Page 40 of The Score We Never Settled

Not that I have one.

Regardless, I’m not going to lie and say picking at him and what he does doesn’t make me feel a little better.

“Layla Jean,” Uncle Ben grumbles out. “I don’t know what kind of randygossipyou’ve been hearin’ around town but?—”

“But nuthin’. You men run your mouth just as much as the women do in this town. Plus, I see how you look at her at every town event. And, it’s obvious, because you leave her a piece of lemon dump cake every Thursday.”

“Because she’ll complain.”

“And since when do you care about complainin’, because you still ransack Maebelle’s blackberry cheesecake.”

He rolls his eyes. “That’s because she takes all the damn Dutch pear pie.Allof it, Layla. You know it, you make it.”

“I swear if y’all would just share?—”

“She started it.”

Lord, have mercy.

“My mistake then,” I return because obviously my uncle is not going to say anything about his town crush, nor will he everadmit that he gets all soft and sweet on Miss Agnes when she serves him his meal.

She runs the fish fry every Summer Festival.

She will also run the bake sale for the church.

And Uncle Ben buys, at least, half of it to make her smile. It isn’t because he needs it—I mean, I am his niece who owns a bakery in town—but because he likes to subtly flirt with her and will stand by in that damn tent for over half an hour while he “makes his decisions”.

“Definitely a mistake,” he mumbles a bit annoyedly at me. “I see her because she runs a lot of the church functions, and that’s it.”

“So does Maebelle.”

I can feel his glare lash against the side of my face. However, I still clean my windows like the little innocent bystander I am.

“Seven still okay with you?”

“It’s fine,” he grumbles. “I’m meetin’ Tom at the beer tent at five. You wanna come in there, and we’ll go?”

“That’ll work.”

“Alright then.” He begins to turn, but not before he getsallhis worries and frustrations out. “Stay away from that boy, Layla. He ain’t nothin’ but trouble.”

Don’t I know it.

And, frankly, that’s going to be hard.

Because Briggs has his eyes set on things I’ve already shoved out of my brain for my sanity’s sake and survival.

He’s never going to let me go while he’s here.

Uncle Ben is going to have to get used to it. Because this time, I’m not so sure I can keep him at bay when I can’t run home to get away.

11

BRIGGS

Eleven years ago…

“I made these for you,for good luck.”