Fall in Love Book Bundle: Small Town Romance Box Set

by Grover Swank, Denise

  At least for the next hour, the attention would be off me.

  I hadn’t realized what I’d been feeling until Noah Becker pinpointed it with the perfect word.

  Smothered.

  And ever since he’d said it, I couldn’t shake it.

  When Mama wanted to plan, to spend hours and hours every single day working on the tiniest details of the wedding, I wanted to crawl out of my skin. I felt the collar to any dress or shirt I wore growing tighter as the days grew longer, summer in full swing. The only bit of relief I got was when Anthony would call and talk to me at night, calming my breaths and easing my mind by assuring me he would be there soon, that he’d help, that no matter what, it would all be okay.

  No matter what, we would be married in five weeks. And that was what mattered.

  Those conversations with him that drifted into late night laughter were the only things that saved me.

  That, and the night with Noah.

  But that had been tarnished.

  I found him one section over in the front row, sitting with all his brothers and his mom. Last Sunday, I’d watched him with a curious smile, thinking about our night at the Black Hole together.

  Today, I wanted to shoot laser beams through the back of his head with my eyeballs.

  I frowned, narrowing my eyes as I stared at his perfectly styled hair, the collar of his olive green button up, the tan skin of his neck. I’d been naïve to think Noah Becker could be anything less than an asshole. I thought he’d shown me a softer side of him that night at the Black Hole — he listened to me, saw that I was anxious before I did, and even opened up to me a little. All week, I’d caught myself thinking about that night, about the way it felt to ride Tank in the moonlight, to have the heat of a man behind me, the ear of the last person on Earth I expected bent to listen to every word I had to say.

  But it was just an act, or a drunken game, or some way for him to mess with me.

  He’d shown his true colors again when I’d run into him Wednesday night.

  First, he’d nearly run me over. And as if that wasn’t enough, he’d yelled at me — speaking to me like I was just another nosey, gossiping bitty in town. Add in the fact that he’d practically accused me of wanting to cheat on my fiancé, and I knew one thing for sure.

  I was done with Noah Becker, and I never wanted to talk to him again.

  But I still wanted to knock him upside the head.

  I was still staring at that head of his when I heard my name flow from the pastor’s mouth.

  I blinked, turning my gaze to the stage as the congregation applauded. My heart rate ticked up a notch as I tried to dig through the haze to see if I’d heard anything that had just been said.

  “Stand up,” Mama said under her breath, keeping her smile as she clapped.

  I did as she said, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear as I offered the warmest smile I could to the pastor.

  “There she is,” he said, hands outstretched.

  Pastor Morris had been the pastor for Stratford’s Baptist Church since before I was born. He was a jolly man, average height with a belly built on all the church baking fundraisers. He was pale as snow, with hair that he dyed the black it was in his youth — though the gray peppered it now.

  “Ruby Grace,” he said, shaking his head as the applause died down. “I remember when you were just a young girl, singing for us up here during Vacation Bible School. Hasn’t she grown into a lovely young lady?”

  The congregation applauded again, Mama dabbing at the corner of her eyes with her handkerchief as my cheeks burned.

  “Ruby Grace has been such a woman of God, giving her time to those in need by volunteering all over our town, namely at our nursing home, and she’s continued to help spread the word during her time attending the University of North Carolina. And five weeks from today, right here in this church, our lovely Ruby Grace Barnett will become Mrs. Anthony Caldwell.”

  The applause was deafening at that, whistles ringing out as I fought the urge to curl into a ball under the nearest pew.

  “There will be an open reception at our house after!” Mama called out, standing long enough to say her peace before curtsying and sitting back down. Everyone laughed at that, a few hollers about free champagne echoing before it was silent again.

  “Now, for those of you who don’t know Anthony, he is a good Christian man. I had the pleasure of meeting him when I sat them down for their pre-marriage interview, and he absolutely blew me away,” Pastor Morris said. “And, much to Ruby Grace’s father’s delight, I’m sure — Anthony is running for State Representative of North Carolina!”

