Fall in Love Book Bundle: Small Town Romance Box Set

by Grover Swank, Denise

  It couldn’t possibly be my mother standing across from me, speaking about me as if I was some old antique china cabinet or a prized hog to be bartered with.

  But it was.

  And suddenly, the betrayal I thought I’d felt from Anthony was nothing.

  “How could you?” I whispered, shaking my head as tears flooded my eyes.

  “I’m so sorry, baby,” she said, reaching for me.

  I yanked away.

  “It was our only choice. We would have lost everything.”

  “Yeah? Well, now you lose me,” I spat, turning on my heels. “I’m calling off the wedding.”

  “Ruby Grace! Please!”

  She grabbed me from behind, spinning me around to see the devastation in her eyes — the desperation in her eyes.

  “This is your family,” she said through her tears. “This is your father, and your mother, and your sister. This is your family’s legacy, the Barnett name, our entire reputation. This is more than just a wedding. This is the only way to save our family from complete and utter wreckage.” She stood taller. “And I understand it isn’t fair. I do. And I am so, so sorry that you are in the middle of this.” Mama swallowed, like she didn’t like the taste of the next words she was about to speak. “But, you are a part of this family. And that means that when a fire happens, you do whatever you have to do to put it out.”

  My next breath felt like the fire she spoke of. It was hot in my lungs, searing every fiber of muscle and organ around it. I whimpered at the feel, at my mother’s hands on my arms, at the plea she was giving.

  “You cannot walk out on this family,” she said, tears building in her eyes once more. “We are a unit. We stay together — always — and we will get through this together. But we need you, Ruby Grace. Your father needs you. Your sister needs you. I need you.”

  I couldn’t speak, couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. Every muscle in my body was locked in place, heart racing, pulse heavy in my ears.

  “You can call off the wedding,” she finally said. “But if you do, you’re calling off this family, too.”

  My mother’s eyes searched mine in a way they never had before, in a way I never knew they could. I’d never seen my strong, commanding mother look so broken, so desperate, so on the verge of losing it. She looked at me like I was the key to everything, and I realized in that moment that I was.

  She was right.

  This wasn’t just about me anymore.

  And bile rose in my throat at what that meant.

  We both jumped a little when the front door opened, Dad calling in from the foyer that he and Anthony were home. Mom’s eyes doubled in size when they looked back at me, her pupils dilating as they flicked back and forth.

  She needed an answer.

  She needed to know what I would do.

  She needed to know if she was safe, if our family was okay, or if everything was about to be blown to smithereens.

  “Mmm, are those lemon squares I smell?” Dad asked, his voice closer now. He and Anthony would round into the kitchen at any moment, and either everything would be exactly as they left it, or nothing would be the same again.

  Time was up.

  And I had to make the hardest decision of my life.

  Mom sucked in a breath when I pulled out of her grasp, but I didn’t meet her eyes again as I made my way to the island.

  Just as Dad and Anthony swung into the kitchen, I slipped the ring back on my finger.

  Chapter 16

  Noah

  I could barely contain my excitement when Friday finally came around.

  All week long, my thoughts had been tied up in Ruby Grace.

  When I was working, I’d watch my hands make whiskey barrels, but in my head, I remembered the way they looked like making Ruby Grace squirm in my bed. When I was at home, I saw her everywhere — on my couch, in my bed, in my shower. When I visited Mom in the middle of the week for a surprise dinner, I thought of Ruby Grace, of how one day I would dance with her in our kitchen.

  I was in too deep, too fast. I knew it. I tried to hold myself back, but it was pointless.

  I’d had a taste of her, and now, I wouldn’t rest until I had all of her, too.

  To pass the time that work didn’t take up, I worked on my surprise for Ruby Grace. I knew exactly what I would say to tell her what I’d done, and where I’d take her to do it.

  That’s why, on Friday night, I asked her to meet me at Tank’s stable at dusk.

  I was getting him ready, brushing him and giving him a snack before I got him saddled up, when I saw a pair of familiar legs making their way down the hill.

