with this Vonny?”
“No. I was. He just won’t give up.”
“It’s not your ex, wanting you back?”
“No. I met Vonny after my ex and I parted.”
Witt breathed a little easier but his ribs still creaked with jealousy. He hated every man who had come before him. “Okay. You don’t need to tell me more.”
“I do, though. Witt, I’m going to come clean with you so you know how screwed up I really am. I don’t have one ex-husband—I have two.”
He collapsed against the seat so hard, the back creaked.
“And a trail of ex-fiancés.”
He scrubbed a hand over his face. Hell. He didn’t have a prayer.
Finding his voice, he asked, “How many are on that trail?” He needed to know because he didn’t want to be another standing on the dirt path.
“Five.” Her voice was small and she dropped her gaze to her hands. “I’m not proud of it. It makes me feel stupid to hop from relationship to relationship this way.”
“You were deep with them—all of them?” He felt that apple candy sitting heavily in his stomach.
She nodded and flashed him those blue eyes—the ones he’d fallen for. As had many other guys. She was still special to Witt, but he may be nothing to her.
He pushed out a breath. “It’s a lot to take in.”
“I know. I just wanted you to hear…”
“Hear what?”
“That you don’t want me, Witt. You’re a nice guy, great with kids and the best damn kisser I’ve ever known in my life.”
His head swelled along with parts much lower.
She was agitated, gnawing on that sweet morsel of her lower lip, hands twisting on the table now. “I’m sorry if you got the wrong impression this past week. I can’t deny that I like spending time with you, but—”
He trapped her hands, stilling them. “That’s all I need to hear, sweetheart.”
“That I’m crazy, changing guys like I’m changing underwear?”
A laugh burst from him. “If you only change your underwear that often, we have more troubles than I thought.”
“Witt!”
He squeezed her hands. “Thank you for telling me.”
She met his gaze. “It scares you.”
“A little, yeah.”
“You should go before Alex comes back. I don’t want him getting attached to you.”
“Shelby, stop. Even if you and I don’t work out, I’m still Alex’s friend. That doesn’t end, ever.”
She made a sound deep in her chest.
“I have a lot of competition, it seems. But it just makes me more determined. I won’t let you push me away, sweetheart. I’m in your life, and I’m going to overshadow all those guys in your past.”
A stuttering sigh left her and her hands convulsed under his.
He went on, “I think you like me and you’re too afraid to admit it to yourself.”
“Why would I like you? You come into my shop and make yourself at home behind the counter where you don’t belong. And you leave mud on my floors.”
He glanced at the few clumps he’d left at the door. Grinning, he nodded. “I am a pain about muddy boots, I’ll admit. Just ask my momma. I’m sorry for it, though I can’t say I’ll ever stop having mud on my boots. But I know you still like me, sweetheart.”
“How?” Her long brows creased as if she was trying to puzzle out whether or not she really did and waiting for Witt to tell her.
“I know because you made me that cupcake. You remembered me saying I love apple pie and you did that for me, Shelby.”
She turned her hands over and grasped his. Her touch seared straight to his soul, and in that minute he realized he was about to neglect the hell out of his chores.
When she issued a low, throaty laugh, the hairs on his nape stood on end. “Do you want another cupcake?”
“Yes, and so much more.”
“You ought to try some new fudge flavors. I think the folks in Vixen would buy it up,” Nell said as she wiped down the counter.
“Oh? What kinds of fudge?” Shelby only had white chocolate macadamia nut fudge for sale. She’d tinkered with recipes for chocolate and peanut
“No. I was. He just won’t give up.”
“It’s not your ex, wanting you back?”
“No. I met Vonny after my ex and I parted.”
Witt breathed a little easier but his ribs still creaked with jealousy. He hated every man who had come before him. “Okay. You don’t need to tell me more.”
“I do, though. Witt, I’m going to come clean with you so you know how screwed up I really am. I don’t have one ex-husband—I have two.”
He collapsed against the seat so hard, the back creaked.
“And a trail of ex-fiancés.”
He scrubbed a hand over his face. Hell. He didn’t have a prayer.
Finding his voice, he asked, “How many are on that trail?” He needed to know because he didn’t want to be another standing on the dirt path.
“Five.” Her voice was small and she dropped her gaze to her hands. “I’m not proud of it. It makes me feel stupid to hop from relationship to relationship this way.”
“You were deep with them—all of them?” He felt that apple candy sitting heavily in his stomach.
She nodded and flashed him those blue eyes—the ones he’d fallen for. As had many other guys. She was still special to Witt, but he may be nothing to her.
He pushed out a breath. “It’s a lot to take in.”
“I know. I just wanted you to hear…”
“Hear what?”
“That you don’t want me, Witt. You’re a nice guy, great with kids and the best damn kisser I’ve ever known in my life.”
His head swelled along with parts much lower.
She was agitated, gnawing on that sweet morsel of her lower lip, hands twisting on the table now. “I’m sorry if you got the wrong impression this past week. I can’t deny that I like spending time with you, but—”
He trapped her hands, stilling them. “That’s all I need to hear, sweetheart.”
“That I’m crazy, changing guys like I’m changing underwear?”
A laugh burst from him. “If you only change your underwear that often, we have more troubles than I thought.”
“Witt!”
He squeezed her hands. “Thank you for telling me.”
She met his gaze. “It scares you.”
“A little, yeah.”
“You should go before Alex comes back. I don’t want him getting attached to you.”
“Shelby, stop. Even if you and I don’t work out, I’m still Alex’s friend. That doesn’t end, ever.”
She made a sound deep in her chest.
“I have a lot of competition, it seems. But it just makes me more determined. I won’t let you push me away, sweetheart. I’m in your life, and I’m going to overshadow all those guys in your past.”
A stuttering sigh left her and her hands convulsed under his.
He went on, “I think you like me and you’re too afraid to admit it to yourself.”
“Why would I like you? You come into my shop and make yourself at home behind the counter where you don’t belong. And you leave mud on my floors.”
He glanced at the few clumps he’d left at the door. Grinning, he nodded. “I am a pain about muddy boots, I’ll admit. Just ask my momma. I’m sorry for it, though I can’t say I’ll ever stop having mud on my boots. But I know you still like me, sweetheart.”
“How?” Her long brows creased as if she was trying to puzzle out whether or not she really did and waiting for Witt to tell her.
“I know because you made me that cupcake. You remembered me saying I love apple pie and you did that for me, Shelby.”
She turned her hands over and grasped his. Her touch seared straight to his soul, and in that minute he realized he was about to neglect the hell out of his chores.
When she issued a low, throaty laugh, the hairs on his nape stood on end. “Do you want another cupcake?”
“Yes, and so much more.”
“You ought to try some new fudge flavors. I think the folks in Vixen would buy it up,” Nell said as she wiped down the counter.
“Oh? What kinds of fudge?” Shelby only had white chocolate macadamia nut fudge for sale. She’d tinkered with recipes for chocolate and peanut
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