“He’s staring at you again.”

Tabitha looked up from her book, casting a glance across Maple’s One Stop shop, where she’d been working since last summer. She found Wyatt casually picking through the candy aisle that was conveniently close to the lottery counter where she sat waiting to ring people up. He was tossing random things into the basket hanging on his arm without looking at them. There was a bounce to his step, as if he knew he was causing havoc. His well-worn black T-shirt was stretched tight across his massive chest, because he’d grown out of it two years ago but hadn’t bothered to throw it away. His jeans hugged his ass, showing off his long, powerful legs, and Tabitha couldn’t help but stare. How very unfortunate that he’d grown into one of the biggest, sexiest eighteen-year-olds to ever set foot in Garnet County. It made a difficult problem even more challenging.

He sent her a wide smile as if reading her thoughts. His blues eyes sparkled even from a distance.

God was punishing her for something.

“He comes in here deliberately to mess with you. He couldn’t be more obvious ’bout you two if he tried.”

Tabitha sighed and turned to look at Terry, who was leaning against his mop, grinning at her. “I know.”

“Why won’t you just go to prom with him? You know that’s the reason he’s been pestering you at work more than usual.”

“You of all people should know why. You weren’t my pretend boyfriend for the first two years of high school for nothing.”

“You shouldn’t let Brett rule your life. You’re a month from graduation. Things are different. Y’all can have your own lives now.”

“Don’t you have a store to mop?” Tabitha countered because she wasn’t going to get into this argument when Wyatt was twenty feet away, causing trouble.

As if sensing they were talking about him, Wyatt came up to the counter with the basket in his hand. He set it on the counter in front of her triumphantly. “Ring these up for me, Miss.”

“This is the lottery counter,” she said drily and then pointed to the register where Sara was standing there bored out of her mind because it was nine thirty at night and no one was in the store. “But Sara would be happy to help you.”

“I have to buy something from you to be rung up here. Okay.” He looked over the counter, staring at the tickets on display under the glass. “Well, I don’t gamble. So what’re we gonna do ’bout that?”

“Seems to me like you’re standing in the wrong place then.” Tabitha set her book aside and gave him an annoyed look.

“You hear this?” Wyatt cast a glance at Terry. “Your employee’s being rude to me.”

“I’ll be sure to voice your complaint to my mother.” Terry laughed. “What’re you doing tonight, Wyatt?”

He shrugged. “Heading to work dispatch.”

“All night?”

“It’s the weekend.”

“Dang, you Conners are always working. Makes me tired just watching you.”

“I like working the late shift with my dad.” Not to be distracted from his original task, Wyatt pointed behind the counter. “How ’bout those? You can ring me if I buy a pack of those, can’t ya?”

“Cigarettes?” Tabitha gasped in shock. “Wyatt!”

“No,” he said quickly, pointing once more. “Those.”

Tabitha followed his gaze, seeing that he was staring at the condoms hidden on the bottom shelf. She turned around and shoved his shoulder. “Get the heck out of here.”

“Maybe I got a date later.” Wyatt laughed. “Jealous?”

Tabitha stiffened at the taunt. She narrowed her eyes at him for one moment, before she got off her stool. Two could play this game. “Fine. Which ones would you like?”

“I dunno. Can’t see ’em hidden way down there. Bring ’em up here.”

Tabitha’s cheeks were hot, but she bent down and gathered every brand of condoms they sold. Then she lined them up across the counter with exact precision while Terry laughed so hard the sound echoed around the empty store. She glanced up to see Sara was tilting her head to see what was going on and then covered her mouth and giggled.

“See any you like?” Tabitha asked in her most professional tone as she sat back down.

Wyatt leaned his elbow on the counter, appearing to be studying them with great interest. He picked up a box that advertised being ribbed for her pleasure. He turned the box, showing it to her. “You think that’s true?”

“I wouldn’t know.” Tabitha shrugged.

Wyatt gave her a long, hot look that stole her breath. “I could remedy that.”

“Oh my God.” Tabitha yanked the box out of his hand. “I am fairly certain you’re breaking several laws right now, not the least of which is sexual harassment.”

“I don’t work here. I can harass you.”

“You’re disturbing the peace.”

“No, I ain’t.” Wyatt’s grin was wide and mischievous. “I’m allowed to tease my girl.”

