Page 19 of The Score We Never Settled

“If he’d stopjudgingme, then maybe she could be happy. We’ve never been able to fully move on and have a relationship because he’s too busy condemnin’ me to death.”

“You taunt him, Briggs. You’ve never once sat down and tried to have a talk with him.”

“He won’t look at me, nor will he say more than four words other than ‘stay away from my niece’, so there’s five.”

“Then, make yourself useful and do something while you’re here. These eight days could be vital.”

“Not enough time.”

Adeline perks a brow. “You’re tellin’ me you’re not that creative?”

“Oh, I am,” I assure her. “But it’s gonna piss Layla off.”

“Is it going to end in you two being together?”

“Probably.”

“Then do it.”

5

BRIGGS

“What the hellare you doing here?”

I’d recognize his deep, authoritative voice anywhere.

Ben Melrose despises me with everything he has, which is crazy coming from him because he goes to church every Sunday with Layla, and I’m sure Pastor Denis wouldn’t like catching wind of that.

To him, I am the epitome of Satan, especially when it comes to his niece. In his imagination, I would corrupt her, and apparently, it’s still a fear of his that eats at anything good he could’ve possibly seen.

And maybe I am.

I’ve never had pure thoughts about Layla. She was this picture-perfect fantasy that I drew up and dreamed about in my head. Everything about her screamed sunshine and happiness. From her curly brown hair to the path of freckles lining her nose, to the softness of her skin and her ordinary hazel eyes, but they were extraordinary when she lined them up with mine.

She was everything I’ve never had.

And a dream I’ve always kept chasing.

But I need to get through to Ben first because he’s a problem. He’s a roadblock that will prevent Layla from fully seeing this through with me if he still doesn’t approve.

Discarding two cards in my hand, I purposely crashed his Wednesday night card game at the Hardy’s Hardware Store, showing up before he did so he couldn’t kick me out.

“Mr. Melrose,” I greet flatly, before casually glancing up. “How are you, sir?”

It’s been years since I’ve asked him that question.

His last answer was that he’d be better if I never showed my face in town again, and that’s too bad.

I’m here for eight days, and I don’t plan on playing nice and complacent while I’m here.

Which shouldn’t be a huge surprise since I’ve never been quiet in this town. I’m going to force him to play nice with me to make her happy.

“Horrible,” he answers, placing a cheese platter and a pie in the middle of the circular table, and alluding to the fact that he’s still going to be a lot of work for me to pull over to my side. “Ya get suspended, and now ya wanna come home to terrorize us all?”

“Oh, Ben,” Henry Abbott drones, the town’s sheriff deputy, as he sends him a withering and annoyed expression. “He ain’t gonna terrorize nothing. Because Cruz Weston ain’t here.”

Oh, but he may be.