"I bet I can win that game with one dollar and the three rings," he said confidently. I started laughing, I couldn't help it.

"Impossible. There's no way. Just back out now while you still got a little bit of your pride left, cowboy." Matt stepped forward, his eyes glinting dangerously, and I felt excitement shoot through me.

"What will you give me if I win?" he asked softly.

"Careful, Beth. Don't let your pride get the best of ya." Jen laughed.

"What do you want?" I asked, ignoring my best friend.

"Dangerous question, sweetheart." He grinned and I'm pretty sure my face turned fifty shades of red. I crossed my arms over my chest and tilted my chin in defiance.

"A date," he said loudly. Jen began giggling and Hunter whistled from somewhere nearby.

"A date?" I asked. "That's what you want?" He nodded his head. "And if I win?"

"You won't," he stated matter-of-factly. I bristled at that. He saw the look on my face and held his hands up in surrender. "But if you do, I'll get your truck a tune up for free." I smiled. I liked that, it could definitely use a tune-up before I hit the road again.

"Deal," I said as I held out my hand. When Matt took it, I had to stop myself from jerking it back out of his too quickly. He's too good, I kept repeating to myself.

Matt pulled a dollar bill out of his back pocket and we all followed him over to the game stand. He handed the carnie the dollar and was handed three red rings for his money. This is going to be such an easy win, I thought to myself. I began to smile, already tasting the victory of the win.

"How *bout we sweeten the deal?" His voice taunted. My mouth popped open slightly. He didn't know when to quit and he was awfully c.o.c.ky about winning.

"Sweeten how?" I asked warily.

"When I win ..."

"If you win," I interrupted. He grinned so huge, that I began grinning back, despite the fact that I was trying to be stern.

"If I win and I'm able to choose the one prize you would have chosen for yourself, I get to choose where I take you on the date." My eyes widened fractionally. I was surprised that he thought he knew me well enough to guess what I would have chosen as a prize.

"Fine. And for the record, Jen would know exactly what I'd choose, so she'll be the one to tell you if you guessed correctly or not." I was liking this turn of events, not only was the game impossible to win, but his little side bet was also not as easy as he thought.

"Jeez, Matthew, I'm not trying to rain on your parade or anything, but I don't think the odds are stacked in your favor." Jen was staring at the three rings in his hand then glanced over at the rows and rows of large gla.s.s bottles. She shook her head and laughed lightly. "Well, good luck, but I'd be getting ready to pay for a tune up if I were you." Jen clucked her tongue and I began laughing.

"I like my odds." Matt's voice lowered and he winked at me just before turning around and tossing the first ring. The ring bounced off several jugs before landing in between them. His jaw clenched and I covered my mouth so I wouldn't make too much fun of him. I knew guys hated to have their pride wounded publicly.

"It ain't over yet, b.u.t.tercup." Hunter grinned over at Jen, who was also trying very hard not to laugh. Her eyes narrowed and she pointedly turned her attention back to Matt. Matt let the second ring fly and I held my breath when it came too close to hanging around the jug like it was supposed to.

"Oh, so close," Jen murmured between a giggle. Matt took the last plastic ring between his thumb and forefinger and then blew out a steadying breath. A quick flick of his wrist set the ring flying and I could tell as soon as it left his hand that I was going to lose the bet. When the ring settled around the neck of a bottle dead in the center of the rows and rows of bottles, Hunter began whooping and hollering while patting his brother on the back. A celebratory bell dinged loudly, letting everyone around know that someone had won playing the dreaded ring toss game. Jen stood there with her mouth hanging open and I felt the ground shift beneath my feet. Me and my big mouth.

Matt walked over to me with his eyes shining and a boyish grin plastered on his face, making it impossible for me to be mad about losing.

"You've won this before." It wasn't a question. Hunter smirked and Matt shrugged.

"A couple of times," he muttered. My mouth hung open in disbelief.

"A couple of times?" I shrieked. I was angrier about the fact that I had never won the game than about him bamboozling me into a game he had mastered. I shook my head and gazed up into his smiling eyes. "Looks like you're taking me on a date." Little b.u.t.terflies danced in my midsection at the thought of spending time alone with Matt.

"Looks like I am." His eyes were twinkling and a dimple appeared as he smiled widely. I sighed, s.e.xy dimples were my one true weakness.

"What prize would you like, sir?" The gray haired Carny pointed up to the dozens of huge, fluffy, stuffed animals hanging from his tent, with a toothy smile. Matt glanced back at me and I crossed my arms over my chest as a smile began to work its way across my face. Matt's eyes widened slightly before he began grinning from ear to ear. My smile quickly turned into a frown and Hunter began laughing behind us. Matt pointed to a prize without his eyes ever leaving mine.

