Hometown Hope: A Small Town Romance Anthology

by Zoe York

  They made it up the steps before she let him crash into her accidentally on purpose, taking the opportunity to grope his back with splayed fingers, her kisses hot and furious.

  They were putting on a good show, but the heat was as real as the fires of hell.

  After staggering through the open front door, Lily thought Ethan would shut it behind them and let her go, then step away, cool and unaffected, like always. But instead, the door slammed shut behind him and his hands dived under her shirt, causing her to suck in a breath. Her T-shirt was on the floor seconds later, and she arched her spine, moving closer to what mattered. Ethan’s kisses were those of a man possessed, and she trailed her nails down his chest, then wrapped her arms around his trim waist, pulling his tight-muscled body toward her.

  They made it a few steps across the entryway before she bumped into her lingerie chest and angled herself onto it, splaying her legs so she could welcome Ethan into the V of her body. He accepted the invitation, his hands tangling in her hair as their lips continued their arousing exploration. With her legs wrapped around him, she arched, and his mouth moved in hungry strides toward her lace bra. Lily had never been turned on so fast in her entire life.

  When his palms finally cupped her, his kisses slowed to worshiping speed, and she moaned. Reflexively, she reached for the hem of Ethan’s shirt, eager to touch warm flesh, ready to explore. To rip the cotton from his body with her teeth, if need be. But he shifted abruptly, releasing her breasts and grabbing her wrists, so she couldn’t move. He had stopped kissing her. His eyes were dark, chest heaving, he was watching her, a strange expression on his face.

  “What’s wrong?” She wanted that shirt off him. She wanted to touch every inch of his flesh, wanted to own it, possess it, have the right to explore, feel him, have him.

  His gaze drifted to her lavender bra. He blinked a few times, then eased back a half step. Then another.

  “Ethan,” she whispered as she reached for him, eager to draw him close again, feel his heat, his need.

  He said nothing, simply bent to retrieve her shirt, gently handing it to her, before he turned and walked away.

  The next morning Ethan hid in his office until Lily left for the restaurant. He felt like a dork for embarrassing himself the night before and allowing the opinions of others to influence the way he treated her.

  Who practically made love out on their front lawn? Who pulled off his wife’s shirt as if he had the right to ravage her, when he didn’t even have the courage to tell her why he couldn’t move a fridge, and that under his clothes he looked like a torn-up teddy bear that someone’s half-blind grandma had patched back together?

  But the way Lily had looked up at him, that merry twinkle in her eyes and her sweet voice, all husky, saying, “Kiss me, Ethan...”

  Yeah, that was why. It made him feel like he could fly, and believe that no matter what he could or couldn’t do he’d always be her hero.

  And that lacy lavender bra? It was all he could think about this morning.

  Only about eleven months, one week and six days left before they crossed the year mark.

  In other words, he was going to have to learn to deal with his attraction if he didn’t own up and be honest with her.

  He couldn’t risk messing up, though. He didn’t want the restaurant back and the amount of time Lily had freed up for him already was making a difference with his web business.

  So what was he going to do? Every time she looked at him it turned up his internal thermostat, as if he’d decided to have a bonfire under the desert sun while wearing all his winter gear.

  He needed to tell her, needed to come clean.

  She might reject him, but she also might not. The ball, however, would be in her court.

  His cell rang and he pulled it closer. Gloria’s number. Why was she calling him? Lily should be at the restaurant…

  His heart raced as he answered the phone, fearing his string of bad luck had been extended to Lily.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, Ethan.”

  The waitress sounded unfazed, casual.

  “Gloria. What’s up? I’m busy.”

  “Lily was wondering if you took the cash float for the register out of the safe.”

  “Why doesn’t she ask me herself?” Because she’s afraid of you and the way you just about lost control of yourself last night, you numbskull.

  “He wants to talk to you,” Gloria hollered, not bothering to cover the speaker on her phone.

