Page 37 of Reaper

“I know you need more time before we take this further, but I’d still like to hang out with you if that’s okay?”

Instantly, I nod. “I’d like that, too.”

His face lights up and he smiles fully at me. Fuck, seeing his full smile wrecks me even more than his little grin or smirk does.

“Then I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Darlin’.”

He gives me another chaste kiss before he steps back and opens my car door. Holding out a hand, I take it as I carefully maneuver into the car. I reach for my seatbelt but then pause, looking back up at him as he hovers over the door, resting his arms on the door and the roof of the car.

“Thank you.”

He looks at me, confused. “You don’t ever have to thank me for anything, Lark. Ever.” He leans down and kisses me again. “Have a good night, Darlin’.”

Reaper straightens and closes the car door. A second later, he opens the front passenger door for Granny. She gently places her hand on his arm and says something to him, but I can’t hear it. Reaper chuckles softly and says something equally quiet back to her before holding his hand out to help her into the car. A moment later, Ma gets in behind the wheel and after she buckles up, I hear her start the car, however, my gaze never leaves Reaper. Once Granny is in her seat, he carefully shuts the door and steps back before turning back to me. He gives me a small nod, which I return, then he smiles brightly, his cheeks turning slightly pink. His reaction has my own cheeks flaming as I return his smile.

Ma reverses, but I shift in my seat to look out the back window as she drives down the lane. My chest aches the further away we get, and it isn’t just because of everything that’s happened with our house and the supper club. I want so badly to have Reaper wrap me in his arms and tell me that everything will be okay, but the other part of me is still leery because of the rumors I’ve heard about the parties that go on at their clubhouse. He said he hasn’t been with anyone in four months... But can I believe him?

Yes, a small voice whispers in the back of my mind.

This entire time, he hasn’t given me any reason to doubt him. Biting my lip, I nod to myself. As soon as I get my head on straight and feel like I’m regaining control of my life, I’ll tell him ‘yes’.

My mind goes back to our house and my shoulders sink.

So much history was lost in the fire.

Suddenly, I’m extremely thankful that I’d planned a slideshow for Granny’s and Pappy’s 60thwedding anniversary this past April. For the last two years, I had painstakingly gone through all of our family photos, documents, literallyeverythingI could find. I even hired a local kid that had a drone to fly over our property and take videos and pictures of how our house, the supper club, and the forest looked at that time, both for the slideshow and for future generations to see. Then I digitally saved everything in a cloud account as well as saving them on a couple of hard drives that I’d stored in a fireproof safe, which thankfully, had lived up to its name. I just wished I’d had a bigger safe to store more documents and heirlooms.

Still, I’m extremely grateful I did all of that because now the house and supper club are pretty much gone. At least we have the pictures to show how things had looked before, even though we lost the buildings. If Pappy were still alive, this would have definitely been the thing that killed him.

That thought has my chest aching even more.

I was the one that had found Pappy after he’d had his heart attack.

He’d been as healthy and spry as a horse, and none of us had seen it coming. I’d found him slumped over the desk in our office at the supper club. I called out for help before trying to administer CPR, but I couldn’t get his heart to beat again.

And neither could the paramedics.

Shaking my head, my mind goes back to the fire.

Would this hurt as bad if Iknewthis was an accident? Like if the fires were caused by faulty wiring and it only happened to us?

Instantly, I know the answer is no. But someone is messing with us. We were hit twice, the Leyton Grocery, The Dive, the Millers’, the Adairs’, and the Sharpes’. We were all targeted... But why? And by who? Was it the Coxes? Or someone else?

I’m shaken out of my thoughts by Granny’s voice.

“Seems that young stud has taken quite a shine to you, Lark.”

My cheeks flame. “Granny!”

She scoffs and then chuckles softly. “I may be old and widowed, but I’m not blind. That young man fancies you, Sweetie. Why didn’t you say yes?”

My shoulders slump. “I don’t feel ready. If the fires never happened, I would have definitely said yes, but...” I pause as I chew on my lip. “I’m all messed up in the head right now with everything. Not to mention I’m going to be busy with physical therapy, doctor visits, therapist appointments and that doesn’t even include rebuilding. I just... I need some time to get my head on straight.”

She hums. “While I agree with you, I also disagree with you. I think you’d do much better if you had him by your side through all of this.”

I’m about to say something when she raises her hand, and I shut my mouth.

“Now, I’ve said my piece, but just so you know, Sweetie, I’ll back you up one hundred percent. That, and I think we need to have a family meeting tomorrow morning when you’re ready. Before we begin rebuilding, I want to hear your thoughts again, Lark. I think you were right, and I was just being a stubborn old fool.”