The Nice Guy Next Door (When In Waverly 1)

Jameson

By Saturday morning—meaning a whole twelve hours later—the news of me delivering Tess’s baby in Millie’s living room is all over town. It’s all anyone is talking about. And most of the discussion is understandably centered around how this situation ever came to be. What I would like to know is how the news got out in the first place.

I try to get some coffee at the coffee shop in town, and I’m instantly surrounded on all sides with people asking how it happened. The news station wants to interview all three of us for a segment for tomorrow night’s broadcast. I politely told them, “No, thanks.” The last thing I want is my face all over people’s TV screens.

My mom has been blowing up my phone since she heard about it. She keeps asking me ridiculous questions, like What were you doing there? Why did she call you, of all people? When are y’all going to get married and give me a house full of grandbabies?

She persuades me into asking Millie and Lo if they’d like to go to her house for dinner tonight so she can get a start on all of her matchmaking plans, but I do not tell her that I’m going to strongly advise them against it. There’s no telling what my mother will say to Millie when she finally meets her. I think I would die from shame if she mentioned grandchildren to Millie, who I’ve only known for one week. That doesn’t seem to be a problem for my mother, though.

I’m sitting on a bench in the city square, drinking my coffee, when Seth finds me and says, “Well, if it isn’t the local hero.”

“Ugh, not you too,” I groan. I should’ve known my best friend would turn it into a joke. He finds a way to make everything a joke.

“So, did you just do what all of the TV shows do? Did it impress all of the ladies—specifically the one lady?” he asks. I’m throwing daggers at him with my eyes, but he doesn’t care. He’s too busy laughing at his own jokes.

Sometimes being friends with someone for so long is downright annoying. He knows exactly what gets under my skin, and it brings him no small amount of joy to do it. We’re really more like brothers at this point in our friendship, which makes it perfectly fine for me to punch him in the arm…which I do.

“She called me in a panic and asked me to come. What was I supposed to say? ‘No, Millie. Good luck delivering a baby on your own,’” I say in defense. Anyone who had heard her on the other end of that phone call would have gone running. She was so scared. My feelings played no role in my decision. The only goal was to get there and make sure everyone was okay.

“Yeah, okay. Finish that coffee. I thought you were going to work out with us,” he says. I swallow back the last sip and toss the paper cup in the trash can. I follow him into the gym, wishing I hadn’t drunk quite so much of that latte. After such a long night, I couldn’t resist the siren’s call of the coffee shop. No cardio today.

Colby’s waiting for us by the counter and says, “I heard the news. That’s wild, man.” I can always count on Colby to be somewhat serious. “How are you feeling this morning?”

“Annoyed by all the staring and questions,” I answer. I look around the gym, and people are working really hard to not look at me after my loud declaration the moment before. The people in this town know no boundaries.

“How is Millie? She’s new here. The attention might be a bit much for her,” Colby says. I hadn’t thought to check on her this morning. Am I a bad person for not calling her to see if everything’s good? It’s a safe assumption that someone might be overwhelmed after a night like last night.

I make a mental note to call her when I’m well away from Seth and Colby. They don’t believe for a second that Millie’s just a friend—and they would be correct. I don’t see Millie as just a friend. I’m not saying I’m going to push her into anything, but my heart feels more. And the more I get to know her, the more I’m worried about that feeling not going away.

The look on her face last night while she watched Tess hold her baby for the first time was enchanting. There was longing in her eyes, and I can’t help but hope that someday I get to be the one beside her when she fulfills that longing.

It’s far too soon for thoughts like that, and she only wants to be friends.

I put my earbuds in and turn on my workout playlist, hoping that Seth and Colby get the message loud and clear. I’m here to work out some frustration, not chit chat. I’m not in the mood for socializing.

I’m halfway through my second set when the Pilates class comes out. A stream of women—and a few men—make their way through the equipment over to the locker rooms and water station. My gaze lands on a petite woman with long, light-brown hair the color of honey. Millie and Lo are flushed and drenched in sweat, but they’re smiling and talking.

Lo notices me watching them a moment later and whacks Millie’s arm. “Ouch, what was that for?” she says in outrage. She takes a long drink from her water bottle, and Lo elbows her in the arm, trying again to get her attention. Millie’s getting annoyed now and says, “What are you doing? You’re going to leave bruises all over me.”

Lo points in my direction, and Millie’s eyes follow her finger until she sees me. Her mouth opens slightly, and she tries to fix her hair. Lo laughs and says something to her that I can’t hear, and this time, Millie smacks Lo in the arm. They take turns elbowing each other, and then Lo walks toward the locker room, laughing.

“How are you this morning? Are you enjoying your new celebrity status here in Waverly?” I ask her. She already had celebrity status before last night simply because she is new in town, and then being seen in public with me—one of the few bachelors left in town—has only made the busybodies talk more. And now she has this to add to her portfolio.

“Oh, it’s great. I love being gawked at everywhere I go. Still waiting for my chance to pose for the paparazzi.”

I love that she has a sense of humor about everything. Not everyone would handle it with such grace. I’m not handling it with any grace at all.

“I wanted to ask you…do you want to go have dinner at my mom’s house tonight? She put me up to asking you since she hasn’t been able to get away from her hair salon to coerce you into going.”

“Will you be there?” she asks and bites her lower lip. The act draws attention to her plump lips, and I can’t peel my eyes away. She closes her mouth, and I look into her eyes and realize she’s waiting for me to answer.

“No, I figured I could just drop you off and pick you back up when you’re done—of course I’ll be there!” I answer with a laugh. She laughs at my joke, and it sounds like a chorus of angels singing. I could listen to her laugh all day, every day, and it wouldn’t be enough.

I open the door to my mom’s house—the same house I grew up in—and hear Mama and Nana talking in the kitchen. The house smells amazing. Any good southerner knows that that smell means chili and cornbread.

Millie and Lo stop by the door, refusing to move forward into the house. I stop and watch them, curious about their nerves. Millie pushes me forward to lead the way.

“You’ve already met the scariest person in my family: Nana,” I tell her.