Chapter 6

CHAPTERSIX

Four days later, Finley was behind the library, sitting with the kittens. They recognized her now, and started meowing loudly the second they spotted her, wanting the food she brought. She’d heard from Khloe late last night, just a short text informing her that she was going to be gone at least another week.

Finley was worried about her friend, but until Khloe was ready to share what was going on, she didn’t know what she could do to help her. She could at least make sure the kittens Khloe had befriended were safe and sound when she returned from whatever mysterious trip she was on.

Finley needed to get to work on the day’s baking, but she was enjoying the peace and quiet of the morning. Just as she was getting ready to stand up and leave, a vehicle pulled into the lot and stopped behind the pool hall. It was the same black truck she’d seen the other day.

She hadn’t given the truck much thought when she’d first seen it, but now the hair on the back of her neck was sticking up. As she watched, the same man as before came around the side of the pool hall with a familiar backpack. He handed it over through the truck window, took another pack from the driver, and disappeared around the building a minute later.

But this time, the black truck didn’t immediately leave. It sat idling in the parking lot.

The longer it sat there, the more nervous Finley got. She didn’t think she could be seen, sitting as she was between the dumpster and the building, with no sunrise in sight. Still…she memorized the license plate, then stood slowly and backed toward Doc Snow’s clinic.

When she was halfway to the corner of the building, the brake lights on the truck came on.

They were bright in the otherwise dark lot—and Finley had no doubt that she could be seen if the driver looked in the rearview mirror.

Not wanting to know what she’d just witnessed, she turned and walked as fast as she could around the corner. As soon as she was out of sight of the truck, she broke into a run. Cutting across the square and praying whoever was inside the truck hadn’t seen her.

She had her keys out and ready as she approached The Sweet Tooth. She fumbled a little with the key, but then she was inside, safe and sound. Finley was breathing hard, not because the jog across the square had winded her that much, but from the adrenaline coursing through her veins.

This was apparently one of Davis’s not-so-good mornings, as he hadn’t been waiting for her when she arrived. For the first time ever, Finley was nervous to be alone in her shop.

It was that thought that had her straightening her shoulders and taking a deep breath. No, she wasn’t going to be scared to be here. This was Fallport. She was safe. And there was no proof that whatever she’d seen had been anything nefarious…

Okay. While Finley wasn’t sure what she’d seen, she also wasn’t an idiot. No one met at o-dark thirty in the morning in an empty parking lot, behind the pool hall at that, and exchanged something through the window of a truck if they weren’t doing something suspicious.

A knock on the door behind her scared Finley so much, she let out an undignified squeal and spun around. Relief swept over her when she saw Brock standing there. There was a back door to the bakery, just as there was for each of the businesses in the square, but Finley rarely used it for whatever reason. She’d gotten used to coming around to the front, to make sure the sidewalk and the front of the shop was clean and professional looking.

Quickly unlocking the door, Finley smiled at Brock. “Hi!” she said a little too loudly.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, picking up on her weird mood immediately.

“Nothing. I’m good.”

“Finley—what’s up?” Brock insisted. “And don’t say nothing again. I know you. Something’s wrong. You haven’t even turned on the light in the kitchen yet and when I walked up, I could see you just standing here, staring off into space.”

For some reason, Finley didn’t want to talk about what had happened that morning. Mostly because nothing had happened. It was likely she was blowing things out of proportion. She’d feel stupid if she got someone in trouble for nothing. “Seriously, I’m fine. I’m just running a little late this morning,” she told Brock, feeling bad for even the small white lie. “I spent too much time with the kittens, and I was just standing here thinking about what I wanted to make for the day.”

Brock stared at her for a long moment before nodding. “All right. But if something was wrong, you know that you can talk to me about it, right? I don’t care what it is, don’t be afraid to come to me.”

“I do know, and thank you,” Finley said. The more seconds ticked by, the more she was sure she’d overreacted.