  The sun was setting, the clouds turning orange and pink and purple, casting a fairytale glow over the field of wildflowers Ruby Grace walked through to get to me. I paused where I was petting Tank, breath catching in my throat at the sight of her. She had her hands in the back pockets of the tiny jean shorts she wore, her long hair an illuminated orange and floating on the breeze behind her as she walked. She was so tanned from the summer, and the white, flowy tank top she wore just accentuated that bronze glow even more.

  I swallowed, watching her take each step.

  The closer she got, the more my heart raced.

  I let out a whistle when she was close enough to hear, and as soon as I did, a grin split her face.

  “Damn, Legs,” I said, crossing my arms and not bothering to hide my eyes as they scanned her. “You should come with a warning label, you know that? Warning: this woman will knock any unsuspecting man dead upon first glance. Proceed with caution.”

  She chuckled, shaking her head and stopping a few feet away from me. She crossed her arms to mirror mine. “You say that like you would have heeded the warning.”

  “Oh, I one-hundred percent would have disregarded it entirely,” I said. Then, I opened my arms. “C’mere.”

  A tinge of sadness touched her eyes as she stepped into me. When I wrapped my arms around her, she rested her head on my chest, a deep sigh leaving her lips.

  “Long day?” I asked.

  “Long week,” she answered, and her hands fisted at my back, twisting my flannel shirt in her grasp like she was in danger of me floating away. “Can you just hug me for a while?”

  “For as long as you want,” I answered easily.

  She sighed again, turning her face until her forehead was buried in my chest. She held me tight, and I held her tighter, gently swaying us as the sun set. And though she seemed content there, happy, even — I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

  It wasn’t until Tank neighed, annoyed at the lack of attention, that Ruby Grace finally let me go.

  “I see you, too, Tank,” she said, voice soft as the smile on her face as she slipped out of my arms and over to him. She ran her hand over his neck, fingers touching his mane. “You look like you’re ready for an adventure.”

  “I think he knows where we’re going,” I said. “It’s one of his favorite places, too.”

  “And where exactly is it that we’re going?”

  I smiled, patting Tank’s saddle. “Hop up and you’ll find out.”

  We were both quiet on the trail, the only sound the rhythmic, soothing sound of Tank’s hooves hitting the dirt and the soft buzzing of the insects coming alive as the sun set. I let my eyes wash over the lake, the tall weeds and flowers in the fields, the tall trees, their branches hanging over and shading the trail from time to time. And Ruby Grace rested her cheek between my shoulder blades, her arms wrapped around me, breathing soft.

  Something was on her mind.

  We hadn’t talked much all week — mostly because I was honoring my promise to let her have her time to sort everything out. I had no idea what had happened since we parted, how she had broken the news to her family, to Anthony. I imagined they were still figuring out how to handle the fall out, since I hadn’t heard anyone gossiping about it yet.

  I knew that time would come. And I’d be there for her when it did.

&nbs
p; “I think there’s a storm coming,” she mused, pointing to some building clouds in the distance. As if on cue, a soft roll of thunder made its way over the lake.

  “Don’t worry. We’ll have shelter.”

  The sun had just dipped below the horizon when we reached our destination, and I pulled Tank to a stop, hopping down before tying him up to his favorite tree. It was right by the edge of the lake, and he could graze the grass next to it and get as much water as he wanted.

  “Good boy,” I said, rubbing his neck as I fished out an apple from my saddle pack.

  “A treehouse?” Ruby Grace asked as I helped her down. She slid her hands in her back pockets as soon as her boots were on the ground, and I inhaled a stiff breath.

  I was so jealous of those goddamn hands…

  “This isn’t just a treehouse,” I told her. “This is the treehouse. It’s in the best location, made from the sturdiest wood, and it has the absolute coolest hangout inside. It’s award-winning. And usually, girls aren’t allowed. But, you know, I’ll make an exception just this once.”

  She smirked, nudging me with her shoulder as she scanned the treehouse.