  Ethan rubbed the bridge of his nose.

  “Hey, did you empty the safe?” Lily asked, sounding out of breath.

  “No. What’s missing?”

  “Just the float.”

  “Are you sure you didn’t deposit it by mistake?” There was silence. “Lil?”

  “I must have put everything in the night deposit on my way home. Sorry. I’ll figure it out with the bank when they open.”

  “You open before the bank. What are you going to do about a float?”

  More silence.

  “I’ll see what I have kicking around here at home.” He could be a good guy. Help her with the business. Keep that up front and center, so he didn’t try and make sweet love to her in a broom closet.

  “Thanks, Ethan.”

  “What are husbands for if not saving the day, on top of rocking your world on the front lawn?” he asked, then ended the call in shock.

  He’d just said that.

  Then again, she’d hinted that they could make their marriage a bit more…sexual. If he was going to tell her the truth and get in the ring, he may as well give her some forewarning, right?

  Ethan dug through his change jar, which held a mix of coins and small bills, before deciding to haul the whole thing down to Benny’s to let Lily sort through it for what she needed in her cash register.

  He glanced down at his outfit of tattered jeans and an equally worn T-shirt. Walking to his closet, he braced himself as Lily’s perfume wafted out, her side of the closet so much brighter and more cheerful than his, as if reflecting their personalities. He chose a crisp white button-up shirt, rolling the sleeves over his biceps, revealing the edge of one of his many scars. He added a new pair of jeans and was out the door to save the day, beg silent forgiveness.

  And maybe finally tell her the truth.

  In the restaurant, he noted Lily pause when she spotted his attire. She liked what she saw and the feeling was mutual. She was wearing a flirty little skirt and a knitted top that slid off one shoulder. Her tumble of curls brushed her shoulders and her legs looked amazing.

  “I love summertime,” he said quietly as she turned her back, no doubt a reaction to his mauling last night, followed by his sudden rejection when she’d gone to lift his shirt.

  He handed her the jar of coins, striving to keep his gaze from drifting to the neckline of her top. Lavender again? Lace?

  Ice shower. He needed ice. Possibly down his pants.

  She hoisted the jar. “How much is in here?”

  He shrugged. “Some people would say thank you.”

  “Thank you, Ethan,” she said, with a hint of sass that went straight up his spine and into his brain. His gaze drifted to the neckline, then lower.

  “You’re not even going to kiss him as thanks?” Gloria asked as she walked past.

  Lily’s expression turned hard with hurt and rejection. “He’s not into public displays of—”

  She didn’t get to finish her words because Ethan pulled her to him, planting a sweet kiss on her lips, his hands on her lower back. The coin jar hit him in the center of his chest as his wife struggled for balance.

  “Anything for lil’ Lily,” he said, releasing her, satisfied that he’d taken her breath away.

  Her cheeks were flushed and he gave her a wink.

  He might be playing games he would never win, but he also had a duty as her husband to act like one.

  “What was that for?” she asked breathlessly.

  “You being you.” In the
restaurant he could give her a little kiss, be flirtatious without worrying about taking it too far and ripping off her shirt like some sort of savage who thought she was the sexiest, most irresistible woman he’d ever laid his lips upon.

  Seriously, though. What color was her bra today? It must be strapless, as her bare shoulder was devoid of anything but a tantalizing expanse of flesh. Curiosity had him stepping closer, which meant it was time to leave. Things were heating up like he was baking in the desert again, a glimmering mirage of them with a real future taunting him in the distance.

  “While you’re here, can you help me?” Lily asked. She handed the jar to Gloria, instructing her to create a float.

  “Sorry, what?”

  “I need a hand.”

  He began instinctively backing toward the door, sensing she was trying to trap him into exposing the truth about his physical limitations.

  He paused. It was time to man up.

  Lily tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I want to move the cash register and resurface the front counter.” She pointed to the ancient beast taking up most of the space beside a stack of menus. “Are you okay with that? It only cost me six bucks.”

