Life in a small town was special. Everyone knew everyone else and therefore they knew everyone's business. All of it. Right down to the details of their last doctor’s visit. It was a special little place that for those who grew up there were either wrapped up in the drama or dying to get away from it.

  Then there were the others who tolerated it, like Marit Pearce. Her life had been the same old tale since the day she was born. Little Marit, though not so little, she was the perfect girl next door that was made to be everyone’s friend. Though there was one minor glitch that still haunted her well into her twenties and now she wonders if it will follow her into her thirties.

  The big thirtieth birthday party at the tail end of summer was attended by nearly the whole town thanks to her own reputation and her mother’s. It was the big blow out of the summer, but then it always was ever since she could talk and walk. Marit was the town’s best friend, everyone came to see her, and she was still painfully single.

  Girl next door… who was always friend zoned. For her it was getting old, but inevitable and since she had no real drive to move out of Tanner Creek, it was just a reality. So her thirtieth birthday came and went without any significant change, just another day. Much like her everyday life continued to be.

  Her life was predictable for small town living. She lived with her mother in her grandparent’s old farm house, worked for her uncle as an assistant manager at his farming needs store, and went out every weekend to the same bar with her three cousins. Family, family and more family. That was her life and after thirty years of it, not much seemed destined to change. And she was fine with it. That’s what she had to tell herself.

  And then, one fine day, in he walked and turned her boring life upside down…

  **

  “Oh my god!” Andrea ripped inside of her father’s store in record speed and ran to the service counter where her cousin Marit was on a call.

  Hazel eyes flicked over to the bundle of overworked nerves that was her cousin while Marit calmly finished her conversation with the customer and hung up. “What happened now?” The youngest of the group, Andrea was the town gossip. She knew everyone’s personal life story and if anything happened to anyone, she knew about it sometimes before they did.

  It was a talent, Marit was sure. The woman beside her looked ready to burst. “Ok… so you remember old man Hollis?”

  Marit nodded, gathering her papers before heading back to the office. She knew Andrea would follow since the girl grew up in this store. A person could blind fold her and she would be able to walk around and show you exactly what you needed without bumping into a thing. “I do.” Her mother was working on his estate since she was the lawyer at the time when he made his will.

  “Well… word has it,” Classic Andrea phrase. “That he left his entire estate to his grandson!”

  Marit dropped her papers onto her desk and faced her overly excited cousin. She knew there was more, but for now she kept quiet. It drove Andrea crazy. “3...2...1…”

  “OH my god come one!” Andrea burst, throwing her arms up in the air before jumping up on the desk. “Don’t you want to know who he is?”

  “I know who he is. He’s Julian Hollis. He spent his sixteenth summer here and that was eighteen years ago.” She mimicked the blurb in the newspaper she read close to five years ago that Andrea still spouted about every time she got drunk.

  Scoffing, the tiny brunette gives her cousin a scathing look. “That was my best article.”

  “I know. And it gave you a promotion. You’re in charge of the county arts section in the paper.” The woman really had the perfect job. Now if only she could get her dating life under control.

  Taller for the average female, the height gave Andrea a long lean build that somehow still produced a perfect set of breasts. It was rather incredible. Tan with long brown hair and come hither chocolate eyes, the girl was trouble. In any other life they would never be friends, but family bonds all sorts of people together.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  “Yeah.” Brushing off her cousin’s lack of interest, Andrea continued. “Well, he’s arriving in town today! Rumor is he’s planning to stay.”

  Marit filed away the afternoon files with a clang of the metal drawer and began to fill out what would be needed for the noon to five rounds. Her Uncle liked three daily reports to monitor sales, so that’s how it was done. Even if the man retired from the floor five years ago, he was still the owner of the store. Still, routine didn’t bother her. If anything it helped, especially after the night she had. It was the season of those weird dreams from childhood.

  It showed in her face and posture, but having a daily routine that was unbreakable helped push her feelings to the way side. For now she settled to bug her cousin, which was another part of her routine.

  “Well… maybe you can show him around.” Marit teased, which only earned her that lip pursed look every Pearce was known for. “What?”

  “Maybe you can show him around.” Andrea waggled her eye brows and hopped down off the desk. Hugging her cousin, she sighed. “Come on Marit. It’s been forever since you’ve gone on a date. And word is he’s getting a divorce.”

