Sweet Hill Homecoming (Sweet Hill 1)

dise he didn’t want to give up. Not even for a second.

“One of these days,” he rasped against her lips, “I’m going to get you all the way on a bed.”

He delved his tongue to take a long taste of her.

“As long as you hold me,” she whispered, and tilted her hips to take him deeper, “I’m happy.”

Tate’s release spiraled through him on that single word. She was happy. He made her happy. And that was the most intense feeling he’d ever had.

Chapter Twelve

“This event is going to kick some major ass,” Luke said, helping Tate place the last booth in its assigned spot.

They were all painted either red, green or white—per Mia’s instruction last week—and already made the ballroom a little more festive.

“She’s done an amazing job,” Tate said, double checking to make sure all the index cards and labels were still on the booths so everyone knew which booth they were assigned for set up tomorrow.

Annie’s Café booth, where she’d display her pies, was right next to Yolanda’s House of Yarn. Check. Tate marked a little note on the map and thought about how much hotter Mia looked with a clipboard than he did.

But everything was coming together. It seemed like most of the small businesses in town, nearly all signed up to help raise funds for the drive.

“Careful, you’re looking a little moon-eyed there,” Luke said, nudging Tate’s shoulder.

“I think I’m falling in love with Mia.” He didn’t even realize he said it out loud—and so easily—until Luke’s shocked expression hit him.

“Oh shit…” Luke said as if Tate had just told him he slipped poison into his dinner or something.

Tate frowned. “What?”

Luke took off his ball cap, scratched his head, and then put it back on. “She’s not a lifer, Tate. You know that. Not the kind you’ve talked about finding anyway.”

True, Tate had thought he knew what kind of woman he wanted. Mia changed that in a hurry.

“She’s more than anything I thought I wanted. Everything about her is extreme. Everything she does—she goes all in. I’ve never known a single person like her and she makes me want to be the kind of man that is deserving of her. The kind of man that can keep up.”

“What about all the other stuff that comes with a woman like her?” Luke put up his palms because Tate gave him a shut-the-fuck-up look with enough heat behind it to be a threat. “I’m not dissing on Mia. Calm down. She’s a cool girl. It’s just I know you. Mia is very different. Not to mention, men hit on her all the time and I thought she said she wasn’t interested in a long term relationship right now.”

“Whatever she wants and will give me, I’m going to take. Long term, short term, I don’t fucking care.” Though Tate did. If she went with short term, he’d take it as a challenge to change her mind to long. “She looks at me like…” Tate shook his head. “It’s like she already sees in me the man I’m trying to be.”

“That’s awesome.” Luke slapped Tate’s shoulder. “I just worry you haven’t made peace with the unknown. Because imagine how hard it’s going to be to let her go if she’s not interested in the same end game you are.”

Tate had imagined it. And didn’t like the thought so he just cut it off and refused to go any deeper into it. If she really wasn’t interested in a long term future with him, then what?

He shook his head. Sweet Hill was his home. Mia was here and his community was here. Everything would just have to work. All he focused on was that he had some time to convince her they could make it work. To show her how he felt and maybe, it just might be enough. He might be enough.

“I appreciate your concern, but I have this covered, alright?”

“Alright.” Luke put his hands into his pockets. “You going to the game tonight?”

“Of course.”

Ten hours until Kyle’s game. The kid was cleared to play and the scout would be there. This past week Tate hadn’t seen anyone near him or giving him a hard time. Maybe whatever was going on with him was finally over.

“I’ll see you tonight then,” Luke said.

Tate nodded. It was a beautiful Friday morning and with any luck, he’d be off his shift by five and with Mia at the game at seven.

He looked around the ballroom one more time. Yeah, things really were coming together.