Page 31 of Pin-up Girl

So many nights, I’d imagined what BW actually kissed like. None of those fantasies prepared me for Brodie in person. Each time he did this, it was better. There had to be a bar, right? A point where the kisses stopped being incredible?

It didn’t matter, because that point wasn’t now.

We finally broke apart, but not before he peppered my swollen lips with one more round of tiny pecks.

“I’m not going to listen to anyone hate on you, not even you.” That thread of command still rang in his voice. “Understand?”

What was going on? And why couldn’t I tell if the fluttering in my stomach was fear or desire?

The one thing I knew, the one thing I didn’t think was the right response to such an incredible moment, was that my life had slipped out of my control in the last week. What was happening?

10

aubrey

“I promise, no more Aubrey shit talk from me,” I said to Brodie.

He brushed his thumb over my bottom lip. “Better. That’s my good girl.”

The words and touch sent a shiver of delight through me. Online, it was fun. Word. In person, his actions carried more weight.

I didn’t want to fall into the realness of what was going on between us, though. I had a wedding to worry about. Family coming into town, several of whom would be almost as bad as Grandma. I didn’t have time to entertain relationship ideas.

So I pocketed the warm-fuzzies. For now. “We should probably get back.”

“Probably.” Brodie maneuvered the car onto the road again, and a moment later, we were on the freeway, heading home. “Holy… That thing’s still there?”

As I followed his gaze to the side of the road, I knew exactly what he was talking about. A local dealership had a billboard with headlights that actually lit up. The sign had been there for decades. “They change the picture of the truck at least once a year.”

“Still… Those headlights haunt my nightmares.”

I laughed. “What’s it like to have such boring dreams?” I was teasing. “Besides, that’s how you know you’re back.”

He glanced at me. “No. That’s not how I knew I was home again.” His tone had dropped an octave, and was instantly serious.

Was he talking about me? How was I supposed to respond to that? Glossing over it and moving on. Classic Oblivious Aubrey. “You know what they did finally get rid of.”

“I’ve seen a lot of things missing, but I assume you have a specific one in mind.” He navigated traffic easily, but also more aggressively than he had with Grandma in the car.

The perfect fiancé.

“Do you remember the old train station, and the hidden door away from the tracks?” I asked.

“The one that led to the underground tunnels?”

I grinned that he knew what I was talking about. “That’s the one. They sealed it up.”

“Aww. Bummer.”

“I know. Alys and I used to spend so much time down there. Hiding from the world. Talking.” Airing our trauma in a place only the walls would hear us. “Make out.” Wait. Was it a good idea to say that? Were there rules about talking about exes-who-were-still-friends with a fake boyfriend?

Brodie gave a light cough and surprise spread across his face. “You and Alys? In high school? But Deacon…?”

I’d never dated Deacon, though my obsession with him kept me from dating other people. Not Alys, though. “Not that long ago. A few years back. We gave it a try.” The sex was fun. But we both wanted to be the one who was romanced, and neither one of us was good at being the aggressor.

“But you’re still friends with her. Aren’t you? She was in your shop the other day.”

It was both fun and strange watching Brodie wrap his head around this. To me, it wasn’t a big deal or a secret. “Something you don’t get to see, spying on us from afar. More than half the town has hooked up with each other. You might be surprised at who’s dated who and is still talking,”

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