  It was nestled in an old, sturdy oak, with planks of wood hammered to the trunk that led all the way up to the door. It wasn’t a luxurious treehouse, like the fancy ones that had plumbing and a bed. There were folks in town who built those kinds, mostly with the purpose of renting them out to tourists. But no, this was a true treehouse — built by a father with love for his sons.

  Ruby Grace seemed to be taking in every corner of it, from the different-colored wood to the small windows and tin roof. Her hazel eyes swept over every inch.

  And my eyes stayed on her.

  “Can we go inside?”

  I scoffed. “Of course. Why do you think we’re here?” I unhooked my saddle bag, tossing it over my shoulder before I held my hand out for hers. “M’lady.”

  I helped Ruby Grace up the stairs first, popping the latch on the bottom door and keeping my hand on the small of her back as she climbed inside. When she plopped down on the floor and looked around, I reached up and to the right, flicking on the generator, and with it, all the string lights hanging inside.

  And that’s when Ruby Grace gasped.

  “Wow,” she breathed as I climbed the rest of the way up. I still couldn’t take my eyes off her, not with her eyes wide like that, her mouth hanging open.

  The inside of the treehouse was where the real magic lived.

  There were eclectic rugs covering every space of the floor, collected over the years from places Mom and Dad traveled together. Four, giant bean bags large enough for at least two people each sat in every corner, and the corners were decorated to fit different styles — one for each brother.

  Michael’s had his old guitar leaned up against the wood, posters of his favorite southern rock bands taped to the walls. His corner used to be a lot younger, since he was only four when the house was first built. Over the years, he’d added to it, decorating it to fit his style the more he came into himself.

  Logan’s corner was two walls of very neatly organized bookshelves — his favorites and others that Dad bought for him to read throughout the years. They were ordered by author last name and then by color.

  Jordan’s had football legends ranging from last year all the way back to the early fifties, complete with a shelf of limited edition trading cards and a signed Tom Brady pig skin on a gold holder.

  And mine was decorated with sailboats and constellations, with globes of all shapes and sizes, and a world map that spanned the entire wall behind my bean bag.

  In the center was a large, square table where we would play board games, do puzzles, and have arm wrestling competitions. And above it all was a giant skylight window, revealing small branches of the tree and the now dark purple sky above.

  “This is yours?”

  I nodded. “Mine. And my brothers’. We all share it.”

  “I never knew this was out here,” she mused, still taking it all in.

  “Most people don’t, not unless we bring them out here. And trust me when I say we don’t bring many people out here. In fact, you’re only the third guest outside of the family. At least, that I know of.”

  A smile bloomed over her face, eyes shining as they met mine. “Really?”

  “Really.”

  “I feel special.”

  Her smile was sad, eyes worn.

  I couldn’t wait to get her mind off everything that put that sadness there.

  “Good,” I said, standing before I offered my hand down to her. “You are.”

  I helped her stand, and when she did, we were chest to chest, breath to breath, eyes dancing over lips. She swallowed, and that sadness she’d worn before crept back in, shading her eyes as she watched me.

  I stamped down the feeling that something was off, choosing instead to slide my hands into her back pockets and pull her into me. She took a deep breath as my palms slid against the denim, and I cupped her gently, tugging her close.

  “I’d like to kiss you, Ruby Grace,” I whispered. My eyes flicked between hers, but her gaze was locked on my lips, her hands resting on my chest.

  She didn’t answer, just nodded, hands fisting in my shirt and pulling me closer as her chin angled up. I slipped my hands from her pockets, trailing my fingertips up over her arms before I slid my hands into her hair, cradling the bottom of her head, thumbs framing her jaw. She closed her eyes, a soft breath escaping her parted lips and touching mine before I closed the distance and kissed her.

  Part of me wondered if the magic would fade, if now that we’d crossed the lines between us and taken each other when we knew it was wrong, if the chemistry would die. Maybe it was just lust. Maybe it was just me wanting someone I couldn’t have.

  The moment our lips touched, I knew it was more.

  We both inhaled, like we’d been under water until our lips locked, and that was our first breath of oxygen in days. We drank each other in, hands roaming, pulling, touching, pleading. The kiss was gentle at first, just one long press of her lips to mine, but then we moved, lips opening and closing, tongues sweeping, teeth grazing the flesh tenderly.

