The lease on my entry table mocked me. Who knew something inanimate could do such a thing? But it did. It sat there and stared at me, judging and demanding.
I only had three months left on my lease. Less than that to decide if I was staying or leaving.
But I had no clue what I wanted to do.
I moved to MacKellar Cove with such hope and excitement. It all crashed and burned the second Valentina opened the door and I realized my boyfriend wasn’t who I thought he was. At all. At that point, I had no choice. I’d signed a one-year lease on my apartment and a one-year lease on the chair I rented in the salon. Getting out of both would have cost more than I had available.
I’d checked. In that lease. Daily, for months. Just in case it had changed. Even after I gave up on leaving town immediately, I left the lease on the table, a reminder that I was temporary in MacKellar Cove.
But in three months, I could be free. Find a new town that didn’t know me as a homewrecker. That didn’t judge me for something I never knew.
Leaving meant starting over again. Not just finding a new place to live and work, but finding new friends.
My eyes watered at the thought. Dammit. I expected to meet new people, but I never expected to be welcomed in like I was. Especially by my ex-boyfriend’s wife. Ex-wife now. Valentina never let anyone say anything about me. She defended me from the beginning. Said we were both victims of Dawson’s lies.
I’d never be able to repay her kindness. She didn’t have to do that. But it showed me the kind of people who called MacKellar Cove home.
Well, some of them. Madeline and some of the other ladies at the salon clearly didn’t agree with Valentina and blamed me for everything.
Which was part of why I hadn’t been able to decide what I wanted to do. I had two months to either sign a new lease or let Sofia know I was moving out.
The lease reminded me constantly. Like a timer ticking down to the end of my life in MacKellar Cove.
I groaned and tossed my keys on top of the lease. I needed a few more hours of sleep, and a few more weeks of ignoring it, before I could make a rational decision. That and to not smell like sex with a gorgeous stranger. He was enough to tempt me into staying, but sex with a stranger was what got me to where I was. I couldn’t let it influence any more of my choices.
After a few hours of sleep and a very large cup of coffee, I felt more like myself. I considered going out and getting something to eat, but I didn’t want to risk running into someone who would burst my bubble. I had my first in-person date in a few hours. With HandyNotHandsy from Book Boyfriends Wanted. I was going to ride my post-sex high to the date and get to know a man who made me laugh and reminded me I was desirable.
I took a long shower and scrubbed every inch of myself. Not that my date was going to get up close and personal with me, but I didn’t want to walk in smelling like another man. Or feeling his very talented hands on my skin.
When I got out, my phone dinged with a new alert.
My lips curled up at his words. He made me laugh more than any man I’d ever had contact with. If I wasn’t wounded from Dawson, I probably would have met this guy a while ago, but I was afraid.
No. I was chickenshit. I worried he’d judge me like others did. That he’d take one look at me and walk away because I was responsible for another man cheating on his wife.
I sighed and clutched my phone to my chest. No one had ever brought me flowers before. It was small, and it was a way for me to find him, so I tried not to let it go to my head, but it convinced me I’d made the right choice meeting him. I really didn’t think men like him existed.
Two hours later, I was dressed in jeans and a flirty orange top. My hair was curled and fell in loose waves over my shoulders. I grabbed my sparkly black handbag and headed for O’Kelley’s.
I was not a regular at the local bar, but the owner was married to a friend of mine. Hudson and Anna were both married before they got together, and definitely people I assumed would not be friendly toward me. Anna followed Valentina’s lead and agreed with her that when someone cheats, they’re the one who broke a promise. I got the feeling she was speaking from experience, although not experience with Hudson.
Hudson was one of the nicest people I’d ever met. He was a bit gruff and not overly friendly, but he was a good man. And knowing he was there when I was meeting HandyNotHandsy made me feel more comfortable because he would keep an eye on things.
I glanced around the bar and spotted a man in a booth. He was faced away from me, but I could see his black sleeve and jeans. The clear giveaway was the orange Gerbera daisy on the edge of the table. An orange that perfectly matched the top I wore.
What were the odds of that?
My pulse skipped, and my heart fluttered. My lips curled into a smile as I walked toward him. Strong forearms covered in dark blond hair were the next thing I saw of him. I was a sucker for forearms. His shirt was pulled tight across his biceps. He reached for a glass of clear liquid and brought it to his lips as I stepped around the edge of the booth.
