Thinking 'Bout You

THINKING ‘BOUT YOU CLAIRE HASTINGS Copyright © 2023 by Claire Hastings Cover Design by Cover Couture www.bookcovercouture.com Cover Photo by Lindee Robinson Edited by the Happily Editing Anns All rights reserved. This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. If you would like to share it with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this and did not purchase it, please return it, and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the work of this author. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. For Dustin Lynch Thank you for being the muse I didn’t realize I needed. CONTENTS Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight Chapter Twenty-Nine Chapter Thirty Epilogue Also by Claire Hastings Acknowledgments About the Author CHAPTER ONE KENZIE The large, brightly colored poster hangs on the glass entryway of the library like it’s mocking me. Waving at me every time the door opens, or simply smirking at me knowingly when I look up from my desk. Either way, that stupid piece of cardstock knows what it’s doing—I am convinced of it. The fact that the top lefthand corner won’t stay in place isn’t helping. I firmly press my thumb against the cardstock, willing it to adhere to the extra sticky tape I just replaced. For the third time this week. Yeah, definitely mocking me. “So nice that Dustin Wild is coming back for the festival, isn’t it?” says Mrs. Chamberlain, longtime math teacher and Hickory Hills native, pulling my attention back to the front desk where she is pushing a stack of books across the counter. “You must be excited to see him. A chance to reconnect.” Glancing at my watch, I wonder what she’s doing here in the middle of a school day, but don’t dare ask. Instead, I head toward the desk, rounding the corner quickly so I can get her out of here. Taking the stack of books, I scan them one by one, happy for an excuse not to make eye contact. “You can’t tell me you’re not excited,” she presses. I don’t need to look up to know there is a mischievous look on the older lady’s face. I can hear it in her voice. She, along with most of our small Georgia town, is all abuzz about the return of Dustin Wild—or as we all knew him back then, Dustin Wilder—local boy turned country star, for our annual Rhythm and Brews Festival. Of course, her former student being a country star is not the reason that Mrs. Chamberlain is all atwitter in this moment. She’s fishing for something—anything—to fuel the gossip mill. And I am not about to give it to her. “If I even see him,” I reply, forcing a smile. “I’ll be so busy with everything that I doubt we’ll have time for more than a quick hello.” There is a fine line between engaging the enemy and flat-out ignoring, and it’s taken years of practice to find the proper balance. To know just how much information to give that will satisfy those curious, while not leaving room for speculation or giving up details you don’t want to be made public. It’s an art, really. One that only a lifetime in a small town teaches you. In my head, I picture Hickory Hills as the southern version of Stars Hollow. Small town, big charm, and unique personalities. Making Mrs. Chamberlain our equivalent of Miss Patty. “Oh, I’m sure you will. You know, I always thought you two were going to go the distance. I’ve seen a lot of couples form over the years, and young love can be so fickle, but I usually have a good feel for who will and won’t make it. You and Dustin, I would have put money on that.” And there it is. Thanks, Mrs. Chamberlain… I force my smile as big as I can, my cheeks starting to hurt from the pressure. “You’re all set, Mrs. C. Just have these back no later than three weeks from Tuesday.” Opening her mouth to comment more, Mrs. Chamberlain snaps it shut just as quickly, realizing she isn’t going to get anything else out of me. Continuing with my saccharine expression, I can see the thoughts pinging around her mind—it’s fine that I’m being tight-lipped, because she’s just going to send in reinforcements later. Too bad for her. I’m not going to be talking to them either. I have nothing to say. I have already said too much on the subject of Dustin. And to Dustin, nonetheless. An incident that doesn’t need repeating. Because I, Kenzie Noble, am over Dustin Wilder. Letting out a long sigh, I try to distract myself, returning to what I was doing before I stopped to deal with that mockingly obnoxious poster—sorting through the books that had been left in the return bin overnight. The summer reading program is in its last days, and if I’m doing my math right, we have a handful of kids who are closing in on their final goal. Success. An outburst of giggles rings through the library, cutting through the silence. Without bothering to lift my gaze, I already know where it’s coming from—I’d watched out of the corner of my eye as the group of tweens had walked in, casually heading for the thriller section, which was conveniently right next to romance. As if any tween girl was going to choose James Patterson over Nora Roberts. Actually, that isn’t fair. I know