Landon rolled over so they were face-to-face. “I’m scared.”
“Of what? You’ve got your night-light. You’re safe and sound,” Xavier said, trying to reassure him. He ran his hand across his brother’s short-cropped hair in a gesture meant to provide comfort.
“This house makes creaking sounds,” Landon whispered. “Like there’s a ghost or something. I was watching this documentary about houses with paranormal activity. How do we know this isn’t a hot spot?”
Xavier stifled a chuckle. Landon was only seven, but he was the smartest kid on the planet. He loved documentaries, the solar system, and anything science related. “There aren’t any ghosts here,” he said, trying to sound reassuring. “Mom grew up in this house. She woulda told us.”
“Xavier, will you sleep with me? Please! Just tonight.” Landon crossed his hands in front of him and pleaded.
Normally Xavier would just say no and leave it at that, but his mother’s words were fresh in his memory.In their eyes, you hung the moon.
“Okay, just this once,” he said, pulling back the covers and sliding beneath them.
“You make everything better,” Landon said as he snuggled against Xavier’s side.
He was thankful for the room being mostly dark. Xavier wouldn’t want Landon to see the tears pooling in his eyes. He had a tough image to uphold, after all. His brother’s heartfelt words cut straight to his heart.
Before he knew it, Caleb was standing by the side of the bed. “Scooch over and make room for me.” Landon moved over so that he was sandwiched between his two younger brothers. Even though the bed felt way too crowded for a comfortable sleep, Xavier wouldn’t have it any other way. In this moment he was exactly where he was meant to be.
CHAPTER ONE
Twenty Years Later
The moment tall, dark, and handsome walked into Northern Exposure, True Everett’s stomach lurched as if she’d taken a ride on the Tilt-A-Whirl at the carnival. The last time she had gone on that particular thrill ride, True had been twelve years old and eager for excitement. At twenty-eight years old, she knew better than to look for adventure in a good-looking man. Been there, done that. Having her heart smashed into little pieces had taught her a huge life lesson. She was never going down that road again.
Of course, she knew who the man was on sight. Xavier Stone, a ridiculously handsome ex–football player for the Arizona Cardinals. The Storm was what the fans called him, according to her little brother. There weren’t many men in the universe who checked off all the boxes at first glance. This guy packed a solid punch visually.
Easy there, girl,she reminded herself. He had “handle with caution” written all over him.
True inhaled a deep, steadying breath as he walked straight toward the bar where she was taking orders. Herinsides were now nothing but mush. Even meeting her ex, Garrett, for the first time hadn’t yielded this type of visceral reaction. Although Garrett was easy on the eyes, he wasn’t a showstopper. Not like this fine work of art handcrafted and dipped in the finest chocolate.
He had to be at least six feet tall. Skin as smooth as a Hershey bar. Full, wide lips. A strong jaw. When he shrugged out of his jacket, True could see his amazing physique. Even while wearing a sweater and jeans, his body popped—strong legs, a powerful chest, and muscled arms.
Body for days! It was enough to make a girl’s eyes pop out of her head.
Good grief!This man was going to create a feeding frenzy in Moose Falls. Sheer pandemonium would ensue at the mere sight of him. It was almost the setup for a joke—a hot football player walks into an Alaskan tavern. Not a single person can stop staring at him, including the tavern’s manager.Ba dum tss.
True cast a quick look in his direction. He’d almost made his way over to her. Every step he took was full of swagger. She began the countdown in her head as Xavier advanced, her body tensing with every step he took.Why am I such a nervous wreck? This is ridiculous.
“Hi there. Can I put in an order over here? The dining area is pretty packed.”
Dang! Even his voice was spectacular. Deep and velvety, like maybe he sang R & B ballads in his spare time.
Don’t look him directly in the eyes!
Don’t look him directly in the eyes!
DON’T LOOK HIM—
Before she could stop herself, True locked gazes with him.BAM!Eyes the color of cognac stared back at her. They were framed by the most striking black lashes. A nice smileshowcased perfect white teeth. His pictures hadn’t done him justice. A sigh slipped past her lips. She’d just made a huge mistake by looking straight into his soulful brown eyes. True had immediately been swept away into this vortex of warmth and dreaminess and knock-your-socks-off charm.
“Of course. What can I get you?” True asked.Stay calm, she reminded herself. Xavier Stone was the last person on earth she wanted to fangirl over. From what she’d read about him, he already had an ego the size of the Chugach Mountains. That’s what happened when you were an NFL football player with thousands of fans and buckets of money.
“Great. I’ll do a salmon burger with coleslaw and rosemary fries,” he said. “And let me have two Yukon Ciders. Apple crisp and wild berry. Please.”
“Sure thing. The food will be ready in fifteen minutes or so.” She pointed at a spot in the distance. “There’s a spot that just freed up over by the pool table. We’ll bring your drinks right over.”
Instead of walking away to grab the open spot, Xavier couldn’t seem to look away from something behind her. “What’s with the contest?” he asked, jutting his chin in the direction of the sign hanging on the wall.
