Pieces of You - Marie, Lisa

Pieces of You Lisa Marie

Pieces of You Lisa Marie ©Lisa Marie 2015 Published by Entertwine Publishing Cover by Entertwine Publishing All rights reserved

License Note No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without authorization of the Author or Entertwine Publishing. Any distribution without express consent is illegal

and punishable in court of law.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Though lovers be lost love shall not. Dylan Thomas

Prologue Once upon a time a handsome boy met a beautiful girl. Within moments, they fell in love. They knew their love was that one of a kind, never in a million chances will they ever find it again kind of love. Unique. They met while each of them were at a Mexican resort during the holidays. He was there with his best friends just getting away from it all. Boys week - no girls allowed. And she

was there for a bridal shower for her best friend. She was the maid of honor and the wedding was to be in one month. Everything was planned for this vacation, except for the possibility that each one would stumble upon each other and find their perfect match. One evening, he was standing in line for drinks at the resort bar when she approached him and asked if she could stand with him. She explained there were some creepy men watching her every move and they didn't like hearing she wouldn't sit with them. Being the

gentleman he was, he obliged. He comfortably draped his arm around her neck and whispered questions into her ear while they waited. He didn't do it just because she was beautiful, but because he wanted her to feel safe and not scared. No woman should be treated that way, especially her. The two hit it off right away, joking and laughing for the remainder of the night. Before they could do anything about it, they were together - really together - before the end of the holiday when they reluctantly went their separate

ways. Home was not where either wanted to be. They lived in different states. His flight home was two days before hers. He hoped she would call when she landed, although he doubted she would. Why would she? Neither of them were obligated to stay in touch once they each left Mexico. By week's end, he was ready to give up and move on, chalking it up to a vacation romance, a fun experience ... when she called. His heart swelled, and the smile on his face showed just how much that single phone

call meant. It didn't take long for him to pack up his duffel bag and rush to be by her side. Neither one could believe they were doing this. What were they thinking? They really must be crazy. Despite what others said to them, they knew this was it. They were meant to be together. A heart doesn't lie. Within a week of his arrival, they decided it was now or never and they headed to Las Vegas to get married. Her family didn't approve of their whirlwind

romance and would never understand their need to be wed, but they needed to be together. Fate decided. So they left their tiny one bedroom apartment and began their journey to forever. He was driving, and every chance she got, she kissed him. Told him she loved him. They talked the whole way. Laughing and singing along to music. Holding hands. Her head on his shoulder. Many selfies were taken of her leaning on his shoulder while he drove. Neither had ever been so happy in their entire lives.

As if the world decided to stand still so they could cherish their time together, in slow motion, he looked over at the love of his life and she smiled brightly at him. Her blonde hair framing her beautiful heartshaped face. Beaming. Glowing. Over her shoulder appeared a shimmering light that highlighted her beauty. It sparkled and danced just beyond the window behind her, making her beauty shine even more. But it didn't last long. The stillness was interrupted by a loud squeal of rubber on asphalt and

the sickening sound of metal hitting metal. The glass windows imploded, covering them both with fragments as they somersaulted over and over again. The sound of metal crunching with every flip and their bodies jostling in their seats, lurching back and forth by the force. The sudden feeling of red hot lava filled his shoulder and his thigh, and he howled in pain before the world went dark and silent. Opening his eyes a time later, he didn't know where he was or what had happened. All he could hear was a car

horn constantly sounding on the very edge of his fuzzy consciousness and the odd voice yelling in an underwater echoing fashion. Confused, he turned his head slowly to his right to check on his girl. Searing pain radiated through his torso, and his body reacted to his every movement with white hot agony. It began to come back to him. They were in an accident, the horn he heard was theirs and the voices calling out are just outside the car. Concerned faces peer in his window. He realized he was hanging above her by his seatbelt. The car was

on its side, and she was laying limp, crumpled in her own seatbelt against the door. The glass riddled interstate was her backdrop. Reaching her was a stretch, but he managed to touch her with just the tips of his fingers as she slumped against the pavement below. Her hair was no longer blonde and windblown. It was thick and matted with blood. Stuck to her forehead. Brushing it aside with the tips of his fingers, he begged her to be alright. He begged God for her to be alright, but when he looked into her vacant eyes, he knew she was gone. At

that moment, his world crashed around him. Screaming in defeat, he cursed and pleaded with God to be allowed to go with her or to give her back. To take him instead of his one shiny perfect thing - he wanted it back so desperately. The pain in his heart was more than the pain in his body. It was unbearable. He had never felt so empty. He pleaded with the rescue team as they removed him from the wreck, bracing his neck and strapping him in. “Bring her back!” “Save her!” His cries fell on deaf ears.

