They hadn’t seen him yet. But he couldn’t stand here forever. Everything looked on the up-and-up. Finn crossed the street. Gus saw him and waved. The woman turned to see who he was waving to. And a whole lot of history passed through his mind, making his stomach lurch and his mouth dry.
Lainey Harper.
The name hit him like a low blow. His breath caught. Even from here, he knew it was her. Dark curly hair and he didn’t need to be closer to know those gray-green eyes of hers recognized him. His gut tightened.
And just like that, the past roared back as if no time had passed at all.
The motel room smelled like sex and sunscreen. The AC clunked in the window.
Lainey had fallen asleep beside him, her hand resting on his chest.
He’d lain there wide awake, staring at the cracked ceiling, listening to her breathing, memorizing the feel of her soft body next to his and inhaling the warm vanilla scent of her hair. They hadn’t planned for that night. Not really. Sure, it was on his mind—making love to Lainey was always on his mind. He also knew Lainey was a virgin. She’d once told him she was saving herself for marriage, for someone she could trust to be there.
But the day after graduation was a blur of bonfires, laughter, too much beer, and music that played long into the night. A shared look turned into a kiss. And the kiss turned into more. And the more turned into one night of incredible bliss.
He knew Lainey hoped it meant forever.
So had he.
But he had deployment orders.
She had dreams, college ambitions.
He left early in the morning. Quietly. Without a note. Or a kiss goodbye.
It was easier, he told himself. Kinder. Make a clean cut so she wouldn’t have to choose between her future and a grunt with no future plans.
When he hadn’t heard from her, he figured she’d moved on.
Maybe she knew that while they cared deeply for each other, it wasn’t enough to build a life on.
Even though he wished with all his heart it was.
Even if, in the darkest of nights, it was her every time he closed his eyes.
Finn crossed the street. Gus stepped forward, extending his hand.
“Appreciate you coming,” Gus said.
Finn nodded and shook his hand. His gaze didn’t leave Lainey.
“Lainey.”
Her name felt strange in his mouth. Familiar yet foreign all at once. He kept his face neutral, but his pulse was thudding too loud in his ears.
Something flickered across her face just for a second—a shadow of surprise and something else.
She didn’t flinch, but her grip tightened on the clipboard. “Hello, Finn.”
Gus glanced between them. “You two know each other?”
“Something like that,” Lainey said, her eyes still on Finn. Her voice was calm, but her jaw tightened.
Finn shrugged. “Went to school together.”
“Small world,” Gus said, rubbing the back of his neck, sensing he’d walked into something personal. His gaze flickedbetween them. “Lainey, I told you I was going to call a friend to look at what’s going on. Unofficially. Finn, Lainey here is the project manager.”
That was not what he had expected to hear. Although it made perfect sense. She stood like someone used to calling the shots. Confident. Focused. And still holding that clipboard like it was a weapon.
