by Abby Knox
“Wow, had your blood pressure checked, lately?”
He laughed, “Yeah it’s crazy. But I just love to do this.” He picked up five Bugles and placed one on each of five fingertips and scratched the air with his corn-chip claws. “It’s almost Halloween and I like to pretend I’m Freddie Krueger. Don’t fall asleep!” He growled at her, and she couldn’t help but laugh.
“That’s a good pick-up line,” came Elly’s voice. She had evidently followed them inside. “But don’t waste your breath. She already likes you.”
Misty was horrified. “Elly!”
“What? We’re all adults here. Let’s not be like our high school kids and play games,” Elly said.
Misty flushed and stole a glance at Ryan. He was smiling widely as he popped Bugles into his mouth one by one. He caught her glance and waggled his eyebrows at her. He looked proud of himself.
“OK,” Misty said, trying to change the subject, “Let’s get started, shall we? Who do we usually have lined up for food vendors at the fall festival?” She and Elly both took out notebooks and pens from their purses, and opened their phones’ calendar app as they took their seats around the kitchen island.
Ryan said through a mouthful of Bugles, “Oh, so we’re starting already? You two keep talking, I’m going to go see if I can dig up a legal pad and a pen.”
While he was running off, Misty turned to Elly.
“Do you have a filter? What makes you think I want to date him?”
Elly shrugged. “He’s a nice guy. Somebody should. And also, he likes you.”
Misty scoffed. “Clearly I’m not his type.”
“Clearly you are, and he’s not doing any of this to impress me,” Elly replied.
“Oh, you mean all the children’s junk food and cheap wine?” Misty said with a roll of her eyes. “But why wouldn’t he be into you? You’re absolutely stunning.”
“That may be true,” Elly said, tossing her hair in mock self-admiration. “But I’m married. You might actually know him. His name is Hawk, he owns the diner, it’s just down from your house on the main square.”
“I haven’t eaten there yet, but I will now.”
Elly beamed at her. “Good! He makes the best pies in the world.”
“How did y’all meet?” Misty asked.
Elly laughed. “Oh, we’ve known each other since we were in diapers. But then we lost touch, and then we met again. I’ll tell you that story another time. There’s not much to do in Middleburg, so I expect you’ll hear about it sooner rather than later.”
Misty replied, “I’m sure I will.”
Elly added, “Hey, when you do go there, tell Hawk you’re a friend of mine and he’ll get you a free pie.”
Misty shook her head. “That’s so nice but not necessary.”
“One thing about Middleburg is you’re going to have to let people be nice to you. That’s the only way to live here,” Elly warned.
“Oh, you mean like Carla? I can’t wait for her to come over to my house and do my makeup. It’ll be just like Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy, together again.”
Elly laughed. “Breakfast Club. I love that movie.”
“Me too,” Misty said.
“Hey! We should have a sleepover sometime. I promise it will only be nice people. No Carlas,” Elly begged.
Misty shrugged. “She’s probably OK, underneath it all.” She didn’t want to get off on the wrong foot, knowing how many people knew each other in this town.
Elly howled. “Oh, whatever, she’s a hardcore bitch, but watch your back. She’s a prosecutor. She’s been known to make people suffer around here if they cross her or her family.”
Misty pondered this information as she poured herself a glass of red wine. “Well, seeing as I replaced her mother-in-law, I’m sure she’s already got a target on my back.”
Suddenly they both noticed that Ryan had returned, listening to their conversation.
“Who’s got it in for you?” He looked oddly serious about this relatively lighthearted conversation.
Misty didn’t know what to make of it.
Misty studied Ryan’s eyes and they were blazing with the look of a man getting ready to pounce on an adversary. It both scared Misty and thrilled her at the same time.
10
Ryan
He had heard the entire conversation as he was coming back to the kitchen. The thought of anyone intimidating Misty woke up something beastly inside him.