He witnessed the sheet being draped over the mangled hatchback as they lifted his gurney into the ambulance. Screaming, he knew it was over and there was nothing that could be done. She was gone, and he would be alone. He spent months in recovery, learning to walk again. His right leg had been broken in four places and his collarbone snapped like a twig with the impact of the crash. No matter how much pain he felt, the pain of his body would never match the agony of his broken heart. He couldn't go to her funeral, he

wasn't allowed. The night before the service, her parents showed up in his room and put the blame on him. Her mother wept in the corner, while her father turned into a brute. Yelling and threatening violence upon him. It was his fault. He ripped their daughter from their lives. When her light went out, so did their hope for the future. It became so bad and so loud, that security was called by the head nurse because they wouldn't stop. He watched as the uniformed men removed her parents from his room and threatened charges if they returned. He

knew they were hurting. They lost their one true love too. Many visitors came from back home and tried to bring joy back into his life in the weeks following the accident. Her parents never returned. Perhaps they realized he wasn't worth it. That he was hurting just as much as they were. Or perhaps, they were simply afraid of being charged for his murder. Her father made it quite clear he wished he'd died and that he was man enough to finish the job. He was finally released to his

parents. His mother's eyes swam with tears for her son. She understood his anguish, and she vowed to help him heal enough to go on. His father, usually the strong, silent man cried for him as well. He had never seen his father cry. Not once in his twenty-seven years. The fear of losing your child makes you weak. However, the pain and the guilt carried by your child after such tragedy is enough to bring even the strongest man to his knees. This isn't the fairy tale story of the man and woman. That one ended

tragically one fateful day. This is the story of learning to live again, of moving on. This is the story of Ty Lorey.

Chapter 1 "Dude, are you coming out tonight or what? Do you remember Sasha?" Slowly I turn my fuzzy head to look over at Tim, who's drinking his beer on the opposite end of the overstuffed sofa. His hair is flat on the top from wearing his ugly cowboy hat all day. It fluffs out by his ears in a way I find comical. I don't respond to him. Instead, I glare at him, barely focusing. How dare

he ask me to go out, or even suggest Sasha to me! It's been a year. Only a year. I miss her every day. By the look on his face, Tim mistakes my glare for confusion and decides to elaborate his suggestion to me. "Sasha!" he repeats and cups his hands out in front of his chest, moving his fingers in and out pretending to squeeze large breasts. Rolling my eyes at him, I toss the bottle cap that I've been rolling between my fingers haphazardly at him. I miss. Instead, it lands behind him on the

wooden floor with a tiny tap. I release a puff of air in a disappointed sigh. "No thanks." I tip my beer to my lips, take a large mouthful, and lean back on the old sofa closing my eyes and welcoming the drunken state that threatens to take over. My shoulder and my leg mostly stopped hurting a couple of months ago, which was the only reason Mom let me come back home by myself, but I still need to be numb. Tim doesn't mean any harm. He wants me to have fun, be happy again. Get out there. Get laid. I try but I can't

get that day out of my brain. I'm starting to think I never will. I still smell her skin and see that final happy moment before the glass imploded in the car. I pull the bill of my ballcap lower and drape my arm along the back of the couch. "Nah, man. I'm just gonna finish my beer, watch some bad TV, and go to bed early.” I sniffle and take another drink. "Pussy." Tim retorts, swallowing down the last of his beer and slamming the glass bottle on the table. The sound makes me jump, but he doesn't notice.

He lets out a large belch and turns back to me. I smirk at him and tip my bottle to my mouth again. "Look, I have to head out to Widow Crawley's place tomorrow. The new buyer wants quotes and wants to keep it local. I have to give estimates." Tim sits forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and dips his head. A smile washes over his face. "You remember when we were small. How we used to steal her crabapples on our way home from school?" He chuckles.

