No More Secrets: A Small Town Love Story (The Pierce Brothers Book 1) (7 page)

As they drove further into the heart of town, homes gave way to smart storefronts. Carter turned down a block and then up a side street where he pulled into a small parking lot. It was the first floor of a three-story brick building. The window displays highlighted footwear of the cowboy persuasion.

Blue Moon Boots.

“What are we doing here?”

“Getting you a pair of boots that won’t destroy your feet,” Carter said, unfastening his seatbelt and getting out of the truck.

Summer met him on the sidewalk. “Cowboy boots?”

“They’re comfortable and heavy duty. A pair of these will last you years longer than those hikers. Plus you can ride in them.”

He held the door for her and instead of the typical bell that announced visitors, a digital yee-haw sounded from a speaker above the door.

“Carter Pierce!” A woman with blond hair wrapped in a long, thick braid greeted them. “I know you’re not coming back to find a replacement for your boots already.”

“Hey, Willa.” Carter laid a hand on Summer’s shoulder. “This is Summer. We’re looking for a pair of boots that will get her by for a week on the farm.”

Willa made her way out from behind the desk. She was wearing an ankle-length skirt and a dozen silver bangles on her wrist.

“Welcome, Summer.” She reached out both hands to her, sending the bangles jingling. “Any friend of the Pierce family is a friend of mine. I’m sure we can find the perfect match.” She paused, her lavender eyes glazing over. “Something strong and sturdy that will protect you, but with a little give.” Willa flitted off, leaving Summer frowning after her.

She shot Carter a sidelong look. “Is she talking about boots or men?”

“You never know with Willa. Her mom was the town psychic for a few decades until she retired and moved to Boca. Willa claims that she ‘sees’ things, too.”

The clever displays of boots and barbed wire and wooden crates drew Summer deeper into the store. She had taken a few design courses over the past two years and could tell that a lot of thought as well as a natural knack had played a hand in the creative visuals.

Willa returned in a cloud of sandalwood with a white box in her hand. “These should do,” she said. The front door yee-haw sounded as a couple in their fifties entered the store. He was balding and wearing a Grateful Dead tee. The woman was wearing a conservative navy pantsuit and had her rich brown hair pinned back in a sleek bun.

“Rainbow! Gordon! I’ll be right with you,” Willa called to her visitors. “Carter, do you mind helping Summer with these while I take care of Rainbow and Gordon?”

“Sure.” Carter took the box from Willa and shot a suspicious glance at the visitors.

“What? What is it?” Summer whispered.

“The Berkowiczes,” Carter said, guiding her to a chair.

“Rainbow Berkowicz? You’re just screwing with me now, aren’t you?” She sat and slipped off her shoes.

“She’s the president of the bank next door. Gordon’s her husband. He runs the seasonal garden shop just outside of town.” Carter flipped the lid off the box and pulled out a cowboy boot in a rich chocolate tone. Thin turquoise stitches wove a pattern around the supple material.

Summer snatched the other boot out of the box. “These are incredible! Why are you glaring at the Berkowiczes?”

Carter yanked the boot out of her grip and grabbed her foot. “I’m not glaring. I’m trying to figure out their game. You need socks.” He glanced around and grabbed a pair off of a rotating display.

“Here, put these on.” He ripped off the tag and handed them over, continuing to frown at Willa and her visitors at the front of the store.

The knee socks were the same blue as the stitching on the boots with candy pink hearts. They were kind of adorable. Summer pulled them on over her bandaged feet. “Why are they looking at us and whispering? Is it because we’re looking at them and whispering?”

“No. They’re plotting,” Carter said, grabbing her foot and easing it into a boot. He shot another glance at the trio.

Summer grabbed him by the chin and turned his head to her. His beard tickled her palms. “Is this something you can explain to me without glaring at them?”

Carter reached for her other leg and Summer tried to ignore the delicious tingle that shot up from her toes at his touch.

“Sorry,” he muttered. “I’ve just never been in their sights before. I heard rumors, but I never thought it would happen to me.”

“Carter, you’re starting to scare me.”

“Don’t look at them!” he barked. He stuffed her foot into the other boot.

“Are they casting some kind of spell on you?”

He shook his head. “Worse. They’re matchmaking.”

“Who —?” Summer looked down at Carter, kneeling before her, his hands holding her calves. “Oh.”

