Hometown Hero, page 1
Hometown Hero
Alexa Riley
Contents
Hometown Hero
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Epilogue
Epilogue
Coming Soon…
Read Me Romance
Stalk the Author
Copyright © 2021 by Author Alexa Riley LLC. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, email to riley_alexa@aol.com
http://alexariley.com/
Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.
Edited by Aquila Editing
Hometown Hero
by Alexa Riley
Juno Folke stands out in Pink Springs, but that hasn’t stopped the whole town from falling in love with her. Well, everyone except the grouchy Sheriff Cooper Cross. Her best friend’s brother is off limits, but it’s not as if he’s knocking down her door. In such a small town, she can’t help but keep running into him. She just wishes he would stop haunting her fantasies.
Cooper Cross came back to take care of his little sister, but now that she’s moved to the big city and is getting married, it’s time for him to start living a life of his own. Pink Springs is his home and he never plans on leaving, even if the woman that’s driving him crazy hasn’t put down any roots. It’s a bad idea to get involved with someone that could cut and run at any moment, even if that same woman makes his body weak with need. He can’t cage something so wild and free, but could he convince her to stay a while?
Warning: Book 2 is even better than the one before! But you should absolutely read it and see for yourself! Can this perfect Hometown Hero find his match with the woman that can’t be tamed? You betcha!
To big dreams, and even bigger love stories.
Don’t be afraid to go after both!
Prologue
Juno
I stare up at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep. I’ve been tossing and turning for the past hour and it’s all his fault. Cooper Cross is my best friend's older brother, and he’s invaded too many of my thoughts since he came back to town. Now he’s invading my dreams, and there’s no escaping him.
When I moved back to the small town of Pink Springs, Lux and I became best friends instantly. I was so sure I was going to hate it here because it was so isolated. Before moving to the middle of nowhere I bounced between boarding schools and the city. Both of my parents were high-powered attorneys and the life they had was fast-paced. I was pushed into school early in life, and there wasn’t time to get to know them before everything changed.
In the blink of an eye they were gone, and even now it’s hard to believe they died together in a plane crash. It took a while for me to come to terms with it, and Lux helped. When I showed up in Pink Springs to live with my grandmother, she shined light into my dark world. Now I’ve been doing the same for her since she lost her father.
I close my eyes when I hear the bedroom door open. My heart begins to race in my chest because I know it’s Cooper. He is the only other person in this house besides Lux, and she’s fast asleep next to me. Luca is out tonight, which is typical for him.
I’d never met Cooper until recently when he came back home after their dad passed away. He came back with the specific purpose to look after Lux, and now he’s the town sheriff, and everyone adores him. I had a crush on him before he even knew I existed. I saw photos of him around the house years ago when Lux invited me over for the first time.
I thought he was the handsomest man I’d ever seen until I came face to face with him. Somehow he was hotter in person and was much bigger than his older pictures. I suppose being a SEAL could do that to anyone, but Cooper is insane to look at.
After a long moment, I hear the door close again, and I kick off the covers. As quietly as I can, I sit up on the side of the bed. Cooper is going to lose his mind when he finds out what Lux has planned tomorrow, and to be honest, I’m kind of losing my mind over it too.
I know she’s only moving a few hours away, but it’s going to be hard not having her around all the time. She tried to get me to go to the city with her, but I left that life behind. Once I’d gotten to Pink Springs, my eyes were opened to a whole new world, one that I want for the long haul.
People here generally care about each other, and family actually means something in this town. It makes me long for a family of my own, but the problem is my crush on the town sheriff isn’t helping me to make that dream come true. Not to mention because I’m Lux’s best friend I’m included in the blanket rule in town to keep the opposite sex away from us. Her two brothers are not messing around when it comes to her, and that’s something else I’ve always longed for. Someone to truly look after me.
When I get out of bed, I make my way quietly to the kitchen. Once I’m there, I grab a glass of water and lean up against the counter as I gulp it down. It’s going to be strange not coming over here all the time because Lux and I are pretty much inseparable. I suppose if it gets too hard I could follow after her. It’s not like anything here is holding me back except myself.
The lights in the kitchen flicker on, and the glass drops out of my hand from surprise. The shatter isn’t loud, but glass goes everywhere, and I stand there frozen. Cooper is across from me, wearing nothing but a pair of gray sweatpants. Every inch of him is on display, and I’m seeing tattoos I didn’t know he had.
“Fuck,” Cooper barks. “Don’t move your ass one step,” he orders.
I’m not sure I could if I tried because I’m still in shock. Cooper and I don’t really talk much. He comes into the diner where I work a lot, so I hear him talk to others. But in all that time I’ve never heard him talk like that before.