“Good. Now…how about a good-morning kiss?” he asked, holding his arms out.

Smiling, Finley walked into his embrace and gave him a hard hug. Being held by him felt so damn good. Safe. She lifted her head after a moment without letting him go and he lowered his lips to hers. The kiss wasn’t devastatingly passionate, it was just the right amount of tender and adoring for the situation.

He didn’t drop his arms when he lifted his lips. He stared down at her long enough for Finley to feel a little uncomfortable. It felt as if he could read her mind. As if he could tell how badly she wanted him. How scared she was that she was going to do something to mess things up between them.

How nervous she was about what had happened in the parking lot behind the library.

But he didn’t say anything other than, “What’s on the menu this morning?” when he finally released her.

By the time Liam showed up, and the cinnamon rolls, muffins, and cranberry pumpkin bread were done, Finley had all but forgotten the weird incident from that morning. In the light of day, she felt silly for being scared. She put the incident out of her mind…but not before jotting down the license plate number of the black truck on a piece of paper and putting it in the box of recipes she kept on one of the kitchen counters.

* * *

That night, Finley found herself at the small house Caryn was now living in with Drew. It was a rental, but they were both perfectly all right with their living arrangement for the moment. The house was near Caryn’s grandfather’s, and she was still nervous about leaving Art by himself…even if he was almost one hundred percent healed from being stabbed.

She’d called to invite Finley over because Lilly was freaking out about her wedding. Not getting cold feet, per se, but wondering if it was too soon to get married. Elsie and Bristol were already there when Finley arrived.

The other women each had a glass of wine in their hands and Finley saw a bottle of moonshine sitting on the counter. Caryn was friends with Clyde Thomas, who made some of the best hooch in this part of Virginia, and she’d obviously brought out the big guns. She no longer drank herself—not after a scary night at The Cellar, where some local firefighters intentionally got her wasted—but she had no problem with her friends imbibing.

“Do not pass go without taking a shot,” Elsie ordered, pointing to a shot glass and the moonshine sitting on the counter as Finley entered the house.

Grinning, she did as ordered, wincing a little at the burn of the moonshine as it went down. If someone had asked her last year if she’d ever be doing shots with her girl posse, she would’ve said no way in hell. But in just a few short months, these four women had become the best friends she’d ever had, and she’d walk through fire to make sure they were safe and happy…and she knew they’d do the same for her in return.

She sat, and Bristol said, “To catch you up…Lilly’s worried that she and Ethan moved too fast and that she’s crazy for marrying him right now. We all think she’s wrong, and I personally think she’s just freaking out because of all the last-minute wedding stuff.”

Finley curled her legs under her on the couch. She took a sip of the wine she’d poured before sitting down and looked at Lilly. The other woman did look extremely stressed. “Do you love him?” she asked.

“Yes.” Lilly’s answer was immediate. She didn’t have to think about her response at all.

“Have you talked to him about this?” she asked.

Lilly sighed and shook her head as she looked into her wine glass.

“Right,” Finley said. “I’m probably the last person whose advice you should take, since I’ve never been engaged or even in a long-term relationship, but I’ve seen you and Ethan together, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone as in love as you guys are. Ethan’s eyes are always on you, even when you aren’t paying attention. He watches out for you as if he’s ready to leap in front of a speeding bullet for you at any moment. If I had a guy like that? If a man loved me as much as Ethan loves you? I wouldn’t wait for a wedding ceremony. I’d drag his butt down to the courthouse and get his ring on my finger, pronto.”

Lilly’s shoulders relaxed as she contemplated Finley’s words.

“What’s really bothering you?” Elsie asked. “What can we do to help take some stress off your shoulders?”

“I don’t know. I’m just being stupid,” Lilly mumbled.

“You are the least stupid person I know,” Elsie countered. “Now spill.”