“Shit,” Carter muttered, abruptly standing up.

Summer rose with him. “What do a bank president, a boot seller, and a garden center guy have to do with matchmaking?”

“They’re part of the Beautification Committee,” he said, as if that explained it all.

Summer waited. “And?”

Carter swiped a hand over his face. “And it’s basically a cover for a not-so-secret society of busybodies. And those three are some of the busiest. Their favorite thing to do is pick out poor singles and pair them up. They claim it makes the town a better place to live if everyone is ‘in love.’” Carter threw up the air quotes and Summer bit her lip trying not to laugh.

“Exactly how many couples have they tortured into love?” she asked.

“I don’t know. Something like twenty or so.” He turned so that he stood between her and their prying eyes.

“And they all fall in love?”

“They claim they have a one hundred percent success rate. Damn it. Fred and Phil just got married last month, so they’re probably looking for their next happily ever after.”

“Maybe they’re talking about someone else?” They peeked at the front of the store and Willa, Rainbow, and Gordon all turned away. Gordon started whistling. “Or not.”

“Let’s just get out of here. How do the boots feel?”

Summer looked down at her feet. “Actually they feel amazing. They’re a perfect fit.”

“Of course they are,” Carter grumbled.

She turned sideways and looked in the long mirror. “They look good, too.”

“Great. Awesome. Let’s go.”

Carter grabbed the empty boot box and threw her moccasins inside. He grabbed her bag off of the chair and dragged her to the front of the store.

“I can’t believe you’re so flustered,” Summer laughed.

“Flustered? I’m not flustered.” Carter took offense.

“Well, it was nice seeing you, Willa,” Rainbow said in a voice that was a little too loud.

“Yeah, great to see you. You too, Carter and Summer,” Gordon waved as they hustled out the door.

“How did he know my name?” Summer whispered, waving after him.

Carter dumped the box on the counter. He tossed a credit card on the counter. “We’ll take them.”

“There’s also a pair of socks,” Summer told Willa as she grabbed for her purse. “You can’t buy me these,” she said to Carter.

“I can buy boots for an acquaintance. Because that is what we are. Acquaintances.”

Willa smiled sweetly as she rang up the sale. “It looks like you found your ‘solemate.’ Which socks did you decide on?”

“The turquoise ones with the uhh, little umm ...” Carter stalled.

“The ones with the cute pink hearts on them? Aren’t you sweet?” She swiped Carter’s credit card. “And are you staying in town while you’re here, Summer?”

“Uh, no. I’m staying on the farm.”

“With Carter? How lovely! I have a feeling you’re going to have a wonderful time.” Willa winked.

––––––––

C
arter managed to calm himself down by the time they turned onto Main Street. And Summer relaxed enough to enjoy a look at the town square, a pretty green space with a gazebo and picnic tables.

“One Love Park,” Summer read aloud from the park’s sign. She raised an eyebrow.

“Honey,” Carter shook his head. “We’re just getting started.”

He pulled into an empty parking space in front of Peace of Pizza.

“Peace of Pizza and One Love Park? Promise me we’re going to take a walk after dinner,” Summer said, her gaze glued to the hodge-podge downtown.

“Your feet are covered in blisters and you want to take a walk?”

“I think I’ve proven that I’m willing to suffer for article research,” Summer sniffed.

Carter shook his head in resignation. “If you save room for dessert, we’ll walk down to Karma Kustard for gelato after dinner.”

Summer slid out of the truck. “One thousand words isn’t going to scratch the surface on this,” she whispered to herself.

Peace of Pizza was all that she hoped it would be. They were seated in a cozy booth in the corner under a large poster of Jimi Hendrix. A lava lamp on the table bubbled lazy, orange blobs.

Summer glanced around them. “Why did they put us back here away from everyone else?”

They had walked past several tables full of diners, including a gentleman Carter had addressed as “Big Ben.” But it was just the two of them in the cozy little corner.

The waitress delivered a pair of ice waters and a candle just as the lights in the restaurant dimmed.

“God damn Beautification Committee,” Carter muttered under his breath. Summer bit her lip.

“Want to hear the vegetarian specials, Carter?” The waitress asked pulling a pen out of her apron that was dusty with flour.

“Sure, Maizie. What have you got?”

