didn’t have the best life, and that hadn’t been all that kind to you because of circumstances outside your control.”
Breaking eye contact, Lorelei slid her hands under her thighs. “When you put it that way, you make me sound like a victim. Like I didn’t earn most everything these people thought about me.”
“Everybody deserves a second chance. It’s up to you how this one turns out.”
An empty laugh escaped her lips. “Right. I’m in control. Wouldn’t that be nice?”
“You can’t control what anyone else says or does.” Spencer tucked a wayward lock behind her ear. “But you
can
control how you respond to them.”
Tapping her toes on the floor mat, Lorelei met his gaze once more, the fear less obvious. “Since when did you become a wisdom-touting guru? Is this the type of stuff they teach you in college?”
“I did some reading while you were gone.”
“I knew if you didn’t have me dragging you into trouble, you’d spend your life with your nose buried in a book.” Her blue eyes sparkled, looking more like the Lorelei he knew.
Reaching for his door handle, Spencer said, “You did wreak havoc on my GPA once you got me in your clutches.”
“And you enjoyed every minute of it,” Lorelei said, laughing as she met him at the front of the truck.
Standing inches apart, Spencer put his heart into his smile. “That I did.”
Darkened lashes lowered as Lorelei’s gaze dropped to Spencer’s mouth. He thought she might rise up on her toes and plant one for old times’ sake. If for no other reason than to see if he still tasted the same. But then her eyes darted off toward the church. “You shouldn’t flirt with me, Spencer. There’s nothing but more of the same down that path.”
“I wasn’t flirting alone,” he pointed out.
Tilting her head, Lorelei squinted from the sun as she met his eyes. “You knew the girl who roared out of here twelve years ago, but she didn’t come back, Spencer.”
“Then who did?” he asked.
With a shake of her head, Lorelei answered, “I’ll let you know when I figure it out. Now let’s go sell some cookies.”
The only good thing about Spencer looking all sexy and kissable was that he served as an excellent distraction from the impending drama. If she was thinking about all the things she’d like to do to her ex-boyfriend, Lorelei couldn’t obsess over all the ways the next few minutes could turn ugly. But then she reached the church hall doors and had to picture Spencer naked to suppress the panic. Which served two purposes.
One, she entered the church hall with a smile on her lips and a blush on her cheeks.
Two, the blast of icy-cold air that hit her in the face upon entering the hall was more welcome than startling.
“There’s Rosie over in the corner,” Spencer said, settling a hand on the small of Lorelei’s back as he maneuvered her through the thin crowd. She considered shaking him off, but the extra support came in handy as she passed Buford Stallings, who’d been the Ardent Springs mayor while Lorelei was in high school. Buford had been present atthe infamous street fair the night before Lorelei left town. Needless to say, she’d been angry at the time. And confused. And felt as if she were drowning and the only way to find air was to get on a bus and never look back.
Only now she
was
back and would have to account for her childish outburst. Possibly with blood. There was no way to tell.
The former town leader didn’t look happy to see her, but then he didn’t spit in her direction either. Better than she’d expected.
“There’s my girl!” burst an unforgettable twang from across the hall. “Come over here and give me a big old hug, you pretty young thing.”
Pearl Jessup, Granny’s best friend from the time the two of them strolled into a kindergarten classroom, bounced across the bleached tiles in Lorelei’s direction. Older, rounder, and grayer than when she’d last seen her, Pearl still had the beaming
Breaking eye contact, Lorelei slid her hands under her thighs. “When you put it that way, you make me sound like a victim. Like I didn’t earn most everything these people thought about me.”
“Everybody deserves a second chance. It’s up to you how this one turns out.”
An empty laugh escaped her lips. “Right. I’m in control. Wouldn’t that be nice?”
“You can’t control what anyone else says or does.” Spencer tucked a wayward lock behind her ear. “But you
can
control how you respond to them.”
Tapping her toes on the floor mat, Lorelei met his gaze once more, the fear less obvious. “Since when did you become a wisdom-touting guru? Is this the type of stuff they teach you in college?”
“I did some reading while you were gone.”
“I knew if you didn’t have me dragging you into trouble, you’d spend your life with your nose buried in a book.” Her blue eyes sparkled, looking more like the Lorelei he knew.
Reaching for his door handle, Spencer said, “You did wreak havoc on my GPA once you got me in your clutches.”
“And you enjoyed every minute of it,” Lorelei said, laughing as she met him at the front of the truck.
Standing inches apart, Spencer put his heart into his smile. “That I did.”
Darkened lashes lowered as Lorelei’s gaze dropped to Spencer’s mouth. He thought she might rise up on her toes and plant one for old times’ sake. If for no other reason than to see if he still tasted the same. But then her eyes darted off toward the church. “You shouldn’t flirt with me, Spencer. There’s nothing but more of the same down that path.”
“I wasn’t flirting alone,” he pointed out.
Tilting her head, Lorelei squinted from the sun as she met his eyes. “You knew the girl who roared out of here twelve years ago, but she didn’t come back, Spencer.”
“Then who did?” he asked.
With a shake of her head, Lorelei answered, “I’ll let you know when I figure it out. Now let’s go sell some cookies.”
The only good thing about Spencer looking all sexy and kissable was that he served as an excellent distraction from the impending drama. If she was thinking about all the things she’d like to do to her ex-boyfriend, Lorelei couldn’t obsess over all the ways the next few minutes could turn ugly. But then she reached the church hall doors and had to picture Spencer naked to suppress the panic. Which served two purposes.
One, she entered the church hall with a smile on her lips and a blush on her cheeks.
Two, the blast of icy-cold air that hit her in the face upon entering the hall was more welcome than startling.
“There’s Rosie over in the corner,” Spencer said, settling a hand on the small of Lorelei’s back as he maneuvered her through the thin crowd. She considered shaking him off, but the extra support came in handy as she passed Buford Stallings, who’d been the Ardent Springs mayor while Lorelei was in high school. Buford had been present atthe infamous street fair the night before Lorelei left town. Needless to say, she’d been angry at the time. And confused. And felt as if she were drowning and the only way to find air was to get on a bus and never look back.
Only now she
was
back and would have to account for her childish outburst. Possibly with blood. There was no way to tell.
The former town leader didn’t look happy to see her, but then he didn’t spit in her direction either. Better than she’d expected.
“There’s my girl!” burst an unforgettable twang from across the hall. “Come over here and give me a big old hug, you pretty young thing.”
Pearl Jessup, Granny’s best friend from the time the two of them strolled into a kindergarten classroom, bounced across the bleached tiles in Lorelei’s direction. Older, rounder, and grayer than when she’d last seen her, Pearl still had the beaming
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