For the next hour, the five friends brainstormed ways to mitigate the stress the upcoming wedding ceremony was putting on Lilly. Even though it was late to make changes, less than two weeks until the wedding, the women did so anyway. Instead of doing a plated dinner for the guests, Elsie would meet with Sandra to come up with a menu that could be served buffet style. Since Lilly was the town’s only videographer, and she obviously couldn’t film her own wedding, Caryn volunteered to get in touch with someone she knew. The woman was a photographer back in New York, where Caryn used to live. Her studio had caught on fire, and as a firefighter on the scene, Caryn had managed to save almost all of her cameras. The woman had told her anytime she needed a favor, she only needed to ask.

Finley volunteered to come even earlier in the morning with the wedding cake and help with whatever needed doing, and Elsie had said she’d bring Tony over as well. Her son was still young, but he had a ton of energy and wouldn’t mind being put to work setting up chairs and whatever.

By the end of the hour, Lilly was feeling much better. It might’ve been the alcohol mellowing her out, but since she’d only had one glass, Finley figured it was mostly because of her friends.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” she said sappily. “You’re the bestest friends ever! And now I’m sick of talking about me. Honestly, I can’t wait until this wedding is over. I just want my life to go back to the way it was…except I’ll be Mrs. Lilly Watson.”

“I have to say that I’m pretty happy Zeke and I agreed not to do a big ceremony,” Elsie said with a small grin. “I mean, there are days where I feel kinda sad I didn’t get the white dress and everything that goes along with it, but then I think about how much money and how many headaches we saved ourselves, and I’m relieved.”

“Don’t even get me started on the money,” Lilly moaned.

Everyone chuckled.

“You know as well as we do that Ethan couldn’t care less about the money,” Bristol said.

“I know. And I am grateful for you, Bristol. We couldn’t have found a better place to get married than on your property. I can’t believe how awesome your barn turned out.”

“It did turn out really good, didn’t it?” she asked with a smile.

“How’s that stained-glass piece for Sunny Side Up coming along?” Finley asked.

“It’s almost done,” Bristol said.

“Tell us honestly, how much would something like that usually cost if you were selling it?” Elsie asked.

Bristol grinned. “You don’t want to know.”

“Yes, we do!” the others all said together.

“Well, it kind of depends on what the buyer is willing to pay. But based on the size and how long it’s taken me…probably mid six figures,” Bristol said with a shrug.

Finley stared at her in shock. And realized the others were all looking at her the same way.

“Seriously?”

“Yeah,” Bristol said with a small grin.

“That’s so freaking awesome!” Elsie exclaimed.

“And to think, Fallport has a Bristol Wingham original!” Lilly added.

“And we know her!” Caryn threw in.

“Please tell me you got Bigfoot in there,” Finley begged. They’d all heard the plans for the stained glass, which included the elusive creature peeking out from behind a tree, but no one had seen it yet.

“Of course it does,” Bristol said with a laugh. “It’s the best part of the piece. Well, that and my man’s ass.”

Everyone burst out laughing.

“I didn’t tell him it was his ass, but I couldn’t resist. I might be biased, but it’s the best ass in Fallport,” Bristol said.

A short but spirited debate ensued on whose man had the best ass, but Finley kept quiet as the others went on and on about their men’s butts.

Then Caryn smirked and turned to her. “We might think our guys have the best butts, but I’m thinking Brock wins hands down when it comes to muscular arms.”

Finley blushed. She wasn’t sure why. They weren’t talking about her arms.

“Oh my God, right?” Bristol said. “I swear he could bench press a bear.”

“I’m guessing they feel pretty damn good wrapped around you, huh, Finley?”

She could only nod.

“And propping himself up while he makes slow, sweet love to you,” Elsie teased.

It was obvious the alcohol she’d consumed was making her friend bolder than she would’ve been otherwise, but Finley didn’t take offense. How could she when she’d fantasized about the same thing?

“Well, I don’t have any firsthand knowledge of that, but I’m guessing you aren’t wrong,” she told her.

“Damn, I lost that bet,” Elsie said with a pout.