She rattled off a surprisingly large number of meat-free specials. “And Summer, if you’re a meatatarian, we’ve got a bunch of other options,” she said with a wink.

Summer blinked. Did everyone in town know her name? “Um, thanks, Maizie.”

“Can you handle a cheese pizza and a garden salad?” Carter asked her.

“Perfect.”

They handed over the menus to Maizie and tried to ignore the ambiance. Summer’s cellphone alarm signaled, breaking the awkward silence, and she dug her pills out of her bag.

“Thought you didn’t like taking drugs?” Carter asked, eyeing the tablets and capsules in her hand.

“They’re mostly vitamins. Everyone’s got to stay health conscious these days,” she said, washing the handful down with a big gulp of water.

Carter stared pointedly at Big Ben, who was hoovering his way through a stromboli with a side of gravy fries three tables away. “Not all of us,” he whispered.

Summer laughed. “So I’m curious about the vegetarian thing. Why did you give up meat? Was it a health choice?”

“Back to the interview already? I thought I could buy you off with a pair of shoes.”

“Nice try, Mr. Pierce.”

“Guess we’ll have to try the dress and gold bar store next.”

“Back to why you became vegetarian.” Summer wouldn’t let him push her off center.

“It happened after I came back. I was home for a few months when Joey brings these two pigs to me. They fell off the back of a truck on the highway headed for who knows where. I had empty pastures.”

“So you rescued them.”

He shrugged. “I had the doc come out and look them over. We were standing there talking and they just started running around the paddock. Dancing, playing. I swear I saw Dixie smile. I never touched bacon again. It wasn’t a conscious choice. It just happened.”

Summer propped her chin on her hand. “God, Carter. How is it that you’re not married yet?”

Carter’s eyes widened over his glass. “What?”

“Seriously. You are stunningly gorgeous,” Summer said, laying a hand over his. “You have impeccable taste when it comes to home decor, and the Dixie story just exploded my heart. How are you not married with a dozen babies by now?”

He raised a dark eyebrow and his eyes searched hers. “Are you asking for the article?” He turned her palm up, but continued to hold it toying with her fingers.

“Just me,” Summer said, tilting her head. “For now,” she qualified.

“I wasn’t in a great place when I came home. Relationships were low on my list of priorities.”

“Now?”

“Now, I’m in a better place. But the farm is the love of my life right now. You?”

“Why aren’t I married?”

He tapped her ring finger, sending a warm shiver through her.

“I don’t have much time for relationships right now.”

“You ever plan on making the time?” Carter’s thumb skimmed the skin of her palm.

“Someday. You?”

He gave a one-shoulder shrug. “Someday.” He was staring at her, holding her in his steely gaze.

Summer sighed and withdrew her hand.
What was she doing?
He was the subject of an article — a smart, sexy, hot one, at that — not a potential date.

“Comin’ at ya, Pierce.”

A woman with silvery dreadlocks slid a steaming pizza onto the table. Summer leaned back against the booth. “Tray’s hot. Watch out.”

“Thanks, Bobby.”

She looked pointedly at Summer until Carter caught her drift. “Bobby, this is Summer. She’s writing an article about the farm.”

“Nice to meet you, Summer,” Bobby said, offering a strong hand.

“It’s great to meet you, Bobby. This smells amazing.”

“That’s the fresh herbs in the sauce from some hippie’s organic farm.” She clapped Carter on the shoulder. “Speaking of, don’t be late with Thursday’s delivery. We’re already running low.”

“If you need something early, let me know. I can have Beckett bring it out.”

“Appreciate that,” Bobby nodded. She turned her attention back to Summer. “A writer, huh?”

“Editor actually,” Summer said, sliding a slice onto her plate.

“Too bad. Your mom would be over the moon if this was a date,” she winked at Carter. “How long are you in town, Summer?”

“A week.”

Bobby harrumphed. “A week is plenty of time for romance. Speaking of, it’s nice to see your mom out and about with her new beau. I ran into them at the winery in Coopersville last weekend when I was visiting my sister. Anyway, I’ll grab your salads.”

Summer caught the fierce look that Bobby missed on Carter’s face. “So, I take it that was news to you?”

“God damn Blue Moon busybodies.” Carter frowned fiercely. He yanked his phone out of his jeans and fired off a text.