Sweet Hill Homecoming (Sweet Hill 1)

“You are very welcome. We’re happy to help. I’ll have them shipped out tonight.”

And just like that, Mia felt like she was truly capable of making good things happen.

~

It was past dinner time as Mia walked to her front door, pulling her keys out, she was anxious to hear about Kyle’s day. Hers had been long. It started with a snuggle in the morning, a fight in the afternoon, but at least it ended on a high note. When she approached the door, the last thing she thought she’d find was a dressed down Deputy sitting on her stoop.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

He stood, stretching a little like he’d been waiting a while. “I gave Kyle a ride home. And then drove around for a bit until I came back here.”

“And you decided to sit on my porch?”

“I messed up, Mia.”

He took a step toward her, his dark eyes taking her in and she couldn’t help but shudder a little. “You’re doing a great job with this event. I shouldn’t have come down on you the way I did.”

“But you were right. I am the coordinator. The responsibility falls on me.”

“Mia.” He took another tentative step as if wondering if she’d back away. She didn’t. “You are the most irritating, amazing woman I’ve ever met.”

“Is that supposed to be a compliment?”

He grinned. “Just know that everything you’re doing, not just the event, but how you tackle life…I’m in awe of you.”

Her lips parted on a little gasp. No one had ever said such a thing. The straight laced, do no wrong, well-loved town deputy was in awe of her? And yet, the struggle she felt to try to change people’s minds about her was still an uphill battle.

“I don’t have pearls…” she said.

It kind of slipped and didn’t make much sense, but that was the truth. She didn’t have the thing the Abby McAdams’ of the world had.

Tate just stared into her eyes and cupped her cheek as if somehow understanding perfectly what she was trying to say.

“You don’t need them, sweetheart.”

Her heart stopped and she tried really hard not to read too much into this. Because at the end of the day, Tate had been clear that they weren’t an item. But everything from her mind, to her mouth, to her skin was begging for this man. Maybe even a little of her soul was begging too.

“Tate,” she had to stay strong. She couldn’t take any more hits to her self-esteem. “I’m tired of being looked at a certain way. I want to make this place my home. Kyle’s home. A place I can walk around and be proud of myself.”

“I want you to feel that too, because you have everything to be proud of. You are smart and funny and so damn tenacious it’s scary. I’m sorry if I ever made you feel anything but those things.”

She folded her lips together because the sting behind her eyes was growing.

“I’d love to take you out sometime,” Tate said with a little charisma and a lot of sexy grin. “I’d be a lucky son of a bitch to have you on my arm.”

“Wait… you can’t mean in public?” she half joked. Though she was hoping that it was no joke at all.

“Of course. You’re incredible, Mia. I want to be sheriff, I want to do everything right to make that happen. It was never about you, it was about me trying to just be a certain way, hope that people look at me a certain way, but in the end, I want to be me. And I’d like to be me with you.”

He brushed her lower lip with his thumb and Mia had no idea what to say. Where to start. She wanted to be her with him too. But to say it out loud would be giving up all the power. Putting herself out there for him to hurt her if he so chose. It was a big risk.

“Well I better get going, I have a high school to patrol tomorrow,” he said with a genuine smile, allowing her to think and not pressure her to speak.

“Going back?”

He nodded. “Yep. Just want to make sure everyone stays safe.”

“Tate,” Mia said and he turned to face her. “Thank you.”