Rushing In: A Small Town Family Romance

by Claire Kingsley

  It hadn’t gone well.

  But I just hadn’t seen the point in being there.

  Looking back, I was pretty sure I’d only graduated because a few of my teachers had felt sorry for me and figured it would be better to just pass me and get me out of there. That, and Levi. He’d started picking me up himself and driving me to school to make sure I’d actually go.

  Thank fuck that was over.

  Cara wandered over to stand next to me with a wine tumbler in her hand. “Do you know how to bake muffins?”

  “Yeah. Why? Did your YouTube chef fail you again?”

  “Catastrophically. The first batch tasted like cardboard. The second were so hard I thought about searching for Harvey Johnston to see if he’d let me use his fucking pickax to break them open.”

  I laughed. “That bad, huh?”

  “At this point, I should probably throw in the towel and find a different hobby. But I bought so much kitchen stuff, it would be nice to actually use it.”

  “You want me to come over and show you how to bake muffins?”

  “I’ll book you another massage with Sven.”

  “Done.” I reached over and she shook my hand. “Why me, though? Grace can’t be so busy that she wouldn’t come over and bake with you.”

  “No, she would. But I want to bake muffins for her. The other day she said she was craving them. And yes, I’m well aware that I could save myself the trouble and just go to Angel Cakes and order them.”

  “But you want to do something special for your bestie because you have an unnatural level of affection for her.”

  “You’re surprisingly insightful.”

  “I get that a lot.”

  The back door opened and Skylar and her friend Ginny came out onto the porch. Skylar wore a black trench coat that belted at the waist. Ginny’s coat was similar, only hers was blue and she wore it open.

  Skylar’s eyes darted around nervously, like a baby bird contemplating whether to take her first leap off a branch and try to fly. It made me want to take her hand and jump with her—show her she could do it.

  “What do we have here?” Cara asked. “Do I spy with my little eye Chief Stanley’s daughter?”

  “Yeah, the one in black is Skylar. The other one is her friend Ginny.”

  “Uh-oh.”

  “What?”

  “You like her.”

  I laughed. “Shut up, Cara.”

  “A crush on your boss’s daughter. You really don’t feel fear, do you?”

  As if to punctuate Cara’s point, Chief Stanley came out onto the porch behind Skylar.

  I took a drink of my beer. “Skylar is hot, I won’t deny that. But even I know where to draw the line. We’re just friends.”

  “For now.”

  “Whatever. I’m a grownup. I can be friends with a hot girl. I’m friends with you.”

  “Yeah but you’re not attracted to me.”

  “How do you know?”

  “You know how to play cute very well, but you’ve never actually tried anything with me. If you wanted to get in my pants, you would have made an attempt by now.”

  “You’re also surprisingly insightful.”

  She smiled. “I get that a lot. Now go hang out with your friend.”

  I handed her my empty beer bottle, just to be obnoxious, and crutched my way over to the porch. Skylar’s nervous eye-wandering transformed into a smile.

  Fuck, that smile.

  “Hey, you made it,” I said, making my way up the steps.

  “Yeah, sorry we’re late,” she said.

  “That’s my fault,” Ginny said. “I was working and got caught up in what I was doing.”

  “It’s no problem. I’m just glad you came.” I winked at Sky and the way it made her look a little shy and nervous again was fucking adorable. “Hey, Chief.”

  “Gavin,” he said with a slight narrowing of his eyes.

  “The food’s all over there, and dessert is in the kitchen,” I said. “Gram made cookies and I haven’t stolen a single one.”

  Chief cracked a smile. “Okay, Gav. I’m going to go say hi to Asher and Grace.”

  I turned back to Skylar and Ginny. “You guys want a drink and then I can introduce you around? I’d get your drinks for you, but this crazy driver hit me and now I have to use these crutches to get around.”

  Skylar playfully smacked my arm. “Stop.”