"I'll take that one."

don't know why you're so upset." Jen shrugged her shoulders and began laughing ... again. She hadn't stopped laughing since Matt had won the ma.s.sive six foot long purple snake from the ring toss game at the fair.

"I'm not upset. I just ..." I stroked the head of the uber fluffy snake and sighed. "It's just ... how did he know I would go for the snake? I mean, most girls would have gone for a bear, or the ginormous flower, or even the monkey." I shook my head and tried to get a handle on my feelings. On one hand I was shocked and upset that he could read me so well, but on the other hand I was glad he picked correctly, even if it was just to a.s.sure myself that he felt the same connection, wanted or not, that I felt.

"It's just a date," Jen chided. "He likes you. I can tell by the way he looks at you." Jen sat down on the end of my bed, already in her pajamas.

"I know. That's the problem," I muttered.

"Why is it a problem?"

"He's not my type, Jen." I didn't know how to explain it very well to her, especially since I knew she wouldn't understand. "He's too nice, too perfect, too much of a small town morals kind of guy." I glanced down into my lap and fiddled with the comforter. "What if he's like my dad?" I whispered.

"Beth, he's not. He's a good guy and he might have small town morals but he doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who would emotionally abuse and control someone using religion." Jen's eyes searched my face and I knew there is truth to what she was saying, but the fear that had always been in the back of my mind and heart was still as fresh as it had been when I was walking out the front door of my house when I'd turned eighteen.

"He's not your father, Beth."

"You're right, Jen. Let's get some sleep." Jen sighed as she stood up.

"I guess we should since I have a date with Hunter tomorrow," Jen muttered. I gasped and narrowed my eyes.

"When did that happen?" I asked. Jen blushed and threw her hands in the air.

"I still don't know exactly how it happened at all. I may have been a victim of a body s.n.a.t.c.hing alien when I said yes." Jen's face was dead serious and I sputtered out laughter.

"So you and Hunter tomorrow night. And then Matt and I in a few days." I shuddered dramatically and Jen rolled her eyes.

"Oh, don't pretend ... you know you wanna jump his bones." She winked and left me sitting in my bed with my mouth hanging open. Jennifer Collins, you naughty girl, I thought, fighting a smile. I clicked the lamp off and snuggled under my covers with my snake lying beside me.

"And that's the problem," I whispered to myself.

The next morning dawned a sunny, gorgeous summer day with birds chirping outside my window, the scent of fresh coffee brewing, and the lovely sound of Jen's voice singing softly in the kitchen. I'd be lying if I didn't say I was hoping for some sort of natural disaster so I could get out of going into town with Jen that morning to do grocery shopping. I pulled on a worn pair of cut off jean shorts and a red tank top and jerked on my not-quite-worn-out brown boots, planning to help Jen with the shopping and then perhaps some gardening later to try and rid myself of the nerves that were jittering through my body.

The ride into town was abnormally quiet. Jen was sitting in the pa.s.senger side of my truck with her chin resting on her palm as she gazed out the window, not really noticing anything.

"You okay?" I asked softly. She glanced up and blinked a few times before visibly shaking herself out of her thoughts.

"Yes, sorry. Just wool gathering." A half smile played on her lips, but the effort it took was evident on her face. Something was up.

"Jennifer Anne Collins ..." I warned. She smirked at that.

"Oh no, you brought out the big guns." She laughed and my shoulders relaxed a fraction.

"Oh, I've got a lot more than the dreaded middle name in my a.r.s.enal," I promised, with a wink. Her eyes widened and I began laughing as I clicked through my ipod.

"You wouldn't," she gasped. I just smiled wider until I found the song I was searching for. Jen groaned out loud when No Diggity blasted through the speakers. It didn't take long though ... a few minutes later we were cruising down the country road with the wind blowing through our hair and both of us singing along with Dr. Dre. We only got a few nasty looks when we pulled into the grocery store parking lot. Jen turned beat red and I curbed in my instinct to turn the music up even louder. I jumped out of the truck and handed Jen the list we had made together before leaving the house.

"I'll get what we need from the super market, you can pick up the produce from the outdoor market. Sound good?" Jen headed toward the store entrance without waiting for a reply. She knew I'd rather shop for the produce, so I stuck the list in my pocket, saluted her smartly, and headed to the open market down the street.

