SPEEDING ALONG AN old access road behind Spencer Farm, Mack searched for a good place to turn around. Nina sang along to his car radio, her fist pumping the bass beat with one hand while the other hand corralled her long hair in a ponytail so it didn’t blow in her face.
Top down, they’d cruised around town for about half an hour while headlights from oncoming traffic had roved over them every now and then, illuminating Nina’s face and making his breath catch. He’d had no idea what to do with her after the impulsive run from the school. He’d only suggested it because she’d always loved stuff like that—any adventure to break up the monotony of life in Heartache. Maybe some of her spirit had rubbed off on him over the years, since he’d ended up leaving, too.
Now, he steered the Eldorado onto a low hill overlooking a creek that ran alongside one of the old orchards near her grandmother’s farm. The fire inside him from their kiss had been banked, but he still wanted her. That kiss back at the football field had turned hot in a hurry, reminding him that his feelings for Nina were coming back stronger than ever. He’d been crazy about her as a teen. What would it be like to be with her now, with the deeper wants of a man?
She leaned toward the radio and lowered the volume as the song came to an end.
“I can’t believe you remember your way around these roads.” She sat straighter in the seat as he slowed down. “I would have gone right over the edge of the bank into the creek.”
Mack pulled over to the side of the road and switched off the headlights, the darkness deep out here away from ambient light. He killed the engine, telling himself they could talk for a few minutes and then he’d bring her home or back to her car.
“Scott used to bring us up here to play long before you moved here. He was always good about trying to get all the kids out of the house when my mom was having a bad day.” And what had Mack done for his family? His move to Nashville had only forced everyone else to pitch in more.
“Did you ever swim in the creek?” She shifted in the seat next to him, staring up at the sky where the moon hung low above the trees.
“Of course.”
“This time of year?” she asked, turning her head toward him, a wicked gleam in her eye.
The fire that had been banked in him flared to life again, faster than he was prepared for. Hotter than he could handle. He recognized a dare when he heard one.
“Nina.” He wasn’t sure if he was cautioning her or himself, but he reached to stroke a finger down her cheek, her skin almost flawless in the moonlight. “Don’t flirt with me unless you mean it.”
He’d asked her out, damn it. He’d tried to make a legitimate offer to heal the past. She was the one who hadn’t wanted to risk getting hurt again, even with a short-term thing.
She closed her eyes for a long moment and drew a slow breath. When she looked at him again, she’d shuttered some of her natural playfulness. He felt equal parts relief and regret.
“Maybe you shouldn’t take me parking unless you mean it.”
“That’s the problem. I do. I told you I’m ready to see where this leads.” He was old enough to know what he wanted. And whether it was wise or not, he still wanted Nina.
“I’ve thought about it,” she admitted, tracing the piping on the leather console between them.
“And?” He wanted to cover her hand with his and kiss her again. Thoroughly. And for a long, long time.
“I’ve worked really hard to not be as impulsive, both personally and professionally.” She shifted on the leather seat, the material creaking. “I’m sure that change hasn’t been obvious to you lately. Being back here, coming home, reminds me of who I used to be. And to a certain extent, I always loved taking chances or being the first one to stand up and say ‘I’ll try it.’”
“Like when we went cliff-jumping.” He’d nearly had a heart attack when she barreled over the edge, the first to leap into the water. But then, all his friends followed and they’d had the most memorable senior picnic ever.
“Right!” She smiled, lit up with the memory. “Exactly. And that was such an awesome day. But looking back, it could have been dangerous. Plus, in a lot of situations, it’s not a good idea to throw yourself into things.”
“Like having dinner with me.”
“Actually, I was thinking more in terms of kissing you again.”
Amazing how just talking about it could fuel the fire inside. The air between them felt highly charged despite the chill in the fall breeze.
“Right, kissing is not a good idea.” He repeated it in the hope his body would get the message.
“Well, we both know there’s actually a lot of good about it.” A hint of her old self shone through for a second, the flirtatious and, yes, impulsive girl who had captivated him. But then she shook her head. “In fact, it’s so good that it inhibits my judgment. And that’s a scenario I’m trying to avoid.”
On a rational level, he understood and respected the hell out of her for what she was saying. That didn’t mean he approved.
“Setting aside your personal reasons for a minute, I just hope that professionally you’re happy with the kind of decisions you end up making.” He lifted the center console, opening up the space. The leather bench seat was custom and roomy, putting way too much distance between them. “You’re very creative and that kind of talent has been a driving force for your success. You don’t want to second-guess yourself so much you lose that edge.”
