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The way her eyes shine, I can tell she knows she won’t have to use either on me. But how does she know? Especially after I was checking out her...back pockets?

I take another box out of her hands but don’t move toward the truck. “Look, I gotta say, I’m dying to know how you know me.”

She pulls out another box and walks to the truck herself, standing on the tips of her toes to push it farther back. She has to be a full foot shorter than me, which isn’t hard, considering my six-foot-two. “I grew up in Autumn Ridge.”

She is definitely keeping her identity vague on purpose.

I follow her to the truck and hop up to settle her belongings securely toward the back of the bed. “Okay, but that doesn’t explain how I don’t know you.”

“We’re in different spheres. Autumn Ridge is small, but two thousand people is still a lot to know. And let’s be honest, I’m nothing memorable.”

Guilt kicks me in the gut.

She hands me the final box, and I take it with an apologetic look. “Well, now we have met, I promise I won’t forget you.”

I jump down from the back of the truck, and she watches me with those big, doe eyes of hers as I close the tailgate. “I hate to break it to you, Archer, but we have met before.”

Juliet

I don’t want to make Archer feel worse than he already does for not knowing me, but his reactions satiate my earlier insecurities.

“We have met?” He reveals straight, white teeth as he winces.

Who knew an embarrassed cringe could look so good?

“A few times, actually,” I say.

We’re still standing at the back of his truck, the road empty apart from us. Miss Sunfire has officially stopped smoking now. I’ll be paying for a tow truck to pick her up and deposit her for good in the junkyard, but I don’t care. Thanks to that beautiful little lemon, I now get to live out my teenage fantasy of having Archer Kade talk to me—heck, notice me—for the first time in my life.

“I’m never going to live this down,” he says, rubbing a hand across his forehead.

I grin. His Texas twang is exactly how I remember it.

I was obviously disappointed when he didn’t recognize me, but I pulled out of that quick enough. Why would he know me? Not only is there more than a five-year age gap between us, but I’ve been away for basically three years.

“What’s your last name?” he asks. “That’ll help me place you.”

I hesitate. That’s one thing I won’t be telling him.

Dad’s overprotectiveness of me is well-known throughout Autumn Ridge. In high school, dances and dates were a drag because none of the boys would ever be themselves around me. They were all too afraid of being on the receiving end of Sheriff Monroe’s disappointment.

Luke Walker was the exception, but that was because the Walkers could do no wrong in Dad’s eyes. But I never seriously dated Luke or his older brothers—they were too much like family.

It was only when I moved away to college that guys were finally themselves around me. Of course, in regard to Blake, that had turned out for the worst. If Dad knew what kind of guy my ex was, well, let’s just say Blake would be nursing more than the bloodied nose I gave him when things ended between us.

As soon as Archer finds out I’m the daughter of the sheriff-turned-mayor, I’ll be saying goodbye to the cowboy for good. No guy wants the pressure of being under Dad’s scrutiny.

“What if we play twenty questions on the way to town?” I ask, not ready to end this fantasy. “That way, you can guess who I am.”

Something between intrigue and pleasure crosses his features. “You got it.”

Pleasure tugs at my belly as his eyes linger on me. After years of being unnoticed, who would have ever thought that I—little, cowboy-obsessed Juliet Monroe—would finally earn his interest?

Not that I’ll keep it for good or anything. It just feels nice to be seen by the guy I pined after from afar for all of junior and senior year.

He opens the passenger side of the truck for me, and I clamber my way in before he can offer his help. He closes the door softly as soon as I’m tucked safely inside. I buckle, chewing my bottom lip as I attempt to stop my undying smile and wildly flapping heart.

He opens his door, and I lean back in the seat with what I hope is the most relaxed vibe in the world. I struggle not to watch his movements as he buckles, then shifts the truck into drive, checking his blind spot, and pulling onto the empty highway. He places his ringless left hand on the top of the wheel and leans his right elbow on the armrest between us.