It felt like Frankenstein’s monster, combined with caveman instinct, combined with that hitman Mike character from Better Call Saul. “Do I need to hurt someone for you?”
Both Misty and Elly were looking at Ryan like he had lost his mind.
He continued. “Sorry, I just really hate it when people are not made to feel welcome around here. It’s a hard adjustment from… Where are you from?”
“Charleston, South Carolina.”
“And you moved all the way out here to teach art?”
He could see Misty biting her lip, deciding how much to tell him. “It was an offer I couldn’t refuse,” she said, eyes downcast.
Ryan leaned over the marble countertop and got close to Misty’s face.
“What Carla didn’t tell you was that her mother-in-law was asked to retire after years of complaints from teachers and parents. She misplaced some art club money and the investigation was completed over the summer. We love our teachers in Middleburg and we take care of them, but that one was a bad apple in the bunch. They can’t prove it, but they think she’s been stealing money from the art show fund for years.”
Misty goggled at Ryan. “Is she being prosecuted?”
“I don’t know, apparently the investigators can’t find any evidence of where she hid or spent the money.”
Misty looked at Elly, who nodded silently. “Yeah, so now you understand why it’s a very touchy subject, and why Carla saddled you with fall festival duties.”
Misty shrugged. “Well, y’all are nice enough. I think it’ll be fun.”
Ryan smiled over at Misty and he thought he saw the slightest hint of a blush on her neck. “I like the way you say ‘y’all.’ It’s about the cutest thing I’ve ever heard.”
Misty bit her lip and looked away.
Maybe he should take the flirtation down a notch. But he couldn’t help himself. All he wanted to do was stare at her. Hell, if Elly wasn’t here he might just hop over the counter and start sniffing Misty like some kind of animal.
Something told him Misty would not stand for that kind of behavior.
Elly was looking between Misty and Ryan and then pulled the classic wingman move. Or wingwoman, as the case may be.
“Oh my gosh,” Elly said, suddenly picking up her phone and gasping at nothing on the screen.
“What is it? Is everything OK?” Misty asked.
Elly held the phone so that Misty could not see it. “No, it’s my kid. Soccer injury, I think. Sorry, guys, I gotta go.”
“Oh god. Hope he’s OK,” Misty said. “Do you want me to come with you?”
“No, it’s fine, my car’s a two-seater…”
And with that, Elly was bolting down the hall and out the door before Misty could point out that Elly drove a minivan.
Ryan would have to remember to give Elly a massive fruit basket for that smooth move.
Elliot would be here soon, so he took the opportunity to ask Misty more about herself.
“Misty. I really like that name. It’s mystifying and mysterious, just like you.”
Misty laughed. He felt like a complete idiot, but her laugh wasn’t at him.
“You’re cute,” she said. “And very charming. But you knew that.”
“What can I say, the ladies love me.”
When her face fell, he knew that was the wrong thing to say. Hell, it wasn’t even the truth.
“I’m kidding. That’s not the case at all. I’m a huge dork who gets to do whatever he wants around here because he suddenly has a lot of money. Everyone is
super nice to me, but in kind of an artificial way. But not you. You don’t seem impressed by all this or even in the least bit superficial.”
She gave him a half grin. “I’m not the least bit superficial. And I’m not impressed by money. I’m impressed by people who do their job.”
Ryan got the feeling there was something else going on here that she wasn’t saying. But he wasn’t about to press on that.
“So tell me about yourself, Misty. What was it like growing up in South Carolina?”
“A lot different from here. Hotter. More humid. But pretty. We have the ocean, beautiful wetlands, huge trees, amazing history, great seafood, great shopping. Iowa doesn’t really have a lot of any of those things.
“Do you hike?”
“Hard no,” she said, shaking her head.
“What do you do for fun?” he asked.
“I research my family history. As it turns out, I have blood relations who used to live here in Iowa.”