The little side-of-the-road stand I remembered had changed drastically in the last four years. Mr. Peterson had more than tripled the size of the market, built brand new, brightly colored stands, and expanded the variety of produce immensely. Johnny Cash was playing softly in the background, a few children were running around the perimeter of the market, and in the middle of it all was Mrs. Peterson just as I remembered her. Her gray hair was pulled back into a bun and she wore a white, crisply ironed, half-ap.r.o.n with pockets and a ruffled hem. I smiled as I saw her handing a homemade cookie to a chubby toddler hanging on to the hem of his momma's skirt near the cash register.

Memories came rushing back ... coming there every Sat.u.r.day morning with Mrs. Collins and Jen to pick up fruits and veggies ... but every kid in Salem knew that the best thing about the Peterson Family Market was Mrs. Peterson's cookies. The little boy was making a proper mess of his face and clothes as his momma pulled him along to leave the market. I grabbed a basket and began picking out fresh fruit and veggies, extremely happy to sample a variety of freshly picked wild berries. I had visions of blackberry cobbler and homemade jam dancing in my head as I bought an unholy amount of the plump berries.

Much to my surprise, Mrs. Peterson remembered me and was glad to ring up my purchases while catching me up on all the town's upcoming events. There was going to be a barn dance, with a baking and pie eating contest, a small art exhibit at the local high school to raise funds for the new cla.s.ses that would be offered the following fall semester, and a church meeting for ladies at the local church. I smiled kindly at her and promised to try and make it to some of the events while I was in town. I had even meant it about the barn dance. I was grinning from ear to ear when I left the stand with my overstuffed bags of produce. It only took one person to remind me exactly why I didn't live in towns like Salem any longer, though.

was putting my bags in the back of my truck when Beau Montgomery whipped his Ford F-150 up next to my truck. I groaned out loud and silently cursed my luck-leave it to Beau to make my good mood evaporate in an instant. I leaned back against my truck, intending to ignore him while I waited for Jen to finish up her shopping. But, just as I figured, he wasn't going to be able to just leave me alone and go on about his day.

Beau came around his truck and pulled off his sun gla.s.ses and hung them on the collar of his red, western style, plaid shirt. A grin cracked across his face, but it wasn't a friendly, glad-to-see-you grin, it was a cat-cornered-the-mouse kind of grin. I crossed my arms over my chest, aware his eyes were oogling my a.s.sets.

"d.a.m.n, girl, you are looking fine today." He whistled and walked over to lean back against his truck directly in front of me, his eyes were leering as they slid over my body, making me feel dirty standing fully clothed in front of him.

"Go away, Beau, I'm not in the mood to be ha.s.sled today," I snapped. I sent a silent plea for Jen to hurry up so we could split.

"Don't be like that, sweet heart," he crooned, smiling even wider.

"Don't call me that. I'm not your sweet heart. I thought I made that clear back in high school, Beau." I clenched my jaw and glanced over at the store entrance, willing Jen to walk through the doors.

"We both know what you wanted back in high school. Bet you still want the same thing right now, huh?" He grabbed himself to drive his point home. My brain to mouth filtering system malfunctioned when I hit a certain level of anger and right then I was so far past that level that I was surprised I didn't have a coronary.

"You were a disgusting pig back in high school, Beau. And now it looks like you've graduated to a pathetic excuse of a man wh.o.r.e. Congratulations." My chest was heaving and my heart was pounding when I turned to stomp away toward the store. I was going to go and drag Jen out if I had to, so I could get the h.e.l.l outta there. I should have remembered Beau's anger from the Piggly Wiggly. A large, rough hand clamped down on my bare arm and spun me around, yanking a gasp from my throat.

"Who do you think you are?" Beau's eyes were wild, his hand held me in a bruising grasp. I tried to yank my arm free, but his grip only tightened more, making me wince in pain.

"Let go of me right now, Beau," I demanded as calmly as I could, though I was quaking on the inside.

"You think you're so much better than me?" he asked roughly. "Poor little Beth," he sneered. "What's worse I wonder? Being known as the town wh.o.r.e or the daughter of the town religious freaks?" My hand flew out and the crack of my hand hitting his cheek seemed to echo all around me. Sweet Jesus. What had I done? I thought. His head snapped to the side from the force of my blow and his nostrils flared slightly when he turned back to face me. The look on his face and the dangerous gleam in his eyes chilled the blood in my veins. In a split second, his hand c.o.c.ked back and swung out in full force and everything seem to happen in slow motion. All I could do was prepare myself for the impact.