“But my business fell apart because I followed my heart by partnering with a friend.” She flipped up the collar on her jacket, tucking one lapel under the other to keep the wind out. “I knew she was flighty when we signed the partnership agreement, but I thought I could just work harder to make up for that because it felt like a dream come true to open the shop.”
“Working together is tough on a friendship.” After seeing the way business could spill over into relationships in his own family, Mack had been eager to start a venture that was completely his own. The bar had the advantage of being away from Heartache and far removed from the building supply or construction companies that his family ran.
“But it was business, you know? My livelihood. I should have respected my dreams enough to wait for the right opportunity instead of rushing headlong into the partnership and hoping that a lot of effort and passion for the job would be enough.” A cricket jumped onto the dashboard, making her jump just a little. She used one hand to direct it so that the little creature’s next jump took it back outside. “I guess that’s why I mentioned a business venture to Bethany. I want people to honor their dreams.”
He wasn’t ready to go in for round two on that discussion. She knew how he felt about her trying to entice Bethany away from the hardware store while Scott struggled to right his failing marriage. With an effort, he steered the topic elsewhere.
“Still no word from your runaway partner?” He settled deeper in the seat and looked up at the stars. The sky was incredibly clear, the layers and layers of stars mesmerizing.
“No. I’ve tried texting and calling, but Olivia’s been ignoring me.” She huffed a frustrated sigh. “I’m having my mail forwarded to Gram’s house, so it’s a few days behind, but it should all arrive sooner or later. The creditors want their money, that’s for sure. This is going to be hell on my credit if I ever apply for another business loan.”
He glanced at her, hating to think of her struggling when she was so talented and had so much to offer.
“The business lawyer who helped me set up the contracts for Finleys’ Tavern was really helpful. Have you talked to somebody like that to make sure you’ve protected your assets?”
“I talked to a lawyer long enough to know I can’t afford that kind of help.”
“You can’t afford not to.” Mack withdrew his phone from a shelf on the dash and wrote a memo to himself to have his attorney touch base with Nina. “You want to walk away from this with as much as you can. Actually, the guy owes me a favor after I gave his musician sister a good slot on the lineup the other night when there were some Nashville bigwigs at the bar. Maybe he’d take your case on a contingency basis.”
She stared at him a long moment, assessing. He wondered if he’d offended her pride by suggesting it. Then she sat up straighter.
“Is it super nosey of me to ask how you financed the bar and still retained control? Assuming you did? I mean, the place is named after you, so I figured you must have a big say in it.”
“I do. I got lucky and found financing from an investor. I pitched the idea to one of those angel clubs—”
“What’s an angel club?”
“Groups of investors who look for entrepreneurs to back. They make bigger profits that way and have more control than investing in the stock market, so it’s beneficial for them. And obviously, it’s ideal for the entrepreneurs who have great ideas and just need someone to back them.”
“And you got an angel to sponsor Finleys’ Tavern?” She sounded skeptical. The bar business was notoriously unstable but the profits could be excellent when things were running smoothly.
“The guy was a big country-music fan and he liked the idea of owning a piece of a honky-tonk. It was just a matter of convincing him I was the guy to make it a success.” His pitch had been the whole goal of his MBA and he’d spent all his independent study hours on the business plan while attending Belmont.
“Well, I guess I had my shot at an angel investor and she turned out to be a selfish devil in disguise.” Nina tucked deeper into the seat and pulled her throw blanket around her legs as a crisp autumn breeze picked up.
Mack switched on the vehicle’s engine and cranked the heat, angling the vents toward her to keep her warm. He would have preferred to apply himself to the task personally, but after giving her a tough time about flirting with him, he wasn’t going to suggest it.
“A rich friend doesn’t necessarily make the best investor.”
“Yes. And wasn’t that an expensive lesson for me?” Even in the dark, Mack could see her roll her eyes.
“More than half of all start-up companies fail in their first four years.”
“But I aligned myself with someone who didn’t put the business first. Worse, I didn’t protect myself with any kind of partnership contract that spelled out who was responsible for what or what would happen if someone got ill or ran away with a client’s groom.” She shoved a hand through her windblown hair, swiping back pieces that fluttered along her cheek.
“Next time you’ll know what to watch out for.” He pointed to the back of the car. “Want me to put the roof up?”
