“Sure thing,” Carter said. “I was just driving by on the main road, and I saw you standing out in the parking lot arguing with him. I wasn’t sure what exactly was going down, but I figured it couldn’t be anything good.”

I managed a short laugh. “Thanks.”

He nodded, glancing over at me briefly before looking through the windshield again.

“Does your ex do this kind of thing often?” he asked. “Just pop up out of nowhere at you?”

“Well, you already know about his proclivity toward coming to the diner. But this is the first time since we broke up that he actually showed up at my apartment. He knew where I usually park, which tells me this isn’t the first time he’s been there in general, though. Which is a little unnerving, I have to say.”

“I can imagine,” Carter said.

“Thank you, again. I really do appreciate you doing this. I don’t know what he thought was going to come out of that conversation, but I’m glad I’m no longer there to find out.”

I let out a breath and leaned my head back against the seat, briefly closing my eyes to will my heart to settle down. Considering it had only started beating faster when I got into the truck, I didn’t think it was going to do much good. Especially when Carter looked over at me again with a big, boyish grin.

“Well, since we’re already out, want to get dinner?” he asked.

9

CARTER

I was heading out to the fields because the boys wanted help chopping some of the trees down, but my head was full of thoughts that conflicted and combated with one another.

I had taken Lauren out to dinner last night. We both had a good time. We laughed and joked and had a good meal and a couple of drinks. I saved her from her ex to do it and certainly gave him the impression that I was there to pick her up for a date, which we followed through by going out to eat.

However, I couldn’t really call it a date. It wasn’t planned, she never gave any direct indication that it was date-like. And at the end of the night, we didn’t kiss or even hug. Not that I didn’t want to. I wanted to press her up against my truck and touch her lips to mine and see where the night took us from there. I had several ideas about where that would be, and every single one of them was ideal.

But, I wanted to be a gentleman for Lauren, especially after everything that happened with Ashton. She told me a bit more about him over dinner, and I got the impression that he was a real piece of work. A guy like that certainly didn’t deserve to be with a woman like Lauren, and his determination that she just get back with him irked me on behalf of her.

As I got to work, I kept replaying the night over and over in my head. I could see moments where I shied away from making a move and playing through what would have happened had I done it. What I hoped would have happened anyway. No matter how many times I replayed the same moments, with outcomes straight from fantasy, they were just as delicious as the first time.

One of those memories was playing through my head when I realized there were people shouting. The words hit me like a brick, and I looked up just in time to see the massive tree falling, landing just feet from me. Deacon rushed over, his eyes wild as he looked at the tree and then at me, exasperated. I realized it had been him that was shouting for me.

“What the hell is wrong with you today?” he yelled.

“Chill out, man. It was an accident,” I said.

“An accident?” he continued yelling. “Dude, you almost got squashed there. I could have killed you! Why the hell didn’t you move when you heard the call?”

“I must not have heard it.”

“Open your ears, bro,” he said. “We can’t be having shit like that. You have to pay attention or else you could get killed.”

“I get it,” I said, cutting him off. “I hear you. Let’s move on, alright?”

Deacon exhaled slowly and looked out over the fields.

“Man,” he said, with no apparent follow-up.

I took a deep breath and realized the entire crew was watching us. I held out my hands above my head.

“I’m sorry, everybody,” I said. “I screwed up. Let that be a lesson for everybody. You have to pay attention, no matter who you are.”

There was a general murmur among the group, and Deacon came closer. When he spoke, it was barely above audible, but I heard him just fine.

“Fucking ask her out already so you can focus, will you?” he said.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Tags: Natasha L. Black Romance
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