Ronan knew the rumor had spread before he even reached the tavern.
He felt it in the way people looked at him riding through Yellow Creek that morning — the grins from men who'd known him for years, the curious glances from those who only knew him by reputation.
Gossip was nothing new in a town this size. It survived on it the way some towns survived on farming or fishing.
What surprised him was how fast everyone had folded Willow into the story, like she'd always belonged in it, like the tavern and the club and the Harper name had simply been waiting for someone to connect them properly.
Two men stood outside the hardware store opposite Harper's tavern when he pulled up, watching him with matching smirks before he'd even cut the engine.
"Well, look who finally decided to settle dow
