Page 87 of Past Tents

“Yeah,” I panted, treading water. Clay tugged on my life vest, pulling me closer. In between us, his other hand emerged from the water holding the ring. “Oh my God, I thought it went overboard!”

“It did. But the box had foam in the lid, so it didn’t sink,” he said, going with the flow as though this was part of his plan to begin with. For all I knew, maybe it was.

Sliding the ring onto my finger, he asked me again to be his forever. His wife.

“Yes. Yes, greyhound. I’m yours.”

The fishing pole and the fish long gone, we stayed in the water, allowing the life vests to do the work while Clay held my face in his hands and kissed me until we were chilled through from the lake water. And then a little bit longer.

When he leaned away to look at me, he chuckled and tipped his head against mine. “Guess I was incorrect.”

“Why?”

“Becausethisis the story we’ll tell our grandkids.”

Indeed.

Want more stories in Green Valley? Read on for a sneak peek of My Bare Lady by Piper Sheldon, Book #1 in the Scorned Women’s Society series!

Do you love heartfelt small town romance? Then check out these other books by Smartypants Romance!

Upsy Daisy -- First love college romance with all the feels.

The One That I Want -- She's a reformed bad girl, and he's the nice guy trying to show her that it's okay to have a little fun.

Baking Me Crazy -- She's an independent tomboy and he's been in love with her for years.

No Whisk No Reward -- He's the town pariah and she's only in town for a little while, but she's determined to find out why.

Sneak Peek of My Bare Lady by Piper Sheldon

In the drop-down mirror of my car, I puckered my lips to add another coat of lipstick. My complexion was flawless and my eyeliner smooth despite my shaking hands. My whole face was perfectly primed, painted, and plumped. Not that nobody ever looked at my face for very long.

I might be bad at most things but at least I looked good doing them. I guess, at some point, we all just start playing to our strengths. And my strengths are dancing on a pole and looking fine. There’s not a person in Green Valley that’d argue with that. Suzie Samuels and stripping go together like bacon and grits. But not after tonight.

I hoped.

The thrum of activity at the G-Spot hit me before I even left my car. The bass vibrated the dashboard almost enough to cover my own wobbling insides. I smoothed my hair one last time. I’d spent an hour straightening and then curling it into the perfect waves for that just-out-of-bed look. My outfit was a complicated crisscross of elastic straps all over my body meant to emphasize my dancer figure. It was a twofold benefit; the material helped protect my skin on the pole and the straps held a lot more cash than a G-string.

Plus, I looked damn hot in it.

I sauntered toward the door with my most eye-catching sway because Ka-Bar sat on a stool outside. I wasn’t part of the Iron Wraiths Motorcycle Club anymore, in fact, I’d gone to theirrivals, the Black Demons, but he’d always been good to me, so I gave a little show. Plus, acting real sexy tended to calm my jitters. It was a cold October night and I fought to keep from shivering.

“Hey, Ka-Bar.” My five-inch platforms wobbled in the gravel leading to the door but I didn’t falter.

Ka-Bar looked like most of the Iron Wraiths; tattooed, scraggly beard, and leather from head to toe. A giant knife tattoo taking up the length of his arm and the dog tags around his neck distinguished him. He looked me up and down and licked his lips like he wanted a taste.

“Hey, gorgeous.” He leaned in for the kiss I ghosted over his cheek. “Little early for your shift?”

“Well, I never get to see you when I come in later.” I leaned out of his embrace noting the familiar smell of exhaust, sweat, and smokes.

“Shucks.” He put a hand over his heart.

“Also, I need to talk to Occum before I go up.” I shrugged like I wasn’t sick to my stomach thinking about it.

I was high up on the Black Demon’s Motorcycle Club food chain but I was still just a stripper. Stripping was supposed to be temporary, a means to an end after I made some bad life choices. One life choice named Jethro Winston. But I wasn’t thinking about him right now.

“He should be in the office.” Ka-Bar thumbed toward the building. “Meeting with some suit from the city as we speak.”

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