Dirt: A Sexy Small Town Romance (Copperwood Book 1) (14 page)

Kirstin looked over her shoulder at me from her spot in front of the TV where she was cuing up the DVD player. I imagined she was sending me a telepathic message letting me know she’d kill Mike at my say so.

“What’s your point, Mike?” I finally turned and looked at him. Defending Shane was the last thing I thought Mike would do. Especially after he hit Shane in the front yard.

“Just that what you saw may not be what you think you saw.”

“Mike, Alene wasn’t at your house Saturday morning.”

“Why would she be?” Mike glanced over at Kirstin for a moment.

“Come on, Mike. It’s not like you’re serious, but whenever you’re in Pick’s she’s hanging off you.”

“Mya, Alene didn’t go home with me, but she didn’t go home with Shane either. He pushed her away.” Mike turned on the couch until he faced me. “I just don’t think her version of reality is the actual version of reality.”

“I thought you were on Mya’s side.” Kirstin crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

“I am. But, look, he didn’t come here begging you to forgive him because he knew he did something wrong. He seemed surprised.”

Kirstin leaned back on her hands and shifted her gaze between the two of us. I stared at the menu flashing on the screen so I didn’t have to look at either of my friends.

“Mike’s not completely wrong.” She stretched out her legs in front of her and tilted her head to the side. “He really wasn’t acting like a guy caught cheating.”

“But he wasn’t cheating. He never said we were exclusive or that he was moving back here and we would date.”

“You can spin it any way you want, Mya, but that boy wasn’t planning on sticking around because he likes Copperwood.” Mike leaned back on the couch. “I doubt he was sticking around because of Alene either.”

“So what’s your point?” I gave up.

“Maybe you should listen to him if he comes back around or calls.”

“Mike, you hit him.”

“Yeah, that was before I actually thought about it and was just pissed off at him.”

“You still aren’t pissed off at him?” Kirstin finally jumped into the conversation.

“I am, but not because I think he’s sleeping with Alene. I’m pissed off because he hurt Mya. Maybe not in the way we thought, but she still got hurt and he was the one who hurt her.”

“Just start the movie.” I pulled my feet up underneath me and stared at the TV screen.

“Will you talk to him?” Mike held the remote control in his hand and his thumb hovered over the play button.

“Will you press play if I say I will?”

“No, I’ll press play if you say you will and actually do.”

“Fine.”

Mike grinned and pressed the button.

I heard my dad shuffling around in the kitchen and looked over at the doorway. He came out with a cup of coffee in hand and a small grin on his face. I wanted to ask him what he got him smiling, but he headed back down to the basement.

I was fairly certain the water heater had actually been fixed, but if it kept dad from going back to the slides, I wasn’t going to say anything. Now, I wondered if maybe my heart was the next thing on my dad’s list to fix and if he roped Mike in to helping him.

28

Shane

I
stared down at the screen of my cell phone and willed the butterflies in my stomach to stop flying around. Waiting was miserable.

Everything was in place. I just needed to convince Mya that she needed to listen to what I had to say and forget everything Alene said to her. I had never been part of any deals where everything hinged on one variable and not having control of the situation was unsettling. To say the least.

I rubbed the palm of my hand over my face, pressing my fingers into my cheeks. Normally, predicting how someone will respond to a situation was something I excelled at, but in this case, determining how Mya was going to behave was completely out of my wheelhouse.

The phone mocked me with its silence. I tossed it onto the passenger seat of the car, next to the contract for the house. Steve was right, they took an hour to accept the offer and I was now the proud owner of the lake house, but it was all going to be for nothing if I couldn’t get Mya on board.

When I called earlier, asking to talk with Mya, her father told me to give it a little more time. Waiting was hell.

My fingers drummed against the steering wheel to some top forty song playing on the radio. I couldn’t pay attention to the words. Not when all I could think about was Mya and what must be going through her mind.

Of course, she thought I hurt her. I hurt her ten years ago when I didn’t choose her, she probably thought nothing had changed. That everything I said to her was an excuse to sleep with her.