  They grabbed drinks and I took them around, introducing them to people. Skylar had already met Grace, but I introduced the birthday boy. Fiona and Evan were at a table getting more food. Evan was his usual stoic self, giving them a hello and a chin tip. Fiona was friendlier, because of course she was, and happily chatted with both Skylar and Ginny for a while.

  I introduced her to Cara, who gave me another knowing smile. Levi seemed to be trying to replace Evan as the grumpiest Bailey. He was polite, but didn’t seem interested in talking for long. Logan was his twin’s polar opposite, as usual, swooping in to shamelessly flirt with Ginny.

  “I didn’t say hi to your gram yet,” Skylar said. “I should probably do that.”

  With Ginny laughing at Logan’s jokes, I led Skylar up to the back porch. Gram still sat in her rocking chair, but her plate of food had been replaced with a cup of tea.

  “Hi there, Otter,” she said when we approached. “Is this Skylar Stanley, all grown up?”

  I sighed at her use of my nickname. So not manly. “Yeah, Gram, this is Skylar.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Skylar said. “Or see you again, I suppose. Sorry, I feel like I should remember everyone.”

  “Don’t you worry about it, little Sparrow,” Gram said. “You were just a tot the last time you came over to play in my backyard. It’s good to have you back.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Did I hear your mama’s back in town too?”

  “She is. She’s staying with my dad, which is… interesting. But I’m glad she’s close.”

  “Tell her to come on by and see me when she has time. I’d love to chat with her.”

  “I will.”

  “And let me know when your next book is coming out. I’m looking forward to it.”

  “Gram, you read Skylar’s books?” I asked.

  “Of course I do. I’ve read them all. The last one kept me up well past my bedtime.”

  Skylar leaned closer to me, her arm rubbing up against mine. “Wow. I never know what to say when someone I know tells me they read my books. So I guess… thank you.”

  “You’re a real talent. You keep writing them, I’ll keep reading them.”

  “I’m working on it,” Skylar said.

  We wandered back down the steps and stopped near one of the heaters. Ginny was still standing near the fire, talking to Logan. He grinned at her, and I could tell—from his body language to his facial expression—that he was really turning on the charm.

  “Ginny looks like she’s having fun with your brother,” Skylar said.

  “Yeah.”

  “What’s he like?”

  I thought for a second about how to answer that. “He’s a good guy. But…”

  “But what?”

  “He’s probably the kind of guy a girl should warn her friend about.”

  She laughed. “Aren’t you that kind of guy too?”

  “Me?” I put my hand on my chest. “Never.”

  “That’s not what I heard.”

  “What did you hear about me?” I asked, genuinely curious.

  She shrugged. “Something about being a playboy with a charming smile.”

  “I do have a very charming smile, that’s completely true. I don’t know about playboy, though.”

  “You sure about that?”

  “Who called me a playboy? Was it your dad?”

  “Maybe,” she said innocently.

  He wasn’t entirely wrong. Chasing girls had been one of my favorite things since I was a kid. There had hardly been a female teacher or babysitter I hadn’t crushed on. And post-pu
berty I’d taken my game to a whole new level.

  I loved the challenge.

  If I was being honest, it did kind of make me a playboy. Because I rarely dated anyone for long.

  “I guess I come by that reputation honestly.”

  “Are you proud of it?”

  I thought about that. “Not in the sense that I like to brag about my conquests or anything. I just like to have fun.”

  “And serious relationships aren’t fun?”

  “Nope. Who knows, I might settle down someday, but I’m too restless for that right now.”

  She was quiet for a moment. “You’re right. Serious relationships aren’t fun.”

  It kind of made me sad to hear her say that, but I wasn’t sure why. I agreed with her, so what was the problem?

  “Speaking of fun, question,” I said. “Are you having fun tonight?”

  She looked up at me, a smile dancing on her lips. “Yes, I’m having fun. Although…”

  I waited a beat for her to continue, but she didn’t. “Although, what?”

  “I don’t know if I want to tell you. It’s embarrassing.”

  “Okay, now I really need to know.”