“I’m sorry,” I say when he comes back with a broom.
“Shit, you’re bleeding.”
He props the broom against the counter, and his hands go to my hips. He lifts me off my feet, and I bite the inside of my cheek as his strong hands grip me. He places me on the kitchen counter and barks another order for me not to move as he silently cleans up the glass.
After a minute he comes back over with a first-aid kit. “It’s fine, Cooper.” It’s only a small cut on my foot, and it’s already stopped bleeding.
“Then it will only take a second.” He drops to his knees on the kitchen floor, and I fight a gasp when his rough hands slip up my calf. My thighs part on their own, and he stills for a moment as my heart begins to race. But he’s right, and all too soon it’s over and he’s putting a Band-Aid on me.
“Juno, do you have shorts on?”
I look down at the oversized shirt I’d snagged from Lux’s bedroom. It’s an old high school shirt, and to be honest I was hoping it might have been Cooper’s at one point. It falls to the middle of my thighs, so I didn’t think I needed shorts.
“No.”
He closes his eyes as he stands up, but as he does his hands come down on the counter on either side of me. When he’s at his full height, all I can see in front of me is him.
“When you go back upstairs, you’re going to take off Luca’s shirt.”
Oh shit. I nod in agreement and wonder what is wrong with me. I should be mouthing back that I’ll wear whatever the hell I want, but somehow I’m agreeing with him.
When his eyes drop to my lips, everything around me stops. The buzz from the light, the hum of the fridge, even my breathing doesn’t make a sound. He takes one look at me, and it’s like he makes a decision.
“Fuck it,” I hear him say before his mouth is on mine.
His fingers tangle in my hair, and his fists pull so that my head tilts back, making me gasp. His tongue slips into my mouth as he deepens the kiss, and all I can think is, It’s finally happening. Cooper Cross is kissing me.
Finally my brain kicks in, and I moan and kiss him back. His full lips are soft yet strong as he commands this kiss and all that’s happening. I don’t know what to do with my hands, so they go to his chest. The feel of his muscles under my fingers is like silken steel, and I want to dig my nails into it.
He pushes up against me, coming between my open legs, and I feel his hard cock pressing against my sex. When I cry out at the sweet ache, Cooper suddenly pulls away, backing up several feet. A cold wave washes over me as he takes his warmth with him and all that was promised in that kiss. My mouth tingles from the mark he’s left on me, and I don’t know what just happened.
“That was a mistake,” he says, and he’s panting like he’s out of breath.
“Mistake.” I repeat the word that slices right through me. I’m pretty sure I was also a mistake to my parents, not that they were around to ever say it to me. I’m not stupid, and they weren't cut out for the whole parenting thing, but hearing it from someone that I considered a good man i s harsh.
“I’m sorry.” He closes his eyes, shaking his head.
He’s sorry? Great, I'm a mistake and a regret.
“Don’t worry about it.” I try to keep my words calm as I slip off the counter. “This dirty secret will stay between us. I wouldn’t want the town to think you’re not the all-American hero.”
I know I look different than most girls around town. I change the color of my hair all the time, and my style can be a bit out there compared to everyone here. I stand out in town, which isn’t a bad thing, but it’s a reminder that at the end of the day I’m still an outsider. I’ll never really belong anywhere no matter how hard I try, and I certainly won’t fit into the box Cooper Cross wants to shove me into.
“Fuck.” He shakes his head. “Juno, I was…”
“Don’t.” I hold my hand up, not wanting to hear it.
It already hurts this much after only getting a taste of what I’d dreamed about. As quickly as it was mine, it was gone, and I’m not waiting around to hear the rest of his regrets. I’m only glad that I’ve found my voice again and can mask my pain. I’ve always been good at that, but it’s probably the years of practice.
“You stay away from me and I’ll stay away from you,” I say before turning to leave him behind.
He doesn't stop me from going, which gives me all the answers I need.
Cooper Cross will never be mine.
1
Cooper
Many months later…
“Hey, Sheriff, how’s it going?”
I nod at Jim, the guy that owns the music shop downtown, and straighten my paper. “Good, just taking my lunch break.” I scan back over the sports section, reading again about the Lions’ win over East this past Friday night.
There’s not much in the local paper, but I’m distracted and have to re-read a few times.
“Out here?” Jim asks, and I look up again from the paper.
I’m outside the music shop on Main Street sitting on a bench with my lunch half eaten next to me. It’s a beautiful day, so why wouldn’t I take advantage of the sunshine and summer weather just around the corner?
“Yeah, why?”
“Nothing really, just wondering if it’s because this spot is perfect for looking into the diner.” I glare at Jim, and the old man smiles as he tips his hat and goes into his shop.
