One look at her face and his expression changed.
Concern burned in his eyes. “Fern. What’s going on? You look like you’re about to cry.” He kept his voice low so no one could overhear.
The words struck full force. Chris’s voice came rushing back —careless,useless,you don’t know what it means to work forsomething. How he’d sneered when she lost anything, claiming it proved what he already believed about her.
She swallowed around a hot lump in her throat. “I can’t find the bracelet you made me.”
Crew didn’t hesitate. “Tell me.”
She shook her head, throat tight. “I took it off so I wouldn’t wreck it. I thought I put it on the shelf.” Her voice quavered despite her effort. “And now it’s gone.”
He brought his fingers around her arms, light but steadying. “Fern.”
She clenched her jaw, ashamed of how close she was to falling apart and how much she was shaking—would her body’s response ever go away?
“I’m sorry I didn’t take care of the bracelet. It’s gone because I didn’t—” Her breath hitched. “I didn’t treat it like it m-mattered.”
“That’s not true.”
“How do you know?” The question came out sharper than she meant.
“Because I saw your face when I put it on you. Your eyes lit up.” He leaned closer, brushing a kiss between her brows — brief, tender, devastating to her heart.
“I’ll make you another one, honey. It’s not a big deal.”
Her throat burned. “You don’t have to.”
“I want to.”
She rested her hand on his chest, unable to meet his gaze but knowing he was being sweet and perfect—and she had things to work through. “I think I’ll take a raincheck on that coffee.”
He pressed his lips together, searching her eyes for a heartbeat. Before he could speak, she said, “I’ll meet you at the ranch after my shift. Is that all right?”
He gave her a small smile that told her that he was still worried about her reaction to misplacing the bracelet. But he nodded, dropped a tender kiss to her cheek and left.
She spent a few more minutes searching for the bracelet but finally gave up. She had a pot to deliver. More work to do before they closed for the day.
After she left work, she spotted one of the Black Heart Ranch trucks parked across the street. Her heart welled with affection for the Malones. They were giving her so much of their time and expected nothing in return.
A voice in the back of her mind whispered,You’re not worth it.
She stopped with her hand halfway to the car door handle. “Yes, I am worth it,” she murmured to herself with a flare of anger. She wasn’t going to let her ex get in her head or shatter the peace she’d managed to create here. She might still struggle sometimes, but she wasn’t giving up.
When she arrived at the ranch, Crew greeted her, and she went on tiptoe for his kiss.
“Did you find the bracelet?” he asked.
“Not yet. But I’ll keep looking.”
“It’s not worth you being upset over—even if it were made of diamonds.”
At that…she fell a little deeper.
The bonfire burned low, sparks snapping into the night. Fern stood near the edge while the women clustered together on one side of the circle, voices overlapping.
A few of the veterans called out greetings to her, and she smiled and waved at them. She also spotted Upchurch seated on the far side of the fire, alone, just staring into the flames. She didn’t want to interrupt whatever had him looking so serious, so she followed Crew to a long log that had been split and made intoa bench. But before she sat, a stunning brunette with a halo of short curls around her delicate face waved at her.
“Come join us!”
