"I will try to control myself."

Her mother opened the door. "Thank you. Things will get better, I promise."

"Only if Aunt Viola's daughters come to every meeting and defend us." Like they always did.

"Harper, this monthly luncheon is tradition, and I won't ruin it," her mother warned.

She rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, I won't spoil your precious luncheon." As soon as the words left her mouth, she wanted to take them back. The look on her mother's face made her feel even worse.

"You don't spoil the luncheon; you make it worth going to. I'm proud to show you off to the family." With that, her mother made her way back to the dining room.

Harper had no choice but to follow her. While she didn't understand her mother's need to be here, she did love her. And a not-so-small part of her understood the need for acceptance.

With a sigh, Harper pasted on a smile and joined Pepper at the table.

Chapter Five.

Harper was in the middle of pulling her hair into a ponytail when she heard a truck pull into her driveway. A nervous flutter made her pulse race as she forced herself to walk calmly to the front door.

Of course, she opened it before he actually had the chance to knock.

"Hey you," Austin said, a smile lighting up his handsome face. He wore a pair of dark blue athletic pants and a long-sleeved Henley t-shirt.

"No jersey?" she asked.

"Not this time." He ran his eyes appreciatively over her, taking in her patterned leggings and bright yellow t-shirt. "However, you look might fine wearing my team colors."

She began to stammer. "I didn't... I had no idea."

"Pretty sure I should be offended right now, but you're so d.a.m.n hot in those leggings that it's impossible."

"You and your compliments," she said, waving her hand in the air as if trying to bat his words away. "If you'll give me a second, I'll call Libby inside."

"I'll wait right here," he said from the doorway.

"The park is right up the street, so I thought we could walk, " she said, grabbing Libby's leash as she opened the back door. "Libby!"

Her sweet dog's ears perked up, and she sprinted toward her. At the last minute, Libby planted her tail on the back porch and waited for Harper to attach the leash.

"She's really smart," he said.

Harper glanced over at him. "Teacher's kid."

"Most of the teacher kids I knew were troublemakers."

"Libby's a lady, just like me." After securing the door, she led Libby out to the front porch.

While she locked the door, he bent down to pet Libby on the head. "Even ladies can make trouble."

Brushing her hair over her shoulder, she made a noise. "I'm sure you sweet-talked a lot of ladies into making trouble."

"Some of them might have sweet-talked me, you know." A wicked grin pushed up the corners of his mouth. "Maybe even corrupted me."

"I'm sure you were innocent at one point." She pointed left. "The park's that way."

"Lead on, Ms. Bell," he said, but she noticed that he not only put her on the inside and away from the road, but that he also walked right beside her.

She wanted to hold his hand, but it seemed silly to do so. Maybe she should concentrate on the weather instead. The day was beautiful, all sunny skies with not a cloud in sight. It was a bit on the cold side, but what more could she ask for in a January afternoon?

"What do you and Libby normally do at the park?" he asked as they began to walk "Chase squirrels, sniff other dogs' b.u.t.ts, and beg for food."

"Sounds exciting, but you didn't tell me what Libby likes to do."

A gasp of mock outrage left her. "You did not just say that."

"Sorry." He held up his hands in surrender, not at all sorry looking in the least. "You're right, I know Libby's the one that likes to chase squirrels and beg for food."

"But I like to sniff other dogs' b.u.t.ts? Eww... Wow, Austin, is this how you continue to charm me? You need a new game plan." She tried to stop and give him a serious look, but Libby tugged hard on the leash, making her stumble around. Her foot caught on an uneven spot in the sidewalk, and she began to fall. "Holy crud."

"Whoa." Austin grabbed Harper by the arm, preventing her from hitting the ground. "Maybe you should let me hold her leash. I can't have you getting hurt. Pretty sure the parents would riot."

"Thanks for your concern, but I got it." She wrapped the leash around her wrist. "As for the parents of my students, they have no say in my private life."

"But it wouldn't be so bad if they did find out you actually had a life?" he asked and she sliced her gaze to him, her nose wrinkling.

"Beyond teaching, that is," he added.

"I have a life," she said tightly, the familiar pangs of the monthly luncheon resurfacing at an alarming rate. She hated this feeling of being less than, of being thirty and alone, as if that was something to be embarra.s.sed about. She wasn't ashamed of her life choice, but it seemed like everyone and their momma thought she should be. And now Austin, unknowingly, was making her feel the exact same way.

His blue gaze met hers. "I wasn't trying to hurt your feelings."

"You didn't," she lied, wanting to move past her emotions and concentrate on what was happening right now. Or rather, what was supposed to be happening right now.

His hand covered hers, effectively making her, and Libby by default, stop in the middle of the sidewalk. "I'm really good at reading people, Harper."

The sun beat down on them, shining like a halo on Austin's dark head. His skin took on a healthy, tan glow, and his eyes seem to gleam. She'd never seen a more beautiful man in her life. Not even his brother, Tristan, could compare. Plus, Tristan had never inspired feelings of desire like Austin did. No guy had ever come close to making her feel... wanted. Desirable. Like her feelings mattered.

"You know my momma's a McCoy, right?"

He nodded.

"She took my daddy's name. They moved away because my granny got mad, along with a bunch of other McCoys. Lemon wasn't the first to take her husband's name, and it was because of my mother that they made that stupid rule about inheritances."