Ryan was impressed. “Genealogy, huh? That’s cool. It’s fascinating stuff, but I’m totally unfamiliar with it. You should show me how to do that sometime.”
“It’s mostly online these days. But sometimes you come across a mystery, and then you go down a rabbit hole.”
“I like internet rabbit holes,” he said, leaning toward her over the counter and filling up a plate full of bagel bites.
“I lose a lot of sleep over the rabbit holes. Sometimes they even cause me to totally uproot myself,” she said.
Ryan slid the plate of bagel bites over to her. “What do you mean by—”
Suddenly there was a loud sound of voices from the foyer, and doors opening and closing.
“Hello?” It was a woman’s voice.
And then a kid’s voice: “Dad! We’re home!”
Misty shot him a look. “Your ex is here?”
Ryan put up his hands, “Yeah, she’s here to drop off my son, Elliot. She’s cool.” Then he called, “Hey, buddy! I’m in the kitchen.”
Elliot pounded over and hugged his dad. Remy breezed in shortly behind him and looked at Misty and looked back at Ryan. “Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t know you had company!”
“I’m Misty,” she said.
“Are you on a date?” she asked Ryan.
Ryan rolled his eyes. “Remy, god.”
Misty spoke up and explained about the meeting.
“Cool! I love the fall festival. Will there be funnel cakes this year?” Elliot asked.
Misty grinned. She liked this kid. “There’d better be or I’m moving back to South Carolina.”
Remy wickedly grinned as she looked Misty up and down. “You’ve got bagel bites and wine. Is this a committee or a fancy date?”
Ryan saw a strange look come over Misty’s face, and it seemed to be all about Remy.
11
Misty
His ex-wife is here, standing in his kitchen, talking to him like he’s her best friend. What kind of a family is this, she wondered.
Remy turned and introduced herself.
“I’m Remy, Elliot’s mom. So nice to meet you!”
Misty hesitantly shook her hand, waiting for the ax to fall. She expected Remy was going to say something rude or condescending like Carla. But it didn’t happen.
Instead, Remy said, “Welcome to our little town. I hope everybody’s making you feel welcome. You know, I have a friend who’s got a farm on the outskirts of town who might be willing to help with the festival. She and her husband raise goats, chickens, donkeys, alpacas. You name it. He’s been talking about offering a petting zoo. The fall festival would be a great way to kick that off. Want me to talk to them for you?”
Misty was overwhelmed by such an offer from a near-stranger.
“Oh my god. Yes. That sounds amazing.”
“Great, I’ll text them right now. And Maggie is also an artist, I bet she could do face painting or pumpkin painting with the kids. She’s great with kids. She has several of her own and my Caroline just loves her.”
Misty was blown away. “I’d love to meet some of the local artists.”
Remy smiled. “I’m so glad you and Ryan are friends. Make sure you give him your number so you all can plan lots and lots of meetings.”
Remy was laying it on pretty thick. Was she actually trying to encourage Ryan and Misty to become an item? This day was getting weirder and weirder.
To top it all off, Misty noticed Remy was a similar size and frame to her, with long straight black hair and full lips like hers. And they had the same round butt. Where Remy looked like a down-to-earth Kim Kardashian, Misty felt she herself looked more like a Kourtney.
Ryan clearly had a type.
Maybe she shouldn’t get her hopes up, especially if he was simply looking for a replacement for his ex-wife.
She pondered this as she watched Elliot bound upstairs to do his homework. When Ryan returned from walking his ex-wife to her car, Misty had to ask the question.
“That’s your ex-wife?”
Ryan smiled. “Yeah. Why?”
Misty shook her head. “No reason, just…”
“Just that she’s a little pushy and scary?”
“Yeah. That. And she’s…wow. Super hot.”
She regretted it as soon as it was out of her mouth.
Ryan took a step closer to her and his normal good-natured smirk disappeared. He was all business, and he was up in her business.
