4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Indy — Then

“ F aster, Nolan. Faster.”

He gave me a look like I was crazy, his skin hot and slick as he tipped me back, my hair brushing the hardwood floor. His hand gripped the front of my shorts, tugging me up. My boots had barely touched the ground before he was spinning me, his hand never losing mine. “She Won’t Be Lonely Long” by Clay Walker played through the bar, and I faintly registered the waves of bodies surrounding us as Nolan lifted me off the floor. My body putty beneath his hands, I looped my arms over his shoulders as he held me up, guiding my legs to one side of his body and then the other. I briefly straddled his waist before he used our momentum to lift me in a candlestick lift. Elbows bent, I braced my head against his shoulder, my legs toward the ceiling and in a figure four.

He made me feel like I could fly.

My hair a curtain around our faces, we shared a breathless laugh as we held the lift long enough for the song to end. After he’d lowered me to the floor, we ran off hand in hand to let the next couple dance. “We’re definitely winning,” I said after both of us had gotten a drink of water. “Only way we don’t is because they rigged it. ”

Nolan chuckled behind me, pressing his chest against my back. His chin rested atop my head, his fingers tucked in the front pocket of my shorts. “I don’t know about that. I think your legs might’ve looked a little sloppy during that last lift.”

I gasped, twisting in his hold to face him. “They did not! I can’t believe you’d say something like that to me—”

He laughed, pulling me against his sweaty chest despite my efforts to leave. “You were hot as sin up there, peaches.” His voice was a low murmur. “We should win for that alone.”

I cocked a brow. “Hot as sin, huh? How sinful are you thinking—”

He squeezed my hips, the tips of his fingers catching the fringe on my crop top. “You’re trouble, you know that?”

I gave him an innocent smile, hearing the affection in his voice. I left a kiss on his jaw before I spun in his hold, wanting to watch the couple dancing. Once a year, Heath, the owner of Ye Olde Trusty Tavern, shut off his beer taps and opened his doors to host a country swing dance competition. I had no idea if it was legal, nor did I care. I assumed that since more than half the town was here—including our one and only preacher—no one cared enough to stop a good time.

I wasn’t a natural-born dancer. It was a hobby, one I’d hung onto and somehow managed to drag Nolan into. Mom said I should focus on something I could make a real career out of, but I didn’t care. I loved it. Cherished how it felt to slip away from the world. How well my frame molded with Nolan’s. I trusted him with my body more than I did myself. It didn’t matter if we were doing a simple two-step or if I was being tossed in the air; we became something different. Something worth more than gold.

This was our third time competing, and if the cheers after we’d completed our dance were indication enough, we’d walk away with our third first-place trophy.

It would be the perfect way for us to say goodbye to Wallowpine.

The judges must’ve felt similarly, as thirty minutes later, a first-place trophy was in my hands. “Congratulations, you two. I’ll sure miss seeing you around,” Heath said. “Try not to forget about us when you make it big. ”

“I’m playing college baseball.” Nolan shrugged. “I wouldn’t call that making it big.”

Heath waved him off, pulling his dark hair back in a ponytail. “One day, you’re going to stand in my bar and tell me your biggest dreams came true. The whole town believes you’re going to go pro.”

Nolan’s cheeks reddened, like they always did at the mention of him playing baseball. His fingers shook, and I slipped his hand into mine as more of the town made their way over, wishing him the best. Telling him they couldn’t wait to see him on the big screen. Take care of our boy , they told me. We’re trusting you!

They meant well. They were excited. It was slim pickings in Wallowpine, and it wasn’t often you had a standout athlete like Nolan. He was ranked one of the top pitchers in the state and had a real shot at playing professional ball. I imagined the town felt invested in his dream.

But sometimes . . . I’d like for them all to kiss my ass.

“I’m ready to go if you are,” I said once we had a moment to ourselves, knowing he’d done this competition for me. “But if you want to stay, I’m happy with that too.”

He glanced around the crowded room, his throat bobbing. “You don’t mind leaving?”

I raised my trophy. “I got what I wanted. I won.”

The corner of his mouth ticked up, his words a warm caress. “Me too.” I beamed, leaning into him as he left a parting kiss on my cheek. “I’m going to go say bye to the guys real quick. I’ll meet you at the truck?”