“Fuck!” I slammed my hand down on the dashboard. Too bad it didn’t make me feel any less worried. “Damnit, ring!”

The shrill twilling of a mechanical notes broke through the music from the radio. Holy crap! And no one was around to witness it. I grabbed the phone and turned down the radio.

“Crawford.” I said my name out of habit. It wasn’t like the caller didn’t know who they were calling, and it wasn’t like I knew who was calling me.

“It’s in place.” Steve’s words were a welcome announcement.

“Everything?” I needed to make sure. Nothing could be left to chance. I had only one shot at this. One chance to make things work. Any misstep and I could lose Mya for good, if I hadn’t already.

“Yep. I even got the package from the Sydony’s and permission from the owners. As long as nothing is damaged, they’re fine with you stopping by for a bit.”

“Thanks, Steve. I owe you.”

“The commission is payment enough.”

“Hey, Steve?”

“Yeah?”

“What was the feeling at the house?” I figured he might be able to help me out a bit. Give me a head’s up on my reception.

“Honestly? Rich kept me hidden at the backdoor, but he told me to let you know he greased one of the wheels. Whatever that means?”

I smiled at his words. “It means I’m not going to get hit when I pull into the driveway.”

“Good luck, man.”

“Thanks, Steve.” I pressed the end button and started the car.

I promised Mya a steak dinner and I was going to give it to her, but I was also going to give it to her in the house of her dreams. Assuming, she agreed to come with me and if that meant having Mike and her friend Kirstin tag along with us, I’d agree. Hell, I’d agree if she wanted to bring along Big Foot.

As I drove to her house, I replayed our future conversation. Creating counter–arguments for every argument I imagined she’d come up with. I tried to imagine her saying yes to everything I asked, but if she thought I had done anything with Alene, yes was a distant hope.

All too soon, I turned down Mya’s street. I couldn’t stop the car. I was too scared to face her possible rejection. Instead, I drove around the block a few more times. As if that would make me more brave.

After the third time around, I couldn’t put it off any longer. I pulled the car into the driveway and turned off the ignition. For the second time in three days I sat in the car and had to will myself to get out. By the time I convinced my legs to move, I found a welcoming party waiting for me just outside the front door.

Mya’s father stood behind Kirstin and Mike at the bottom of the front steps with his hands resting on their shoulders. I had the distinct impression Kirstin and Mike vacated the house at Rich’s urging. So much for one of the wheels being greased.

I raised a hand and waved at them while walking across the lawn.

Rich lifted his chin towards the house. “She’s inside. We’re going to take a walk around the block.”

Well, that was one way to get Mya alone. At least I wouldn’t have to talk with her with a peanut gallery present and adding their commentary to the mix. “Thanks.”

“Don’t thank me yet, son.” Rich pushed the other two ahead of him, urging them down the walkway to the sidewalk.

I watched them until they rounded the corner and the little blond watched me from over her shoulder. From the way she narrowed her eyes at me, I wondered if they had to drag her out of the house. She clearly wasn’t happy with the thought of leaving me alone with Mya. I wasn’t sure I wouldn’t have done the same.

I waited a few more seconds before turning around and walking up to the door. I hesitated a moment, unsure if I should knock or just walk inside before she could refuse me entry. I reached down and pushed the door open. It would be harder for Mya to throw me out if I was already inside.

“Mya?” I stepped into the house and found her sitting on the couch.

“They made me watch scary movies.” Mya didn’t turn around, instead she stared at the TV screen.

Without really thinking about it, I stepped towards the couch with the single intention of getting closer to her. I circled the edge of the couch and sat down next to her before she could point me to one of the worn armchairs.

“Mya?”

She twisted on the couch until she faced me and my heart tightened. Her beautiful brown eyes were bloodshot and swollen. She’d been crying. Because of me. I reached out to her and pressed my hand against her cheek. She didn’t pull away from me, but neither did she lean into my touch.

“Oh baby, what did she say to you?”