  She took a deep breath. “Sometimes when I’m anxious I feel… inexplicably aroused.”

  This just got interesting. “Aroused? Like sexually?”

  “Yes. It happens at the worst times, and it isn’t because there’s anything arousing going on. I’m just hypersensitive to stimuli and it can make my body react in ways that don’t make sense. Like a sudden sense of uncomfortable arousal.”

  “So you’re saying being anxious makes you want sex?”

  “Yes. I mean, not always. Not even very often, but sometimes.”

  “Does sex help? Like if you had sex, would you feel better?”

  Her face whipped around, her eyes widening. “What?”

  I laughed. God, she was cute. “I’m not saying let’s go bang in my old bedroom upstairs, I’m just wondering if an orgasm makes you feel better.”

  She took another deep breath, like she was gathering her courage to admit the truth. “Yes. It helps.”

  One corner of my mouth hooked in a grin. “So if you don’t have someone to give you an orgasm, do you do it yourself?”

  She smacked my arm again. “Gavin.”

  “What? I’m just asking. You’re the one who brought up sexual arousal.” This whole conversation was making me uncomfortably aroused, but I was having too much fun teasing her to stop. “I’m just trying to be a good friend by listening and asking relevant questions.”

  “What do you think?”

  “I think you do, but it’s better when you get the real thing.”

  “I can’t believe we’re having this conversation.”

  “Sounds like when I was a teenager and I’d get a boner out of nowhere. It was like the thing had a mind of its own. I’d be reading a fucking comic book, and not even looking at boobs or anything. And bam, hard on.”

  “That’s definitely similar.”

  “The worst was when I was around my brothers or a bunch of friends. Getting a boner around a group of guys isn’t ideal.”

  “That must have been awkward. And confusing?”

  “A little. Mostly I just wondered how to keep it under control. Where’s the worst place you’ve had it happen? A job interview? A funeral?”

  She groaned. “I think the worst was at ThrillerFest. It’s a big writer’s conference and my publisher put me on a panel with a few other authors. We were supposed to answer questions about the publishing process. I was so nervous I thought I might puke, and then suddenly I felt…”

  “Aroused?”

  “Yes, but not just aroused. I felt desperate. I can’t believe I’m telling you this. I didn’t even tell Ginny this story. But I was up there on this little stage and I remember my face getting hot and my heart beating too fast. And other places felt… you know. There was a lot of pressure.”

  “So what did you do?”

  “Nothing, really. I just lived with it until it went away. My ex was…” She trailed off and I waited again to see if she’d finish. This time she did. “My ex was at the conference too, but he wasn’t interested in a quick trip back to our room when the panel was over. Said he was too busy.”

  “He turned down a quick fuck in a hotel room? Seriously, Sky, what kind of dumbass were you dating?”

  She shrugged. “The boring kind, I guess.”

  “No shit.”

  Her tongue darted out to wet her lips. “So if you’d been there with me, you’d have taken me upstairs for a quickie?”

  My danger instinct went absolutely crazy. Buzzers, alarms, and warning bells all went off in my brain at once. That was a loaded fucking question if I’d ever heard one.

  Don’t do it, Gav. Don’t take the bait.

  But I couldn’t resist.

  “Oh yeah. I would have taken you back to our hotel room and made sure you were satisfied.” Whoa, too close to the fire, Gav. Back up a little or you’ll get burned. “Assuming having sex was something we normally did anyway,” I added quickly.

  “Right, of course.”

  This conversation was about to come full circle. She’d brought it up because she was uncomfortably aroused right now. Was she hinting she could use my help in alleviating it?

  As if my conscience needed the reminder, Chief came out onto the porch and sat next to Gram.

  Well played, universe.

  “Gram’s pie isn’t quite as good as sex, but it’s close. Should we go get some?”

  “I haven’t eaten dinner yet.”

  “So? It’s fun to eat dessert first.”

  “I guess I can’t argue with that. Pie sounds great.”