Frowning, she asked, “What bet?” All of a sudden, no one would meet her eye. “Guys? What bet?”

“It was all in good fun,” Caryn said after a moment. “We just had a slight wager on whether you and Brock had already been together or not. And if not, when it would happen.”

Finley wasn’t sure if she should be mad at her friends or not, but decided if the roles were reversed, she’d be just as curious and want in on that action.

Brock had certainly been spending a lot of time with her. He’d been to her shop every morning and they’d spent every evening together. Not only that, but the incident at the bowling alley had spread like wildfire, as well. Everyone knew that Brock had been drenched with a beer thrown by a tourist. Hell, the fact that he’d gone to her house afterward had also been discussed. So she wasn’t surprised her friends just assumed she and Brock had slept together already.

“You aren’t mad, are you?” Elsie asked, biting her lip. “We didn’t actually wager money. We each put our favorite candy bar in the pot.”

Finley frowned. “I can’t believe you,” she said softly. “I thought we were friends.” She paused dramatically, then let everyone off the hook by saying, “Leaving me out of a bet that involves chocolate is just mean.”

Everyone laughed in relief.

“Girl, you had me going. I thought you were really pissed,” Lilly said.

“I’m not,” Finley said. “I mean, if I were you, I’d think the same thing. And for the record…I’m ready. More than ready. We’ve only been hanging out a couple of weeks, but Brock is…well…he’s pretty darn amazing.”

The others all agreed.

“He’s had his eye on you for as long as I’ve known you both,” Caryn said. “And I’m the newcomer to this group. If I noticed, that means he’s probably been watching you for a lot longer than I realized.”

“You aren’t wrong,” Bristol said. “I remember noticing at the Fourth of July parade that he couldn’t take his eyes off you.”

“Every time we get together, he spends the whole night staring our way. I actually thought at first he didn’t like me or something, or maybe he didn’t like all the women crashing their guy time…until I realized it’s Finley he’s always looking at,” Elsie added.

“You guys are exaggerating,” she argued, but deep down, she couldn’t help but feel all warm and fuzzy.

“Nope. But then again, you weren’t exactly subtle in the looks you were giving him either,” Elsie said.

“Right? Staring at him all longingly, and the second he turned her way, she’d study the ground as if it was the most interesting thing she’d ever seen,” Bristol said with a laugh.

“Can we talk about something else?” Finley asked desperately.

“Nope. We already did that, now we’re talking about you,” Lilly told her.

“Fine. I like him. He likes me. And for whatever reason, he doesn’t seem to mind the extra weight I’m carrying.”

“Of course he doesn’t!” Lilly exclaimed.

“There’s no ‘of course’ about it,” Finley said. “Most men aren’t into big women like me.”

“But Brock clearly is. He’s a large guy himself. I can totally see why he’d be into you. Aside from the fact you’re gorgeous, he doesn’t have to worry about hurting you if he gets…overexuberant,” Caryn said, wiggling her brows.

“Right? Could you see him with someone my size?” Bristol asked. “No way.”

Finley wasn’t offended. And her friends weren’t wrong. “All right, all right. We’re both sexy and perfectly suited…now there’s just one problem,” she whined.

“What?” they all asked at once.

“Now you’ve got me all hot and bothered and all I can think about are his biceps flexing when he’s propping himself over me.”

They all burst out laughing.

This felt good. Really damn good. Finley had never had close girlfriends she could talk about sex with. And while she and Brock weren’t having sex yet…she had a feeling it wouldn’t be long. And she was perfectly all right with that. She wanted Brock, and it was obvious he wanted her too. She didn’t give a damn how fast things between them were moving. She’d seen her friends’ relationships move just as quickly, and they were some of the most in-love people she’d ever met.

Honestly, Finley wanted that too. Whether or not she’d have it with Brock was still to be determined, but she wasn’t going to let any opportunity to have sex with him slip away.

