“Wear gloves,” Lainey told her. “At all times. That’s an order not a request.”
And of course her friend had refused any payment from Courtney. “Think of it as an early birthday gift,” Lainey said.
“It’s not my birthday until next January,” Courtney pointed out.
Lainey had grinned. “I meant my birthday. That’s next month. And I want to see my best friend look pretty for it.”
“I can’t guarantee I’ll still look like this next month.” Courtney grimaced. “The chickens might have something to say about that.”
“That’s why I’ve booked you for an appointment in four weeks.” Lainey passed her a gold embossed appointment card. Courtney turned it over. Sure enough, there was an appointment already made. “And don’t try to get out of it,” Lainey warned. “I’ll hunt you down. You know I will.”
“Thank you.” Courtney hugged her. “I appreciate it.” And she’d be sure to put a tray of eggs outside Lainey’s front door tomorrow. It wasn’t anywhere near enough, but that’s how they did things in their small town of Hartson’s Creek. A neighbor made you a cake, you helped them repair their roof. The barter system was still alive and well in this little part of Virginia.
That was one of the things Courtney loved about living here.
“You’re beautiful, you know that?” Lainey asked her. “Like, model beautiful.” She sighed. “Have you thought about dating again?”
“You waited three hours to ask.” Courtney nudged Lainey with her shoulder. “I think that’s a record. And no, I haven’t thought about dating again. But I promise to tell you when I have.” It wasn’t a lie. Although, not quite the truth either.
Lainey said something under her breath, but Courtney didn’t hear it over the blood rushing through her ears. Because he was there. Walking across the square with two men – his brothers? He’d told her he had three of them, she remembered that much. Her breath caught in her throat as she took him in. Dark tailored pants perfectly molded to his strong, muscled thighs. A white shirt rolled at the sleeves and unbuttoned at the neck. And mirrored aviators that covered eyes she knew were hazel with flecks of blue and green. Eyes that felt like he could see right through her.
Eyes that made her feel things she hadn’t felt in years.
As if he could feel the heat of her stare, the man slowly turned his head, and even with those sunglasses on she knew he was looking at her. She had to remind herself to breathe, because her lungs felt like they were on fire. He slowly lifted his sunglasses from his face, and his gaze met hers.
Suddenly, her legs felt boneless.
“Honey, are you okay?” Lainey asked.
Courtney let out a slow breath. “Yeah,” she said, her voice tight. “I’m fine.”
Lainey glanced over to the square, her eyes widening as she took the three men in. “Ah, the Heartbreak Brothers. I swear they get sexier every time I see them. Can you believe Gray Hartson lives in our little town? He’s like a superstar.” Lainey lowered her voice. “Though you probably should stop staring. It’s kinda embarrassing.”
It wasn’t Gray Hartson that Courtney was looking at, though she didn’t bother to correct her best friend. It was only natural that Lainey would think she was staring at the rock star.
But it was his brother, Logan, who took Courtney’s breath away. The man on Gray’s left who was the same height, but with a broader build, and thick muscled arms that could pin a woman to the wall with ease.
Don’t ask her how she knew.
Reluctantly, Courtney pulled her gaze away. There was only so long they could stare at each other before people got to talking. And she’d had enough of that in the last two years. Kind words, sympathetic glances, worried discussions behind her back. She’d been called Poor Courtney so many times she wondered if it was her new name.
“I need to go,” Courtney said quickly. “I’m late for Mary and Ellis.” Her in-laws. Or ex-in-laws. What were they after your husband – their son – died? She had no idea. All she knew was that they were reality, along with the chickens, the dirt, and the curls she always had to wear in a hairband.
As for Logan Hartson, he was a fantasy. A brief dip into something she should never have touched.
And if she could still feel him staring at her as she climbed into her old F150 and pull the door behind her? Well, that was fine. She could live with the way he made her skin tingle.
Logan Hartson stared at Courtney Roberts, his eyes dark as they met hers. Everything about her affected him. Even from ten yards away, while walking with his brothers across the square of the town he grew up in, he was so damn aware of her it made his muscles tight and his skin heat up. He swallowed hard, his eyes still on her as she climbed into her huge truck and slammed the door shut. The only thing he could see was that mass of curls through the narrow window at the back of the cab.
“Dammit, Logan, are you listening to me?”
He reluctantly pulled his gaze away, though he still listened to the roar of the old engine as she started it up. The smell of gasoline filled the air, mixing with the scent of the flowers lining the beds around the square. That truck was ridiculous. Old, rusty, and so big it dwarfed all the cars around it. Yet somehow it made her more attractive.
“What?” he asked, looking at his oldest, and most famous brother, Gray. A rock star who’d taken the world by
