Small Town Boss

by Cheryl Michaels

  “It sounds wonderful.” Ainsley sipped her water. “Do you think you’d want to do that all over again if you marry Brady? Or would you guys keep it small and intimate, maybe a destination wedding?”

  “I’m not sure. Brady has never been married before, so maybe a church wedding would be important to him?” She shrugged. “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”

  “Then you do think about marrying him?” Shay asked, nudging Claudia’s toe with hers from her sprawled position on the floor in front of the fireplace.

  “Of course I think about it.” Claudia smiled. “How can I not? I’m crazy about him. I can’t imagine my life without him.” Feeling that way should scare her, since she knew there were no guarantees in life, but the loss she’d experienced taught her an even more important lesson—to appreciate every day and never take the people she loved for granted.

  “I’m so happy you guys found each other,” Shay said, rolling over onto her stomach as she linked her legs behind her. She rested her chin in her upturned palms. “You’re so perfect for him.”

  “Thanks. He’s pretty perfect for me too.”

  “Has it been hard?” Ainsley asked quietly. “Making room in your heart to love someone else? I mean, we know you loved your husband. Did you ever feel guilty for feeling the way you did about Brady in the beginning?”

  “Absolutely. I think that was part of the reason I needed to spend some time in Brockville, to come to terms with my feelings for Brady. It gave me the opportunity to let go of the house, visit the cemetery, and have a heart-to-heart with Trevor’s parents. The resounding message I kept getting everywhere I turned was that the people who loved me most would have wanted me to be happy. That’s when I realized it was okay to love Brady.”

  Ainsley sighed. “I certainly can’t compare my experience to yours, but I remember when my ex-husband and I started dating, I found myself comparing him to Bryce in little ways. I guess that should have been a red flag, huh?”

  “Not necessarily,” Claudia said. “Bryce was an important part of your life. It’s only natural you’d think about him from time to time. I don’t think that takes anything away from what you had with your husband. I know I’ll always think of Trevor. Little things will trigger sweet memories that’ll make me smile. I’d never want to lose that, and I know Brady will understand.”

  “Yeah, but I think it’s different in your case,” Ainsley said, resting her head in her hand. “Your husband passed. A part of you will always love him, but you no longer have the option to be with him, so it’s not like Brady would feel threatened by your feelings for him.”

  “Are you saying you think your ex felt threatened by your feelings for Bryce?” Claudia asked.

  “He never said as much, but he’d lived in this town long enough to hear all about Bryce. We’d be at some town event or party, and I’d run into an old friend from high school. We’d get to talking and laughing about old times and the conversation would inevitably circle back to Bryce—how inseparable we were back in the day, how successful he’s gone on to be, that kind of thing.”

  “Did your ex ever flat-out ask you if you still had feelings for Bryce?” Claudia asked, smiling at Shay when she refilled Claudia’s glass.

  “He did.” She licked her lips. “I was able to deny it for a long time, to him and myself. But when I reconnected with Chase on social media a while back, I started thinking more and more about Bryce. Things in my marriage weren’t good, but I think that just made it worse.”

  “It’s all Chase’s fault,” Shay joked. “I’ve told him a hundred times he needs to mind his own business!”

  Ainsley smiled. “I’m glad I reconnected with Chase. I think it helped him make the decision to move back here.” She smoothed a hand over her hair, raising her chin. “You’re welcome.”

  Shay giggled, tossing a throw pillow at Ainsley. “I’m forever in your debt.”

  Being with Ainsley and Shay on the eve of one of the most important nights of Shay’s life made Claudia feel as though she was a part of something important. She felt like she was making life-long friendships with these women, the kind of friendships she’d had in Brockville and never expected to find again.

  “How did you feel about seeing Bryce again at the rehearsal dinner?” Claudia asked Ainsley.

