Page 99 of Small Town, Big Storm

“Last summer,” Poppy says on a grin, tugging her shirt down —

And thus ending my quest for the motherland.

I glance at my watch, don’t miss that Gertie lifts her phone and snaps a picture of us.

“Christ,” I mutter.

Poppy sits up, shakes her head.“Unfortunately, I think unless Gerald chases Rain into the river again, we’re going to be front page news.”

“Gerald chased Rain into the river?”

“I’m sworn to secrecy.”A grin.“If you want the details, you’ll have to pry the story out of him.”

I snort, like that will happen.

The man’s as stubborn as me.

“Or…” She leans in and her voice drops to a whisper, her eyes dancing, those kissable lips tipping up into a smile, “Or you can just check out the archives of the Cedar Hollow Gazette.”

I blink.

Then I smile.

Andthen…

I kiss her again.

Because it’s been seven years.

And I finally can.

Twenty-Six

Poppy

“I can walk, you know,”I say as Storm carries me—and the cooler and the blanket—up the narrow, overgrown trail.

“I like you pressed to my back, Poppyseed,” is all he says in return.

How can I argue with that?

Or the fact that he isn’t even breathing heavy while carrying…

Well,everything.

So I just tighten my arms around his shoulders, my legs around his middle, and I…go for a ride.

Plastered to a sexy hockey player’s back, bouncing lightly against his muscles, all that he told me still whispering through my mind.

He didn’t leave.

Or he didn’t leave like I thought he had.

Didn’t leave me…just this town.

His father.

His past.