“You know June loves any excuse to see you. Plus, I don’t want you to get too lonely out there in your new cozy cabin.”
Colt was talking about the cabin I had spent the last year building next to the lake on the backside of our family ranch. It was just a few minutes’ walk from Colt and Ellie’s place.
The cabin was open concept with large windows that looked out over the expansive lake that sat in front of it. The large stone fireplace in the center of the living area was my favorite part. Once the snow moved in, I would finally get a chance to use it. The cabin was my own little sanctuary. It was strong yet simple—like me.
“I heard you talking to June about Cassie,” Colt said, eyeing me cautiously. “If you want a date with her, why don’t you just tell her the truth about that night in the apartment above her coffee shop. I’d go on a date with you if you told me you saved my life once,” he said jokingly.
“You know why I can’t tell her the truth. She sees me as just Jace right now. Not Jace with all the fucking trauma. Besides, I don’t want her to give me a chance because she feels obligated to. I want her to go on a date with me because shewantsto.”
“I can’t believe she doesn’t remember anything from that night,” Colt said, a puzzled look on his face.
“Maybe it’s best that way,” I said, trying to reason with myself.
“Well, I hate to tell you this, but it’s been almost six years since she moved here. Maybe it’s time to move on. Some doors are just better left closed, ya know?”
I looked down at the grass. “Maybe so.”
“I heard Sally Anne down at the barber shop has her eyes set on you. Maybe you should give up on Cassie and go out with someone who actually seems interested in you.”
“Sally Anne hosts Sunday brunches for fun and wears pearls every day. Something tells me we wouldn’t work out,” I said sarcastically.
“How long has it been since you went out on a date anyways?” Colt asked.
“I think I’m going on a year; I don’t know exactly. Any girl I go out with just doesn’t do it for me,” I said, looking down. “I don’t even bring them back to my place anymore. The last two girls I went out with, we just had dinner and I called it a night after that.”
“Damn. High school Jace would haveneverbeen this down bad for one girl.” Colt laughed as he shook his head.
“Shut up, I don’t need you to rub salt in the wound any more than you already have. You know how much she means to me,” I said, hopping into my truck.
I pulled away, leaving Colt to judge me in silence.
As I drove back to my cabin, I blared some sappy rock music over my truck speakers.
Pity party over. For now.
Chapter 3 – Cassie
Fuck. I was late—likelate, late.
I was supposed to be at the coffee shop twenty minutes ago to sign for a weekend order that was coming in. We normally don’t get weekend orders, but the freight company called to tell me they would be one day behind, which was fine. Except I completely forgot about it and woke up to the driver calling to ask if I was going to be there to sign for the shipment.
Thankfully, he was willing to work with me and wait ten minutes until I could get there. This would have been a lot easier if I still lived in the apartment above the coffee shop, but it caught on fire one night a few years back, and I haven’t had the time or the money to fix what was damaged in the fire. Now I live in a small house on the outskirts of Silver Creek. My home away from home.
One more turn and I would be in front of the coffee shop.
I whipped around the corner, almost into downtown. As I made the right turn, the sun glared through my windshield, but I could faintly make out a figure as I passed through the crosswalk.
Wham.
“Oh my god, oh my god!” I yelled as I came to a screeching halt, slamming on my brakes. I covered my mouth with both hands to stifle a gasp.
“I just hit someone.”
As my brain registered what I had done, the moment played back on super speed over and over again. I was frozen in place.
“Did I just kill someone?” I whispered to myself.
I put my car in park with a trembling hand, then got out slowly, uncertain what I would see.