  “Great. Just what I need. A dude who is divorced because he couldn’t keep his marriage together.” No, what she needed was just to be left alone. Between her mother and cousins trying to set her up, and her Uncles threatening anything with a penis that even looked at her for more than a second, alone was a rare occurrence in her world.

  Sighing, she dropped her clip board and turned to hug her cousin back. Surrounded by so many people and she was terribly lonely. “I’m fine.”

  “You always say that.”

  “And I always am.” Tilting Andrea’s head back, she pulled the curtain of thick brown hair back and up into a pony tail. “Now, I need you to man the customer service desk for an hour. I have to go cover the garage until two when the manager comes in.”

  Groaning, the smaller woman snatched up an apron and put it around her waist. “When are you going to get a morning shift manager hired for out there?”

  Marit was wondering the same thing. They had worked all summer without one because the guy decided he was moving to Witchita with his new mail order bride. “I don’t know. But we are going to need one for after harvest.” That was always their busy time. Spring and Fall. Spring for sales and Fall for the quick fixes and tune ups before the equipment was stored, or used as plows for the winter. Her other Uncle, Trinity's father, had a snow plow business in the county contracted by them to clear the roads with the snow fall. They also cleared drives for a fee.

  “I take it Daddy doesn’t like any of them?” Andrea muttered, well aware that her father may be retired but he made the major decisions in his store still. The managers were just warm bodies handling the customers. They didn’t have any real power.

  Marit nodded. “Pretty much. So I open up here, then I run over and open up there. One of the senior mechanics keeps an eye on things and calls me when there’s an issue. Same thing here. Then I have to go over when my replacement comes in at one and cover the shop and fill out the reports for the morning.”

  Ah yes, a complicated system. Three reports for the store, and two for the shop. Her uncle was a bit eccentric in that way, but why argue with something that wasn’t broke. Besides it fit with shifts. Managers in store worked nine hour shifts, four days a week. The four hour loss was covered by a small percentage received from sales since they had to oversee a sale and sign off on it.

  The store was set up in three shift sets, 6-12, 12-5, and 5-10 or close. That was the sales schedule, those who worked on the floor stocking or cashiering were regular eight hour shifts with a few midshift floaters on busy days. The garage opened at the same time as the store, but stayed open till midnight in the busy seasons and on mondays through Thursdays in the non busy seasons. Each person in the garage works a nine hour shift and the managers work ten.

  All in all it was pretty routine where everyone knew everyone else and there was always a spot for a farmer's teenage daughter to pick up a summer job while her brothers worked the farm.

  That was life in Tanner Springs. Farming and working at Beau’s Supply Store. Hell that was life for all of Howard County. Four little farm towns only the locals would miss.

  Bidding farewell to her cousin, Marit departed from the main store and started up her four wheeler to head the fourth mile across the lot to the shop. Starting up the black machine that had her name on it, a Polaris that the store sold, this one was officially hers. The other managers used the company machines, which were usually old or trade ins that her Uncle just couldn’t part with. Said Uncle got Marit her very own for her thirtieth birthday, perhaps her most favorite present out of the handful of family presents she received.

  Townsfolk brought cards with cash or nothing at all. Everyone knew it was just another reason to enjoy a Pearce party, where Mabel Pearce claimed it was all for her daughter. Truth was Marit’s mother just liked to be the center of attention and remind everyone in town that she was a big shot judge in the county. Marit didn’t appreciate attention and tended to avoid it at all costs.

  It had never done her any good anyway, and when she did get it, it was never the kind she wanted. So she just gave up. In no time, she cleared the path through the inventory lot and past it to the back side of the shop where her parking spot was…

  Blocked.

  “What the hell.” Everyone in town knew not to park there. Everyone. “Like I have time for this today.” It’s Saturday and it’s been a hell of a four days at work. Three interviews and none of them satisfactory to her Uncle.

  Pulling up beside the large 2500 crew cab black Chevrolet, Marit turned off her four wheeler and got down. “Oh… Hey. Excuse me ma’am.”

  A voice called out to her that she hadn’t heard before and when Marit turned to see undoubtedly the owner of the beautiful brand new truck parked in her spot, any and all words promptly left her brain.

  A large hand reached for her own while the most sinful smile radiated back at her from the face of a God walking amongst mortals. Holy moly. “Ummm… yes?” She stuttered, taking the warm hand that enveloped her own with ease before giving it a firm shake. “How can I help you?”

  Good God in heaven.

  This was absolutely the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on, and he was gazing down at her with a perfect smile and a warmth that made her want to fall right into his arms.

  Or something else entirely.