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  Scott and Jessie Reynolds owned a horse breeding business. I’d helped out some over the last couple of weeks since moving to Fredericksburg. Their operation was damn impressive. Not quite as large as the Mathews Ranch, which was their closest neighbor. That place was a finely tuned operation.

  The bouncer kept his eyes on us. I slapped Lark’s back. “Let’s get a beer. Then we can go. Right now is not the time unless we want a scene. And I don’t think Skip would be happy with his guy in jail.”

  Skip was Lark’s superior. He’d been mine as well until three weeks ago when I got out. Lark was still in deep and due to ship out tomorrow morning. This wasn’t exactly the last hoorah we’d planned.

  We found a table. Lark looked at me, eyebrow raised. “You gonna fill me in?”

  “Yeah. Why the hell not?”

  At this point, there was nothing to lose. I combed my hand through my hair and blew out a breath, thinking about where to start.

  Lark asked, “Is she going to compromise anything?”

  Of course, he was thinking about the mission. Always the mission with Lark. I swear the man was a machine, living and breathing his work. Someday, the right girl would knock him flat on his ass. Ever since Scarlette had come into my life, nothing had been the same.

  The waitress set a couple of beers down.

  Lark grew more impatient, so I said, “No, man. She’s not connected to a mission. I was on furlough after I was rescued on the mission Kevin died. I happened to meet Scarlette in a bar. We had a weekend together, and then I left.”

  The other details weren’t important to Lark.

  “Why does she think your name is Todd?”

  I’d asked myself the same thing a million times. “Because I’m an ass. I froze when she asked and gave the name I used when I checked in using the fake ID Skip gave me. They needed me back in the field sooner than I should’ve been, and my head wasn’t in the right place to have a girl in my life at the time.”

  But I never stopped thinking about her. A week turned into a month; a month turned into two and then six. After that, it felt wrong to contact her until I had officially cut ties with the military and got my shit figured out.

  “So what are you going to do?’

  “Track her down. Tell her I’m sorry.”

  “And lose your man card.” That smirk pissed me the hell off.

  Lark and his stupid man card—he was a sworn bachelor. “Fuck you, man.” I pushed away from the table.

  He reached out and put his hand on my shoulder. “You care for this girl?”

  I only stared in response. He’d have to read between the fucking lines.

  “Then go get her. Make her listen to reason. I’m going to hang out here for a bit.”

  More like he was going to find a fuck buddy. But that was his version of an apology. I slapped his back. “Thanks, man. That’s my plan. You get in, get the job done, then get the hell out of Dodge.”

  “That’s the plan. I’ll be back through in a month, hopefully.”

  I threw some money on the table and left. The bouncer, aka Jackass, raised his eyebrow at me, but I kept on walking. Try to stop me now, motherfucker.

  I pulled out my phone and searched the local hotel listings. There was only one decent hotel close by. I pressed Call, hoping it was the right one.

  A woman answered. “Inn on Baron’s Creek. How may I help you?”

  “Scarlette Noelle, please.”

  There was some clicking. “I’ll connect you.”

  The phone rang several times without an answer. I was nearly at the hotel when I caught sight of her sitting on a bench in the open garden area behind the hotel. I stopped and watched her—her shoulders sagged as she rolled a stone around with her foot.

  It’s now or never. I can’t lose another chance.

  Slowly, I approached her. “Scarlette.”

  She nearly jumped out of her seat, her hand to her chest. “You scared me.” Then her face hardened. Standing stiffly, she took a step back.

  Desperate, I reached out. “Wait! Please. Let me explain. I want to apologize.”

  For a few seconds, Scarlette searched my face. “Todd? Austin? What’s your real name?”

  “Austin Thomas.”

  She snorted. “I can’t believe I slept with you and didn’t even know your name. You must’ve thought I was quite the stupid girl when you saw me at the bar.”

  I reached out toward her but stopped when she took another step back. “No, I thought you were beautiful. Can I explain? If not tonight, then tomorrow? We could meet for lunch? I want to make things right. Explain what happened. Apologize.”

