Page 1 of Sweet Southern Heat

Prologue

Olivia

My ears rangwith the sound of crunching metal and shattering glass. A haze of smoke surrounded me, and I blinked against the burning in my eyes. Clouds filled my vision, and my head throbbed. It was disorienting. My head swam like it used to when I rolled down the hill behind our house as a kid. I lifted a hand and pressed it to my forehead, wincing at the sting. My fingertips came away bloody, and nausea churned in my gut.

My vision cleared as I came back to myself, and memories assaulted me. Screeching tires. My desperate screams. Paralyzing fear when I realized we were headed for destruction.

We.

I looked to the passenger seat and stifled a sob. My boyfriend’s body was limp, his head hanging to the side, his seat belt the only thing holding him in place. My car was tilted on its side at an odd angle. A thick row of trees was all that kept us from plunging into the river when my car skidded off the road. They were now wedged into the side of my car, pinning the door shut.

He was trapped. They would never be able to get his door open. Panic rose in my chest, clawing its way up my throat. He wasn’t moving.

I screamed his name, but he didn’t budge. I screamed and screamed until my throat was raw. Sirens wailed in the distance, but I feared they were too late.

Chapter 1

Olivia

Coming home was supposedto be a joyous experience, a chance to reconnect with loved ones and see old friends. It shouldn’t be filled with heartache and grief, yet that was all I felt as I passed the sign alerting me there were only ten miles left between me and Magnolia Grove.

It had been far too long since I’d made the nearly five hour drive from Atlanta. I only came home for the occasional holiday; otherwise, I stayed away from the town that only held heartache and shattered dreams. Never once had I regretted that decision.

Until now.

The last time I’d seen my grandmother, she’d looked healthy and full of life. I’d just spoken to her last Thursday during our weekly phone call. She was perfectly fine. By Friday morning, she was gone. A stroke, the doctors said. A tiny blood clot that traveled to her brain. She went peacefully in her sleep, just like she'd always wanted. I didn’t even get to say goodbye.

I swiped the tears from my cheek and cranked up the volume on my radio where I had my favorite podcast playing through Bluetooth. There was nothing that could drown out the sorrow I felt deep in my soul like true crime and a caramel macchiato. Iput the straw to my lips and took a big gulp, but all I got was a few drops of watered-down caffeine. Shaking the cup to confirm it was indeed empty, I placed it in the cup holder with a sigh. I doubted I’d find anything comparable in my hometown.

Living in Atlanta had spoiled me. I wanted for nothing there. It was one of the many perks of living in the city, but not the main reason I’d moved there. I had to get away from Magnolia Grove after the accident. Everyone had blamed me. They’d said I stole Lyle’s future. Even though the law found me blameless, the folks around town still whispered behind my back that it was all my fault when they thought I couldn’t hear. I was condemned in the court of public opinion, and there was no changing their minds. Little did they know, Lyle was the one who had caused that horrible crash, but his family made certain that all the guilt was laid upon my shoulders.

That was why when I left for college, I never looked back. I was done with Magnolia Grove even though my mom and nan were still there. They were all I had. My sperm donor, whoever he was, left Mom high and dry when he found out he'd knocked her up, and she was forced to move back home from college. My grandfather, who doted on us both until he passed away twelve years ago, was little more than a memory. Now my grandmother would join him in the afterlife, and I would never see her smiling face again.

A sudden and violent clicking noise pulled me from my thoughts, and I looked down at the display on my dash. The check engine light was on, and my car was quickly losing momentum.

“No, no, no,” I pleaded, gripping the wheel tightly. This couldn’t be happening now. I was almost there. Finally, the clicking stopped, but so did the car. I turned the ignition off, then cranked it again. It gurgled and sputtered, but the engine didn’t roar to life. I tried two more times, but nothing happened.Dropping my head to the steering wheel, I cursed. Why did this have to happen now, when I was no more than twenty minutes from home?

I took the keys out of the ignition and threw open my door. Grabbing my cell from the cupholder, I hopped out of my car. I’d have to call Murphy’s Garage for a tow. At least the spring air was mild, so I wouldn’t melt into the pavement before they arrived. I paced as I waited, wishing I’d had someone take a look at my car before I made the trip down here. It wasn’t exactly like I had a lot of warning for this last-minute trip.

Sighing, I sank down onto the driver’s seat and propped my feet on the divot between my open door and the windshield. My podcast had just gotten to the good part when my car decided to go caput, so I pulled it up again and pressed play. I didn’t feel like digging my earbuds out of my purse, so I just cranked up the volume on my phone and let it drown out the thoughts in my head.

It was nearly thirty minutes before I heard the rumble of a tow truck drawing near. The driver effortlessly maneuvered the truck in front of my car and backed it up slowly. The equipment made a racket as he lowered it into place. Only then did the driver step out of the cab to make his way toward me. My stomach dropped, and I fought back the urge to run when I caught Landon Crawford’s scowl.

Chapter 2

Landon

I hated runningthe tow truck. Sure, it was nice to get out of that loud ass garage full of equally loud and obnoxious mechanics, but nothing cleared my mind like turning wrenches. Cars were easy. Each piece of the puzzle fit together a certain way. People … well, they were more complex. The less I had to interact with them the better.

The cute, cherry red convertible was easy to spot on the road just outside of town. I swung the truck around, lining the hitch up with the front of the compact car, and backed up to it. Hopping out, I strode up to the car, noting how a pair of shapely, tan legs poked out from the open door. They were crossed at the ankles and resting at the divot where the door met the windshield. I smiled to myself as I neared. Whoever she was, she was listening to my favorite podcast. Maybe this run wouldn’t be so bad after all.

The smile fell from my lips when the woman stood, and I came face to face with the last person I’d ever wanted to see again. Olivia Duprey. The woman who’d ruined my family and stole my brother’s future. My step faltered, and I drew to a stop. She stared at me with trepidation as her perfectly manicuredfingers curled around the door frame. Her dark brown locks fell around her shoulders in loose waves, much like she wore when she and my brother were together.

I briefly considered leaving her there and letting her figure out a way home for herself, but I couldn’t risk getting fired. I needed my job. Hell, I neededmorejobs if I was being honest. I needed to swallow my pride, tow the she-devil’s car into town, and drop her off at home.

“Landon,” she said, her voice shaking. Good. I hoped my presence unnerved her as much as hers did me.

“Ms. Duprey.” She winced at my formality and glanced away. She was little more than a stranger to me now, and I wasn’t about to let her forget it. She was lucky I’d been deployed when the accident happened, or I might have done something ungentlemanly. It had been six years. I thought all the rage I’d felt for this woman had long since dissipated, but seeing her now brought back all those old feelings. I needed to rein in my hatred so I could do my job and part ways with her as soon as possible.

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