Getting Shipped

I'm madly in love with my best friend. That right there—that's my secret. Trevor and I grew up next door to one another. Yes. He's the boy next door. Even now, we rent opposite sides of a duplex, and we work across the aisle from one another at The Corn Corners Tribune. Basically, there isn't a part of my life Trevor hasn't touched. I take that back. He hasn't touched me. He's made it clear we're in the friend zone, and whatever feelings he had for me were a passing thing for him, whereas mine keep growing like a Chia pet on a humid summer day in the Midwest.

You know those stories where high-school sweethearts reunite to find their happily-ever-after bliss together? Well, that won't be me. Sure, my ex-boyfriend, Rob, has the smolder down to a science—which makes sense, because to him, everything is science. He's a famous YouTuber, making a living using that beautiful brain of his. He's destined for greatness...which means he'll leave...again. And this time, I won't be falling for him. The battle is on. Rob thinks he'll win me back, but I'm fighting him with all I've got.

Everyone always told me it wasn’t as though a woman was going to land on my doorstep and fall in love with me. Well, never say never. Now this woman literally crashes into my life, but she doesn’t remember a thing about what happened before she got here. She’s beautiful and a little sassy. The longer she’s here, the more I feel like she’s the missing piece of a puzzle I didn’t even know I was trying to solve.

I am finally over my crush on Duke—completely done. He's always been like a big brother to me…a big brother with abs of steel, a heart of gold, and those dimples that make my heart rate double whenever he smiles. But as far as Duke's concerned, I’ll always be his best friend Chris’s little sister—the little girl who dunked his Darth Vader action figure in Elmer's glue and glitter. Even if Duke noticed me, it wouldn’t matter. I’m so off limits I may as well be wearing an outfit made entirely of caution tape.

My man-free life is going along fine until the day I walk into my new job as a part-time tutor to the daughter of the new doctor in town. The sight of this man is making my skin tingle and my breath hitch, and something very much like butterflies are erupting in my stomach. Butterflies! I don’t do butterflies over a man. My reaction doesn’t mean I need to change my stance on men. After all, Grant’s a broody, stern, cantankerous man. If I were going to start dating, it certainly wouldn’t be someone who obviously hasn’t smiled since he was forced to for school pictures.

Brooks and I met three years ago when my best friend's boyfriend held a party to propose to her in front of all their friends—in the middle of his goat farm. Yes. You heard me. His goat farm. When my eyes traveled across the driveway that night and landed on Brooks, I didn't count to ten. I didn't consult the saints. I took off at a casual pace, walking straight toward him, my hips swaying and my head held high. How could I not? Here in the middle of podunk Ohio stood the most captivating man I'd ever laid eyes on.

If you had asked me if I'd ever be dating Chris St. James, well, let's just say it's more likely Jimmy Choo would name a shoe after me, which, Jimmy, if you're out there, the Ella Mae would definitely be a big seller. Call me, Mkay? But, back to Chris. Sure, he's handsome. I mean, his arms are as big as my legs! He's got those lips that would make Michelangelo pause and grab a rock to start sculpting. And when you top his looks off with the whole hero-vibe he has going for him, yes, he's a fine specimen of manhood.