“No. I like being out with the top down. But as far as the future is concerned, I’m beginning to think there won’t be a next time for me running my own business.” She held her hands next to the vent blowing warm air. “Even if Olivia returns the money to our account and wants to move forward, obviously I wouldn’t be able to work with her again. And even if I could, it’s become clear to me that Gram needs me here.”
“I don’t understand.” He studied her in the glow of the dashboard lights, her profile more finely drawn and delicate as she aged, and yet her face so familiar, too. How many times had they sat in her truck or his car after a date, talking about plans for a future—their future? “You’re not seriously considering staying in Heartache permanently?”
“I’m doing more than considering it.” She tucked her hands under the throw blanket again and drew it up to her chin. “As soon as I can settle things in New York...I’m going to come back here.”
The moon dipped lower on the horizon while night birds called overhead and Mack’s whole world seemed to shift. Part of him rejoiced at having her living in the same state. Maybe they really could explore something between them, something that didn’t have to end after the Harvest Fest.
But another part of him realized she was moving here to support the only family she had—her grandmother. Nina would want a family of her own one day, something Mack couldn’t offer her.
“You’re a wanderer at heart.” He’d always thought that was something she had in common with her parents, whether she cared to admit it or not. “I can’t imagine you’d be happy settling here.”
“Oh, really? You can’t chase me out of town before I’ve even moved back.” She hugged her knees closer under the blanket, so the light fleece covered her bent legs like a tent.
He was bowled over with memories of sharing a blanket with her. They’d been young for the kind of intimacy they’d found, but...wow. She’d been his first. And there’d been a lot of fooling around in parked cars.
When he took too long to answer, her smile slowly faded.
“Is my being here a problem?” The tone of her voice warned him his quietness had stung her.
“Of course not. But you always wanted to be in a big city for more culture and more business opportunities.” Had she really done a one-eighty on that? “Maybe you ought to consider Nashville. You’d still be in a bigger city, but you’d be close enough to drive down here on the weekends.”
“Nashville?” She rested her hands on top of her knees and then settled her chin on her hands.
“They eat cupcakes there, too, you know.”
She laughed and the sound was better than the music they’d been blasting out of the speakers earlier. There was a soft sweetness to her laugh that made him feel like a genius for being the cause of it.
“I’m not sure if I can ever market to brides successfully again. What if they hear about my last business where my partner swooped in and stole a groom?” She straightened the blanket and for an instant, the fabric covered his hand where it rested on the seat.
The realization that a part of him was under the blanket with her did fierce things to his self-control.
“Still, you should think about Nashville. You’d have a bigger market there. And it’s not just brides who order cupcakes.” He heard himself trying to convince her and wasn’t quite sure why.
Was it really for her sake? Or was he just trying to bring her closer to him? He had to be careful about that in case she got the idea that he was angling for a future.
“I don’t know, Mack. I’m looking at Heartache with new eyes lately. But even if I hated this town, I would still move back here because Gram needs me and she wants to stay in her own home. I owe her as much help as she’s willing to take.” She spoke with a fierceness that didn’t surprise him. Nina’s love was a formidable thing. “But I’ve realized since coming home that I don’t hate it. If anything, I’ve remembered there’s a lot to love about a small town.”
“Like that everyone knows your business? And makes no pretense of asking about it?” He couldn’t believe she’d consider life in Tennessee again after how fast she’d ditched it before.
“Some people view that as being part of a caring community,” she pointed out.
“Do you?” He found it tough to believe she’d changed her mind. She hadn’t been back here that long.
“I guess I do. I’ve seen that there are a lot of caring people in this town and I wouldn’t mind being a part of that.” She stared up at the sky again, her eyes tracking the blinking light of a low-flying airplane. “Although when Kaleb Riggs asked me to come to work for the craft-beer place his family runs, I’m pretty sure he was hitting on me more than caring about my professional well-being.”
“You’ll get a lot of that.” His buddy Vince hadn’t been the only guy in town who’d been crazy about Nina. She had a natural warmth that made people gravitate to her.
“I doubt that. And anyhow, I’m not interested.”
Mack tried to take that as a cue to leave, even reaching for the stick shift to back up the car. He’d met her tonight out at the football field because she’d asked him to. They’d cleared the air about Jenny and put another piece of the past to rest. He should consider that progress. But with the liquid fire of attraction still simmering in his veins after that kiss they’d shared, he couldn’t just leave it on that note.