I nodded, trailing him with my gaze as he made his way over to some of his teammates from his high school baseball team. His nerves appeared to ease as he fell into groove with the guys, all of them laughing at something he said. After ensuring Nolan was good, I walked outside to the parking lot. I pulled on the door handle to his truck, rolling my eyes when I realized I’d forgotten to ask for his keys. With a groan, I started back toward the bar, stopping when I heard a familiar voice say, “She’s embarrassing. ”

I peeked around Nolan’s truck, finding Bethany and Lisa leaning against the hood of a car. We’d run around in the same crowd in school, and I gravitated toward them, stopping when Lisa said, “I feel sorry for her.”

Unease thickened in my gut, instinct telling me to leave. I knew better than to eavesdrop. But curiosity or perhaps self-deprecation had me staying put. “Don’t feel sorry for her,” Bethany said. “It’ll be her own fault when he leaves her high and dry. That’s what she gets for being a gold digger.”

The lighting was dim, but I could’ve sworn Lisa gave her an irritated look. “How is she a gold digger? They’ve been together since freshman year.”

“Yeah, but Nolan’s a good guy. He probably feels like they’ve been together too long to walk away now.”

“Maybe.”

Bethany shrugged, and I thought that might be the end of it until she said, “His mom had no problem abandoning her family. Who’s to say he won’t follow in her footsteps and leave Indy?”

Nolan pulled his truck off the highway and onto the dirt road leading to my house. But instead of driving down it, he eased off onto the side of the road. He switched his truck off, the lights flickering out with it. A mountain breeze stirred through the open windows, a warm kiss of air. It was dark, quiet. There was no one here but us.

Exactly how I liked it.

We only had a handful of nights like this left. In three days, we’d be in the city. Nolan would be attending Arizona Canyon University, where he’d be playing baseball. It was in Phoenix, only a couple of hours away, but I’d only ever known Wallowpine.

I was about to suggest we go to our spot when he asked, “Are you going to make me work for it, or are you going to tell me what’s up?” Despite the nerves in my belly, I smiled. He wasn’t one to beat around the bush—not with me. “I’m not opposed to hard work, but you ran me ragged dancing tonight, so please let me into that pretty mind of yours.”

“Are you hurting?” I reached for his right shoulder, his pitching arm. He’d injured it this past season, strained some muscles from throwing one too many pitches. “I’m sorry. Dancing was a bad idea—”

“I’m good. The doc said so, remember?” He smiled faintly, silently assuring me he was fine. He might have been cleared by a doctor, but Nolan never liked to show his cards. Before I could further ensure he was okay, his fingers stroked mine. “Talk to me, peaches. Tell me what’s going on.”

Heat crawled up my skin. “Do you think I’m a gold digger?”

He snorted. “If you have a sugar daddy and you haven’t been sharing, I’m—” I scowled, and he cleared his throat, his lips twitching. “Why would I ever think that?”

“I might’ve heard Lisa and Bethany saying something along those lines.” I kicked off my red boots, bringing my knees to my chest. “They’re just saying what everyone’s thinking. That I’m piggybacking on your dreams, and hopefully you’ll wise up and dump me before I rob you blind.”

It was ridiculous. I knew who I was, what my intentions were. Most of all, it was confusing. In one breath, they’d tell me to watch out for Nolan, yet in the next, they claimed I was mooching off his dreams because I didn’t have any of my own. It didn’t matter what I did—sometimes it felt like the whole town was against me.

“They say anything else?” His voice was calm, steady. I wasn’t surprised. Besides on the ball field, I’d never seen Nolan get riled up over anything.

I shook my head, choosing not to reveal how they’d compared him to his mom. It wasn’t true, and bringing it up would only hurt him.

Lord knew that woman had hurt him enough.

“I’m guessing this is why I saw you give Bethany our trophy?”

I gave him a sheepish grin. “I told her she could have it since I only like real gold.”

Nolan laughed, shaking his head as he grabbed my hand and urged me out of my seat and across the cab. I settled sideways on his lap, my legs dangling over his. I rested my head against his shoulder, already feeling the pressure in my chest ease.

It didn’t matter where our paths led us, so long as I always ended up here.