  A mixture of ooh’s and ahh’s touched my burning ears, and I smiled as widely as I could, waiting to be dismissed, to sit back down, to blend in again.

  “Ruby Grace, we are all so very proud of you,” Pastor Morris said, his eyes shining as he placed a hand over his heart. “And we honor your choice to forego your education and follow your mother and father’s footsteps. Lord knows they have done so much for us in this town, and we know you and Anthony will do the same for North Carolina, and someday, the United States of America as a whole.”

  Daddy’s chest swelled at that, pride rolling off him in waves as he beamed up at me from where he sat next to Mama. I wasn’t very close with my father, but in that moment, he looked at me like I was the only thing that mattered in the world.

  “Congratulations, Ruby Grace,” Pastor Morris finished. “May God bless you and your union.”

  Amens rang out in unison across the congregation, and I finally sat with the applause fading as Pastor Morris continued with service. Mama squeezed my hand, still smiling, and I smiled back as much as I could before turning my attention to the program in my hand.

  Once the attention was firmly off me, I looked up again, watching Pastor for a while before I scanned the stage absent-mindedly, my thoughts drifting. I was ready to send more laser beams into the back of Noah’s head, but this time, when I looked at him, he was staring back at me.

  I blinked, surveying the bend in his brows, the sympathetic line of his lips pressed together in understanding. He was the only one I’d opened up to about the pressure I felt, about the wedding, in general.

  And now, it was like he was the only one in the world who truly saw me.

  I tore my eyes away.

  * * *

  After the service, Mama insisted that I stand with her near the door to shake hands with everyone as they passed. It felt like we were practicing for the receiving line at my wedding, and all I could think about was how badly my feet hurt, and how much I couldn’t wait to get away from that church.

  I was in a daze, smiling and repeating the same sentiment with each hand I shook, until Noah Becker stepped into view.

  I paused, my smile slipping into a frown as I met his hand with mine. “Have a blessed day,” I said flatly, ignoring the warmth I felt from his calloused hand.

  He chuckled, cocking one brow. “That sounded more like a curse than a blessing.”

  “Take whatever you want from it,” I said, pulling my hand away to shake his mother’s and the rest of his brothers’.

  He still stood there, waiting.

  They were the last ones out of the church, and though Mama was caught up talking to the pastor, I excused myself, making my way to our car. Daddy had already left, saying he had business to attend to, and I was more than ready to join him in that escape.

  “Hey,” Noah said, jogging to catch up to me even though I’d made it clear I had nothing more to say to him.

  “Mm?” I asked nonchalantly, not stopping. In fact, I took my phone out of my pocket, instead, proving my disinterest as I typed out a reply text to one I’d missed from Anthony.

  “Giving me the cold shoulder now?”

  “You’re lucky that’s all I’m giving you,” I mouthed back, still looking at my phone.

  His rough hand caught the crook of my elbow, pulling me to a stop when I was just a few feet from Mama’s car
.

  “I deserve that,” he said as I finally lifted my eyes to his. They were strikingly blue against the dark hue of his shirt, the clear sky behind him highlighting them even more. “And I wanted to apologize.”

  “Wanted to? Or are you actually going to?”

  He smirked. “I’m going to. I am, if you’ll let me speak.”

  I narrowed my eyes, tucking my phone in my purse and crossing my arms before leaning on one hip to wait.

  Noah bit his lip against a bigger smile, glancing at our shoes before he met my gaze again. “I’m sorry for nearly knocking you over, and for taking out my anger on you. I shouldn’t have said those things I said.”

  “You’re damn straight, you shouldn’t have.”

  “I know. It was uncalled for. I also know it doesn’t make up for anything, to feed you an excuse, but…” He sniffed, glancing around us as if to make sure no one was close enough to hear before he spoke again. “It was the anniversary of my dad’s death, and that’s always a really tough day for me. Even nine years later.”

