Page 4 of No One But You

Dish soap. “I knew that.” I pushed past him to the driver’s side of my car, then stopped, and my shoulders drooped. Be an adult, Kora, and don’t be so bitchy. I pulled myself up as tall as my five-foot-six frame would allow and shot my hand toward him. “Thanks, Kai. I appreciate your help.”

He wrapped my hand with his, and warmth seeped into my skin. My chilly attitude melted instantly and caused me to forget where I was for a beat. I blinked repeatedly to regain my composure before I said, “I know we’ve started off rough and had a bumpy patch, but I hope everything’s been fixed.” I chuckled at my joke. It was funny.

He glared at me.

Okay then, maybe the heat that melted my attitude was all one-sided. Let’s try to break the tension between us one more time. “There’s a great place to eat in town—Jerry’s Pub, if you want to catch a bite or anything.”

“Thanks, but I’ve already been told about it and was planning on doing just that.” He turned and strolled away.

My eyes were glued to his ass in those jeans. Nice.

He reached his truck. “It was nice meeting you. Stay clear of the potholes and get the spare back in your car. Maybe I’ll see you around town.”

“I sure hope so,” I muttered to myself as I got into my car. I waved as I pulled away. The last thing I saw was his dimpled smile—maybe it was a smirk—and his fine-as-hell body as he climbed into his truck. “Orlinda Valley just added another hot-as-hell asshole to its population.”

Chapter 2

Kai

I leaned my elbow on my open window as I sat in my driver’s seat and watched the Nissan until it disappeared around a curve. “This small town keeps looking up,” I said aloud to the cow standing by the fence.

The cow lifted its head before it let out a soft moo and headed on its way. I chuckled, feeling unexpectedly good. I patted the steering wheel as I cranked the key. “Sorry, Matilda, old girl. You don’t need to listen to those words. You’ve always been reliable and had my back.”

She revved high, then loud, then purred like a kitten. Okay, maybe it was closer to roaring like a lion, but the point was, she was still reliable even after all these years—the most reliable thing in my life—even more so than any person had ever been, including my parents.

I drove back toward town and enjoyed the scenery as the open country, with scattered houses, gave way to sidewalks and houses closer together with cute fenced-in yards. Driving out to the country had been useful. The land I had looked at, five acres surrounded by woods and farms on one side and bordered on the other by the Red River, was perfect, peaceful, and exactly what I wanted. As soon as I could get the papers signed, I’d pull my fifth-wheel camper onto the property, get the septic in place, and start building my dream home. It was time to lay down roots and stop roaming the country. Orlinda Valley was the perfect out-of-the way town to call home and live a quiet life, and since I’d met some of the occupants, it became even better.

Finally, the bumpy road came to an end—the county really did need to make fixing the roads a top priority—and I pulled into the parking lot and into a spot at the front of Jerry’s Pub. Gary, my realtor, better not have been wrong about Jerry’s having the best sandwiches in town. I was ravenous.

Jerry’s Pub was a brick building that had been painted beige. There was a covered deck off the side with tables and an outside bar with a garage door that could probably open up on nice nights to expand the space and let the fresh air in.

I walked through the door and was greeted by country music playing through the speakers. There were televisions on the walls. One was on a local news station, and a ball game was playing on most of the rest. High-top tables and booths were scattered around, and the space was decorated with local high school sports team pictures and jerseys, and artifacts from an old fire station. It was a cool atmosphere, and I made myself comfortable at the bar and opened a menu.

The bartender placed a coaster in front of me. “Hey there. I’m Trevor. Welcome to Jerry’s Pub. How can I help you?”

I glanced at the menu for a second longer, then closed it and pushed it away. “My realtor told me you have the best sandwiches in town, but looking at the town, I’m not sure if that’s a compliment.” I tried to make the statement sound light and funny, but I might not have succeeded, and it could have seemed slightly condescending.

Luckily, Trevor seemed to have a good sense of humor. “I thought you were new in town, and yes, that doesn’t say much as there’s not a lot to choose from, but it also says a lot. Because it’s so true, no other restaurants have ever tried to compete with us.”

Tension left my body, and I relaxed. “Good to hear. What do you suggest?”

“Nico, our chef, makes a mean Reuben. The fries are seasoned and amazing, and we have some great local craft beers.”

“Well then, a Reuben and fries would be perfect, but I’ll just take a Coke.” Though the beer sounded good, I could do without it.

Trevor smacked the bar. “Coming right up.” He tapped on the computer screen, then pulled out a hose and filled a cup with Coke. “Here ya go.” He placed the Coke on the bar.

I took a sip and leaned back on the stool to have a better look around. The pub had a typical American small-town vibe. There was an entire wall dedicated to Orlinda Valley High School sports, and another with the University of Tennessee orange decorating the area. It was relatively empty, but seeing as it was just one o’clock on a Saturday, it wasn’t surprising.

There was a group of older men in a corner booth laughing and cutting it up. There were four teenagers, two boys and two girls, at another table. I sipped my Coke as I watched them. I tried to decide if they were on a date or just hanging out, but I gave up.

“Here ya go. One Reuben and fries.” Trevor placed the basket of food on the bar. “Can I get you anything else? Ketchup, Tabasco?

“Here’s a weird question, but could I have a side of mayo and some Tabasco?”

“Not weird at all. Be right back.” Trevor pounded on the bar again, disappeared behind the double doors, and quickly reappeared with a small bowl of mayonnaise and the hot sauce.

“Thanks.” I shook the Tabasco sauce into the mayonnaise, stirred it with a fry, and ate it. My mouth was accosted with flavor. “Damn. Those are some amazing fries.”

---