“Meaning you’re not interested in Kaleb,” he clarified. “And as for you and me, we only agreed on no kissing, at least for tonight.”
He might not be able to offer Nina a long-term relationship. He knew how she felt about family. Kids. But they were here together now and he wasn’t the only one experiencing this attraction.
“Um, belatedly. But yes, I suppose I eventually came to my senses and made the safer choice.” She hugged her arms around herself and watched him with wide eyes.
If he had his say, neither of them would be thinking about safer choices the next time they sat alone in a car parked under the stars. He wanted to share a blanket with Nina Spencer again and remind her how good they could be together—for however long they had left.
“Do me a favor, though, and keep the dinner invitation in mind. You can even consider it rationally, if you prefer.” He checked his rearview mirror and forced himself to be disciplined where she was concerned. “Just please...think about it.”
* * *
“YOU’RE GOING TO WIN, Ally.” Ethan whispered the words in Ally’s ear as they sat together in the grandstand at the Heartache Fairgrounds, surrounded by the rest of their classmates. They were waiting for the Harvest Festival Committee to choose one of the students’ designs for a straw maze they’d submitted as part of a math-class competition.
“No, I’m not,” she whispered back, still surprised that Ethan Brady wanted to hang out with her a week after their first “sort of” date. He’d taken her to the local corn maze for inspiration for their math project. He hadn’t kissed her, but he had definitely been looking at her differently since then.
If not for The Incident at the salon the day before that, her life would finally be looking up even in spite of her new weekly appointments with a psychiatrist. But as it stood, she felt suspended between happy and worried, afraid every minute that her secret would get out and that Ethan would discover she was seeing a shrink. Or worse, that he’d find out why. Her healing cuts started to itch as she thought about them and she squeezed the gray cuffs of her hoodie to reassure herself the marks were hidden.
“Are you kidding me?” Ethan leaned away from her to study her face. “Your maze design is by far the best. I have no idea how we ended up in the same class because you’re, like, a million times better at algorithms than me.”
Ally’s face heated despite the chill in the air. She’d never told Ethan about the fact that she’d only let her grades slip to get her parents’ attention. She was starting to realize having a relationship with him—if he really did like her that way—might not be easy when she’d hidden so much from him.
“Not really. I was just inspired when we took that trip to the corn maze. That was a good idea.” She hoped reminding him of a fun day would distract him from the math thing. “But I don’t think the committee will pick my design because it’s got too many nooks and walls. It’d probably take way too many hay bales to make it.”
Ethan flipped a lock of dark hair out of his eyes. “Like there’s a lack of hay in this town?”
She knew he still resented the nonstop chores of farming and living the lifestyle his family had imposed when they’d started their organic food co-op and market.
In front of them, two guys who were friends with Ethan turned around. “Dude, they’ll pick her design either way because she’s a Finley,” one of them said as he lifted up his sunglasses to look at Ethan. Then, his eyes cut to Ally. “No offense or anything, Ally, but isn’t your father practically running the Harvest Fest?”
“Not this year, he isn’t.” Embarrassed, Ally wished she could slink down between the grandstand seats while they waited for the committee’s decision. The conversations around them grew louder as the class grew restless.
“But it’s still your family that’s organizing it, right?” the other boy chimed in, glancing up from his phone.
“I guess.” Regretting ever entering the contest, she hoped now she didn’t win since her class would think the committee chose her because she was a Finley. “I know they’re helping out with some stuff.”
The two boys exchanged a look.
“Hey. It doesn’t matter.” Ethan slid an arm around her shoulders while their math teacher, Mr. Cummings, headed to the grandstand stage. “We all know Ally’s design was the coolest. It’s got turrets.”
He smiled at her, somehow making everything right with the world in spite of his friends and in spite of the fact that Rachel Wagoner sat three rows down in all her beautiful blond glory. She hadn’t so much as given Ally a funny look since that day in the salon, but it was hard not to worry about her when she could spill Ally’s secret at any time. For now though, Ally could only focus on the feeling of Ethan’s fingers splayed along her back. Her heart beat faster.
“You know where I got the idea for the turrets?” She wished she had Ethan all to herself again for a few hours. Hanging out with him last weekend had been perfect, but the other parts of her life always seemed to interfere.
