Welcome to Whynot, North Carolina, population 3,872. It has one stoplight, one bar, and the one-and-only Trixie Mancinkus.
Eleven years ago, Trixie graduated Harvard Law, turned down a job offer from one of the most prestigious law firms in Boston, and headed home to Whynot to open her own firm. Not only did she leave behind the big city, but she also left her boyfriend of three years. And just so we’re clear… that would be me.
So what am I doing in Whynot at this very moment? It seems Trixie needs help with a legal case and for some insane reason, she called on me for assistance. I’ve been in town for five minutes, and I’m every bit as out of place as I feel. Trixie is all sweet, southern curves to my tailored suits and high-priced haircuts. It’s a culture clash of north versus south and about the only thing we have in common is our physical attraction to each other.
But I have a new motto since coming to Whynot: When life hands you lemons, all you need is a little sex and sweet tea to make things better.
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Over
lettuce wraps, I let her vent more about her brother but I only let this go on
during the appetizer. Once our entrees arrive, I insist we change the subject.
She’s not calming down, only getting more worked up, and diversion has always
worked best with Trixie.
“Raleigh
seems to be a nice town,” I say conversationally in an effort to get her
relaxed.
She
rolls her eyes at me because as much as I know how to “handle” her when her
temper is spiked, she recognizes the fact that I am indeed handling her. Apparently,
she finds it adorable. She cuts a piece of her orange chicken and gives in to
my attempt to switch the conversation. “It really is. It’s spread out so you
don’t have that overwhelming big-city feel, but you have all the luxuries a big
city affords like museums, professional sports, fine dining, etcetera.”
“Overwhelming
is an interesting choice of words,” I observe. “You didn’t feel that way in
Boston, did you?”
I’m surprised
when her cheeks turn a bit red. Her voice is reluctant when she admits, “Yeah…
it was a bit too much for me.”
My mouth
hangs open as I stare at her. How could I not know that? We had made plans to
live in Boston, and there was a time when she was completely on board.
“I’m
sorry,” she blurts out. “I know what you’re thinking… Why would I have even
considered all those plans we’d made if I felt that way?”
“Got to
admit… this is a bit surprising to hear.”
Trixie
puts her fork down and levels her gaze on me. “Ry… I loved you. And I loved
Cambridge. It was small and well… comfortable. It wasn’t small like Whynot, but
it reminded me of home a bit. But honestly, I was only considering staying
there in Boston because of you. I didn’t like it at all. Too many people. Too
much concrete and glass. Too much noise. It’s just not me.”
“You
should have said something a lot earlier than you did,” I reprimand her
quietly. I can’t help feeling a bit angry over this revelation, because who
knows what would have happened had we had some honest discussions about where
we wanted to go that could suit both of us.
“Would
it have changed anything?” she asks me bluntly. “You were set on Boston. You
wanted that job at Hayes Lockamy. You worked your ass off at Harvard and the
clerkships to get that job offer. It was everything to you.”
“It wasn’t
everything,” I tell her sharply.
“Maybe
not,” she retorts. “But it clearly meant more than me. As I recall, I asked you
to come to Whynot to practice, and I got a resounding ‘no’ to that offer.”
“You
sprung that on me at literally the last minute, Trixie,” I say angrily. “After
I’d accepted the job offer at Hayes Lockamy. You didn’t give me any time to
process any of it.”
“And you
didn’t bother to try to talk me into staying,” she snaps.
“Seriously,
Trix,” I say in exasperation. “I’ve been here two days, and I’ve watched you in
your element. You were born to live here. This is where you’re supposed to be.
Being a small-town lawyer in Whynot surrounded by your close-knit, if not nutty,
family is what brings you joy. Are you seriously trying to infer that you would
have left all of this to stay in Boston with me if I’d just tried to talk you
into staying?”
“No,
what I’m saying,” she sneers at me as she leans across the table but I don’t
miss the light sheen of tears in her eyes, “is that you and I clearly weren’t
meant to be, and we’re both better off for making the choices we did.”
Now that
hits me hard, right in the middle of my chest, and I have to resist the urge to
rub my knuckles over my breastbone to ease the pain.
Trixie
merely pushes up from her chair, grabs her purse, and practically runs out of
the restaurant.
“Shit,”
I mutter as I stand up. I grab my wallet, take out enough money to cover the
meal and tip, and toss it down on the table.
I jet
out of the restaurant, scan the area, and see Trixie walking quickly toward her
car. I wouldn’t put it past her to jump in it and drive off without me, so I
break into a fast trot to catch up with her. My hand latches onto her elbow
just as she reaches her car, and I spin her to face me.
“What
the hell, Trix?” I ask her with frustration, anger, and a little bit of
self-loathing that I let the conversation get so out of hand. I’ve always been
the mild-mannered one between the two of us, knowing how to deftly control and
sidestep her temper so it doesn’t get the better of her.
Or me.
I brace,
expect her to rail and rant some more. Instead, she launches herself right at
me, making a tiny hop to throw her arms around my neck. Her mouth comes to mine
hard as one of her hands grips into my hair, fisting it tight.
Jesus
Christ… stars wink in my vision at the feel of her mouth on mine, so long
forgotten and yet completely familiar all at once. I don’t think—just act. My
arms band around her tight, hauling her body to mine. I push her back into the
side of her car, tilt my head, and I kiss her back with every bit of longing
and regret that she seems to be mutually feeling in this moment.
Ain't He Precious? was a sweet and fun read from the ever present mind of Sawyer Bennett writing as Juliette Poe. I kind of wish though, that Sawyer's name wasn't mentioned and we didn't know who the pen name Juliette Poe belonged to. It kind of made me keep going back and expecting a Sawyer-style book which this wasn't.
Ryland and Trixie are former college lovers that reconnect eleven years later after Trixie needs assistance with a lawsuit she's heading. Since we know Sawyer is a former lawyer, I enjoyed reading legitimate legal knowledge in that aspect.
Trixie is in love with her family and her town and I really loved the small-town feel of the book. It was fun and heart warming. Ryland's love for Trixie is present and he doesn't want to end his time with her without knowing they're going to be together.
Ain't He Precious? was a really sweet and fun read, and I look forward to more in this series. I'm thinking they're going to be about Trixie's siblings in Whynot, NC and it will be a fun ride.
Juliette Poe is the sweet and swoony alter ego of New York Times Best Selling author, Sawyer Bennett. A fun-loving southern girl, Juliette knows the allure of sweet tea, small towns, and long summer nights, that some of the best dates end sitting on the front porch swing, and that family is top priority.
She brings love in the south to life in her debut series, Sex & Sweet Tea. When Juliette isn’t delivering the sweetest kind of romance, she’s teaching her southern belle daughter the fine art of fishing, the importance of wearing Chucks, and the endless possibilities of a vivid imagination.
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