Perfect Song (Mason Creek Book 2)

by Lauren Runow

  I shrug my acceptance. “Sure.”

  He heads toward his passenger door and opens it for me. As I walk by before hopping in, the scent of a woodsy man hits my nose. I try to block it out, not letting any ideas about this man get in my head. After what I’ve been through, it will be a while before I allow anyone new into my life.

  Besides, he’s way too old for me, and the last thing I want right now is a relationship, especially with someone in Mason Creek.

  He smiles politely as he shuts the door and walks around the truck to his side. After he jumps in, he cranks the engine to line it up properly.

  “Hang out here. It will only take a second,” he says as he throws it in park and climbs out.

  I watch in the rearview mirror as he works with ease. While he moves around the vehicle, I catch myself checking him out way more than I should.

  Snapping myself out of it, I grab my phone and open up my email to see if I have any work stuff I’ve missed. While I’m typing away, replying to an email, he opens the door and hops back in.

  “You ready to go for a ride?” he asks as he puts his seat belt on.

  My head instantly goes to thinking, On you?

  But I blink the thought away, wondering where the hell that came from.

  I reach for my own seat belt, hiding the flush that crossed my face.

  Why am I even thinking like this right now?

  He cranks the engine, and once the truck is put in gear, he pulls forward and back onto the road.

  The radio is turned to a country station, and as he hums along to the beat while drumming his thumbs on the steering wheel, I’m put even more at ease. He’s such a laid-back guy. It’s refreshing. Guys aren’t like this in New York. They all seem to have an agenda of either a place to be or how fast they can get your pants off.

  Tucker doesn’t seem like that kind of guy. He’s definitely got the small-town charm and old-school manners.

  The song ends, and as a commercial comes on, he turns to me. “So, how was your day going before you got the flat?”

  “Pretty uneventful. Just had to go to the post office to submit the temporary change of address.”

  He glances my way when we come to a Stop sign. “So, you don’t plan on staying?”

  I shrug. “There’s a lot of moving factors, so not quite sure yet.”

  He takes my answer with a nod as he pulls into the Bumps and Dents’ parking lot.

  I exit the passenger seat as he gets my mom’s car unhooked and into the garage.

  “Hey, Justine!” a guy calls my name.

  I turn to see he’s heading my way.

  “I’m Beau, Anna’s husband.”

  “Yes, I remember you from high school. I saw pictures of your little boy. What a cutie.”

  “Thanks. He’s a handful, for sure. I heard you guys hung out with Tucker last night, but what’s going on now?”

  “She had a flat, and they didn’t have the lock for the lug nuts, so I had to bring her back to the shop,” Tucker clarifies, leaving no room for misinterpretation as he lines my mom’s car on the lift.

  I nod in agreement. “Tucker to the rescue.”

  “Well, it’s nice to see you again.” Beau waves as he gets back to the car he was working on.

  I see there’s a waiting room, so I point to it. “Should I go in there and wait?”

  “Nah, hang out with me,” he says as he grabs the lug nut lock from the wall. “How late did you girls end up staying last night?”

  “Not too much longer after you left. Anna and Leni knew they’d have to get up early with their kiddos. It’s so crazy to think they have kids now.”

  “You don’t want kids?”

  I pause and think about it. Of course, I’ve always wanted kids, but living in New York didn’t really make it a priority. While I was dating Jimmy, we never even discussed it.

  I turn to him and say honestly, “I guess I thought I still had plenty of time.”

  “And you do,” he says as he hits the button to lift the car up so it’s eye-level. “So, you grew up with Anna?”

  “Yes, and no. She is a few years younger than us. In school, we had art together my senior year, and we began hanging out, but I moved right after graduation, so I only really hung out with her that year. We’ve kept in touch though.”

  “Were you the bad influence on her then?”

  I chuckle to myself as I drop my chin to my chest in embarrassment. “We told you way more than we should have last night.”

  “Not possible.”

  I look up as he lifts the tire from the car and carries it over to the machine that removes the rim from the tire, making his arms bulge in an enticing way.

  “You forget, I’m raising a teenager in this town. My son hates it. He can’t get away with shit because he knows it will get back to me.”

  “What’s your son’s name?”

  “Matthew.” He pauses, reaching in his jeans.

  He comes toward me, holding out his phone and showing me a picture of the two of them. They have the same eyes, lips, and hair color.

  “Wow, mini me, huh?”

  He glances at the screen before putting it back in his pocket. “Yeah, has been since the day he was born. He’s all my son, for sure.” He pauses and then says with a smile, “You know what? How about you help me change this tire? Women should know in case there aren’t any nice guys to save the day.”

  “Do you think all girls need saving?” I raise my eyebrows.

  He laughs and raises his arm, calling me over, “You know what I mean. Let me be your teacher today.”

  I stand and walk the few steps toward him. “Singer one day, teacher the next. You’re like the jack of all trades.”

  I hear him whisper something under his breath, but when I turn to face him, he’s quick to move to grab the part needed to start the job.

  “Take this.” He hands me a tool that’s tied to a long hose, which is attached to the wall. “This will screw the lug nuts off with one press of this button.” He presses it, and a loud sound radiates around us. “Come stand here.” He points to the space directly in front of him.