“You didn’t promise me anything, Shane. I’m not sure I really have a reason to be upset.” Her tone was flat and emotionless.

I think I would have preferred it if she had yelled and screamed at me instead.

“What do you mean?” My thumb brushed over her cheek, and she finally responded to my touch, pressing herself against the palm of my hand.

Mya closed her eyes and the corners of her lips lifted up slightly. Any other time and I might have thought she was smiling at me. “You never said anything about us. I just assumed. So, you see, it’s my own fault I got hurt.”

I couldn’t stand hearing her words. She was right, I hadn’t said anything to her about us. I hadn’t told her she was the reason I wasn’t going to leave Copperwood. But it wasn’t her fault. It was my fault. I should never had let her out of my sight after we saw the house. I should have kept her close to me and told her over and over again how much I wanted
her
and no one else.

I reached for her, wrapping my arms around her shoulders and pulling her close against me. She didn’t resist me and I ran my hands up and down her back. I couldn’t hear her sobbing, but I felt her body shake against mine and she buried her face against my chest.

“Oh, Mya, baby, no. None of that is true.” I pressed my lips down against the top of her head. “Mya, I didn’t come back to Copperwood for my father, or Alene, or even you. I came back for me. I came back because I didn’t want some strangers digging through the house.”

I could hear her sniffling against me, but at least she wasn’t shaking as hard as she had been.

I pressed the palms of my hands against her cheeks and lifted her head until she looked at me. “But, baby, I’m not staying because of Alene, my father, or even me. I’m staying for you.”

I couldn’t resist. I bent down and pressed my lips gently against hers. I didn’t want to give her any reason to pull away from me. Not when I knew I was so close to getting everything I wanted. When I pulled back, it was only to nip at her bottom lip. A tease of what would come if she wanted it.

The soft moan slipped from her lips and I struggled against chuckling. She squirmed against me and I pressed my lips against her again, this time, I press my tongue against her lips until they part for me.

My hands move around to the back of her head, holding her close while I take her mouth. I want to take more. I want to remind her what she means to me, what she does to me. But now isn’t the right time. I’m reluctant, but eventually I pull away. If I don’t stop now, I’ll have her undressed and on the couch underneath me, and that is the last thing Mya deserves after the day she had.

“Come with me, I want to show you something.”

Mya leaned back and tilted her head so she could look up at me. She wiped the back of her across her eyes and sniffled. My heart tightened even more. I never wanted to be the reason Mya cried again.

“Please, Mya?”

She blinked her eyes a few times and nodded her head. “Alright.”

I didn’t want to let her go. When I stood, I reached for her and swung her up into my arms, cradling her against me. I would be a fool if I let go of her for any reason. I held her close to me and we headed out of the house to my car. I hadn’t yet figured out how I was going to drive with her on my lap, but even having her sit next to me would be too far away for my liking.

29

Mya

S
hane’s arms felt right around me and his strong chest felt safe. I wanted nothing more than to stay exactly where I was, right against him, but Shane had other plans. He slid me into the passenger seat, but before moving away from me, he pressed his lips against mine in a gentle kiss. I wanted more from him, but he wasn’t willing to give it to me.

Instead, he pressed his forehead against mine and closed his eyes. “Mya, you need to trust me, baby, I’m never going to hurt you. Okay?”

His words brought everything back. The pain caused by Alene’s words. The devastation of my emotions I experienced upon seeing them together. And the ache brought about by the idea of Shane being in Copperwood, but as far away from me as he was when he went away to college.

“I can work from anywhere, Mya, but if I want to be with you, I have to be here.” It was as if Shane could read my mind. “I want to be with
you
, Mya.”

I wanted to believe his words. Shane sounded sincere, and I knew he wasn’t lying. When I looked into his eyes, I thought I saw the truth of his words, but I didn’t know if it was because I wanted them to be there or if he really meant them.

Shane was giving me a second chance to change an earlier decision that I would have regretted for the rest of my life. I would be stupid if I ignored it. I nodded my head slowly. “Okay.”