, staring up into the attic from below. “God knows what they’ll act like if they get into the Xanax and Clozapine.”
I make my way down the attic stairs and close up the access point. “I need to run to Nichol’s and grab some lumber to fix up that hole. Are you planning to be here this afternoon?”
She shrugs and her eyes do this darting thing that tells me she’s no longer interested. “Until around four or so, but I’m having lunch at the diner. I do every day. They expect me there.”
“Maybe I’ll stop by and we can—”
“We can what?” She crosses her arms in front of her chest again, putting her full bosom on a pedestal of sorts. I should look away, but my eyes are glued to her.
“I made a mistake, Josie. I got it in my head that you were too good for me.”
“I am too good for you,” she quips, twisting toward the mop she’s working back and forth on the floors. Her entire body moves with the motion and my cock presses against my zipper. “If you wanted a shot with me, you should’ve taken it months ago. Now, I’ve moved on.”
My heart stiffens in a panic. “You’re with someone?”
She bites the inside of her cheek and looks toward me, then away. “No. Not exactly with someone, but I’ve moved on from thinking about you.”
Thank God. A sigh of relief expels from my lungs. I know I fucked up, but the thought of her being with someone else is too much to bear.
“Look,” I say, leaning against the silver table at the back of the shop, “you’re beautiful, you’re smart, and you’ve got your whole life to look forward to. I convinced myself that our age difference was too much. I convinced myself that you deserved more.”
She scoffs, continuing with the mop. “And now you’ve decided…I don’t? How kind of you.”
“No. You still deserve the best of everything, but you haven’t left my mind in six months. So, walking in here today and seeing your face, I’m not sure I can go another second without you.”
Her motion pauses for a moment as she swipes a soft curl behind her ear. “Why would you worry about our age gap?”
“Because the second I saw you, I knew you were special, and I’m afraid I’m not. I’m just an ordinary guy who’s loved his hometown more than anything else for over four decades. You’re this wild, free, traveling gypsy type who’s seen the world and come back with stories to tell. I was afraid my age and the unintentional rationality that seeps from me would get in your way.”
She leans her mop against the bucket and grabs two water bottles from the fridge, handing one to me. “It’s funny, that’s what I liked most about you. You’re this big, strong, reasonable guy. I guess that’s why it surprised me to see you with a net for the raccoons.”
I chuckle, adjusting my hat. “Well, I’m not thinking straight lately, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to until you agree to a date.”
She shakes her head and balks. “You’re kidding, right? What if I hadn’t called for help today? Would you have come over on your own?”