  She was shaking.

  I was, too.

  And when I pulled back, pressing my forehead to hers, we both let out a trembling exhale.

  “I’ve wanted to do that all week,” I confessed.

  I thought she’d smile, or laugh, but if anything, her face seemed to crumple more. “Noah…”

  “It’s okay,” I told her, pulling her into me. I wrapped my arms around her, resting my chin on the crown of her head. “I know it’s been a long week. We don’t have to get heavy yet. Here, let me show you something.”

  I grabbed her hand, leading her over to the aqua blue bean bag that was mine.

  “Sit,” I said, patting the giant chair. “You have to sit to get the full effect.”

  Ruby Grace obliged, a curious smile on her face once her cute butt was in the chair and her eyes were on me again. “Okay. Now what?”

  I smiled. “Look up.”

  When she did, she gasped, eyes widening. “Whoa.”

  I plopped down in the chair next to her, shifting us until she was under my arm and we were both reclined back, our eyes on the tin ceiling. It was covered in pin-hole-sized dots that mirrored stars, building constellations that were illuminated by a light hanging outside the treehouse. The holes were covered by glass, shielding any outside weather, and Dad had painted the tin roof above my section a dark, navy blue to make it look like the night sky.

  “Is that the Big Dipper?” she asked, pointing to the constellation.

  I nodded. “Mm-hmm. And Orion’s Belt, Scorpius, Lyra,” I said, pointing to them as I called out their names. “There are more, but I can’t remember them. Dad knew them all.”

  “Why are they only in this corner?”

  “This is my corner of the tree house,” I explained. “Dad built this for me and my brothers, and when he d
id, he tried to put a little bit of each of us in our own sections. At the time that he built it, I was hell bent on sailing around the world one day, and I had a big fascination with space and the constellations.”

  She smiled, eyes tracing the man-made stars. “Do you still want to? Sail around the world?”

  I shrugged. “I mean, I think it’d be cool, but I think that desire shifted more to just traveling, in general. I’m so tied to this town, to the distillery, that I never leave. I want to change that in the coming years, get out and see the country, the world.”

  “I get that,” Ruby Grace whispered. She opened her mouth to say something more, but paused, closing it again, instead.

  I swallowed.

  “My dad built this for us with the intention of us always having a safe place to run to. He never got upset if we wanted to take time out here, and he told us whenever we got angry, to come here and think it all through first before acting. And I mean, it wasn’t all for angsty teenage boys,” I said on a smirk. “We came out here just to have fun and hang out, too. But, it’s been a safe place. For all of us. And I knew one day I’d bring someone out here, that I’d share it with them, I just didn’t know who. Or when.” I shifted, looking down at her in my arm. “I wanted to wait until it was the right time, the right person.”

  She pulled her gaze to mine, then, and her brows bent together. “Noah…”

  “I know this has probably been one of the hardest weeks of your life,” I said. “I can’t even imagine what you’ve gone through in the days since I last held you. But, I’m so glad you came tonight.”

  Thunder rolled deep and heavy through the treehouse, and gentle rain began tapping on the tin roof, giving me the background music for the declaration I’d been preparing all week.

  “Noah, we need to talk.”

  “I know,” I said, thumbing her chin. “I know we do. But, can I go first?”

  She frowned, but nodded in concession.

  My stomach flipped a little as I sat up, turning until I could face her completely. “You aren’t the first girl to come into my life, Ruby Grace, but you are the first girl to come into my life and leave a mark.” I swallowed, searching her eyes with mine. “I’ve never experienced this kind of… feeling. It’s selfless. I can’t stop thinking about you, about all that you are, all that you will be. My thoughts are consumed with the way you make me feel, with the sound of your laugh, with the colors of your eyes, with the passion flowing from your heart for everyone you care about.” I shook my head, taking both her hands in mine. “I thought it was impossible to ever make you mine… truly mine. And I would have settled on being your friend if I had to, but God, I’m so glad I don’t have to.”