Learning to Love Again: This Time a Billionaire

ABIGAIL POV

I sighed as I walked into Marty's quaint, little, grocery store. It was one of three that Heber-Overgaard had to offer, and Mama wanted me to get her ingredients for cherry pie. She had planned to make it because my sister was coming into town with her new husband. They had a shotgun wedding after she got unexpectedly pregnant. Mama and father had gotten excited for her, and I was jealous. I was older than her by a few years and I didn't have anything to my name and there she was with a husband, house, and a baby on the way.

It's fine though. Not my time. Never was my time, really. I was so lost in my thoughts that I hadn't noticed a man in front of me and I ran into him, causing him to stagger back and catch me by my arms.

My eyes flew open wide, and my heart rushed in a panic as his touch seared my skin. My eyes locked on his messy auburn locks that were longer on top and shorter on the sides. His crystal blue eyes seared into mine, when they finally met my forest green ones, reminding me of his hands on my arms.

"Pardon me. Are you alright?" His voice was enough to send a tremble down my spine. He wasn't from around here. If his outfit didn’t give him away it was his voice.

He didn't look familiar, and I knew everyone who lived here. No one usually left or moved here often and if they did then the town would have talked up a storm about him. His style didn't even fit in here with his tight dark jeans and his dress shirt with rolled-up sleeves.

"I'm fine." I gathered the items that had fallen out of my handbasket, and he crouched down to help me. "You don't have to help me. I got it." I suddenly remembered my manners and gave him a weak smile that was clearly a lie plastered on my face. "Thank you, though."

“Hey, no problem. I figured I should help since I was the one that ran into you, ma’am.” He held out a can of sour cherries.

I tried to not get insulted by how he had called me ma’am like an old maid that had no man and a million cats under her sleeve. Not that that future wasn’t bound to happen or one that had crossed my mind. Living on a farm with a bunch of animals and cats didn’t sound half bad. Sitting on a porch and drinking sweet tea, while I watched the sun go down with a dog’s head in my lap. Oh my God, what am I saying?

I cleared my throat and stood up, brushing off my jeans. “I’m sure it wasn’t all your fault. Well, have a good day. Thank you, again.”

“How about I make it up to you by buying you lunch? My treat. I’m new around here and could use some help navigating around.”

I peered at him from his dress shoes to his nicely pressed button-down shirt. “Could have guessed you were not from around here.”

“Is it that obvious?” He ran a hand through his hair, and I snorted. “Alright, I see you. Truth is, I was told by my publicist that I should experience a small town. I came from—”

“New York?” I scoffed and walked towards Marty to check out my items for mama.

“Yeah, how’d you know?” He followed me and I hoped to God that he would take the hint and leave.

“Lucky guess,” I mumbled and smiled big for Marty. “Hey, Marty! How are you this fine morning?”

“Why I’m doing fine, Ms. Abigail. How are you this bright shiny morning?” Marty began to scan the items and I still felt the big city man breathing down my neck. “She’s a real spitfire, this one. Gotta be careful of her.”

“Marty…” I whined at him and hit my forehead.

“She’s been the talk of the town since she was a babe. Most gorgeous flower in these parts.” Marty winked and I had never wanted to run faster. “Sweet as a button too.”

“Marty.” I peered at him and gave him a warning glare.

“It’s alright.” The man had the audacity to laugh behind me. “I merely bumped into her and wanted to make it up to her. Although, she seems like a lovely woman.”

“Oh, she is. Single too. Just moved back here after living in the big apple for a bit.” Marty was giving too much of my personal life away to a complete stranger.

I quickly paid Marty what I owed and gathered my paper bag of items. “Thank you, Marty. Always a pleasure.”

I made my way out of the shop and groaned in irritation when I heard the man’s shoes on the wood floorboards.

“Hey, wait. Abigail? Abigail, was it? Is that a last name or a first one?” He wouldn’t leave me alone and all I wanted was for him to. He was big trouble. Men from the city were all the same: scary and forceful. They were the reason I had come home from college.

“Look, New York, I appreciate that you really want to be nice and show your apologies through a nice lunch, but I don’t date. Especially men from the big city.” I tried to ignore how the corners of his eyes crinkled up before a laugh burst from his full lips. Stop it! Stop noticing things about him.

“Name’s John, actually.” He held his hand out to me like a businessman and I stared at him like he was insane. “Look, I know I don’t know you and you don’t know me and I’m guessing something not so pleasant happened back in the city, so you came home.”

“Why would you think that?” I nearly dropped the bag of groceries and he caught them before they could drop.

“I uh, know the city isn’t the best or safest and for a small-town girl…”

I pulled back insulted at his comment. “Oh, I see. Small town girl can’t handle herself in a big ol’ city. It’s that it?”

“No. No!” John held his hands out towards me in a panic. “That’s not it at all. I just—I know some sketchy stuff can happen in the city. I promise that I just want to treat you to lunch. That’s all. Nothing more.”

I clenched my jaw and thought for a moment. I couldn’t decide if he was telling the truth or lying through his teeth. I didn’t know what he did or even who he was. He mentioned something about a publicist, but what did he do?

“Alright, New York, what do you do?” I hugged the paper bag in my arms and put one foot out, staring at him unamused.

“I own a business in finance,” he answered in rapid fire, and it shocked me.

“Get that question a lot, New York?” I raised an eyebrow at him.

He sighed and rolled his eyes, “Common question I get. What do you do?”

“Guess most people wonder what someone does to afford that platinum watch on your damn wrist.” I rolled my eyes and walked away to open door to my spearmint and cream-colored truck, throwing the grocery bag into the back of it. “You coming?”

“You’re letting me take you to lunch?” He seemed genuinely shocked by my offer.

“I mean, I wouldn’t invite you into my damn truck if I wasn’t offering.” I laughed at him, and he blushed. “But you have to survive first.”

“Survive, what?” He seemed concerned as he climbed into the passenger seat of my old truck.

“My mama.” I laughed and shifted the truck into reverse.

“I think I can handle your mama,” John laughed.

“Mmm… you say that now, but mama is a tough woman. She doesn't just love every damn man that walks in her door.” I nodded my head towards him, “And you look like trouble.”

His gaze burned into me, as I turned my radio up to blare his voice out. I didn’t want to talk to him more than I had to. It was just lunch. Nothing more. It was showing a newcomer around.

The truth was my mama and father would be thrilled to see a man walk through the door with me. I was the last one to be wed off and they wanted that for me like any self-respecting parent did in this town. There wasn’t a breath that I could take that mama wasn’t asking me when I was gonna get hitched. I hated it and I told her the same thing every damn time, that I didn’t need to be married off to be happy. I was happy. Even if that was a lie that I told myself to deal.