“I needed this,” Lilly said. “I feel stupid that I was freaking out now. I love Ethan so much, and of course I want to marry him. I appreciate all your help more than I can say. And if any of you ever need anything from me, all you have to do is ask. Or even hint. I’ll be right there to help you out.”

“Same here,” Elsie said. “You’ve all been so great with Tony. He loves seeing you at his soccer games. You’re all honorary aunts to him.”

“And I can’t begin to thank you all for what you’ve done for me,” Bristol added. “I’m not the most outgoing person, and being laid up with a bum leg didn’t exactly help. But you guys never hesitated to come over and keep me company when I was bored out of my mind.”

“You mean to annoy you,” Elsie quipped.

Everyone chuckled, but Bristol said, “You guys are never annoying.”

“Never?” Caryn asked.

“Okay, maybe I should’ve added usually.” Bristol grinned. “And I’m thankful that Lilly’s going to work all the kinks out of the wedding thing in the barn,” she went on. “By the time it’s my turn, we’ll know what works and what doesn’t.” She winked at Lilly.

“It’s all going to work just fine,” Finley said firmly. “And even if it doesn’t,” she said, addressing Lilly, “will you care? Please tell me you aren’t going to turn into a bridezilla. You’ve been pretty even-keeled so far, and tonight doesn’t count.”

“No bridezilla,” Lilly reassured them.

“Even if it rains?” Elsie asked.

“Nope.”

“What if I drop your wedding cake?” Finley asked.

“Then someone will run to the box store and grab as many cupcakes as they can get and we’ll eat those,” Lilly said firmly.

Finley shuddered. “Bite your tongue. You can’t give your guests that crap!”

“Then don’t drop my cake,” Lilly countered.

Laughing, she nodded. “Right.”

“Honestly, now that I’m feeling more mellow, I’ve remembered that the only thing that matters is being with Ethan. I don’t even care what people show up wearing, although I really would prefer this shindig to be laid-back and not stuffy or anything. And I don’t care what we eat, or if the music is loud enough, or anything. I just want my friends and family there to see Ethan and I get married.”

“And that’s what you’re going to get,” Elsie said firmly.

“Love you guys,” Lilly said with a sniff.

“No crying!” Caryn exclaimed.

“The big bad firefighter doesn’t want to be seen sobbing,” Finley teased.

She wasn’t sure who started it, but the next thing Finley knew, she was in the middle of a huge pillow fight. Everyone was giggling and laughing and even getting beaned with a pillow to the face wasn’t enough to dim Finley’s good mood.

When they were suitably tired, all five women lay sprawled out around the small living room. Pillows were all over the floor and someone had knocked over a half-full glass of water, but Caryn didn’t seem to care.

“Khloe should be here,” Bristol said after a moment.

“Yeah, anyone hear from her?” Lilly asked.

“I got a text from her asking if I could continue to look after the kittens a little while longer. That she should be back in a week or so, if things went well,” Finley said.

“If what things went well?” Elsie asked.

“I have no clue,” she said with a shrug.

“Do we think she’s in trouble?” Caryn asked.

“Why would she be in trouble? She barely says a word to anyone,” Bristol said. “But I do think she’s got some pretty deep secrets.”

“Would Raiden know?” Lilly asked.

“If he doesn’t, I bet he’s not happy about being in the dark,” Bristol observed.

“He likes her, doesn’t he?” Elsie asked.

“I think so. But he’s definitely not ready to admit it,” Lilly told them.

“I just hope he doesn’t wait until it’s too late,” Bristol fretted.

Everyone was quiet for a while, thinking about what in the world Khloe could be hiding…maybe whether or not Raid could get anything out of her.

“Right, so…when she gets back…Operation Befriend Khloe will start?” Lilly asked.

“She’s already our friend,” Bristol protested.

