Page 77 of Stuck with my Mountain Daddies

They weren’t doing the awkward shuffle, either. No, they were close. Real close. Her hand was on his chest. His mouth was near her ear.

She laughed at something he said and tilted her head back, eyes sparkling.

What the hell.

My brain did a hard reboot trying to process it. Lucy wasn’t a flirty dancer. She was a glare-at-you-until-you-left-the-floor type.

But here she was, grinning widely, while Nate, Lila’s terrifyingly serious older brother, looked like he was ready to take a bullet for her.

I narrowed my eyes as they started drifting to the edge of the square. They paused near the food stalls, said a few polite goodbyes to whoever was watching, and then…

Yep.

They slipped away. Together.

I blinked.

“Did Lucy sneak off with Nate Harper?” I muttered out loud.

Harriet Cooper, standing beside her husband with a candy cane in hand, gave a knowing little hum. “Told George weeks ago those two were circling like hawks. Finally snapped.”

George sipped his cider and muttered, “About damn time.”

Well, that was great. Fantastic, really. My sister was off doing who knew what with a Harper, and I was here alone, watching the girl I couldn’t stop thinking about get twirled around by half the town like some kind of fairytale princess.

Tonight just gotreallyinteresting.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Riley

There was a moment,just one, when I let myself pretend none of this was complicated.

The music played, the air smelled of cinnamon and cold pine, and I was spinning beneath twinkle lights that felt too magical to be real.

Samantha twirled me until I nearly knocked over a marshmallow display, but before there was a disaster, Lila caught me with one hand and passed me off to Ethan like this was a well-rehearsed flash mob.

And maybe it was.

Maybe Medfordwasa living, breathing romcom, and I’d just stumbled onto the set.

I didn’t mind. Not tonight.

Lucy’s hometown was alotof fun.

Especially because after so long, it didn’t feel likeIwas the main character. Nor did I want to be.

Sure, people were whispering. I’d seen the sidelong glances, the not-so-subtle murmurs near the cocoa booth, the phones held at weird angles as if someone might be trying to catch a photo in case I did something outrageous, like smile a little too much at one of the Wolfe brothers.

But they weren’t just whispering about me.

Apparently, Lucy Wolfe and Nate Harper had managed to detonate their own little scandal right in the middle of the square.

I spotted them slipping away past the food stalls, Lucy clutching her coat tight and Nate walking close beside her, head low as they murmured something only they could hear. I didn’t need subtitles to get the vibe.

I blinked. My brain stalled for a second, doing some kind of emotional math. Lucy. Nate.Together.

She hadn’t even mentioned a crush on the hot fireman but I had to admit, he was her type.

---