  “It didn’t bother me.” Ainsley shrugged. “When he left, he made it clear that he’s done with me, so that’s his loss, right? Besides, I’m seeing Dave now, and things are going pretty well. Why would I risk that by getting drawn in by Bryce again?”

  As much as she wanted to believe her, Claudia saw the pain behind Ainsley’s brave smile.

  “Are you going to try to talk to him about why he left?” Shay asked.

  Though she’d just met Bryce, Claudia was angry with him for hurting Ainsley. Ainsley had clearly taken a huge risk by opening up to him again, after so many years of separation, and thought it was the start of something meaningful. Instead, he’d packed up and left town without an explanation the next day.

  “Why should I?” Ainsley asked, studying her manicure. “He could have called me if he wanted to talk about it. I’m not kidding myself. I know he’s only back here now for the wedding, not for me.”

  “What if he did come back for you?” Shay asked gently. “Would you consider taking him back?”

  Ainsley shook her head emphatically. “No way! I am so done with him!”

  Brady, Chase, and Bryce tapped their beer bottles in a toast. “To my big brother finally marrying the woman of his dreams.”

  “Save the sappy speeches for tomorrow,” Chase warned, grinning. “That’s your job as best man.”

  Brady had half-expected Chase to ask his best friend, Bryce, to stand beside him on his wedding day. He’d assured Chase he wouldn’t be offended if he asked Bryce instead, but Chase was adamant and Brady wasn’t about to argue.

  “I’m not sure this is the right time to tell you guys this,” Bryce said, leaning back in his chair. “But, uh, I’ve decided to move back to Landon. For good this time.”

  Chase gave his friend a hard look. “So that’s why you stepped back from the day-to-day operations in Houston, huh? I wondered about that. Part of me thought you were thinking about stepping away from the business altogether, maybe selling me your share.”

  “Not a chance,” Bryce said, rolling his eyes. “Without Backwoods, what reason would I have to get out of bed in the morning?”

  Brady could tell Chase was still mad at Bryce for bailing on Ainsley without an explanation, but Brady had known Bryce a long time and considered him a good friend. He’d obviously been torturing himself since he made that decision.

  “Well, I’m glad you’re back,” Brady said, tapping his beer bottle against Bryce’s. “This is your home. It’s where you belong.”

  Bryce looked at Chase out of the corner of his eye. “You feel that way too, as though I’m welcome here?”

  “I want you here,” Chase said. “Always have. But you must know not everyone’s going to feel that way.”

  “You’re talking about Ainsley?” Bryce sighed. “Yeah. She didn’t even speak to me unless it was absolutely necessary at the rehearsal dinner.” He tipped back his bottle. “I hate that I hurt her.”

  “So why did you?” Chase asked.

  “I had to figure things out, man,” Bryce said. “Get my head on straight.”

  “And did you?” Chase asked, rolling his beer bottle between his hands when he leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table.

  “I still have a lot of things to work out with my family.”

  “Then stay away from Ainsley,” Chase said through gritted teeth. “The last thing she needs is for you to start messing with her mind again.”

  “I heard she’s been out with Dave a few times,” Brady said, eyeing his friend.

  Brady didn’t necessarily agree Bryce should take the hands-off approach with Ainsley, and if he knew some other dude was sniffing around her, that might give h
im the incentive he needed to clean up his personal mess so he could come to her with a clear head… on his knees, if he was smart.

  “Who is Dave?” Bryce asked, narrowing his eyes at both men. “And why is this the first I’m hearing about her dating someone else?” To Chase, he said, “I thought you were my best friend? You’re supposed to have my back.”

  “Listen to me,” Chase said, gripping Bryce’s forearm. “I love that girl like she was my own sister. I hate that you hurt her, and if you think I’m going to let that happen again, you’re crazy.”

  “You think I wanted to hurt her?” Bryce demanded, shaking off Chase. “I hate myself for that. I just thought I’d hurt her more by sticking around.” Before Chase could argue, Bryce asked Brady, “Who is this guy she’s seeing? Is it serious?”

