Chance: A Small Town, Enemies to Lovers, Protector Romance (Ghost Ops Book 2)
Chance: Chapter 12

Rory yawnedbehind the bar as she pulled beers from taps and thought about how much her life had changed in twenty-four hours.

The anti-nausea meds were helping. But they also made her sleepy. Maybe that would get better when she got used to them. She hoped so.

When she finished with the beers, she set them on Nikki’s tray and sagged against the bar. She really needed a nap, but she wasn’t going to get it. It was Friday night and the Dawg was hopping. Prime rib night wasn’t to be missed, and neither was the band that came on later.

She thought of being here until nearly two in the morning and wanted to cry. Wouldn’t normally bother her, but if she didn’t stop yawning soon, she would cry.

She’d had a text from Emma Grace that the guys were coming and Chance had told them the news. It made her squirm a little inside to know all those big, hunky men knew her personal business, but it wouldn’t be long before everyone in Sutton’s Creek knew.

She’d told Theo. It hadn’t gone well. He’d hit the roof, threatened to beat the shit out of Chance—which she’d pointed out wasn’t really likely considering what Chance did for a living—and demanded she move into the other apartment above the Dawg.

He’d only calmed down when she’d said that Chance was staying out at the farm with her. She didn’t tell him it was temporary.

Theo wasn’t a caveman and didn’t expect her to get married to the father of her baby and quit work, but she knew it made him feel better to know that Chance wanted to be involved.

Her brother worried about her. Always had. It was stifling sometimes, but she understood where it came from. They’d lost their parents at a young age and though they’d had their grandparents, Theo had always been sensitive to the idea that he could suddenly lose the people he loved. When she’d been diagnosed with diabetes at thirteen, he’d worried more than any fifteen-year-old should. It’d taken time for him to get used to it, and time for her.

When she’d gotten teased by the other kids for passing out because her sugar was low, Theo stood up for her. He always stood up for her.

Because of that, she’d given him a bit of grace today. He’d ranted and raved but then he’d hugged her tight and pledged to do whatever she needed him to do for her and the baby. She’d teared up in his arms, which she didn’t typically do, but she blamed the hormones.

He was in the kitchen now, deep in dinner service, but he’d made her swear not to overdo it. And she wasn’t overdoing it. It was the damned meds. She’d had a choice between being nauseous or being tired and she’d taken tired.

She was kinda regretting it, especially since more caffeine was out for the day.

Jimmy Turton pulled out a barstool and sat. The Turtons had land adjoining hers and they’d always been friendly with her grandparents. But Jimmy’s dad had died a year ago, and now the operations fell to Jimmy and Billy. Their mother, Gail, still lived on the farm and regularly took produce to the farmer’s market while her sons did the big planting like corn and cotton.

“Hey, Jimmy. What can I get for you?”

“Hey, Rory. Bud Light, please.”

Rory grabbed a frosted mug and put it under the tap. “How’s your mama?”

“She’s good. Corn’s planted and she’s got tomatoes and okra in. Planning to expand the flower garden and let folks come cut their own.”

“That sounds good.”

“Might do a pumpkin patch this year in addition to the corn maze. Hear those do real well up in Huntsville.” He eyed her. “You ever think about doing anything like that with your land?”

Rory set the beer in front of him and slid over a bowl of pretzel sticks. “Nope. No time.”

“Mmm,” he said, taking a sip of the beer.

“Hey, you get a visit from a construction company recently?”

“Yeah, they came by. Made a good offer, too. But Mama doesn’t want to sell, and she still owns the land. What about you?”

“They made an offer but I turned it down. Theo agrees.”

Jimmy took a handful of pretzels. “Might be nice to get out from under the responsibility though, huh? Farming is hard work. But you don’t have to farm for a living like we do, so I guess there’s that.”

She didn’t like the way his words pricked her conscience. “My grandparents farmed for years. And I spent a lot of time in those fields, helping.”

“I know you did. But you don’t have to now.” He let his gaze slide over the brick interior of the Dawg. “You’ve got this place. You and Theo. Has to pay some of the bills.”

“We’re getting there. I’m still not selling though. I like living on the farm and waking up to the birds singing and the deer grazing in the pasture near the tree line.”

“I wouldn’t know. I’m up before dawn most days and in bed by eight.”

She thought he sounded a bit resentful, but maybe she was reading too much into it. “What brings you out tonight?”

“Mama’s book club. I dropped her off at Celia Lincoln’s house and thought I’d come in for dinner before I have to pick her up again.”

“That was nice of you.”

“She doesn’t see so well in the dark these days.” He pursed his lips as if thinking. “Not gonna lie, Rory. I’d be happy if she’d sell. Get herself a little house in town. Me and Billy could go to work at the Polaris plant, or maybe Mazda-Toyota. Get some benefits, make good money. Billy’s got child support payments. It’d help him a lot.”