“They don’t know what I know. They don’t know us.” His fingers danced over my legs. “It’s you who made me believe I was worth something. Every time I’ve wanted to quit, you’re the one who keeps me going. You’re not mooching off my dreams, you’re giving them life.” He lifted my chin with his finger and thumb, holding my gaze. “We’re almost out of here, Indy. Soon, nothing else will matter but us.”

He sealed his words with a kiss, lingering until I melted like butter against him. I didn’t care what this town or even Mom thought—I only cared about Nolan. “I’m always going to believe in you.”

“Good. Because there’s something we should talk about.” He rubbed at his jaw with his hand and my stomach twisted with panic at the slight shake in his voice. Why does he sound so nervous? “I heard back from my advisor. It turns out we weren’t approved for couples housing. Apparently, they give priority to married couples. Since I’m a freshman, I have to live on campus . . . and you can only live on campus if you’re a student or married to one.”

“So I can’t live with you?”

He shook his head. “Not on campus.”

“Alright.” I blinked hard, refusing to cry over something as minimal as housing even though it felt like a boulder had crashed onto my lungs. “That’s okay, I don’t have to go. I’ll stay here and travel up on weekends. Maybe Mom will let me adjust my schedule to where I’m off for your home games. It won’t be forever, we’ll be fine—”

“Peaches.” Nolan palmed my face, squishing my cheeks, and despite the situation, I smiled. “I’m not leaving without you.”

“This isn’t about me—” I tried.

“I’m not leaving without you,” he repeated, his tone lined with gentle firmness.

My heart squeezed, and something that felt like guilt washed over me. “You’re not quitting. Not for me.”

“You’re right. I’m not quitting baseball, and I’m not quitting you.” He shifted me on his lap, turning me to face him. “There’s another option for us.”

I eyed him, seeing the way his throat bobbed. “What are you wanting to do?”

He smiled at me, and I should’ve known then: I would’ve done anything he wanted.

Nolan

“Tell me, son—were you bored, or does stirring up shit come naturally to you?”

I caught the pillow Dad tossed at me and threw it back, swallowing my laugh as his phone rang again. “I didn’t know you’d get dragged into it.”

“Like hell you didn’t.” He silenced his phone and plopped down on his recliner. It was after midnight, and I had to be up to work at the shop in the morning, but sleep was the last thing on my mind. “Any minute now, I’ll be forced to watch when Lila comes over and burns you to death.”

I laughed. Dad was over six feet tall and had at least a buck twenty-five on Lila Tyler, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he was scared of her. It was a miracle I’d made it home in one piece after we’d announced our plans to Indy’s parents. “Thanks for protecting me. You’re dad of the year.”

“I can’t die for you, Nolan. At least not until Levi graduates high school and Brooks is back in town to take care of you babies.”

“No one mommas us quite like Brooks.”

Dad smirked, running a hand through his full beard. “I dare you to call him momma.”

I raised my brows, silently promising I would. I’d get my ass kicked, but nothing was sweeter than getting under my older brother’s skin. I settled deeper into the couch, catching glimpses of reruns and sports highlights. “Do you think I’m making a mistake?”

“Do you? ”

I glanced down the hall to where my little brother slept, not surprised Dad hadn’t given me a straight answer. “Everyone else seems to.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

I groaned. “No, I don’t. But that’s not enough to stop everyone from running their mouths. Indy heard some girls call her a gold digger, talking about how I should wise up and dump her.” I rolled my fingers into a fist, thinking of what I’d heard with my own ears when Indy had stepped outside. When I didn’t have to worry about my hands anymore, I owed Sam a punch to the jaw for asking when I’d be done with her, claiming he was eager to get his hands on her wild ass.

I couldn’t wait to get Indy the hell out of this town.

“People are idiots.” His tone was matter-of-fact. “That girl had you wrapped around her finger before you could count to five. Seems like an awful lot of work on her part if her master plan is to steal your imaginary money.”

I raised my glass of water in thanks, not knowing what I’d do without him. I could always count on him to give it to me straight. “What do you think about Indy?”

He let out a heavy breath and switched off the television, likely understanding he couldn’t dodge this question. “Honestly?”