  “I think they’ve only been out a few times, but he did say something about Ainsley inviting him to the wedding.”

  Bryce turned on Chase, his face red and his fists clenched. “You didn’t think to tell me Ainsley was bringing a date to your wedding? What is wrong with you?”

  Chase shrugged. “I didn’t think you’d care. When you left town, I assumed you were done with her. You haven’t even asked me about her since you left.”

  “I couldn’t.” Bryce pressed his thumb and forefinger into his eyes. “I didn’t think I had the right. I knew if I ever came back here and asked for another chance, it had to be with hat in hand, promising Ainsley that I could be a better man.”

  “Can you say that now?” Brady asked, willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. “That you’re ready for a real relationship with Ainsley?”

  Like Chase, Brady loved Ainsley. They’d all grown up together, and that meant he considered her family. But Bryce was family too, and Brady wanted to believe he’d changed, that he was seeing things clearly now.

  “I still have this mess with my folks to clean up,” Bryce said. “That’s gotta be my first priority, ‘cause I can’t come to Ainsley weighed down with all this drama from my past.”

  “Can’t argue with that,” Chase muttered. “But you know by then it may be too late, right?”

  Bryce swallowed, a flash of pain crossing his face.

  “I’m not telling you this to make you feel worse, Bryce,” Chase said. “I just want you to know what you’re up against. ‘Cause what kind of friend would I be if I let you get blindsided, right?”

  Bryce nodded reluctantly. “You guys still haven’t told me about this character she’s dating. What’s his deal?”

  “It’s Dave Reynolds,” Brady said, glancing in his brother’s direction.

  “Ugh,” Bryce whispered, swiping a hand over his mouth. “Last I heard, he moved to Cali after he and his wife divorced. They’ve got a daughter, right?”

  “Yeah, they do,” Brady said. “She’s the reason he moved back actually. He was a cop in the San Fernando Valley—sergeant, in fact. But he realized he was missing out on too much, not being here with Mandy. So he gave it up to come back to Landon. Now he runs a landscaping business. In fact, he takes care of things around here for me, and Mandy’s a waitress here.”

  “He was a few years ahead of us in high school,” Bryce said to Chase. “I didn’t get to know him all that well, but I remember him being a good guy.”

  “You have any idea how he feels about Ainsley?” Bryce asked, looking more miserable by the minute.

  “I wish I did,” Brady said, “but he’s been pretty tight-lipped about her.”

  “What about you?” Bryce asked, frowning at Chase. “You can’t tell me you don’t know what’s going on. Ainsley’s your girl’s best friend. You’ve probably heard all the dirty details.” He grimaced. “Man, I don’t even want to think about that.”

  “All I know is that she’s taking it slow,” Chase said, lifting a shoulder. “She doesn’t want to rush into anything, risk making another mistake.”

  “Are you talking about me or her ex-husband?” Bryce asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “What can I say?” Chase asked with a half-smile. “Ainsley may be a smart girl, but she has lousy taste in men.”

  “You’re a jerk,” Bryce said, trying to keep a straight face.

  “Takes one to know one, buddy,” Chase said, chuckling.

  “The ceremony was beautiful, wasn’t it?” Claudia asked, resting her head on Brady’s shoulder.

  “Yeah.” He smiled at the bride and groom. “I’ve never seen my brother happier.”

  “They deserve to be happy,” Claudia said.

  “You know who doesn’t look too happy?” Brady inclined his head toward Bryce, who was eyeing Ainsley dancing with Dave.

  Claudia pursed her lips. “Don’t expect me to feel sorry for him. Not after what he did to Ainsley. If you ask me, guys like that, who lead women on, deserve to get theirs.”

  “It wasn’t like that,” Brady said, shaking his head. “Trust me, babe. I’ve known that guy a long time, and Ainsley… well, she’s it for him. Always has been, I think.”

  “Then why did he bail on her like that?”