“I’m sorry, Jimmy. I hope she changes her mind if that’s what would benefit your family most.”

He nodded. “I do too. But they want all of it, Rory. Yours, ours, the Coombs land. Together, we’ve got about five hundred acres. They’d make a mixed use development like Clift Farms over in Madison. Apartments, houses, retail shops, restaurants. Imagine what that’d do for this town.”

Rory’s stomach tightened. “I’ve only got forty acres. It’s not enough to make a difference. But you and the Coombses have the majority. They could do all those things with both of y’alls. They don’t need mine.”

Jimmy scratched the back of his neck. “Maybe not, but your land’s between ours. Without yours, it’s two separate tracts. Thought if we were all on the same page, maybe we could get more money out of them, too. Make it worthwhile for all of us. Mama wouldn’t refuse if the offer were big enough.”

“I’m sorry, Jimmy, but I’m not selling. Doesn’t mean they won’t come up on the offer for your place, though.” She cocked her head. “Does Carter Coombs want to sell?”

“Last I heard, he was thinking about it. Dolly Coombs had cancer last year, so I think they offer him enough money, he’ll take it”

“Probably right.”

“Think about it, Rory. Think about what we could all do with that money. Make life a lot easier. You wouldn’t have to be out there alone, selling hay for extra money and taking care of all those old buildings. The house needs work too, right?”

Rory’s belly churned. She didn’t like the way he said those things, what he knew about her life. Hell, everyone knew it, but she still didn’t like it.

“I like working on the house, and the hay is easy money. Carl Hoffman cuts and bails it and pays me for the privilege. But I’ll think about it.” She wouldn’t, but it was easier to say she would so he’d stop talking about it. “Hey, you want to order that prime rib?”

“Yeah, and give me a double helping of mashed potatoes, please.”

“Sure. You want extra gravy on the side, too?”

“Sounds good.”

Rory took the order and passed it to Amber as she headed for the kitchen. She went about her business mixing drinks and taking new orders from people who sat at the bar, but she couldn’t shake the sound of Jimmy’s voice when he’d been talking about selling and pushing her to do the same.

There’d been fervor in it. She understood his reasons, but it unsettled her to hear him talk about everything the development company wanted to do as if it was the greatest thing ever. Maybe bringing all that development to Sutton’s Creek was a good thing—but that didn’t change her plan to raise her kid on land that’d been in her family for generations. So long as she had the woods bordering her property, maybe she wouldn’t notice all those apartment buildings and stores.

Or so she hoped.

The front doors opened and a group of people walked in. Her gaze went to one man like he was a magnet.

Chance Hughes. Her heart thumped at the sight. He was knee-weakeningly tall, unfairly handsome, and utterly lickable.

Great.Now these pregnancy hormones were making her horny.

Just what she needed with Chance living in her house for the next couple of weeks.

Amber strutted over to the group in her tight jean shorts and fitted T-shirt, and Rory wanted to growl. She really needed to discuss a new dress code with Theo. Maybe black pants and white shirts like an upscale restaurant. A part of her knew that was silly, not to mention sexist, but dang it, she didn’t need Amber being all sexy right now.

Emma Grace waved and Rory waved back as they crowded around a big table and Amber passed out menus. All six One Shot Tactical guys, Emma Grace, Daphne the receptionist, and scrawny Warren Trigg from the Piggly Wiggly were there.

Warren did not look comfortable but that was probably because Kane Fox kept glaring at him. Daphne glared back, but it didn’t help.

Amber put her hand on the back of Chance’s neck and played with his hair. Rory’s belly clenched as she watched. Chance reached up and took Amber’s hand, pulling it away. He didn’t let go, however, and that made Rory want to march over there and dump a pitcher of ice water over his head.

Soon after, Amber arrived at the bar with their drink order.

“You’re getting awfully handsy with the customers, aren’t you?” Rory asked as she grabbed glasses and started to fill them.

Amber blinked. “I thought you didn’t care if I went out with Chance.”

Crap.She had said that, but she hadn’t known she was pregnant then. Not that it mattered.

It didn’t matter. Really.

“Did I say I cared now? I just think you shouldn’t be putting your hands on him when you’re meant to take orders. Get the orders, deliver them to me and the kitchen, and save the flirting for after work.”

Amber’s expression hardened. “I got the drink order, didn’t I? I didn’t dally. And since when do you care what I do? You’ve never said a word before. You told me he was fair game. And he said he wasn’t interested in you. Said he’d been there, done that, and it was just okay. So why are you giving me a hard time?”

Rory went still. “He said what?”

Amber’s cheeks were suddenly pink. “He said he wasn’t interested in you. You said you weren’t interested in him. Why is this even an issue?”

“It’s not an issue,” Rory said coolly. “Not at all. Forget I said anything.”