Page 60 of Panty Dropper

“Can’t what?” My lips brushed against hers a second before she stepped back from my embrace.

“I can’t do this.” She waved her hands between us. “Again, I mean. The other night was fun, but…”

I wasn’t used to rejection and I had to admit it stung deeper than I would’ve expected it to. But as I stared into her eyes, I saw my own desires mirrored back at me. They were just mixed with a lot of fear. I didn’t know what Reagan was afraid of but I was damn sure I was gonna make it my life’s mission to find out. “But what?”

“It just would never work. I mean you’re you. And—”

“I’m me?” I interjected.

Her eyes narrowed. “Your nickname is Panty Dropper.”

Shit.She’d dropped that name in the bar, but I hoped she hadn’t put too much stock in it. “It’s not like that with you. I’m not like that with you. You’re different. This is different.”

“Even if I did believe you, and I’m not saying I do or don’t, but even if I did…” She shook her head and her hair fell over her shoulders and over her forehead, curtaining her face. My fingers itched to reach out and brush it back but she beat me to it. She tucked the strands behind her ear, as she stood taller. “My life just doesn’t have room for this.” Her hands waved between us more frantically. “I don’t have room for different. I mean, I was supposed to be getting married. I had all these plans and now…my life blew up and I’m just trying to figure things out.”

I could practically see the wheels in her pretty head turning, trying to come up with reasons why we wouldn’t work. And I didn’t think any of them had to do with not wanting to be with me.

Whatever her excuses for being scared to give this a try, it didn’t have anything to do with my nickname or the fact that she was supposed to be getting married. I’d bet my life that she felt the same way I did. I saw her eyes glisten with recognition when I’d said that what we have is different.

“I mean, I don’t even have a place to live. I’ve been staying at the boarding house and I need to find something more permanent. And besides—”

“I’ll pick you up tomorrow at ten.” I cut her off before she could talk herself even farther out of this, whatever this was.

“What? Why?”

“We’re gonna find you somewhere to live.”

“I told you.” I sighed. “We can’t—”

“Be friends?” I asked. “We can’t be friends?”

Her head tilted and her arms crossed in front of her. “Friends? You want to be my friend?”

“Of course I do. Don’t you want to be my friend?”

She stared at me and it was clear that a battle was goin’ on behind her dark blue eyes. I knew that her answer would either offer me a glimmer of hope that I desperately needed right now, or it would be a soul-crushing setback in what would be a very big, very treacherous uphill battle to Reagan’s trust and heart. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, her raspberry tinted lips parted and I held my breath, waiting to see what her response was going to be.

“There you are!” Jimmy shouted as leaves crunched beneath his boots. “I’ve been looking all over for you two!”

Jimmy had always been a cock-blocker, but this was on an entirely different level. He wasn’t interrupting some random hookup. He was being a soul-blocker.

“Time out is over, kids. Let’s go!” Jimmy motioned with both his arms like he was air traffic control. “It’s karaoke time and Pop wanted us up first.”

Fuck.I was going to be so happy when this day was over. The only thing that was making it somewhat bearable was the woman standing in front of me…who wasn’t even sure she wanted to be my friend.

“Shall we?” I held out my arm.

“Karaoke?” she asked, her brows furrowing even as a smile tilted the corners of her mouth up.

“That’s right!” Jimmy exclaimed. “Pop loved karaoke so he wanted his boys, or sorry, his kids, to sing his favorite song.”

“And that would be?” Reagan asked my brother.

Jimmy scrunched his face as if he didn’t understand the question. “Sweet Home Alabama. What else would it be?”

“Of course, sorry,” Reagan chuckled as she slid her hand around my bicep.

The moment her fingers gripped my arm, warmth spread through me.

As the three of us walked back to the bar and Jimmy spouted off about Abernathy and how he’d showed him the door, I waited to feel the same anger that had me seeing red return. But it wasn’t there. All I felt was hope. Reagan may not have answered me, but with her beside me, I knew that anything was possible. Whether she did or not.

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