  I do so, instantly feeling his warmth on my back. His woodsy scent makes me close my eyes and take a deeper inhale.

  “Now, put that gun right here.” He points to where I should start.

  I place the machinery on the lug nut. When I press the button, the entire thing vibrates in my hand, and I almost drop it with a surprised yelp.

  His chuckle tickles my ear as he raises his hand to place it over mine. “You have to squeeze it hard so it unscrews the nut, not your arm.”

  The way his rough hand engulfs mine sends chills down my spine. I’ve never been affected by a man being so close to me, and I have no clue as to why he’s making my body react this way.

  I try again, and thankfully, this time, it unscrews without issue. Then, he guides me to move to the other ones.

  Once all are undone, he steps in. “Let me remove it, so it doesn’t get any road grime on your clothes.”

  I step back and smile when I get to see his arms bulge as he lifts the tire off the car and carries it over to where the wheel will be removed from the rim. “This isn’t something you’d ever do on the side of a road since you’d just be putting your flat on, but you can come watch. It’s pretty cool how it removes it with ease.”

  I step toward him, and when I get near, he places his arm around my shoulders and pulls me closer to him, pointing down low.

  “You see, it’s all done with this contraption right here.”

  I’d like to say I’m watching what he wants me to see, but honestly, as he keeps his arm around my shoulders, my mind is a jumbled mess of emotions that I’m not sure how I feel about. The last thing I should be thinking about is any man, yet this man is doing things that I wish my body weren’t reacting so strongly to.

  After it releases the tire completely, he switches the old tire for a new one, and we watch again as the machine puts the rim on
the tire instead of taking it off.

  He grabs it once it’s complete and carries it back to my mom’s car, holding it in front of him, making his back look so broad and yummy.

  With the tire back on the correct slots, he shows me how to screw the lug nuts back in and how to make sure they’re extra tight. I hand him back the screw gun, and he takes it with a smile that makes my lips tug to the side in return.

  He steps back and lowers the car to the ground. “All done.”

  He hops in the car and drives it in reverse, off the lift and to a place where it’s safe for me. We meet at the driver’s door.

  “Thank you so much. What do I owe you?”

  “Don’t worry about it. When your mom called, she put it on her account, so you’re ready to go. Since you did all the work though, I’ll just charge you for the new tire.”

  One big plus I forgot about living in a small town—having a tab. The idea of the local store letting you leave without paying because they know you’ll pay your bill at the end of the month blows my mind. That is something that would never happen in New York.

  He holds the door open for me as I slide in. “Thank you again for your help.”

  “It was my pleasure, Justine.”

  I go to shut the door, but he stops me as he rubs the back of his neck, looking up at me through his long lashes.

  “Hey, I was thinking of heading down to Pony Up again tonight. If you’re feeling like it, you should come too.”

  Even though I try to fight it, a small smile grows on my face. “Sounds like it could be fun. I’ll try to make it.”

  He nods with a grin and shuts the door, heading back inside the garage before I back out of the driveway.

  Chapter Three

  Justine

  Going out last night was a big step for me. It was the first time I’d left my parents’ house since I’d come back here. Being around people makes me nervous, but I was okay last night even though it was a considerably quieter night. Now it’s Friday, and Pony Up will definitely be packed.

  I look in the mirror and appraise myself. My long brown hair is in desperate need of a trim. Maybe I should make an appointment with Anna to get my hair done. My mom has been going to her for a while, and I’d love to see Faith, an old friend of mine, who my mom said recently moved back and bought the salon.

  Of course, as soon as I mentioned the idea of going back to Pony Up tonight Laken wouldn’t take no for an answer. I’d had a lot of fun last night, and I know I’ll see even more people since it’s Friday. So, I figure I’ll go, and if it gets overwhelming, I can always fake a stomachache.

  I grab a dress out of my closet, and that’s when I see the cowboy boots I left behind from when I was in high school. When I moved to New York, I knew they weren’t for that scene, and I honestly forgot all about them.

  Kudos to my mom for not throwing them away.

  I take my time in getting ready, which really gives me a sense of peace I haven’t felt in a while. I haven’t bothered getting dressed up since the incident. Not because I haven’t wanted to, but because I’ve had no reason to.

  Having a reason to feels good.

  Instead of smoky eye makeup, like I would do for going out in New York, I stick to the light pinks and keep my face more fresh, realizing it fits better here—the more natural look.

  When Laken shows up to pick me up, she whistles as I twirl my dress. “Damn, Just. Now, you’re looking homegrown, not like the big city. Are those the same boots from high school?”

  “Sure are. I found them in my closet.”

  “You’re looking mighty fine. Almost like you dressed up for someone special?” she questions, but I blow her off.

  When I mentioned going out again tonight, I didn’t say anything about running into Tucker today. I’m not really trying to meet anyone, but he was fun to hang out with last night, so if he’s there again, even better.

  We head out of the house, saying good-bye to my parents before we go and hop in her car to head downtown.

  As we enter Pony Up, I feel more at ease when I notice some friends I haven’t seen in years.