  Something passed over her face. She took another step back. “No, I’m spreading my mother and father’s ashes tomorrow at the Mathews’ ranch. Then I’m going to find a place to settle for a bit.”

  This was news. A year ago, she’d told me she’d lost her father years earlier, but her mother, too? I had to touch her. Reaching out, I grabbed her hand. To my surprise, she let me. “Scarlette, I had no idea. I’m sorry. Was she sick?”

  “Yes, she had cancer. I lost her about three weeks ago.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  Having her hand in mine nearly made me feel like the king of the world. But she took a deep breath and looked down at our hands before gently pulling hers from mine.

  “Good night, Austin. I wish you the best.”

  Oh, fuck. That was a dismissal. Well, what did you think would happen? You’d hold hands and skip off to our own merry fucking land. “Can I get your number? Or give you mine?”

  “I don’t know.”

  I pulled a card from my wallet and handed it to her. My mother had had them made, thinking they would make things easier as I got settled. She’d been right. “It has my cell phone number on there. Please call me. Day or night. I want to explain. I was an ass.”

  “Yes, you were,” she said, but she took the card. “I’ll think about it. I’m going to get some sleep. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day.”

  Taking a step closer, I said, “If you need anything, call me. I’ll be available for you day or night.”

  She gave a small smile and turned to walk away.

  “There hasn’t been anyone since you, Scarlette.”

  That must have caught her by surprise because she stopped and turned around. She’d probably dated other guys, and the thought made me sick. My own fucking fault.

  She stared at me for a moment before saying, “Good night, Austin.”

  “Night.”

  She turned to head into the hotel. I waited and watched to make sure she made it okay. I had to figure out a way to get her to talk to me, to buy myself more time with her before she moved. Somehow.

  Mathews’ ranch. Oh, shit. Is this my lucky break?

  I checked the time, relieved to see it was only a little past nine. I hoped they weren’t in bed. I took a chance, desperate, and made a call.

  “Hello?” Garrett answered.

  “Mr. Mathews, this is Austin. I need your help.”

  “What do you need, son?”

  I was hoping for a miracle.

  Chapter Three

  Scarlette

  I WALKED ALONG THE RIVER that ran through the Mathews’ ranch and tipped the jar filled with Momma and Daddy’s ashes. Earlier, Emma and Garrett had dropped me off in their old pickup to give me some time alone. As the jar emptied, I said, “I miss you guys. But I’m glad you get to be together again where you fell in love. I see why you loved this place. Garrett and Emma showed me around this morning. It is magical.”

  The jar was empty; it was done. For the first time in a long while, I felt at peace. When Daddy died ten years ago in a car wreck, it had nearly destroyed Momma. But she kept moving forward for my sake. And now they would be together forever, free to dance under the stars.

  I sat on the riverbank, staring at the water. I needed to decide where I would point my car tomorrow. Austin’s card burned in my pocket. I still wasn’t sure what I wa
s going to do. Maybe I should call him before I left town and hear him out.

  There hasn’t been anyone since you, Scarlette.

  The words echoed in my head, leaving a warm feeling in my chest. Yes, I wanted to call him and hear him out. Judging from the things he’d said, the connection hadn’t been a figment of my imagination. He’d felt it, too. But a year? Why? I was scared to put myself out there again. Terrified.

  The sound of a truck approaching caught me off guard. I stood, realizing it was the time we’d agreed upon for them to pick me up. Emma met me halfway to the truck. For an older lady, she got around remarkably well.

  She patted my shoulder. “How are you doing?”

  “I don’t know, really. But I’ll be okay. Momma and Daddy are together again in the spot where they met. That’s what they wanted. Today, I’ll figure out where I’m headed next. Thank you for letting me come. It was nice catching up this morning and seeing everything Momma had told me about.”

  Garrett cleared his throat, but Emma dismissed him with a flick of her wrist. “Have you thought about where you’re going next?”