“Bunch of busybodies in this town,” I mumble, fluffing out my newspaper again and trying to read the sports section for a fourth—no, fifth time.
I try like hell to read the article about the local high school's chance at going to state this year, but instead I find my paper slowly lowering so I can look over the top at the town’s only restaurant. The special today is fried chicken, and it’s the best in the whole state. My stomach grumbles at the thought of it, but then I catch a glimpse of lavender and I remember why I don’t go in there anymore.
Grabbing the peanut butter and jelly sandwich next to me, I take a bite and try not to think about all the shitty sandwiches I’ve been eating lately. Last week I drove to the city to see Lux just so I could have a home-cooked meal. But then she asked me too many questions about…her, and then I had an emergency at work and needed to leave early.
The hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and when I glance up from my paper, I see she’s watching me. Well, she’s actually glaring at me, but it stirs me all the same.
Juno Folke has been a thorn in my paw since the day she met Lux. She’s always there, digging in, and I can’t get her out of me. I even tried one night to give in and—
That’s enough.
I scold my own thoughts because I can’t go down that path. I can’t think of that night in the kitchen, especially out here in the daylight. That’s a memory for when I’m alone and it’s dark. Not out here in front of women and children when I can’t do anything to hide what happens when I think about those soft lips…
“Damn it,” I curse myself as I shake my paper out once more. The damn thing is going to be shredded by the time my lunch break is over.
“They say talking to yourself is a sign of insanity.” I look up and see Luca leaning against the light pole with a toothpick in his hand. He’s smug as he smiles down at my lunch and shakes his head. “You know people drive from the next state over for that fried chicken, but here you sit with your PB&J with the most sour-looking face I’ve ever seen.”
“Mind your business.” I take another bite of my sandwich, and it might as well be sawdust.
“Sure was good today.” He rubs his belly and stretches his arms over his head. I roll my eyes as a group of girls pass, and he winks at them. “Afternoon, ladies.” They all giggle and blush.
“I’m trying to have my break in peace,” I say without looking at him.
“Seems an awful waste to sit out here when the prettiest view is inside the diner.” Luca says, trying to get me to take the bait.
“You’d know a lot about waste. Like how you enjoy wasting my time.” I still don’t look up, forcing myself to stay calm.
“I’m just stretching so my food can digest. You know Juno always gives me a little bit of her pie every time I see her.” When I glare up at him, he winks at me. “Sweetest treat in town.”
“Luca,” I warn, but he plays with his toothpick and ignores the bomb inside of me that’s about to go off.
“From what I hear I’m not the only one she’s handing it out to for free.”
Before I tell my body what to do, I’m on my feet and inches from him. “That’s enough.”
“Easy, big brother.” He winks at me before he pushes off the light pole and walks down the sidewalk. Just when I think he’s gone, he turns around to face me with his smile still just as bright as before. “Today was peach, and it sure was juicy.”
His cackle echoes through Main Street as he walks away, leaving me standing there in a rage. I clench my fists at my side, the paper and my lunch long forgotten as I look into the diner.
She’s at the window with an empty tray propped on her hip, looking at me. Her lavender hair is braided over one shoulder, and even from here I can see the hot pink on her lips. I don’t think about what that hot pink would look like on my skin. Instead I turn around, grab my trash, and stuff it angrily into the garbage can.
By the time I glance back at the diner, she’s gone and so is my appetite. I get in my patrol car and do a couple of checks all over town before I head back to the station. An older woman named Ruth works dispatch, but mostly I think she gossips to the people that call in and report crimes.
Our town is so small nothing ever really happens, and that’s part of the reason I love it here. We’re close enough to a big city that we can go have fun, but the biggest news in our town was last week when the Piggly Wiggly renovated their meat department.
Other than me and Ruth, there’s a retired firefighter who volunteers on nights and weekends so I can have days off. Compared to the hours and demands in the military, this job is relaxed and exactly what I needed after coming back to Pink Springs.
I wasn’t prepared to come back so soon, but after my father died, I knew I needed to take care of Lux. Luca was older, but he still needed someone to look after him too. After my run-in with him at lunch, I’m wondering if I shouldn’t have just left him to the wolves like the dog he is.
“Afternoon, Cooper, anything good going on?” Ruth asks as I come into the office and hang my hat up.
“I heard they sold out of chicken at lunch.”
“Fiddlesticks, now what are Frank and I going to do for dinner?” She immediately gets on the dispatch radio, and I hear her telling one of her friends that the chicken sold out.
I smile and shake my head as I go into my office and close the door. Pink Springs is always where I wanted to come and raise a family, but part of me wonders if that’s what this town wants for me.