  My cocky glare slipped from my face, heart aching in my chest as Noah softened like butter in the warm summer sun.

  There he is again, I thought. There’s the man from last Friday night.

  “Anyway, I want to make it up to you,” he said, grabbing the back of his neck with one hand. “Just tell me how.”

  I chewed my lip, watching him as if I was looking for anything other than sincerity in his steel gaze. When I found nothing, I smirked, standing straight as I uncrossed my arms. “Fine. You can make it up to me by meeting me somewhere in a couple hours. Bring your swim trunks.”

  He cocked a brow. “Swim trunks? Where exactly am I meeting you?”

  I smiled wider. “I’ll text you the address. Be there at two, sharp.”

  Noah checked his watch, nodding with an amused smile before he tucked his hands into his pockets. “Alright, then.”

  “Alright,” I repeated.

  We watched each other for a long moment, until someone clearing their throat brought our attention to my left.

  “Ruby Grace,” Mama said, smiling at Noah before she eyed me cautiously. “Why don’t you hop in, now. We better get going.”

  “Yes, Mama,” I said before turning back to Noah. “See you around.”

  “See you,” he said, catching on to the fact that I didn’t say see you in a couple of hours.

  Some things Mama didn’t need to know.

  She smiled politely at Noah, wishing him a blessed day, but her smile faded when he turned to walk back toward the church. She eyed him until he was around the corner of the building before sliding into the driver seat next to me.

  “What were you talking to Noah Becker about?” she probed.

  I shrugged, pulling out my phone to text Anthony. “Nothing. Just the barrel for Anthony. He wanted to know which one I’d decided on.”

  “Oh,” Mama said, a mix of doubt and relief in her voice.

  I thought she’d say more, but she just put the car into reverse, backing out of the parking spot as I let my gaze float out the window.

  Chapter 8

  Ruby Grace

  “No, no, no,” Betty said, shaking her head — which was quite comical, considering her long, silver hair was wrapped up in a hot pink swim cap. “You’ve got to really get your hips into it. Channel Mr. Swayze, son.”

  I covered my smile with one hand, and Noah cocked a brow at me as if to say are you enjoying yourself before he grinned at Betty. That grin was deadly on any occasion, but when he was shirtless and slick, the pool cutting him off right at the hem of his board shorts, it was absolutely lethal. His arms were a little more tan than his abdomen, but the way his skin was already bronzing, I knew it wouldn’t take much time outside for him to even the lines.

  My eyes slipped to the ridges of abs that lined his stomach, smaller at the top and growing larger toward the bottom.

  I wondered what those ridges felt like.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Noah said, hanging his hands on his hips as he caught his breath. “I’m sorry, it’s just that you’re so much better at this than I am.”

  She waved him off. “Years of practice. Don’t worry, you’ll catch on. Now, let’s get through this. Lord knows we’re going to need more time to work on the lift.”

  Betty winked at Noah then, and I couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped me. He eyed me again, fighting against a smile of his own as Betty sidled up beside him once more. Noah took her hands in his, listening carefully as she walked him through the dance at the end of Dirty Dancing for about the seventh time.

  It was a hot afternoon — a warning that summer was here to stay. I relished it, leaning back on my hands and angling my face toward the sun as I swung my feet in the pool. Summer was Betty’s favorite time of year for this exact reason — pool days. The other residents generally skipped out, or if they did come outside, they’d stay under the umbrellas and watch the pool rather than get in it.

  But not Betty.

  She moved best when she was in the pool, like she hadn’t had a hip replacement a few years before, and like her body wasn’t failing her just as quickly as her mind. In the pool, she was free to move, to dance, to laugh.

  And she did all three that afternoon.

  She was having a good day — a day when she remembered everything, when she wasn’t too tired to leave the bed, when she was the same, sassy old woman I’d met when I was fourteen. I’d been spoiled by her good days, lately, and I was thankful. Annie said it was the most she’d had in a row since Christmas.