  Ethan shrugged. It was her place now.

  “So can you lift?” She cleared away the menus, then held up a long piece of countertop plastic that looked to be cut to size.

  “Uh...” He glanced at the cash register. There was no way to lift with his legs, no way to angle it so the forty to fifty pounds weren’t hanging straight off his spine. “I can’t, Lily.”

  Before he could explain why, motion outside the big bay windows caught his eye. “Is that my grandpa?”

  “Just lift it,” Lily demanded.

  Ethan caught another glimpse of his grandfather, while trying to figure out Lily’s unusual tone.

  “Why isn’t he… Shoot! Gramps!” He opened the door, running after his grandfather, who was walking down the street in nothing more than an undershirt and a pair of boxers.

  Lily felt as though she had been just about to get to the bottom of Ethan’s secrecy surrounding his reluctance to lift things when he took off again. Then again, his grandfather did seem to be a tad underdressed for a public appearance. She joined Ethan on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant, shielding her eyes against the bright sun rising over the mountaintops.

  “Gramps,” Ethan said, “I don’t care if you feel like it’s going to be a hot one, you can’t dress like this. You need pants or shorts.”

  “How’s it any different than what the kids are wearing today? Everything important is covered up.”

  “You need to wear shorts over your underwear.”

  “Says who?”

  “Society. Besides, you don’t want your one-eyed willy popping out to say hi to all the ladies.”

  “You give an old man too much credit. Nothing’s popping and hasn’t for years.”

  Lily hid her smile behind a hand and tried not to feel too much tenderness toward Ethan as he dealt with the situation. He was calm, kind and gentle. None of that scowling business going on. He was like the old Ethan she’d fallen for and it made her swoon just a little bit.

  Yesterday she’d felt the heat. The passion.

  The rejection.

  Maybe she wasn’t womanly or sexy enough for him. After having a supermodel for a girlfriend, who wanted the kid he’d used to pull out of mud puddles? Or maybe he was just smart enough to not mix business and pleasure, as Lily had in the past—always leading to disaster.

  Plus, she’d made it clear she was in their marriage for one thing only—a restaurant. And knowing Ethan, he was probably trying to protect her, keep within the parameters she’d set out for them.

  Platonic.

  What had she been thinking, suggesting that?

  “Need any help?” she asked, lightly touching Ethan’s arm to make sure he’d heard. He looked amazing with his bronzed skin set off by that crisp, white shirt. He looked healthy and delectable, and their kiss out on the lawn to shut up the neighbors came flooding back to her mind. Steamy. Irresistible.

  Yeah, a platonic business commitment was that last thing she wanted.

  Both men looked at her as she repeated her offer of help.

  “No,” they both snapped, displaying the same defensive look.

  “Wow. What are the names of the women who dented your lovely personalities?” she muttered.

  The men shared a glance and Lily tipped her head to the side, feeling as though she’d inadvertently stumbled onto something.

  “Okay…” She eased closer, curious.

  “I don’t need some woman leaving me, kicking me while I’m down,” Gramps said, waving his arms. “And neither does Ethan!”

  “He’s a widower,” Ethan mumbled to Lily.

  “She left me!”

  “She died. People do that, Gramps.”

  “Well, Dani left you.”

  “I’m aware of that.”

  “Dani?” Lily asked involuntarily. She’d heard the story, of course, but none of the details of her leaving him high and dry when she’d found out he was paralyzed. Lily was curious to hear what her husband’s thoughts on his ex were. “I heard she’s coming to town soon.”

  “I’d rather not talk about her,” Ethan replied.

  Did that mean he was still pining for her and had a secret hope that she’d soon reclaim him like lost luggage? Because if so, he deserved a whole lot more than that.

  “She left you right when—” Gramps started to say.

  “We’re heading home now.” Ethan began to gently guide him down the street.