“I know, but we need to step it up. If something’s going on with her, something she needs help with, we need to figure out what it is before anything bad happens,” Lilly said, then held up her hand as if to stop any protests. Not that anyone was about to say anything. “All I’m saying is that we need her to truly understand that we’re here for her. Enough shit has gone down with all of us that we know sometimes bad things happen to the best people.”

She wasn’t wrong. “What about Talon?” Finley asked.

Four pairs of eyes swung in her direction.

“What about him?” Caryn asked.

“He’s the only one without a girlfriend. I mean, Raiden and Khloe aren’t dating, but it’s obvious that’s only because they’re both so stubborn. We need to find Tal a girl.”

“I’m thinking no one ‘finds’ women for our guys. Can you imagine what he’d say if we tried to set him up?” Lilly asked.

“Besides, who would we set him up with?” Elsie asked.

“I think he hides how sensitive and serious he can be behind that British humor,” Bristol added. “He’s always trying to lighten the mood, but deep down, I think he wants what his friends have.”

Finley nodded. “I’ve noticed that too.”

“He needs someone to take care of,” Caryn said quietly. “And I don’t mean that in a bad way.”

“I understand,” Bristol said. “Out of all the guys, he came to visit me the most. He was always bringing me food and things to read. He even drove to Roanoke one day to go to this bead store because he heard me talking about how I got most of my supplies from there.”

“He did?” Lilly asked.

“Uh-huh. And I agree with Caryn. He wouldn’t last long with someone super independent. He should be with someone who needs him,” Bristol mused.

“Do we know anyone like that?” Finley asked.

The room was silent as they all racked their brains.

Elsie sighed. “I don’t.”

“Me either,” Lilly said.

“Well, crap. We can’t exactly put out an ad in the newspaper that says, “If you’re down on your luck, or running from an ex, or have fourteen kids and need a sugar daddy, we’ve got the guy for you,” Caryn complained.

Finley laughed along with the others, though she also felt a little sad. Caryn wasn’t wrong. Talon needed a partner he could take care of, who’d take care of him in return. But most women these days were pretty independent. Society had taught them to be that way, which wasn’t a bad thing.

“Everyone keep your eyes open,” Lilly ordered. “Talon can’t be the only one of our guys without a woman.”

“You think someone perfect for him is just gonna drop out of the sky?” Elsie teased.

“Well, we all found ourselves here in Fallport kind of unexpectedly. Who’s to say the perfect woman for him won’t show up out of the blue?”

“True. All right. Are we all good now?” Elsie asked. “Everyone’s happy? No one’s thinking about backing out of any weddings?” She eyed Lilly and Bristol as she said it.

Both women shook their heads.

“Don’t look at me,” Caryn said with a laugh. “Drew and I aren’t ready to get married. We’re totally committed, but for now, we’re just taking things one day at a time.”

“And you’re good, Finley? You’ll let us know how amazing and awesome Brock is when he rocks your world?”

“Only if I can get some of the candy bars you guys were betting on me,” she retorted.

“Deal!” Elsie said. “And for the record, Zeke and I are good. Great. And now I’m gonna go home and fuck my man and see if he can’t put a baby in my belly.”

Pandemonium broke out at that, as everyone wanted to know how long they’d been trying, and if she could actually be pregnant already.

“Well, I don’t think so, I wouldn’t have been drinking tonight if I thought I was. And I’ll be damned if I tell Zeke the second I do get pregnant,” Elsie said.

“You won’t? Why not?” Lilly asked in concern.

Elsie winked. “Because I’m enjoying the hell out of him doing everything in his power to knock me up. I know the second I tell him he succeeded, he’s gonna treat me as if I’m a piece of glass.”

“Right, that actually makes perfect sense,” Lilly said.

Finley agreed.

“So…since we’re all good, I’m calling Zeke. Anyone else need a ride?”

No one did. They all said they’d call their men to come and get them, since they’d been drinking. Finley didn’t even think twice about calling Brock as well.

All the guys arrived around the same time, and Finley hugged each of her friends goodbye before letting Brock escort her to his truck. She climbed in, scooting over to the passenger side as usual.

