Free Just A Small Town Girl by J.E. Hunter Page A

he leaned against the counter next to me. I chanced a peek at him from the side, his eyes were downcast and his hands were stuffed in his pockets, but he was still the most gorgeous man I’d ever seen in a way that was uniquely Fisher.
    Awkwardness filled my little kitchen, infecting the air and making it hard to breathe. I struggled with the inconsistency between the residual tingling on my lips left over from Fisher’s kiss and the squeeze of awkwardness fisting around my stomach.
“Piper-”
“Do you like turkey?” I interrupted without looking up from the mayonnaise I was spreading on each slice of bread. I was avoiding his explanation, not because I thought avoidance would help, but because I wasn’t sure I could handle hearing him explain my flaws in detail. I was still too swept up in the glimmer of actually being attracted to someone after my failed marriage. I wasn’t willing to give up the excitement brought on by hoping he might feel the same.
    “That’s fine, but Piper,” he huffed out a breath before beginning again, “It’s not you, it’s just, I can’t-I really just need to focus on-.”
    “I get it Fisher,” I crossed the kitchen to open the refrigerator hoping to find a distraction and a bottle of mustard.
    “I don’t think you do,” he gently cupped my elbow, steering my body toward his, so he could look me in the eye, “Piper, I like you,” I couldn’t help the flutter in my stomach at his words, “but, I need to be the best dad I can be right now and that means not getting into a relationship until I’m sure it’s going to be serious.”
    “Right, and I’m not that girl. Like I said, I get it,” I jerked my elbow from his hand and busied myself with the sandwiches again.
    “That’s not it. I just-I’ve made some mistakes especially where Riley is concerned and I don’t even trust myself anymore,” he sighed, leaning against the counter again on his exhale, “If it was just me I would try to be with you. Hell, I would’ve tried to be with you the first time I ran into you outside the building. It’s just so different now. I have to do what’s best for Riley and right now dating the best babysitter I could ever find for him and risking the off chance he’ll end up with someone who won’t love him as much if things go bad between us just isn’t it.”
    He was right. I hadn’t understood before, but his explanation made sense. I couldn’t dispute the responsible father argument.
    “Okay,” I nodded.
    “Okay?” a nervous smile played across his lips.
    “Yep. Friends?” I dramatically extended my hand.
“Friends,” his hand wrapped around mine and I tried to ignore the electricity sparking between our palms. It wasn’t any easier than ignoring the Ping-Pong balls in my stomach caused by the devastating smile broadcast across his face.
     

Living Just to Find Emotion

October
    “Do me a favor?” Fisher’s voice sounded good even through my poor cell connection.
“I’m so not dumb enough to answer that without knowing what it is,” I laughed into the phone and swore I could hear Fisher’s answering smile through the phone.
    “Okay Ms. Skeptical would you do Riley a favor?”
    “Oh, yeah I’d do anything for him he’s kind of my main squeeze,” I stopped where I’d been walking home from work and leaned against a tree.
    “Okay then, will you help him out by making his daddy happy?”
    “I’m listening,” I laughed out because I couldn’t help laughing when I talked to Fisher.
    “Would you bring him to meet me at Kyle’s for rehearsal? I left my car and rode with Dustin, but he can’t bring me back to get the little monster and I really want to hang with him before we get started.”
    “Where is Kyle’s house?” I kicked at the grass for a few seconds before starting back on my walk home.
    “It’s about twenty minutes away from our place,” my stomach did a little flip when he called it our place, “Just a little ways past