Out of my peripheral vision I saw a shadow move just before someone s.n.a.t.c.hed Beau's hand out of mid-air and pulled him back away from me. I stumbled to the side and landed on my knees on the sidewalk. My ears were ringing from a spike in adrenaline. I could barely hear Jen saying my name through the wad of cotton that had been stuffed in my ears. Jen's hand was on my arms and she was screaming at someone. I stood up with Jen's help, and for the first time I noticed that Matt had Beau in a death grip, his body tense and menacing, ready to do bodily harm to the sc.u.m who'd put his hand on me. I stepped forward on wobbly legs and put a hand on Matt's back.

"Forget it, Matt. It isn't worth it." Matt stiffened when I touched him. He turned his eyes to meet mine and I realized just how close he was to pounding Beau into the asphalt. His eyes ran over me, taking stock of any injuries. When he saw the marks on my arm, angry and red from Beau's grip, his jaw clenched and his hand fisted tighter in Beau's shirt. "Please, Matt. Don't give him the satisfaction," I pleaded. I was so tired. I just wanted to go back to Jen's and forget about everything. The storm in Matt's eyes clamed fractionally as he slowly loosened his grip on Beau's shirt and gave him a little shove away. I breathed out a breath of relief and placed my hand on Matt's still-tense arm. "Thank you," I said softly. Matt sucked in a sharp breath when Beau let out a nasty laugh. My grip tightened on Matt's forearm.

"The town wh.o.r.e and the pure preacher's son? You've got to be kidding me." Beau cackled and then stepped forward within arm's reach. "Did she already spread her luscious thighs for you, Rev?" he spat. Matt's arm swung out before any of us saw it coming. Jen gasped just as Beau's head snapped back and his body hit the pavement like the sack of manure he was. I couldn't summon a single morsel of concern. Jen's mouth was hanging open in a fish-out-of-water imitation and Matt was standing there looking three parts angry and one part shocked he'd just knocked a guy out cold.

"I'll call you later, Beth," Matt said after a few moments of stunned silence. His eyes met mine and he waited until I nodded to walk quickly away from the crowd that was gathering around the spectacle we'd just put on. I didn't blame him. I'd run like h.e.l.l from anyone who'd put me through this much trouble too. I watched him as he headed toward the open produce market. I was already feeling the loss of his presence. This was exactly what I had been wanting all along, though, I reminded myself.

"Let's go home, Jen." I sighed and rubbed a hand over the tender, already bruising spot on my upper arm. Jen nodded and stepped around Beau's p.r.o.ne figure to get to my truck.

My mind was a torrent of thoughts by the time we made it back to the house and I knew I would have to work out the over flow of emotions and feelings so my body would be able to relax by the evening. I helped Jen put away the groceries in silence before asking her the question that had been weighing most heavily on my mind since the scene in the grocery store parking lot.

"Matt is the son of a Pastor?" I asked as I stacked the can goods in the pantry.

"Yes. His dad is Pastor Wright of New Hope Community Church just outside of town." Jen sighed heavily and sat down at the table once all the groceries were put away.

"And I take it he isn't like the rebellious, bad boy, cliche preacher kid type?" I knew the answer in my heart to the question, that Matt wasn't, that he was probably the spittin' image of his religious daddy. Jen gazed at me, her eyes saying she was sorry and how much she wished I'd had a normal upbringing, that I didn't have issues with religion in general.

"He's a Sunday school teacher. The children in his cla.s.s adore him. He never misses a Sunday and punching the c.r.a.p out of Beau, though well deserved, was definitely out of the norm for him." She let out a shaky breath and searched my face. I stood there for a few minutes, unable to think clearly. Jen had just confirmed everything I'd already figured out, but it was painful to hear said out loud. Matt was completely off my radar and I had to back the h.e.l.l away from having anything to do with him.

"Please say something."

I clenched my jaw and met her worried gaze. "It's fine." I waved a hand and walked over and opened the back door.

"What are you doing?" she asked quietly.

"I'm going to work in the garden. I need some time to process everything." I smiled what I hoped was a convincing smile and shut the door behind me.

I threw myself into my work in the back yard. I pulled weeds, pruned back the rose bushes and even built a pretty red brick border around the herb garden. I found myself relaxing, if just a little, as I put all my energy into one of the few things I'd missed when I left the country life. There was nothing quite like burying your hands in the earth, nurturing plants, watching them flourish and bloom all because of your hard work and tender care.

A few hours later, Jen came outside with an ice cold gla.s.s of sweet tea and told me that Matt was on the phone for the third time. I shook my head and sat up on the steps of the back porch to enjoy my tea in the afternoon breeze. I couldn't talk to him just yet. Jen didn't say anything, just went inside and left me with my thoughts and the midday sun. When my tea was finished, I grabbed a bucket and filled it with cold, soapy water and began scrubbing the back porch on my hands and knees. My arms began to shake slightly in exhaustion, but I worked relentlessly on getting the back porch spotless.

