Page 9 of Small Town Boy

Hi! Are you here yet?

Not yet. But I think we’re close…

How close?

Ummmmmm….

“Willa wants to know how far out we are,” I say, my voice cracking from a sudden bout of nerves.

“Tell her we just passed the Enrights’, and we’re all but at Newton Field.”

I quickly tap out the message, which means nothing to me. I’m going to need to study a map.

Willa

oh good, you’re close! I’m about to run into my last meeting of the day but wanted to make sure you arrived safe :)

oh…and whatcha doing tomorrow night?

Unpacking? That is, provided the moving truck got there today like it was supposed to

Sylvie said everything went great. There is the exact number of boxes as what the paperwork says

Oh good! Please thank her again for letting me rent out her cottage

you can thank her yourself tomorrow at girls night. 7p at Pour Decisions. If you need directions, LMK

I send her back a thumbs-up emoji, mixed feelings swirling in my belly. I adore that Willa has been so welcoming and helpful. She’s gone out of her way to help with this transition. That said, she’s also my boss. Sort of. Counterpart might be a better word. But she’s a Hayes. And her oldest brother is definitely my boss.

Nothing in my contract says that I can’t make friends at work. The no fraternization rule forbids me from sleeping with Gus, not having a drink and gossiping with Willa. Then again, I know all too well just how much harm can be done by getting too close to coworkers. Maybe the no fraternization rule should forbid that as well.

You can’t run and hide just because of one backstabbing wench…

I know I’m right. I can’t. I need friends. I want friends. My heart is still more than a little bruised though from the last time. But that’s not a good enough reason to keep the walls up. Or at least not install a drawbridge where I can let certain people in. Like Willa and the girls she’s already promised to introduce me to.

Noel slowly rounds a corner, turning right onto a side street that is lined with massive, beautiful trees. I can’t get over how big they are, how lush and full their branches are, and I wonder how different they’ll look when the leaves start falling in a couple of weeks. We come to a stop outside the adorable yellow cottage that is my new home. At 1200 square feet, with two bedrooms, a bathroom, full living room and kitchen, plus a tiny laundry room, this place is more than twice the size of my apartment back in Boston. Even with all the extra stuff I brought from the old family storage unit, this place will be mostly empty. But I don’t care one bit. I’m going to lap up the luxury of all the space.

“We’re here.”

“Yup,” I reply, popping the p harder than I intended. “Thanks for the lift!”

I hop out, swinging around to the bed of the truck to grab my bag. Somehow, Noel beat me to it. I stare at him, trying to figure out how he did that, since he was still buckled in as I got out. Both of us reaching for my suitcase, our hands collide. And unfortunately not in some rom-com super sexy, sparks fly kind of moment. No, this was an awkward shuffle of grabbing and ending up knocking each other off-balance maneuver.

“I got it,” he tells me, his Southern drawl in full effect.

“I’m a big girl; I can get my own bag. I’m perfectly capable of doing things myself.”

“Didn’t think you weren’t,” he counters, one corner of his mouth quirked upward. It’s a damn sexy smirk that makes my belly flip. But I don’t have time, or patience, for his charm. “But you could also just let a man help you, honey.”

“Again, enough with the honey.”

“Darlin’ work better?” he jokes.

Oh, for fucks’ sake.

“No.”

“Okay then. I assume this means you don’t want me to walk you to the door?”