“Oh, shit,” I breathed, my smile slipping from my face.
He looked up at me, eyes wide, and pulled his glass away, dumping some on himself in the process. “No way.”
I dropped onto the other side of the booth and looked at the man whose apartment I snuck out of that morning. “Well, at least we know we have chemistry.”
He wiped at his wet shirt and looked up at me. He held my gaze for a minute, studying me.
I tried not to squirm. He never made it seem like he knew me the night before, but that didn’t mean he didn’t. I resisted the urge to ask him why he was staring at me.
Then he extended his hand. “I’m Knox Randall. Also known as HandyNotHandsy. I’m assuming you’re SingleMenWanted.”
I sucked in a shaky breath and nodded, slipping my hand into his. I was beyond appreciative of him for using his screen name as an introduction and confirming mine without making it weird. “I am. Also known as Haley Jordan.”
Knox held my hand for a minute, neither of us pulling back, even when it should have been awkward. His lips slowly lifted into a grin, and he shook his head before releasing his grip on me.
I couldn’t breathe. The man was seriously killer when he smiled.
“I think you’re the last person I expected to show up here tonight.”
I nodded to the flower. “It appears you were at least somewhat expecting me.”
He dropped his gaze to my shirt and chuckled. “Great minds?”
I smiled. “Great minds.”
He leaned back in his seat. “Not even close to what I imagined.”
My body flushed with embarrassed heat. My smile fell. I crossed my ankles to stop myself from fleeing. “Excuse me?”
“Your smile,” he said. “It’s so much better than I thought it would be. Because you’re sitting here.”
My lungs expanded. Tears stung the backs of my eyes. I nibbled on my lower lip. He was just as tempting in person as he was during all our chats. And knowing how good we were in bed made resisting him almost impossible.
“I need to bring up the elephant in the room. I like you. I really enjoyed chatting with you for the last few months. I’m so happy we’re here. And last night…” He shook his head. “Last night was amazing. But I know that’s not why we’re here tonight. I don’t want you to worry that I’m going to try to get you back to my place.”
I wasn’t sure if I should be disappointed or not. I was a little of both. Not because I thought it was smart, but because I knew it was good. And I’d been missing good for a long time.
“Do you want a drink?” Knox asked when I didn’t say anything.
“Um, yeah. Hudson will make something good.”
Knox made a move to stand, but I grabbed his hand. He looked back at me with eyebrows raised in question.
“Thank you.”
He smiled at me and winked, then went to the bar to get me a drink from Hudson.
I drew a deep breath as soon as he stepped away from the booth. I put both hands to my lips and exhaled slowly. I still wasn’t sure if he knew who I was, that I was the woman who ended Valentina’s relationship, but he was acting like he didn’t. Did that mean I had to tell him?
Probably.
Dammit.
I didn’t know if he knew Valentina, but I knew enough about McKellar Cove to know pretty much everyone did. And Knox was clearly a local, so if I didn’t tell him, someone else would.
Knox came back a minute later with a blue drink topped with an orange. He set it in front of me and said, “Hudson thought this would be good. I told him not much alcohol because I didn’t want you uncomfortable and I wasn’t sure if you were driving.”
I took a sip. It was delicious. And it either didn’t have alcohol or it was expertly blended to be incredibly dangerous. Both were very possible with Hudson. I turned to the bar and found him watching me. I lifted the drink and nodded my thanks. He returned my nod, then went back to what he was doing.
“Are you two friends?”
I wondered if his sharp tone was jealousy or curiosity. “I know Anna. I’ve met Hudson a few times through her, but we’re not really close.”
“He’s a good guy.”
I nodded. I didn’t really want to talk about other people all night. Especially married people. Our conversations were always deeper. Private. About what we wanted from life and what we regretted about our pasts. I’d never confessed my biggest regret, because it would tell him exactly who I was, but I’d hinted at it.
“I’m sorry this is weird. I suck at dating. Which is why I’m thirty-eight and still single.”
I chuckled. “I’m no better. I’m thirty and the last relationship I had was—” Crap. I grabbed my drink and chugged it, praying it was full of alcohol and I could blame that for confessing my not-so-secret shame to him after five damn minutes.
He leaned in and raised an eyebrow.
It shouldn’t be a sexy look, but with the added quirk of his lips and the slight smile, I wanted to tell him everything about me. About not being close to my parents and feeling like I was unwanted. About falling into one relationship after another to feel like someone actually cared about me. About sleeping with a married man for nine months and not knowing because I was so desperate for attention, I never saw the signs.