  That morning, I’d mentioned to them that I wasn’t sure what my next step was. “I figured tonight I’d pick a place to point my car toward in the morning. Then once I get there, I’ll find a place and start living my life.”

  The two of them shared a knowing look. Emma said, “Well, we have something we want to suggest.”

  “What’s that?”

  Garrett interrupted her. “It’s going to take forever for Em to spit it out. We’ve got a duplex in Fredericksburg we’d like to offer. It’ll be perfect. Fully furnished and everything.”

  I glanced at Emma, and she let out her breath in a huff. “Men. They’re always so impatient to give us gals time.”

  They’d already done so much for me. And a duplex in Fredericksburg would be more expensive than I could afford. “Oh, I couldn’t impose like that. I’m going to need to find a place on the cheaper side.”

  “Rent’s a hundred dollars. No way anyone will beat that.” Garret puffed his chest a little and smiled.

  Did I hear him correctly? Surely not. A hundred dollars? I clarified, “How much?”

  “A hundred.”

  I had heard him correctly. A hundred dollars would make the money I had go a lot farther. “Are you sure? I feel bad knowing you’re renting it to me so cheap.”

  “Absolutely. It’s the least we can do. Your mom and dad saved our son’s life.”

  With his words, the story Momma had shared with me a long time ago came back to me. Their son had been goofing around on a rock at the river’s edge, trying to impress his girlfriend, Grace, when he dove in and hit his head. He was knocked unconscious and nearly drowned. Daddy had gotten him out of the water, and Momma had administered CPR.

  “Momma mentioned that in one of her stories. His name was Jack, right?”

  “That’s him.” Emma touched my shoulder. “It’s not a handout. Just us trying to help out the daughter of friends who were dear to us.”

  But still, it felt like charity. I took a deep breath. “I’d love to. Thank you. If there’s anything you need help with, just ask.”

  “We will. Let me get you the address. You’ve got another night at the hotel. So feel free to go over there tomorrow or tonight. It’s up to you.”

  Their kindness was something I thought only existed in fairy tales. But they were honest-to-goodness amazing people to the core. I wanted to cry from happiness.

  ***

  Four hours later, I pulled into the duplex in Fredericksburg with the potted plant I’d bought from a store near the hotel. Yes, it was frivolous, but it was just one small plant. I still had a protein bar left and wouldn’t need to spend any money on dinner.

  I turned off the car and stared at the adorable light blue house. Under the front windows, there was a perfect place to plant some flowers. In the driveway next to my car was a huge truck. The thing was monstrous.

  I got out of the car, holding my keys tightly in my hands. It was hard to believe I had a place. A furnished home, at that.

  Garrett and Emma had offered to show me the place tomorrow, but I could tell they were tired. And I was anxious to see the place as soon as possible—a home of my own. They said the neighbor on the left side would be more than willing to show me around. In all the chaos, I’d forgotten to ask what his or her name was.

  Maybe I should introduce myself first?

  I walked to the front door of the left side of the duplex. I knocked and waited, but there was no answer. Hmm . . . I thought they’d be there. Deciding to try again later, I walked to the door on the right side. I was anxious to see my new place.

  I turned the key in the lock and opened the door. My breath stopped for a moment. The place was amazing. The place had an open floor plan, allowing me to see from one room to the next. The gingham couch matched the country chic theme throughout the place. Little baskets lined the upper cabinets of the kitchen. One had the word eggs written in chalk. Another said milk.

  “I love it.”

  The living room connected with the kitchen and breakfast nook area. I ran my hand over the smooth wood of the kitchen table. This is mine. To the right was a hallway. Excited to see more, I followed the hallway to find two bedrooms with a bathroom in between. I was in heaven as I walked around, exploring. Even the cabinets were stocked with food.

  Incredible.

  A place of my own.

  The duplex was as nice as my childhood home had been, and I was excited to get my things inside and make it my place. It had been so long since I felt like I belonged anywhere. I dashed out the door to grab my first suitcase.