Everything I'd been concerned about getting involved with Matt had just quadrupled. It was more than the fact that he broke all my rules for dating ... he was a freakin' preacher's son. He was so different from my normal dating pattern, that it was ridiculous. Not only that, but he was very involved in his church and religion. I just couldn't go there. I couldn't give him the kind of relationship he would be looking for. The perfect girlfriend who would hold his hand and attend services together and plan out their perfect, two-point-five kid family, who would be raised in a tiny town and taught to fear a G.o.d who would watch their every move. That they would have to fear committing that magical, elusive thing that could send them to a pit of fire for their transgressions. I clenched my teeth and scrubbed with renewed vigor.

My mind traveled back to a particularly painful memory from my childhood. I was only twelve at the time, a vulnerable age, going through p.u.b.erty, my body starting to undergo awkward changes. I'd never forget the day I started my menstrual cycle. Jen had already begun hers and a.s.sured me it was normal. Her mother talked with me and gave me a box of personal items, she even took me out for an ice cream to "celebrate". I, of course, had to tell my mom that evening that I had started.

I tried to just breeze past the topic, a.s.sure her I knew what was happening, and then quickly change the subject. Unfortunately, my mom and dad had to take the opportunity to remind me how my body was changing and that I would have to work extra hard to be more G.o.dly and curb my womanly nature to engage in sinful, carnal acts of the flesh. My father made sure I knew that as a woman it would come natural for me to act on my "instincts" and give in to my whorish impulses that could lead me onto a path that would surely lead me straight to the gates of h.e.l.l.

Now that I thought back on that day and so many others like it, I could see why Beau Montgomery p.i.s.sed me off as much as he did when he spread all those false rumors about me being loose in high school. Part of me was afraid that everything my dad said was true, part of me was scared s.h.i.tless that I was just as broken and sinful as I was told I was and that I deserved whatever eternal h.e.l.l I would find at the end of my life. Part of me wished I could have been the perfect, straight-and-narrow daughter my daddy always said he wished he'd had. Instead, he'd gotten me.

"Wait, she doesn't want to talk right now ... give her a few days." Jen's voice sounded panicked from around the side of the house. Matt came striding around the house, his eyes glinting dangerously. A man on a mission. I was still on my hands and knees with suds all around me.

"Why wouldn't you take my calls?" Matt demanded. He spoke through clenched teeth and his eyes dared me to say I hadn't been avoiding talking to him.

"Tell me right now if you want him gone, Beth, and I'll throw his country b.u.mpkin behind right off my property!" Jen's hands were on her hips, her hair was coming loose from her braid, and little wisps were flying all around her head, making her look like a crazed momma hen. She had to be at least six inches shorter than Matt and fifty pounds lighter, but she meant every word she said, even if it were technically impossible for her to follow through. Matt's brow rose in surprise.

"It's okay, Jen. I'll talk to him." I sighed. "But, um, thanks for the offer." She cast one last glare in Matt's direction before turning to huff back to the front of the house.

"She can be terrifying," Matt murmured.

"You have no idea," I grumbled.

"So, I'll be coming here to pick you up in a few days for our date," he announced, his eyes never wavering from mine. I shook my head and opened my mouth to reply. "That's all I was calling about, to make sure you knew when to be ready for our date."

"Matt ... I just don't think that is a good idea." I sat back on my heels, dropped the scrub brush I'd been holding, and wiped my hand on my jean shorts.

"Why? Because of what happened this morning in town?" he asked, his eyes searching mine. "Because that wasn't your fault, you know. And I would have done the exact same thing if it had been you, my momma, or any other woman who needed my help."

"It's not just that, Matt. It's just not going to work between me and you, you have to see that." I stood up and made my way over to stand in front of him. "You are a good man, I can tell that, but just not the man for me." A sharp pain of doubt pierced my chest, but I continued on. "I can't be the person you would need to me to be. I'm not good enough for you." Matt sighed and lifted his hand to tuck a strand of hair gently behind my ear. I closed my eyes and sucked in a quick breath. Never before had I wanted something so badly.

"So, let me get this straight," he whispered hoa.r.s.ely. "You know me better than I know myself and that means you know you are no good for me." My eyes opened and I found Matt's golden eyes glinting in the afternoon sunlight, his jaw clenched in restrained anger.

"That's not ..." I began.

"Also, I'm too good for you, meaning if I were a little more ... what? A little more dangerous? Maybe unreliable? Selfish? I'd have a chance with you?" he growled.

"No. You're perfect," I soothed. "It's me. I have ... issues. I can't be the perfect woman you deserve."