His brow creased. "I don't understand."

"That part's not important. What's important is that none of them think too highly of my parents... or me, and they're not shy about it either." She glanced away, willing away the tears that threatened to embarra.s.s her. "Only Lemon, Apple, and Cherry are nice to us... me, but that's because they're so beautiful and can do no wrong. For lunch today, we had our monthly gathering, I guess you could call it... and it wasn't very pleasant."

He stared at her for a moment. "I'd tell you that they're wrong, that you are a very beautiful woman, but I'm not going to. For one, you don't believe it where it counts, and two, compliments make you uncomfortable. I get why now, and I respect it." Placing his finger under her chin, he continued, "Which is why I'm going to do this instead."

His lips met hers as his hand cupped the back of her neck, anchoring her in place. As if she were going anywhere in this moment. Harper couldn't remember the last time she'd been kissed. The last time a man had held her in his arms before Austin had playfully imprisoned her against his truck.

Gently... sweetly, his lips moved, carefully tasting as he tested her reaction. Her pulse leapt and her body began that rapid descent into desire while he kept kissing her, urging her mouth to open under his. Ever so slowly, he swept his tongue inside to tangle with hers.

He tasted so good, so addictive, that she was half-afraid he would stop and half-afraid that he wouldn't. How could she survive a kiss like this? How could she survive a man who didn't give her pretty words, but instead showed how attractive he found her?

Their kiss deepened, and she welcomed it. She wanted more, so she allowed her body to sway against his. He caught her with his other hand, pulling her so tight against him that she could feel the evidence of his desire. The thick, long bulge of his c.o.c.k pressed against her as she moved restlessly against him.

With an indistinct murmur, he broke their kiss. His eyes were heavy-lidded with desire. "Did that help you forget about that stupid lunch?"

Her fingers curled into his shirt. "What lunch?"

He pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead. "Did it again, sweetheart."

"Did what again?"

"Got caught up in you in the middle of town."

The way he phrased that... caught up in her... like she was this mysterious, s.e.xy woman who couldn't be denied. It was almost laughable. However, the look on his face was anything but funny.

"I got caught up in you, too," she admitted, her cheeks turning hot.

Libby nosed her way between them.

"Guess we best continue on to the park before she gets mad at me for distracting you."

Harper shook her head as he let go of her. "There's that infamous Lawson charm again."

Austin tilted his head to one side. "Stop underestimating your power."

"I don't have any powers."

"Could have fooled me." To her shock, he laced his fingers with hers, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "Stop underestimating yourself," he said softly before letting go. She missed the warmth, the feel of him, and for a moment, she did nothing but stare up at him.

"Cat got your tongue?"

She shook her head. "You always know what to say, and it's more than a little disconcerting."

"Just calling it like I see it." He began to walk. She had no choice but to keep up, or let Libby and Austin drag her the entire way there.

"Here we are," she said as the park finally came into view. There was a section fenced off just for dogs near the entrance.

Libby began to tug harder as soon as she saw it. In no time at all, Harper had made it behind the gate and was taking Libby's leash off. The dog dashed off to the other side, excitedly barking at a tree.

"Where did you go to school?" he asked. "I'm still trying to figure out why I don't remember you."

"In Holland Springs, but we moved back to Jessamine at the beginning of my senior year because my granny needed Momma to take care of her." The most horrible thought hit her, and she swallowed. "You're younger than Tristan, right?"

He nodded. "Two years younger. There needs to be a flowchart to keep track of all of us."

Austin was twenty-five? Her stomach roiled at the thought. While five years wasn't that big of an age difference, it was a very big deal to her. She could only imagine the whispers that would start. McCoy women always married older men, even if it was only by a day or two. Almost like it was a rule that no one could break. Not even her momma had broken it, and she'd refused to keep the McCoy name.

Heck, even Cherry hadn't married her boyfriend who was seven years younger, and she might not ever, according to her sister, Apple.

"I'm listening," she said, looking away under the pretense of checking on Libby.

"It's Adam, Caleb, Elijah, Brody, Lucas, Tristan, Mason, and me."

"Elijah?" She frowned. "I don't think I know him."

"You wouldn't. He hasn't been home in years. He's off traveling the world. Hopefully, he'll come back soon, but he's got wandering in his blood."

"What about you?" she asked, trying in vain to redirect their conversation.

"Not a wanderer."

"But you're not home a lot either." She stopped at a bench and sat down, her ponytail sliding over one shoulder as she tilted her head. "I a.s.sume you have to keep close to Charlotte."

"Most of the time, but my contracts allows for travel." He picked up a pinecone and threw it into the trees. "Eventually, I'll settle down here. Have some kids. Maybe coach football at Jessamine High. Speaking of high school, you never did tell me how we avoided b.u.mping into one another."

Her gaze slid away. "That's because I'm five years older than you, which means you were in seventh grade when I moved here to finish out my senior year."

"I don't have a problem with that unless you do... and even then, I can't imagine why you would."

"Well... I'm not sure how much we have in common."

"I think we have a lot in common," he disagreed.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Like what?"

"We both have siblings?" he ventured.

"Only child."

"We have parents."

"Everyone has parents," she countered.

"We both went to college."

"I went to East Carolina," she said.