Tabitha cast a concerned looked at Sara, which was sort of pointless when Wyatt had gotten downright blatant about the two of them as graduation neared. “I am not your girl.”

“I got a hickey to prove otherwise. Wanna see?”

“Get out.” She shoved him once more for being as obvious as he always was when it was just the late shift on staff. “Right now. Or I swear, I’m calling your daddy for harassment or disturbing the peace or something else equally illegal.”

“Whose peace am I disturbing?” Wyatt asked innocently as he turned to Terry. “You feeling disturbed?”

Terry shook his head. “Nope.”

“What ’bout you, Sara?” Wyatt called out loud enough to make Tabitha wince. “You disturbed?”

“Heck, no.” Sara let out another high-pitched giggle. “You can come disturb me anytime.”

Tabitha glared at Sara.

“Oh, my girl’s getting jealous.” Wyatt looked entirely too pleased. “Say it again.”

“You’re crazy to keep turning him down,” Sara said without hesitation. “He is one fine piece of man.”

“That ain’t a lie,” Terry agreed under his breath.

Wyatt waggled his eyebrows at Terry, who blushed. Which would have been funny if Tabitha wasn’t quite so irritated.

“I’ll sell you what’s on that counter if she don’t,” Sara went on because she hadn’t heard Terry’s admission.

“You do it then.” Tabitha tossed the ribbed-for-her-pleasure package toward her.

All three of them just stared as it slid across the floor. It was an uncharacteristic show of annoyance for Tabitha, but Wyatt did that to her. He made her blood pressure go up whenever they shared the same air for more reasons than one.

She hopped off the stool.

“What ’bout my stuff?” Wyatt asked as if he hadn’t just been irritating her on purpose.

“Sara’s dying to ring you up. Let her do it.”

“But I want you to ring me up.” Wyatt picked up another package on the counter and held it up to Tabitha. “I think these are more appropriate, don’t you?”

She yanked the box of Extra Large condoms out of his hand and went to the small door that separated the counter from the customers. She unlatched it and walked over to Sara without meeting Wyatt’s gaze. She tossed it on the checkout counter. “Wyatt wants to buy these.”

Sara studied the box and then lifted her startled gaze to Tabitha. “Is that true?”

Tabitha turned to leave without answering her. “I’m taking a break, Terry.”

“I’ll walk you out.” Wyatt came up next to her and draped a heavy arm over Tabitha’s shoulders.

She shoved him, but he didn’t let go. He just pulled her tighter into the crook of his arm.

“You’re forgetting your groceries.”

“Shoot, I can’t eat that shit.” Wyatt laughed. “I got a boxing match next week.”

Tabitha’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “Don’t you ever get tired of pestering me?”

“Nope.” Wyatt leaned down and whispered in her ear in a warm, seductive voice that made her shiver, “Pestering you is one of my favorite things.”

“Been doing it long enough.” Tabitha let out a pained moan, because the feel of his breath against her neck had made all the fine hairs on her arms stand on end. “I’ve been tripping over you since ninth grade.”

“Longer than that if we’re being honest.” Wyatt’s voice became warm and affectionate. “I’ve loved you since kindergarten. I saw that bright red hair across the room and I thought, ’someday I’m gonna marry that girl.’”

Tabitha rolled her eyes as they walked out the front of the store. “You’re delusional.”

“You wanna go make out in my truck for ten minutes?”

“Not if it’s gonna encourage you to come in here tomorrow and do the exact same thing,” Tabitha said in annoyance. “You can’t come into my place of work and cause trouble just for a date to the prom. I need this job.”

Wyatt laughed. “What’s Terry gonna do? Just ’cause Hal’s in the military now don’t mean anything. I’ve got leverage for life.”

Tabitha turned around and hit him. “You can’t keep holding that over his head. It upsets him. Four years is the point where you stop.”

“He doesn’t seem upset. I think he likes me,” Wyatt countered, completely unapologetic. “I could give Hal a run for his money if I had a mind to.”

“Why are you so crazy?” Tabitha stopped in the parking lot and frowned at him. “Have you told anyone ’bout him and Hal?”

“Just Jules and Clay, but they don’t count.”

“The heck they don’t,” Tabitha argued passionately. “Jules has got a mouth on her worse than yours, and that’s saying something. Why do you have to go blabbing things like that? This is his life we’re talking ’bout. The people in this town ain’t exactly accepting of things like that.”