. I bet the two of you have a lot in common since you’re both in the news business.”
Christy was her usual giggly self as she asked Dylan a hundred questions about his job in Nashville. He was polite and answered them all while Angelina took a deep breath, counted to twenty, and scanned the crowd for her mom. She wasn’t hard to find, sitting under a tent and wearing her red, wide-brimmed hat. By her side was David Murray, plucking his banjo.
After five minutes of Christine’s nonstop chatter, Angelina politely excused herself and walked over to the next booth. She said hello to Mrs. Evans and reached for one of her homemade candles, lifting the top and inhaling the fruity scent. Suddenly, she felt someone’s hand brush the small of her back, and she smiled.
“That was quick. Christine boring you already?”
“Christine who?”
Her body went rigid.
Adam laughed. “Christine Williams? Hell, she bored me back in high school.”
That wasn’t how Angelina remembered it at all. Adam had always appreciated Christy’s short skirts and complete lack of morals.
“Looks like your new boyfriend is enjoying her company, though.”
Angelina tightly gripped the candle and turned toward her ex.
“What do you want, Adam?”
His grin was just as breathtaking as ever. Too bad she knew the evil man behind the pearly smile.
“She speaks. I was beginning to wonder.”
Nervously, she glanced toward Imogene’s booth to find Dylan’s eyes fixated on the two of them. Christine was still chattering, but he wasn’t paying her a bit of attention.
This made Angelina far happier than it should.
“By the way, don’t think I didn’t notice that I paid full price for that guitar. Is that any way to treat your first great love?”
“You are not my first great love. You were my greatest mistake.”
Adam’s eyes flashed with anger before he chuckled darkly.
“You look gorgeous. I’m surprised the boyfriend lets you out of his sight.”
She didn’t bother correcting him. Instead, Angelina paid Mrs. Evans for the candle before heading toward the next booth.
“Don’t ignore me, Angelina,” he said menacingly, grabbing her arm. “You know how much I hate that.”
It was the same threatening tone he’d reserved for her back when they’d been dating. A sliver of fear rushed through her, leaving her breathless as she remembered his quick temper.
But she wasn’t that girl anymore.
“Get your hands off me, Adam.”
In an instant, Dylan was there, his eyes blazing.
“Is there a problem?”
Adam’s grin was cocky. “Nope, no problem at all.”
“There will be if you don’t let go of her arm.”
A few murmurs from the crowd prompted Adam to let her go. He cleared his throat, and the charming smile was back.
“You two enjoy the festival,” he said, nodding at a few of the onlookers before walking away.
Angelina breathed a sigh of relief.
“Are you okay?” Dylan asked.
She nodded numbly.
“You’re shaking,” he murmured, gently prying the candle from her hand. He led her back toward the store where they sat down on the bench.
“Who is he, Angelina?”
She could hear the quiet fury in his voice, but it was different from Adam’s menacing tone. Dylan was clearly pissed, but he wasn’t mad at her.
“This is off the record?”
“Do you seriously think I give a shit about my article right now?”
Angelina shrugged and stared at her hands in her lap. “I can’t read your mind, Dylan. I don’t know what you’re thinking.”
He sighed and leaned back against the bench as he stared out at the festival. They grew quiet, and she took the opportunity to study his profile. He looked tortured and frustrated—two emotions she understood so well.
What she didn’t understand was why he felt that way.
“His name is Adam McDonald,” Angelina said. “He’s my ex-boyfriend who now lives in Asheville.”
“I assume it didn’t end well.”
“No, it didn’t. He wanted to control . . .
Christy was her usual giggly self as she asked Dylan a hundred questions about his job in Nashville. He was polite and answered them all while Angelina took a deep breath, counted to twenty, and scanned the crowd for her mom. She wasn’t hard to find, sitting under a tent and wearing her red, wide-brimmed hat. By her side was David Murray, plucking his banjo.
After five minutes of Christine’s nonstop chatter, Angelina politely excused herself and walked over to the next booth. She said hello to Mrs. Evans and reached for one of her homemade candles, lifting the top and inhaling the fruity scent. Suddenly, she felt someone’s hand brush the small of her back, and she smiled.
“That was quick. Christine boring you already?”
“Christine who?”
Her body went rigid.
Adam laughed. “Christine Williams? Hell, she bored me back in high school.”
That wasn’t how Angelina remembered it at all. Adam had always appreciated Christy’s short skirts and complete lack of morals.
“Looks like your new boyfriend is enjoying her company, though.”
Angelina tightly gripped the candle and turned toward her ex.
“What do you want, Adam?”
His grin was just as breathtaking as ever. Too bad she knew the evil man behind the pearly smile.
“She speaks. I was beginning to wonder.”
Nervously, she glanced toward Imogene’s booth to find Dylan’s eyes fixated on the two of them. Christine was still chattering, but he wasn’t paying her a bit of attention.
This made Angelina far happier than it should.
“By the way, don’t think I didn’t notice that I paid full price for that guitar. Is that any way to treat your first great love?”
“You are not my first great love. You were my greatest mistake.”
Adam’s eyes flashed with anger before he chuckled darkly.
“You look gorgeous. I’m surprised the boyfriend lets you out of his sight.”
She didn’t bother correcting him. Instead, Angelina paid Mrs. Evans for the candle before heading toward the next booth.
“Don’t ignore me, Angelina,” he said menacingly, grabbing her arm. “You know how much I hate that.”
It was the same threatening tone he’d reserved for her back when they’d been dating. A sliver of fear rushed through her, leaving her breathless as she remembered his quick temper.
But she wasn’t that girl anymore.
“Get your hands off me, Adam.”
In an instant, Dylan was there, his eyes blazing.
“Is there a problem?”
Adam’s grin was cocky. “Nope, no problem at all.”
“There will be if you don’t let go of her arm.”
A few murmurs from the crowd prompted Adam to let her go. He cleared his throat, and the charming smile was back.
“You two enjoy the festival,” he said, nodding at a few of the onlookers before walking away.
Angelina breathed a sigh of relief.
“Are you okay?” Dylan asked.
She nodded numbly.
“You’re shaking,” he murmured, gently prying the candle from her hand. He led her back toward the store where they sat down on the bench.
“Who is he, Angelina?”
She could hear the quiet fury in his voice, but it was different from Adam’s menacing tone. Dylan was clearly pissed, but he wasn’t mad at her.
“This is off the record?”
“Do you seriously think I give a shit about my article right now?”
Angelina shrugged and stared at her hands in her lap. “I can’t read your mind, Dylan. I don’t know what you’re thinking.”
He sighed and leaned back against the bench as he stared out at the festival. They grew quiet, and she took the opportunity to study his profile. He looked tortured and frustrated—two emotions she understood so well.
What she didn’t understand was why he felt that way.
“His name is Adam McDonald,” Angelina said. “He’s my ex-boyfriend who now lives in Asheville.”
“I assume it didn’t end well.”
“No, it didn’t. He wanted to control . . .
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