“The last relationship you had was what? We never talked about exes.”
“Isn’t that the last thing you’re supposed to talk about on a first date?”
“Probably, but this doesn’t feel like a first date to me.”
“I thought we weren’t counting last night.”
He exhaled a laugh. “I wasn’t talking about that. We didn’t do much getting to know each other. I meant the months of conversations. I feel like I know you. Even though I just found out your name.”
I sighed heavily. “If you know Hudson, and you’re from here, which I know both are true, then I know you know who I am. It’s okay.”
He tilted his head to the side and scanned my face. His eyes narrowed, and he tilted his head the other way. He was good at making me think he didn’t know my story. “Before last night, I don’t remember meeting you. I feel like an ass saying that. I’m sorry I don’t remember.”
“We’ve never met, but you’ve probably heard of me.”
“Are you famous?” He chuckled. “Come on. Tell me. Clearly, I’m no good at guessing.”
I sighed and leaned forward. He did the same, bringing us a few inches apart. I smelled minty toothpaste on his breath and a hint of some kind of alcohol. I closed my eyes so I didn’t have to see the look in his when I told him the truth. “My last relationship lasted nine months. I moved here last spring because my boyfriend lived here. Except I didn’t know he lived here with his wife and two teenage daughters.”
He didn’t say anything for a long moment. Long enough that I wondered if he left and I was sitting there like an idiot with my eyes closed.
I finally pried them open. Knox was still there. He was still leaning toward me.
He reached across the table, palm up. I stared at his hand, wondering why it was there. He waved his fingers, like he wanted me to put my hand in his.
Hesitantly, I did.
He wrapped his hand around my wrist and stroked his thumb over my skipping pulse. “I didn’t realize that was you. I’m sorry you went through that.”
I inhaled a shaky breath. The words were so simple, but dammit, they were nice to hear. I rolled my lips in and nodded, swallowing over the emotional lump in my throat.
“You were all alone in a new town, and knowing the way some of these people are, you weren’t treated well, were you?”
“Sometimes,” I whispered. “But Valentina is amazing. She defended me from day one.”
Knox chuckled and nodded. “Sounds like her. She’s a pretty spectacular woman.”
“She is. I will never be able to apologize enough to her for what I did.”
“Why do you owe her an apology? You didn’t do anything wrong. Unless he told you he was married and you still kept seeing him. Hell, even that, you weren’t the one who vowed to be faithful to her for the rest of your life. I’d never say I’m okay with cheating, but if I were married, I’d blame my wife for an affair, not the man she cheated on me with.”
I chuckled softly. “You are not like most people.”
“I think I’ll take that as a compliment.” He lifted his drink with the hand not holding my wrist. He stopped before he brought it to his mouth. “Wait. That’s why your screen name is SingleMenWanted, isn’t it?”
I nodded. “Yep. I’m not interested in dating any more married men. You said you’re not married.”
Knox shook his head. “Not now, never have been. No serious relationships for a while. I was seeing someone about a year ago, but we didn’t want the same things.”
“Which means?”
“Which means I want a wife and a family, and she wanted sex.”
“And you couldn’t have both?”
He laughed. “Ideally, yes, I’d want both. But she wasn’t interested in getting married or having kids. Now or anytime soon.”
The word family meant a lot to me. For a long time, it was a word used to instill guilt on me. My parents would tell me we had to do something because of family. It was a dirty word. A punishing word.
My best friend in middle school came from a big family. When I grumbled about the obligations of families, she said it wasn’t like that for her. She loved spending time with her cousins and siblings. They were some of her closest friends. She would do anything for them.
Even my parents wouldn’t do anything for me. Hearing those words made me realize I was missing something for the first time in my life.
It only got worse as I got older. Family was something I always wanted. It was my Holy Grail. But I was no treasure hunter, and I was definitely not fortunate enough to luck into something like that.
“Since we’re breaking the rules, I’m going to ask… Do you want a family?”
I looked up into his blue-green eyes. The crinkles around the edges were charming. The hope in his gaze was honest and real. The way he continued to stroke my wrist was comforting.
It was our first date. The first time I’d sat across from a man since I moved to town. I debated downplaying how I felt. Making a joke or blowing off the question.
But as I stared at him, the only thing I could do was whisper the truth. “More than anything.”