  Lily, knowing any offers of help would be rebuffed, stood in front of her restaurant, curious about Ethan and his ex and whether Dani might be part of the grand puzzle Lily was trying to solve. She had a feeling that if she solved it, she would also unearth the key to Ethan’s heart. But the question would be whether that key would turn for someone like her.

  Ethan, sat in a corner of the living room at his dad’s, watching over his newly adopted nephew, Axel. The little guy had fallen asleep in his baby swing, his newborn body all perfect and tiny, curled into the small space. Mandy and Devon were arguing several feet away about whether Gramps’s recent behavior was anything new or not.

  The family had gathered to discuss what to do about Gramps, and so far it looked as though everyone thought it best to throttle back his independence. The issue seemed to be how best to keep an eye on him until a spot opened up in the town’s nursing home. Ethan, knowing what it was like to be on the receiving end of the family’s good intentions when it came to things like this, tried to stay as far out of the discussion as possible.

  He looked up as Lily let herself into the house, looking tired. He gave her a nod and she moved to join him in the corner, but was waylaid by Mandy.

  Before long the volume in the house grew and Axel began fussing. Frankie was at the far end of the room, trying to fix Dad’s recliner, while Mandy was still chatting with Lily.

  Lily. Ethan still needed to come clean with her about his physical limitations.

  “You need out of there, little guy?” He unhitched the swing’s straps and lifted his nephew, who was warm, pliable and completely trusting. Ethan set him against his shoulder and rocked slowly, and the baby quickly settled in.

  The room continued to buzz around them while Ethan sat in quiet contentment.

  Trish sat down beside him.

  “I’d like the family to take a hike together,” she said.

  Ethan gave her a blank look. It was a well-known fact that he and hiking did not belong in the same sentence.

  “Just in the meadow, silly. Walking through the flowers is barely different than walking down a sidewalk. We’ll bring a little picnic and blankets to sit on.”

  The meadow, located just outside of town, had a gravel parking lot and crisscross of foot-worn paths that led to higher mountain trails. It was a popular area for hikers, but he could wander the mostly level paths within the
meadow without too much issue. And a picnic among the rolling grasses and wildflowers with Lily did sound kind of nice. Romantic.

  He wished he’d thought of it himself. And that the rest of the family wouldn’t be coming along.

  “Why?” he asked Trish.

  “To celebrate the newest addition to the Mattson family.”

  Ethan looked toward his wife. “I don’t think Lily wants—”

  “Axel, silly! Oh, Ethan.” Smiling at him, Trish rested one hand on the back of his sleeping nephew. “You’ve got a one-track mind about your wife, don’t you?”

  He caught Lily’s eye from across the room. She was watching him with an odd, soft expression and he hoped Mandy wasn’t telling her silly stories about his childhood.

  “You want to hold Axel?” Ethan leaned forward, prepared to go interfere with his sister’s storytelling, in case she was giving Lily the wrong impression.

  His stepmother shook her head. “Mandy says he screams unless he’s in the swing, and he’s not screaming so best to hold on to him.”

  Ethan leaned back in the chair, feeling a sudden pressure to keep the infant happy.

  “We’re going to hike on Sunday,” Trish said, standing up. “Lily’s going to need a few hours off work.”

  “She sets her own schedule,” he replied.

  “I can take the time,” Lily said, joining them. “I’ll bring a picnic for everyone.”

  Her attention seemed to be fixed on Axel and Ethan.

  “He’s so small,” Ethan said. He could cup the baby’s entire head with his hand, feel his heartbeat through the soft spot at the top. So fragile, so in need of protection. He wished he was a stronger man so he could teach his nephew all the things a boy needed to know, such as how to live off the land for a weekend high in the mountains, how to fish and build a tree house, make a slingshot. Everything.

  But that wasn’t his job. Axel had Frankie, and Ethan was merely an accessory, an uncle. Although maybe there were still things he could teach the boy, ways he could be a part of his life.