“Have fun?” he asked when they were on their way.

“Uh-huh.”

“Good.”

“You don’t want to know what we talked about?” she asked.

“Nope.”

Finley grinned.

“Although…with that grin, I might be rethinking my answer,” Brock said.

He stayed at her house for a while, after making sure she drank a large glass of water and took some painkillers, to try to mitigate any kind of hangover. They made out on her couch, and Finley couldn’t keep her hands off his biceps. She’d encouraged him to take his shirt off, and it was all she could do not to shove her hands down his pants.

“We need to stop,” he sighed, lifting his head.

“Why?” Finley whined.

Brock propped himself over her, and Finley stared up at him. She was horny, damn it—and she wanted this man.

“Because I want our first time to be special. You have to get up in about five hours. And I want you completely clear-headed when we make love.”

That was sweet, but Finley felt compelled to say, “I’m not drunk.”

“I know. And I’m already looking forward to fucking you when one or both of us has had too much to drink. But not tonight.”

She knew enough about Brock to know once his mind was made up, he wouldn’t budge. So she merely pouted at him.

In response, Brock threw his head back and laughed. Even that was sexy as hell. When he had himself under control, he traced a brow with one of his fingers as he studied her with a tender look in his eyes.

“For the record? I’m ready,” she informed him. “I know it hasn’t been too long since we started dating, but I’ve wanted you for what feels like forever. I’m kinda over waiting.”

His pupils dilated as she watched. “Good,” he said after a moment.

“Shoot. That didn’t convince you?” she asked plaintively.

He chuckled. “For tonight? No. But did it move my timetable up? Definitely.”

“Good,” she echoed.

“I’m willing to wait for as long as it takes for you to be completely sure of this. Of us.”

“I’m sure,” Finley said. “I’m old enough to know a good man when I have him. And you, Brock, are one of the finest men I’ve ever known. It’s icing on my specialty chocolate cherry cheesecake that you don’t seem to care that I’m overweight. Or that I’m shy around people I don’t know…or people I want to like me.”

“I more than like you,” he said without hesitation. “And you’re perfect, Fin, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Come on, see me out,” he said as he prepared to get up.

Finley gripped his biceps tightly. “Brock?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t make me wait too long.”

“I won’t,” he promised, his gaze heated.

“Good. Because the girls have a bet going about when we’ll get together, as in, you know…get together. And it involves candy bars.”

Brock laughed. “What’s your favorite?”

“Candy bar?”

“Yeah.”

“Anything with caramel in it.”

“Done. I’ll bring you a whole stack.”

Finley giggled. “Cool.”

He leaned down and kissed her again. And by the time he heaved himself up and off her, his erection was impossible to miss and Finley’s underwear was soaked. Grabbing her hand, he hauled her off the couch and held on as he walked to her door. He kissed her once more, a long, almost desperate kiss, and it was obvious how difficult it was for him to leave.

“See you in the morning,” he said as he backed down her front sidewalk, prolonging their goodbye.

Finley nodded. “You know that you don’t need to keep coming in the morning, right?” she asked. “Davis has been a huge help, and I’m actually able to keep up with the baking now that Liam is there.”

“I know. Do you not want me there?” he asked.

“No! It’s not that. I just know how hard you work at your shop. I feel guilty that you’re getting up early to help me and then going to do your own work afterward.”

“It’s not a hardship,” he said. “I’d much rather start out my day with you than alone in my bed.”

It was on the tip of her tongue to say that he could start out his day with her and not be alone in his bed, but she swallowed the words. He said he wanted to wait, and she wasn’t going to force him into anything he wasn’t ready for. “Then I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Yes, you will,” Brock said. Then he finally turned and strode to his truck. He waved with two fingers and motioned toward her door with his chin.

Knowing he wouldn’t leave until she was locked behind her door, Finley waved and turned to head back inside. She smiled as she continued toward her bedroom. There was no way she’d be able to get to sleep without releasing some of the sexual tension inside her.