“Listen, let’s get one thing straight,” he said. “Remy is my ex, but she’s also a friend. She’s the mother of our son and we make it work.”
Misty nodded. “It’s just a stark contrast to the home I was raised in.”
“You’ve never seen divorced people getting along?”
“Getting along is one thing. Actually being friends is another thing.”
Ryan offered, “Do you want to talk about your family?”
Misty shook her head. “God, no.”
Ryan nodded in understanding. “Remy and I married really young. We realized we made a rash decision. When we got divorced, it wasn’t all fairy dust and roses, but we made it work, and then we grew up.”
She struggled to maintain eye contact, he was so beautiful when he was serious.
“And,” he continued, “she’s married to Coach Troy. And together, they have a daughter, Caroline. They are solid. So there is absolutely no chance of me hooking up with my ex unless I want to end up stuffed into the bottom of a baseball gear bag.”
Misty shrugged, pretty relieved to hear that Remy was remarried. “Who’s Coach Troy?”
“Troy Mattis, he played professional ball for the Cubs one year until he got injured and sent back down to the minors. Long story short, he ended up moving here to coach youth league ball. They were champions before he got here, and now they’ve got a bunch of World Series titles to their names. There are rumors of the minors recruiting him to coach soon.”
“Oh, cool,” Misty said. “Actually, to tell you the truth, I can’t pretend to care about baseball. Is that bad? I mean, I don’t even understand half the words you just said.”
Ryan laughed. “You’re funny. Snarky but funny. I like it.”
“Lifetime of practice,” she said with a shrug. “I guess that’s my sport.”
Ryan seemed to be towering over her now, but not in an intimidating kind of way. Misty found it oddly comforting to have him this close.
She breathed, and inhaling, took in Ryan’s scent. He reminded her of a pile of crisp white tee-shirts. And there was a hint of peppermint. Had he popped a breath mint? She smiled to herself and turned away as she dug into her purse for a piece of gum. Suddenly she was in the mood to freshen up herself.
12
Ryan
Well, that was a surprise.
Everything seemed to be going well until Remy showed up.
He’d have to tell his ex-wife to back off a bit. She was a commanding presence and tended to forget that she intimidated people.
Intimidated was the last thin
g he wanted Misty to feel, especially after enduring the gauntlet of Carla Phillips and the booster club.
And natural good looks or not, Remy had nothing on this glowing beauty who now sat in his kitchen, drinking his wine and eating his bagel bites. She had a spark in her soul that lit her up from inside. Her intelligence and wit poured out of every inch of her. She had the aura of a woman on a mission and he was going to find out what it was.
On top of that, he was a man with needs that led him straight to her.
Her curves were well hidden under her modest clothes, but she wasn’t hiding anything from him. He knew the woman had an ass under that flouncy skirt that he could grab on to.
He pictured himself up close to her, two hands full of her ass, pushing deep into her.
It was wrong; they had only met three days ago. But he couldn’t help himself. And he knew, somehow, they were going to make this happen. His eyes lit on her breasts and traveled downward. She had a sweet little belly that, whether she knew it or not, he was going to put a baby into.
Holy shit, man, stop thinking about making her pregnant and groping her ass, she’s gonna see your rod right out there in your stupid sweatpants.
He took a slight step closer. Close enough he could pick up her scent.
“Misty. I like you. You smell nice and you seem cool and I like your hair and the way you dress. I like your accent and you make me laugh. I think you’re very cute and I’m going to get to know you better. And hopefully you won’t think I’m a huge dork, but I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised that I’m a hard worker and a good person and not a bad kisser.”
“Ryan…”
“Let me finish. I find you very attractive and I’d like to date you. Actually, no.”
“No?” she asked.
Ryan could see that was the wrong thing to say.
“What I mean is,” he said, “I’d like to skip over the whole dating thing and just get to the relationship part because, well, I’ve already been through dating and that part actually sucks.”