She was more certain every day that she wanted to leave town with him, even though her counselor kept talking about her “plans” after school. She felt a little guilty when she thought about how much time she’d spent on early college applications. But she could always go to college later.
“Um...video games?” Ethan guessed.
Just then Mr. Cummings finished up his conversation with a woman near the stage. Their teacher strode back toward the class.
A ripple of excitement went through the fifty kids on the old wooden bleachers as kids shouted out things like “Who won?” and “Just tell us!”
“No, not video games.” Ally’s stomach knotted just knowing that Mr. Cummings was about to say the winner’s name. “I thought of the turrets after we saw those apple-picking contraptions on the farm with the corn maze. It’s too bad you don’t have those apple pickers around the peach trees. It’d be a lot faster to get all the branches picked.”
The farmers had designed a picker with elaborate wooden stairs and platforms on big rolling carts so that whole families could climb up to high trees and pick their own apples. The pickers had been stained and varnished, with little round roofs over the highest levels.
“Yeah,” he muttered. “So I can be the next Tennessee farmer filling bushel baskets for fun on the weekends.”
His hand slid down her back and off, but she wasn’t sure if it was because he hadn’t appreciated the comment about picking peaches or if it was simply because Mr. Cummings had reached the foot of the bleachers where the students were clamoring for news.
“Attention please!” the math teacher shouted, holding a hand up in the air and waiting for the class to quiet. “I’ve got an update for you on the first-ever Straw Maze Math Challenge.”
The teacher had devised the competition two weeks ago for an extra-credit project, but he’d had so many entries he’d opened it up to multiple sections that he taught. Today’s mini field trip included students from four different math sections. Mr. Cummings had submitted their designs electronically to the committee a few days ago and the students had spent the day at the fairgrounds walking around the site where the winning maze would be built and painting the outline of the exterior walls, which were the only real design constant.
“Good luck,” Ethan whispered in her ear, making her hopeful he wasn’t mad at her after all.
“The committee has chosen an unorthodox winning entry,” Mr. Cummings explained, waving an envelope back and forth. “I think you’ll all agree with the choice.”
Someone whistled. Mr. Cummings grinned.
“And the winner is...” He opened the envelope and withdrew a paper while a few kids imitated drum rolls. “Rachel Wagoner...”
He stared at the paper while cheers erupted and Rachel hugged the girl sitting next to her, her perfect sheet of golden blond hair spilling down her back in a shiny layer.
Relief swept through Ally even as Ethan’s hand went to the small of her back.
“I can’t believe it,” Ethan grumbled. “There’s no way hers is better than yours.”
“And,” Mr. Cummings continued, holding up his arm again in the universal kindergarten teacher signal for quiet. “In an unusual request, there is a second winner. Ally Finley.”
Ally’s heart stilled. The whole grandstand seemed to go quiet. Her gaze went to Rachel, whose face fell as she looked up at Ally. Her stomach knotted.
“I don’t understand.” Ally shook her head, wishing everyone would stop staring at her. Rachel made a much better class representative than she did. Raising her voice, she shouted over a slowly growing hum of whispers, “How can we build two designs?”
“That’s the thing.” Mr. Cummings cleared his throat and straightened a lopsided bow tie in the school colors. “You won’t. The committee liked elements of both designs and have asked you to work together to bring some of each to the final maze.”
Seriously?
Ally knew better than to say anything aloud. But how had the competition turned into a group project? And with, of all people...Rachel? Her stomach twisted. Her fingers twitched with the need to scratch. And scratch.
“That’s so cool,” Ethan started, until he saw her face. “Hey. You okay? Ally?”
His friends turned around, staring at her as if they knew she could turn crazy at any second. Which was silly since no one here knew her secret. Except for Rachel. Her new partner for the straw maze.
“I’m fine.” She forced a smile. “It sounds fun.”
“Didn’t I say she’d win?” the boy playing a game on his phone groused. “It was totally fixed, man.”
“Oh, shut up, Barry.” Ethan gave the kid a light shove on the shoulder. “You’re just jealous you didn’t add a turret to that piece of crap you handed in.”
Barry laughed. “You know it, dude. Hey Ally, you think you can put in a good word for me with Rachel?”
Ally swallowed hard, twice, struggling to hold back a hysterical laugh.
“I’ll see what I can do,” she mumbled, trying to smile but all the while thinking it was a damn good thing she was seeing that counselor this week.
Because the stress of working with the girl who knew her worst secret was going to punt her over the edge.