  “Is Miss Big-City Magazine Writer really here in the flesh?” Sienna, who sat next to me in English my senior year, asks as her voice rises in surprise. “I heard you were back in town!”

  “Oh my gosh! It’s been years!” I say as I wrap my arms around her. We always thought she was a twin to Mila Kunis, but dang, as she’s gotten older, it’s amazing just how much they look alike. “You’re still here?”

  “Yep, I work over at Mason Creek Dental.”

  My face covers in red as I place my hands over my eyes. “So, you work with Tim?” I ask, laughing.

  Of course, she remembers our little incident. Everyone does. He was the high school quarterback at the time, so everyone knew every minute of his life.

  She laughs out loud. “I totally forgot about that. Yes, I actually do.”

  “Is that Just I see?” Olivia—a beautiful blonde with thick, flowing curls, who graduated before me—says.

  “Olivia! How did you not leave this town?”

  She was always the girl who was traveling the world due to her parents being so wealthy that they constantly took vacations.

  “Girl, I’ve already been everywhere. So, I brought that little bit of life here to Mason Creek and opened a lingerie shop in town,” she says with a smirk.

  “Lingerie? Here? In Mason Creek?” I ask in disbelief.

  When I look to the other people sitting at the table, they all laugh and nod their heads. There are two guys I remember from high school, who clink their beer bottles together, as if to say, Amen to that!

  “Did you bet on the game?” one of the guys asks as he pulls out his phone, like he’s checking scores.

  The mention of gambling makes me instantly uneasy.

  Laken must sense my trepidation. “You okay?” she asks.

  I try to smile but fail miserably.

  “Okay, you guys, my girl here needs a drink before this little reunion continues,” she jokes with them before she drags me to the bar.

  They all laugh as I hold up my hand. “I’ll be right back.”

  We walk through the crowded room to the bar, where Emma, the owner’s daughter, is pouring drinks.

  “Hey, Emma,” I say, leaning on the counter.

  “Justine?” she says in surprise.

  I smile big as Laken celebrates me being here with a hoot and holler.

  “In the flesh.” I hold my hands out to my sides, palms up. “I haven’t seen your dad in here. Are you taking over the bar?”

  “No. He’s around. I’m just here, helping out—all the time,” she says with a sarcastic eye roll. “It’s so good to see you. What can I get you?”

  “Can I get two Coors Lights?” It’s funny how in New York, I’d feel like I had to order a craft beer served in a fancy glass, but being here, in this laid-back bar, there’s nothing better than a cold beer in a bottle.

  She winks as she hands me the beers. “Let’s pony it up tonight. I’ll join you if I can.”

  I hand her my money. “Sounds good.”

  “Don’t you clean up nicely?” I hear Tucker’s husky voice say as he walks up next to me, his woodsy scent engulfing me again as Emma places our beers on the counter.

  I smile his way, and my stomach flutters. I have to look away to scold myself for the physical reaction. I let out a breath and lift my chin, trying to act like I’m not affected by his presence.

  “I should be saying that to you.” I nod my head toward his hands, which are clean of grease. “If I do recall, your hands got pretty dirty today, changing that tire.”

  “Dirty? Hands? What’s going on over here?” Laken asks, grinning between the two of us.

  “Nothing,” I’m quick to respond. “I got a flat today while driving my mom’s car, and Tucker here had to come to my rescue and changed the tire.”

  “Correction.” He holds up a finger. “I helped you change the tire
.” He looks over to Laken. “She did a great job too.”

  “Oh. Huh. And funny that you just happen to be here again tonight.” Laken purses her lips, like she’s in thought, as she taps her chin.

  She’s being so obvious that I want to slap her, but I know it would only make it that much more obvious if I do.

  “It was no big deal. He changed it in a flash.” I try to bring the subject back to the car.

  “I bet that’s not the only thing he’s changing around here,” Laken says under her breath as Tucker talks to Emma. “For the record, I think he’s hot. Don’t let anything you hear about his divorce sway you otherwise. If there is, you know, something going on here. I’d go for it. For sure.”

  “What are you talking about with his divorce?” I whisper back.

  She raises her shoulders in an I’m not going to tell fashion.

  “Besides, there’s nothing going on.”

  Her eyes go to the back of him as he’s leaning over, looking at something Emma is showing him, making his broad shoulders look even yummier than before. “Uh-huh. Okay. I believe you. Your outfit makes way more sense though.”

  She tries to hide her giggle, and I roll my eyes in response.

  Laken smiles brightly over my shoulder. “Hey, Tucker. Do you want to join us with our friends over there?”

  I widen my eyes at her blatant question.

  I turn to face him, and his expression is asking me if it’s all right with me.

  I tilt my head toward the table. “Come on. You’re welcome to.”

  We all walk back to our friends, where they pull up a seat for Tucker. Between the booths lining the bar and tables that have been moved around, everything is squished, so we can all sit together.

  “Tucker Simms,” Olivia says with a grin. “Has our girl here caught the eye of the most eligible bachelor in town?” She looks at me and then back to him.

  He winks in my direction. “I guess you can say, I’ve made a new friend.”