Wounded (An Aspen Series Novella) (Prequel to Relentless) by Stark Cindy

Author:Stark, Cindy [Stark, Cindy]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2013-03-29T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

The next morning, Jerry was up early enough to help his dad drive some of his horses into town for the livestock show and auction that would be held later in the afternoon. They went for breakfast at Sparrow’s and hung out with a bunch of guys from town. Jerry took a moment to enjoy the excitement of a small town celebration. Sure, they didn’t have the fancy stuff people might find at bigger town fairs, but it gave the townsfolk a chance to come together and celebrate their way of life along with their country’s independence day.

After spending most of the last four years out of the state or overseas, Jerry could appreciate that.

He met up with his buddies to watch the annual parade, and of course, they cat-called the reigning queen like they did every year. At the end of the parade, they got in line and followed the procession to the usually empty lot at the south end of town where the car show and the rest of the activities would take place.

Jerry found now that he’d taken that first step toward the rest of his life, things seemed a little easier. Hot July sun beat down on him as he and the other guys sauntered through the old cars that had been restored and detailed with loving hands. The thick, sweet scent of cotton candy hovered in the air along with the sound of children’s laughter.

A cherry red ‘67 Camaro caught his eye, and he wandered toward it.

“Like what you see?” a female voice said from behind.

He turned to find Kelsie Wayne looking as beautiful and blond as she had in high school. “Hey, Kelsie.” His smile came easy, and it was nice to talk to a woman that didn’t flip his heart on the ground and stomp on it. He glanced at the car. “This yours?”

She matched his smile. “I wish. It’s beautiful.”

He eyed her soft blond curls, thinking she was pretty as well as nice. He preferred brunettes to blondes, but look where that had gotten him. Maybe it was time to start looking beyond his usual preferences.

“I heard you were back in town.” She hooked her thumbs in her front belt loops in a flirty gesture.

“I got back a couple of days ago.”

“Too bad you couldn’t get your car fixed for the last round of the derby.”

Is that what people were saying? “Yeah. Maybe next year.”

“You and Kimber still broke up?”

He narrowed his gaze. Aspen was notorious for gossip spreading like wildfire, but he didn’t like it when his personal life was the topic of conversation. “Why do you ask?”

She shrugged, still smiling. “Half the town thinks she’s been waiting for you to come home. The other half says she’s still seeing Eric.”

The dagger sliced deeper into his heart, and suddenly, the little blonde in front of him didn’t seem so sweet. “I guess if you want to know what she thinks, you should ask her.”

The mood turned awkward, Kelsie’s smile slipping a bit.

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