Page 13 of Stay for Forever

“You did what?” I screech at such a volume I probably woke all the animals at the Wildlife Refuge two miles out of town up.

“I have five dollars on Juniper kicking him in the nuts,” Ashlyn hollers, and I turn my glare on her.

She shrugs. “What? My money’s on you.”

“Make it ten and you’re on,” Forest yells from the back of the room.

“You’re betting against me? I’m your best customer.”

“Actually, Maverick here is the owner of the Wildlife Refuge, which makes him my best customer.”

“Are you kidding me? He bought the refuge as a tax write-off. I’m the one who’s there every day taking care of the animals.”

“Hey now. I didn’t buy it solely as a tax write-off,” Mav says and interrupts my stare down with Forest.

“Enough! You don’t get to waltz into Winter Falls and take over. This is my town, my home. You don’t belong here.”

“Hey!” Sage yells. “There’s no excuse for being mean.”

“Me?” I pound my chest with a fist. “I’m the mean one? I’m the one who sweet talked my way into Mav’s bed only to leave in the morning to be with another woman?”

Sage gasps. “Oh, Rickie, say you didn’t.”

“June Bug, it’s not what it looked like.”

I snort. “And how many times have you told me those exact same words? How stupid do you think I am?”

“I don’t think you’re stupid. I think you’re smart and gorgeous.”

“This is better than the movie,” Ashlyn says as she munches on popcorn.

Son of a dog. What am I doing airing my dirty laundry for everyone to see, hear, and smell? As if life isn’t a bag of spoiled puppy chow already.

I whirl on my heel and without a word, I stomp out of the library. Screw movie night. Mav can have it. He’ll be gone by next month anyway. The man never stays in town long.

“June Bug, wait!”

I ignore Mav and hurry in the direction of the brewery. Beer and nachos are exactly what the doctor ordered. Hopefully, most of the town residents will be at movie night, and I’ll be allowed to eat in peace.

Mav dashes in front of me and stops – forcing me to come to a halt in the middle of the sidewalk. “Please, June Bug, talk to me.”

“Talk to you?” I snarl. “The same way you talked to me all those times I wanted to talk to you, and you left without a word?”

He flinches. “I deserved that.”

Hell, yeah, he did.

He reaches for me, but I bat his hands away.

“I have nothing to talk to you about.”

I step into the street to go around him. It’s not as if I need to worry about a car running me over. As the first carbon neutral town in the world, we in Winter Falls pride ourselves on there being no cars in our streets. Bikes and golf carts are our main source of transportation. Neither of which do I need to worry about crashing into me.

“I’m not giving up, June Bug.”

I snort. “Yeah, you will. You’ll get bored and go back to Hollywood, the same as always. Except this time, I won’t be stupid enough to let you talk me into getting in bed with you.”

“I’m not some sleaze who used you for sex.”

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