“Soon,” she said out loud, smiling at the thought. Soon she’d have Brock to help her relieve her tension in the best way possible. She couldn’t wait.

* * *

“If you think I’m gonna let some small-town asshole of a police chief take me down, you’re fucking stupid,” the deep voice on the other end of the phone seethed.

“I said I’d take care of it, and I will,” the person known only as “The Boss” said tersely.

“She fucking saw me,” the man said. “I don’t know where she came from or what the hell she was doing lurking in that parking lot so early, but when I looked in my rearview, she was standing there staring at my truck. I need to know what she saw.”

“I know,” The Boss said, already bored with the conversation. The entire operation depended on this asshole. He came to town three times a week, bringing the pills necessary to keep the narcotics business in Fallport up and running. No one suspected who the local connection might be, and they’d never find out…as long as the fucking baker kept her mouth shut.

“So, what are you going to do about it?” the supplier demanded.

The Boss didn’t like being questioned, but if the money was going to continue to flow uninterrupted, the supplier needed to be appeased. “I’m gonna send some guys to question her. Find out what she saw.”

“And if she saw too much? Told people? Then what?” the supplier insisted.

“Then they’ll take care of her.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.”

“Fine. But the next delivery’s on hold until I’m sure things are clear. Again, I’m not being busted by some backwoods cop. No fucking way.”

Irritation swam in The Boss’s veins. Fuck this guy for withholding the pills. People were counting on this fucker. The business was counting on him. There were people to pay. This asshole’s reluctance to return to Fallport meant customers might start looking elsewhere for their needs. And that was unacceptable. “I’ll come to you then. I’ll send one of my guys to Roanoke to make the exchange.”

“Not one of your guys. You. I don’t fucking trust anyone until I know what that fat bitch saw.”

“Fine. When?”

A time and place was determined for the meeting, and The Boss fumed after hanging up the phone.

Fucking baker. She shouldn’t have been in that goddamn parking lot. And if she told anyone what she’d seen, she’d regret it.

Clicking the disposable phone back on, The Boss tapped the number of a client. He wasn’t the smartest tool in the shed, but he’d do what was asked of him without question.

“Yo, Boss, what’s up?” he answered.

“I have a job for you.”

“Cool,” he said.

By the time The Boss hung up, things had been arranged. Pete and Cory would follow the baker and get her alone. Then they’d find out how much she saw of the drug drop and if she’d mentioned it to anyone. Whether she’d seen anything or not, they’d rough her up enough to scare her into staying silent.

If she dared tell anyone about that little chat…they’d go back and make sure she couldn’t open her big mouth ever again.

Satisfied that things were smoothed over for now, The Boss turned off the burner phone and went into the garage. Once it was smashed into a hundred pieces, it was placed inside a plastic bag, along with a week’s worth of dog poop from the yard. On the way to do some errands later, it would be thrown into a random trash can in town. There were a dozen more phones where that one came from.

A trip to Roanoke was inconvenient, but not impossible. And hopefully it would be the last one for a very long while. The operation needed to continue as it had been…but with a different meeting spot for the handoff. Behind The Cellar had been ideal. One of the bartenders was a very loyal customer, and he had no problem meeting the supplier to grab the pills. Now the handoff would have to take place elsewhere. All because of that fat fuck.

Pastries and other fattening shit wasn’t The Boss’s thing, but it looked like a trip to The Sweet Tooth was in order to check the bitch out. Learning all there was to know about the enemy was not only smart, it was imperative if the operation was going to continue to run as smoothly as it always had.

Smiling, The Boss put the bag of shit and the destroyed phone on the driveway to be picked up when it was time to leave. Things with the baker had been taken care of as well as they could be right now, so it was time to get ready for a trip to the bank. Money from the latest transactions had to be deposited, then it would be time to pick up the kids from school.

It was just another normal day in Fallport.