I dipped my chin, reminding myself his opinion wouldn’t change how I felt about her—she’d been my girlfriend for over three years for a reason.

“Wren and Jake seem to believe Indy’s as sweet as cherry pie. While I tend to favor their opinions over anyone else’s, I know she’s been said to match the devil in spirit. Ah—” He raised a hand, stopping me when I opened my mouth to defend her. “Let me finish. You know I don’t give a rat’s bottom what some town gossip has to say. But I also know that when Mr. Walsh gave you a hard time and it looked like you might not graduate, Indy took it upon herself to fix that.” He raised a brow and I grinned. “I know she did a whole lot more than just help you with your homework, son.”

I liked to believe that after Mr. Walsh conveniently lost not only my final essay, but also three exams, it was Indy’s persistence to help me catch up that let me graduate on time and keep my baseball scholarship. But part of me suspected it had something to do with how relentlessly she’d sought out revenge. They were harmless pranks, but after she poured baby powder into his car air vents, therefore turning our English teacher into a powdered donut, he must have been at his wits’ end.

A man could only take so much before he fell at the mercy of a woman.

I’d be so lucky to be at Indy’s mercy for the rest of my life.

“All that aside, I think she’s loyal. She’s got a good heart. The Lord knows she’ll go to battle for you. Does she have a fiery spirit? Yeah—but I’d rather that than a broken one. And I’ll be the first to admit she isn’t rowdier than my boys, and I think you are just fine.” He sat up in his chair, groaning as he scooted to the edge. His dark hair was mussed and pointing in every direction, flecks of gray growing in on the edges. There were heavy circles beneath his eyes, and part of me felt bad for keeping him up. But if Dad was tired, he didn’t let it show. “But I know you’ve got a ton of pressure on you right now. You’re starting college and playing ball with a whole new team. You’re chasing some pretty big dreams, and it’s understandable if you’re feeling overwhelmed . . . So if the fuss you started tonight is because you’re trying to hold on to a piece of home, now’s the time to tell me. I know you can’t live together on campus, but Brooks might know someone she could room with. Or if she needs her own place, we can figure it out. I can always strip some copper to bring in extra cash to help her with rent—”

I shook my head, struggling to speak past the lump in my throat. One might think, growing up in a house of only men, there’d be a lack of emotions. But Dad had always tried to engrain in our minds there was nothing weak about emotions, even the ones that hurt. It was something I hadn’t quite learned, so I waited until my voice was steady. “I want to marry her, Dad.”

“Now?”

“Now.”

He blew out a breath, relaxing against his recliner. “Alright.”

“Alright?” I scoffed as he turned back to the television. “That’s it? You’re not going to try and change my mind? Tell me women suck and they’ll only ruin my life? ”

“Women don’t suck,” he said with a deep belly laugh. “If that’s what you want to hear, go call your moody brother. I’m sure Brooks can find a way to talk you down.”

I snorted, not disagreeing with him. I’d bet anything the second Brooks met someone who shifted his world, Dad would have to tie him down to stop him from running away. Levi and I would have to stop the innocent girl from running from scary-ass Brooks, but I’d worry about that another time.

“But you’re not like that,” Dad whispered. “I know our . . . situation hasn’t always been the greatest, and I’m sorry for that. I always wanted more for you boys. But I’m glad you haven’t let the past close you off, Nolan. You’ve done good.” He rolled his neck, his shoulders stiff. I knew he didn’t like talking about Mom leaving, and I didn’t blame him. I didn’t either. “You and Indy are young, but I see the way you two run around town together. Who am I to say that’s not the type of love you fight for? Just be good to her, alright? I’d hate to see you two get so caught up in this dream that you lose sight of each other.”

This dream was everything. Baseball had given me a purpose, given me something to hold on to when Mom said she wanted more than the family life could offer her and deserted us. For years, I’d dedicated myself to playing ball. Made sacrifices when I would’ve rather slept in or gone out with friends. I was determined to make something of myself. And at the core of my hard work, my dream, was Indy. There was no way I could lose sight of her.

I nodded, and when he nodded back, that was conversation enough. There was nothing left to say. I would’ve married Indy regardless, but I was grateful I had his support. He was proud of me.

But that was only because he didn’t know the truth.