  She also said it was because I was back in town.

  I couldn’t know that for sure, but I took whatever time I could to be there with her — just in case.

  I watched from the sidelines as Betty schooled Noah on the final dance scene from the classic movie — and one of her favorites. Noah, bless his heart, took it in stride. He held her hands, spun her gently, even went under water completely to give Betty some sort of “lift” that made her feel like Jennifer Grey.

  That was when her smile was the largest — her eyes closed, face cast upward, arms out in the same iconic flight stance that the actress had done.

  If I wasn’t laughing so hard, I might have cried at the sentiment.

  After a dozen more run throughs, Betty called for a break, and the two of them swam up to the side of the pool where I sat. Betty took the lemonade I offered her, sipping and hollering across the pool at Mr. Buchanan — who was seated under the umbrellas. Noah rested his arms on the concrete edge, crossing them and resting his head on his forearm before he peered up at me through lashes still dripping with water.

  His eyes were an endless blue, the light from the pool reflecting off them like a tropical dream.

  “Enjoying your entertainment this afternoon, Miss. Barnett?”

  I bit my lip against a smile. “Very much so, Mr. Becker. I never knew you were such a great dancer.”

  “Oh, you should see me on the actual dance floor. I can two step and waltz and cha cha with the best of them. And don’t even get me started on what happens when ‘Watermelon Crawl’ comes on.”

  “I’m sure it’s quite entertaining,” I mused, still dangling my feet in the cool water.

  “When do I get to see your dance moves?”

  I barked out a laugh at that. “Um, that would be approximately… never.”

  “Never?” he asked, popping his head up off his arms with a look of injustice. “But you’ve seen all my moves, now. I show you mine, you show me yours. Isn’t that the deal?”

  “I never agreed to that.”

  He narrowed his eyes, running his forefinger and thumb over the stubble on his chin before he nodded. “I see…” Then, a wicked gleam came over those blue steel eyes, and before I could so much as scream, his hand wrapped around my wrist, tugging forward until I was off the ledge and under water.

  I popped up instantly, not even able to open my eyes against the chlorine yet before I was swinging at him.
“Noah!”

  He laughed, catching my advances easily and pulling me into him. I blinked several times, shaking the drops from my eyes before I glared up at him.

  “You jerk. Mama’s going to kill me for ruining my hair.”

  “Mama will live,” he said, and then one arm wrapped around my waist, the other taking my hand in a leading position. “Now, let’s dance, little lady.”

  With one pull of my hand and push of my hip, I spun away from him, reeling back in like a yo-yo and falling in line with his steps before I realized what was happening. Surprise ripped through me, brows shooting up to my hairline as he somehow managed to smoothly twirl me around that metaphorical dance floor even with water hitting us waist deep. My feet felt sluggish, the moves slower than if we were in boots on a hardwood floor, but somehow, that made it even more fun.

  I laughed and laughed as he danced me around — until he had the bright idea to flip me like a swing dancer. I emerged from the water beating on his chest again, which just made him laugh harder. And when we were breathless, Noah tugged me to the side of the pool again.

  “Thank you for the dance,” he said, both of us still breathing heavily as he wrapped his strong, rugged hands around my waist. For a moment, he just held them there, the rough pad of his thumbs smoothing over my exposed hip bones. My smile fell, chest still heaving as my eyes slipped to his lips.

  I didn’t know why I looked at them.

  I didn’t know why I couldn’t look away.

  Noah swallowed, tightening his grip on my hips before he lowered in the water a little and helped push me back up onto the edge of the pool where I’d been seated before. Once I was steady, he released his hold on me, backing away with a distant look in his eyes that I couldn’t decipher before he tore them from me and looked at Betty, instead.

  “Now, how come you don’t move with me like that?” Betty teased, hanging her hands on her hips.