  I took her inside and we helped ourselves to Gram’s apple pie. After that, we mingled a little longer. Had some food, and I nursed a second beer. Skylar kept close to my side—so close her arm kept rubbing against mine. Even through our clothes, the contact was electrifying. More than once, I had to resist the urge to brush her hair back over her shoulder or tuck it behind her ear.

  After a while, I had the distinct feeling that she was ready to go. She was just a little bit quieter, standing with her shoulder and arm subtly behind mine, so close she could have rested her cheek on my arm if she’d wanted to.

  I leaned down and spoke softly. “Are you ready to get out of here?”

  “It’s not because I’m having a bad time. But yes.”

  “Did you drive yourself?”

  “No, I came with Ginny.”

  Ginny had left the bonfire—and Logan—and taken up a spot next to Gram and Fiona. Gram was in storytelling mode, tipping back and forth in her rocking chair, speaking softly. Fiona and Ginny were watching her with rapt attention.

  “I think my dad left already,” she said. “But I can wait for Ginny. It’s not a big deal.”

  “I can take you home.”

  “Are you sure? I don’t want to take you away from your brother’s party.”

  I could have told her the truth. That the only reason I’d stayed this long was because she was here. That I’d been restless and edgy until she’d arrived, and now I didn’t want to be anywhere but wherever she was, even if it meant missing birthday cake.

  But that was a little much, and treading way too close to that friendship line I was determined to maintain.

  “I don’t mind at all.”

  She looked up at me and a reflection of the firelight danced in her pretty brown eyes. “Thanks, Gavin.”

  Uh-oh. I was in so much trouble.

  18

  Skylar

  A little thrill of excitement pulsed through my veins as I got into Gavin’s truck. I didn’t know why. He was only driving me home. Maybe it was the lingering effects of my weird anxiety-induced arousal. That, and the habit I’d developed of daydreaming about him. Spending the evening next to him, touching him, made those daydreams flash through my mind like a movie reel of erotic desires.

 
Never in my life had I been so physically attracted to someone. This went beyond my hypersensitivity, beyond a crush on a hot firefighter. Being near him made my body react in ways that felt foreign and frightening and exhilarating all at once.

  Balancing on his good leg, Gavin slid his crutches behind the seat and hoisted himself in. He glanced at me, flashing a smile that puckered the dimples in his cheeks. “Ready?”

  I pulled the seatbelt over my lap and clicked it into place. “Yep.”

  Ginny had offered to drive me home, but it had been obvious she was having fun chatting with Gram and Fiona. I didn’t want to make her go on my account. And when I’d mentioned that Gavin had offered me a ride, she’d hit me with a knowing smile.

  She probably had the wrong idea. Gavin was only taking me home. It wasn’t like he’d come inside and anything would happen. Heck, Dad had already left the party, so both my parents were home—which was still so strange I didn’t know how to feel about it.

  He turned the truck on and glanced at me again. “Are you tired?”

  “A little. Why?”

  “I was just thinking, it’s not very late, and maybe instead of dropping you off, we could do something. With fewer people around, I mean. But if you’re tired—”

  “No,” I said quickly. “I’m not too tired.”

  “Awesome. Maybe a movie?”

  “Yeah, a movie sounds great.”

  “My place or yours?”

  “Definitely yours, if you don’t mind. My divorced parents are both home and it’s… tense. And kind of awkward.”

  “Fair enough. My brothers are still at Asher’s party and I’m sure they’ll be out late. We’ll have the place to ourselves for a while.” He paused, clearing his throat. “You know, so we can pick whatever movie we want.”

  Another thrill of excitement—or was it nervousness?—jolted through me.

  Gavin’s house was only about a mile from Gram’s, on a quiet residential street. A sign on the corner said Bailey Way, although it looked like a sticker over the real sign. Stars scattered across the night sky and the mountain peaks rose around us. Even at night, it was so pretty here.

  We got out of the truck and Gavin gestured to the neighboring house. “Asher and Grace live there.”