  “He thought he was doing her a favor.” At Claudia’s puzzled expression, he said, “I know it doesn’t make sense, but Bryce’s got some issues with his family. Last time he left Landon, he wasn’t ready to deal with them. It seems now he is.”

  “Does that mean he’s coming back to town?” Claudia asked, wide-eyed. “For good?”

  “That’s what he told us last night.”

  “Oh.” Claudia felt a surge of hope for Ainsley, but seconds later, her protective instincts kicked in, reminding her that he’d already hurt Ainsley not once, but twice. He clearly couldn’t be trusted. “Well, I hope he’ll leave her alone. Dave seems like a really nice guy, and Ainsley deserves to be happy.”

  Brady smiled, his grip on her waist tightening. “You’ve really made some good friends here, haven’t you?”

  Claudia smiled, nodding. “I have. And you want to know who my best friend is?”

  Brady brushed his lips across hers. “Who?”

  “You.”

  “Is that so?” His expression was serious as he pulled back to whisper, “Same goes.”

  “I love you.” She didn’t have to say it. He knew. But she’d make sure he never had reason to question it because this was a love she never intended to take for granted.

  If you enjoyed Small Town Boss, read on for a sneak peek of

  Small Town Player.

  Now Available at Amazon!

  Sneak Peek - Small Town Player

  Ainsley told herself the only reason she was dancing with her ex was because she didn’t want to make a scene at her best friend’s wedding, which was exactly what she would have done if she’d blasted Bryce for cutting in on her and her date.

  “How’ve you been?” Bryce murmured, brushing his lips over her temple.

  “Why do you care?” she shot back. She clenched her teeth when his hand dipped lower, his thumb dancing across her spine.

  “I’ve always cared about you, Ainsley. You know that.”

  “Really?” She tipped her head back, trying to hold her temper since they were surrounded by wedding guests. “Is that why you left town after we…?” She knew she didn’t need to remind him of the last time they’d re-connected.

  They’d talked about the past that night, how they were each other’s first loves. Maybe even soul mates. He led her to believe he’d wanted to try again, gotten her hopes up, then bailed on her the next morning, leaving town and letting his best friend break the news to her.

  “I’m sorry about that.” He sighed, looking down at her. “I never should have left without talking to you first. It was a cowardly thing to do, and I don’t have an excuse—”

  “Good, because I don’t want to hear any of your excuses.” She was so done with this man. Just because she’d been head-over-heels in love with him in high school didn’t mean she felt anything for him now. Okay, maybe she felt something. But that was only because he was still the most attractive man
she’d ever met.

  His dark hair was a little shorter than he usually wore it, probably in deference to the wedding. But he still had some scruff peppering his jaw, which she secretly loved. Despite his enormous success as co-owner of one of the largest outdoor retailers in the country, he was still a little rough around the edges, reminding her of the boy he used to be…

  “What are you thinking about?” he whispered as though he could read her mind. “That night?”

  “What? No!” She hadn’t thought of that night in… twenty-four hours. But she blamed that on her friends, who had demanded to know how she felt about seeing Bryce again.

  “Are you telling me that you haven’t thought about it?” he asked, his voice low and husky. “You just managed to put it right out of your mind?”

  “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m involved with someone.” Involved might have been too strong a word for her relationship with Dave. Casual dating would have been more accurate, but he didn’t have to know that.

  “Yeah, I heard about you and Reynolds. You sure about that? He doesn’t seem like your type.”

  “What do you know about my type?”

  “I know that I’m your type.”

  He sounded so smug that Ainsley seriously considered wiping that sexy half smile right off his face with the palm of her hand, but she wouldn’t do anything to ruin Shay’s wedding. She had a feeling that slapping the groom’s best friend across the face in the middle of the dance floor might put a damper on the festivities.

  “You go right on thinking that,” she said, smirking. “Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

  “Speaking of sleep,” he said, drawing her closer, “I haven’t been getting much lately.”