  An hour and a half later, my things were put away. I sat on the couch to take it all in and look around at my place. How is this happening? With such cheap rent, I would be able to work and save to maybe even buy a house one day. A place of my own that I’d bought with my own money was something I never imagined could ever happen. Now that dream seemed more tangible. A second job would help me get there faster.

  Knock. Knock. Knock.

  Maybe the other tenant realized I was here. I opened the door and stared, stunned.

  “To—uh, Austin?”

  Damn, he looked good—freshly showered. His shirt clung to him in all the right places. “Scarlette.”

  “What are you doing here? How’d you find me?”

  A slow smile spread across his face. “Howdy, neighbor.”

  “Neighbor?” Then I realized. “You? You own that monster truck in the driveway.”

  “Yes. She’s a beast.”

  Without thinking, I panicked and slammed the door shut. In his face. Oh no, what did I do? I took a few deep breaths. Austin was my neighbor. Oh shit.

  I reached for the door handle and turned it, barely cracking open the door. Austin bent down a little to look me in the eye. He was still there. Double shit. I slammed the door again and leaned against it. He was my neighbor.

  Knock. Knock. Knock.

  “Scarlette, I’m not going away.”

  I had planned to call him tomorrow. And here I was, acting like a lunatic, shutting the door in his face. I turned and slowly opened the door. “Hey.”

  Hey? That’s how you start the conversation? Sometimes I was so awkward I wanted to crawl under a rock. “I was going to call you tomorrow.”

  His eyes brightened. “You were?”

  “I was.”

  A few moments of silence passed between us. He was so close, yet so far away. “Scarlette . . . I know I fucked up. More than fucked up.”

  I took a deep breath but didn’t say anything. He had. And it had crushed me. I tightened my grip on the door handle.

  “I want to make things right.” He adjusted his baseball cap.

  That was what worried me. Has it been too long? What we had might not be salvageable. “How?”

  “I don’t know, but I want to try. Can I have your number? I’d like to take you out on a date.”

>   Irritation bubbled to the surface. “Why? Why, after all this time?”

  “I never stopped thinking about you. I’m not spouting shit to get you into my bed. I mean it.”

  That brought me up short, and I stared at him, stunned. “What do you want me to do with that?”

  He took a step back with a smile that made me weak in the knees. “Get to know me. The real me.”

  “How?”

  “Leave that up to me.”

  Austin turned and left. My heart beat wildly in my chest. But when I slowly closed the door, there was a huge grin on my face.

  What the hell is going to happen now?

  Chapter Four

  Austin

  I CRACKED OPEN A BEER and sipped it while I looked out the back window. It was late, and I’d been wracking my brain, trying to figure out what to do. Where do I begin? How do I capture what we had? I needed to do something to convince her to give us an actual chance. And let her get to know the real me.

  But I was worried I wouldn’t be able to convince her. Talking to her as she stood in the doorway, it had taken everything I had not to sweep her up in my arms. Once she found out about all I had done, would it change the way she thought about me? I had done a lot of things in my life, killed a lot of people. That kind of baggage wasn’t meant for everyone. Through the years, I’d seen many of my buddies’ relationships fall apart because of the stress.

  Taking a pull from my bottle, I watched Scarlette step out onto her back porch. Last week, I’d taken down the divider between the two spaces to redo it. I was glad I hadn’t put it back up. She set a small potted plant on the little table. Flowers. It gave me my first idea. Something to tell her I still remembered everything she told me in that short amount of time we’d spent together.

  The best forty-eight hours of my life.

  From my kitchen window, I watched as she walked around the porch, her gaze taking in the yard. She stopped to touch everything, a look of wonder on her face. I wondered how rough things has been for her. Fuck. I could have been there for her. She was thinner than I remembered. Much thinner. And she’d already been small to begin with. I’d stocked the cabinets this morning, hoping Scarlette would take Garrett and Emma up on their offer. When I’d spoken to Garrett, I tried to make up the difference in rent, but he wouldn’t hear of it. The Mathews were amazing people.