“I’d be honored to join you,” I said with a confidence I didn’t feel.
I didn’t even know where I’d be living in a few months, or if I’d be arrested for non-payment of bills. Was that a thing? If you didn’t pay your bills because your almost-ex-boyfriend lied to you about paying them and stole your money instead, could you go to jail?
I really needed to talk to a lawyer.
After the call ended, I took detailed notes of our conversation. As tired as I was, I didn’t want to forget anything.
As frustrating as it could be when clients changed their minds mid-project, I loved displaying the skills I used at the web design firm where I worked before my dad’s injury.
After I took Dad back home and made a snack, I worked on the updates for Mr. Ramirez. Humming with joy, I plugged away for a few hours before I sent him a mock-up and revised estimate.
I finally called Shayla Vanse, the lawyer my buddy Neil recommended. She’s a former big-shot from the city who moved to Sierra Rose Ridge after a public breakup. I hoped she wouldn’t take me to the cleaners, but I’d rather give my money to another wronged woman than Beau.
Chapter 6
DANI
My parents turned in for the night, but I was too keyed up to sleep. Glass of wine in hand, I headed to the front porch to watch the stars.
I reviewed and dissected my situation from every angle, but I was no closer to a solution by the time I finished my glass. A pair of headlights cut through my thoughts. I tensed when the brake lights lit up. Did Beau realize I uncovered his lies?
Primed for flight, my heart lodged in my throat. When the truck pulled into the driveway next door, I grew lightheaded with relief.
It wasn’t Beau’s truck, and the driver had a different profile than my soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend. Neither was it the grumpy old man who’d been living there. Vanessa’s words about a new renter filled my head.
The automatic floodlight kicked on when the man pulled up to the garage. The garish light highlighted his profile for a moment, and I sucked in a breath at the stark beauty it revealed.
That definitely wasn’t Beau. He was tall and muscular, with thick dark hair on his head and face. I ached to run my fingers through that luxurious hair and ride his hard body. Lady parts long dormant clamored to life, and I wanted to tackle him right there in the yard and grind on him.
Shame washed over me. Instead of dealing with the fallout from my long-term boyfriend’s multiple betrayals, I was fantasizing about a stranger. Even if I wanted a rebound once I broke up with Beau, a neighbor was a terrible idea.
Appalled and horrified by my inappropriate reaction and dirty thoughts, I whimpered in dismay.
His head snapped up as if he heard. It was obvious when he spotted me. His loose posture snapped into rigid bearing, and he strode towards me. The light flirted with the sharp slash of his cheekbones and the severe blade of his nose.
His muscular legs ate up the distance between us, and I froze. My heart rate kicked up as he approached.
“Dani? Is that you?”
My head cocked. I didn’t recognize this guy, so he wasn’t a local. As a bartender, I met a lot of people. Maybe he was one of the people who returned each year for the annual festivals or someone from the wider community I didn’t recognize.
“What are you doing sitting in the dark, Dani Girl?”
I bolted upright. He looked nothing like I remembered, but I knew him. Only one person ever called me that, just as I was the only one allowed to call him Jake.
With a shriek, I launched myself at him. Laughing, he caught me, swung me around, and we hugged. Tears streamed down my cheeks again, but these were so much happier than before.
As we hugged, I tried hard ignore how different this embrace felt than the ones we’d shared in the past. Before I left to finish my degree, and he joined the army, we touched casually all the time.
Now, my skin tingled everywhere we brushed against each other. His body made mine react in ways I shouldn’t feel for someone I’d always thought of as a brother. Ashamed, I tore myself away.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
My cheeks burned with mortification, but the darkness hid my shame. Vanessa could never find out I fantasized about Jake before I recognized him.
A gleaming smile split his too-serious face.
“I live here now. Didn’t your parents tell you?”
