I stood. “Well, I’m going to shower and figure out what project I’m working on today.”
“When do you officially start your new job?” Kaylee asked, opening her laptop.
“Two weeks, and I’m a working girl again.” Even I could hear the excitement in my voice.
Kaylee’s face lit up with delight for me. She knew how much I was looking forward to this fresh start. “I’m seriously thinking of heading back to Atlanta, packing up my stuff, and moving here.”
I screamed and grabbed her arm, pulling her into a hug. “Oh, Kaylee, that would be so amazing! Stay here with me!”
Laughing, she hugged me back. “Well, if you’re crazy enough to move halfway across the country to start a new life, I guess I can too.”
I knew part of the reason she was entertaining the idea of moving was to run away from her own ghosts. She probably understood Brock a hell of a lot better than I ever would.
“You’ve just made me so happy!”
She lifted a brow. “So happy you’ll make me those brownies I love so much?”
“Yes! I’ll even make you oatmeal chocolate chip cookies!”
The next day, when Kaylee and I made a trip into town, it was hard not to notice how everyone was looking at me.
Some even whispered, “That’s her” when I walked by them.
I smiled politely, but I refused to admit to myself Kaylee had been right about the gossiping.
Kaylee was thumping a cantaloupe when I walked up to her and bumped her arm. “Is it just me, or are people staring at me and whispering?”
Kaylee looked up from the melon and took a glance around. “It’s not you; they are.”
She put the melon down and picked up another one like it was no big deal that two strange women our age were currently shooting daggers my way.
“Okay, what’s up with the women over there, glaring at me?”
Again, Kaylee glanced up to the women and then back to me. “One word. No, wait . . . two words. No, four.”
I waited for her to tell me. Arching one brow, I said, “And those four words would be?”
She smirked. “The kiss. Small town.”
“The kiss?” I retorted with a laugh that screamed I knew she was right but was refusing to admit it. “Oh, please!”
“I told you that kiss was going to take off on the rumor mill. It’s gotten a good twenty-four-hour run.”
When I peeked back at the two women, they were walking away, but one glanced back to give me a dirty look.
“So, do you think people think I’m a slut now?” I asked in a hushed voice.
Kaylee laughed. “No, honey, they think you’ve snagged the golden boy, who, apparently, every single woman—hell, probably even some of the married ones—in this small town wants.”
Tilting my head, I narrowed my eyes at her. “How exactly do you know all this information? We haven’t been in this town that long!”
She shrugged. “I can’t help it if I know how to get information.”
“Miss Lincoln! Miss Kaylee!”
The sound of Blayze’s voice made us both turn. The boy was coming in fast and hot, so I leaned down and instinctively held open my arms, only for him to run into them for a quick hug.
“Guess where we’re going?” Blayze asked.
Grinning at his excitement, I asked, “Where?”
“The county fair! It’s here all week! Daddy is gonna win me some pwizes. You want to come with us? You, too, Miss Kaylee!”
Kaylee ruffled Blayze’s light-brown hair. “I wish I could, buddy, but I’ve got work I need to do, so I can’t take any time off to play.”
His lower lip jutted out, and it was the cutest thing ever.
The air around me charged, and I felt my lips tingling again, almost as if they were just as excited as I was that Brock was standing within a foot of us. And hoping for another kiss.
“Hey,” he said in a deep, sexy voice that had my insides doing all sorts of jumping.
The feel of his lips on mine resurfaced in my memory, and I felt my cheeks heat.
Glancing up, I smiled. “Hey back at ya. How are you?”
The left side of his mouth rose slightly, and Lord, if it wasn’t sexy as hell. “I’m good.”
I nodded. “I heard y’all are going to a county fair. Sounds like fun.”
Blayze spun around and grabbed on to Brock’s shirt. “Daddy, can Miss Lincoln come with us? Pwease!”
For a moment it looked like Brock was going to say no, so I beat him to the punch.
“I’m sure your dad wants it to be a guys’ day,” I quickly said, standing and giving Brock a knowing smile. Glancing down to Blayze, I felt my chest tighten with a desire to spend the day with both father and son. That was not going to happen. But those big blue eyes staring up at me nearly broke my heart. “It’ll be fun!”