Page 8 of Loathe at First Sight

I could be a bitch and tell him to leave me alone, but I have a feeling he wouldn’t do that even if I told him to.

Sighing, I reply, “I grew up here. I’m moving back.”

“Really?” He asks, looking me up and down.

“Yes.”

“Interesting. I didn’t take you for the small-town type.”

“Yeah, me either,” I mutter under my breath.

“I take it you’re not happy to be back.”

“Not even a little bit.”

He falls silent again, and I’m grateful. I don’t have any interest in getting to know this guy.

Once again, he proves that he has a different plan.

“I’m Jack by the way.”

“I figured by the name on the truck,” I say, sounding way more sarcastic than I did in my head. I add, “I’m Liz.”

We pass the sign that signals we have hit the town limits of Lilly Leaf Falls.

He asks, “Where do you want me to drop you?”

“Do you know where Andre’s Tavern is?”

“Of course. Everyone knows Andre’s.”

As we move through the small-town streets, I see that not much around this town has changed. Small kitschy shops sit on every corner, and kids run up and down the streets playing.

It’s hard to believe that not all that long ago, that was my friends and I. When we were little, we would jump on our bikes and be gone from sunup to sundown. We just had to be home by the time the streetlights came on.

Most of the men in town worked at the lumberyard about half an hour away, and most of the women were stay-at-home moms. It has always been the type of town where you know your neighbors, and you always try to help each other. You look out for each other’s kids.

Everyone goes to the Friday night football games, and people smile and wave as you drive by.

It’s not a bad place to live. I will admit that.

But I just wanted…more.

I yearned to get out and go to college. And once I got a taste of big-city living, I didn’t want to go back to small town USA.

Yet here I am.

These days, I don’t seem to quite belong in a place where pickup trucks and country music reign supreme.

Thankfully, it doesn’t take us long to get to our destination. We pull into the parking lot of Andre’s Tavern, and I take my seatbelt off while Jack puts it into park.

Before I get out, I ask, “How should I get the rest of my stuff?”

“Just come by the shop sometime tomorrow. You can grab it whenever.”

“Okay, thanks.”

“Going in to have a drink and drown your sorrows, princess?” He asks with a sly smile.

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