"Yessir, I do." I slur my confirmation. "I can't believe she's gone, Ty. She was always the first person to welcome the newcomer to town. She was like the honorary town owner. She'd been here since the beginning of time." He picks at the label on his empty beer bottle. "And she always had the best garden. Remember that garden?" A smile crosses my face and my memory floods with pictures of Tim and me raiding her garden for fresh peas and baby carrots when we were boys. Her

house was near the school, so it only made sense for us to get a snack after a long day of learning. "Well anyways." Tim stands and stomps his feet so his pant legs fall back into place. "I'm going over to The Shake. I should be there most of the night if you change your mind.” He lifts his Stetson from the tabletop, places it back on his head and walks toward my front door. "Thanks." I raise my bottle in salute and tip it back. The bitter fluid washes down my throat as my oldest friend walks out the door.

Tossing my hat on the table, I kick my feet up and start flipping through the images on my phone. I come to a stop at my favorite picture of us. Our "We just had sex" selfie. She's glowing as she kisses me. Both of our hair is dishevelled - we are happy. Running my finger over the image, I yearn to feel her skin on my fingertips once more. What I wouldn't give to see her again. *** I shoot off the couch in a cold sweat. My heart is racing. and I fight to

catch my breath. It's always the same dream. Mel is smiling at me, and the windows explode. I see the exact moment she dies, and I start to scream. Always the same. Rubbing my eyes, I look at the LED clock on my PVR. 3:27 A.M. Always the same time. Scrubbing my face, I stand and walk to the dark kitchen. Turning on the tap, I let it run while I get a glass from the cupboard. Yawning, I hold it under the running water awhile and drink the

full glass twice before turning off the supply and heading to my bedroom to try to sleep the rest of the night. *** I pull up in front of Widow Crawley's house in my old pickup. She's old and rusty, but I own her outright. Besides, she's great for hauling everything for work. Climbing out of the cab, I walk to the back and lean on the box, remembering all the trouble Tim and I had caused at this house. To the right of her home, behind the white picket fence,

is the garden that continues to grow really well. Rows of greenery dotted with bright colors and flowers fill the area. I wonder if the new owner would mind? Walking through the gate, I step in between the rows and squat down in the dirt to pull some carrots. The soil looks dry, and I make a mental note to water it before I leave today. No sense in having the yard dry up and waste all of the produce. Looking up at the blue sky, there's not a cloud in sight so we

can't be expecting assistance from Mother Nature. Plucking one of the orange roots, I dust it off with my work gloves and pour a little of my drinking water over it. I lift it to my mouth and am about to take a bite when I'm interrupted. "Excuse me, sir! You cannot eat the vegetables. You need to leave the garden immediately." A haughty female voice orders from the perimeter of the yard. Shielding my eyes from the sun with my hand, I pivot slightly on my toes to face the voice and shield my eyes from the sun with my hand. I can't make

out a face, so I stand to approach her, dusting off my hands on my pants as I do so. "Sir! I am asking you to leave this yard or I will be forced to call the police! You are trespassing!" She stands there with her right hand on her jutted out hip and her cell phone held in front of her like a shield, in her left. This woman is attempting to be all business. Her hair swept away from her face and a briefcase strap over her shoulder. Large dark sunglasses protect her eyes from the sunlight.

I reach the gate and give her a smile before offering her the freshly washed carrot as a peace offering. She shakes her head in dismissal, so I shrug and lift the root to my own mouth taking a bite. "My name is Ty Lorey. Nice to meet you," I tell her between bites. "Mr. Lorey, you have two minutes to tell me what you are doing in my garden." She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a small spray bottle arming herself. "And I would suggest you stay where you are while you do so." She's anything but threatening.

Chuckling, I lift the bill of my cap and tuck my dusty yellow work gloves into the back pocket of my jeans. I want to laugh at her, but it could easily come across as a threat, and I really don't want to be pepper sprayed today. Instead, I loosen my stance and offer a smile. "Please forgive me, but I am confused. First, you tell me to leave the property, or you will call the police, and then you're telling me to stay put, or you will pepper spray me." I chuckle watching the dilemma cross her mind.

She seems confused by her actions as well but is keeping up appearances. I chuckle and just decide to go with it. "I've been asked to give you estimates to fix this place up," I begin telling her while trying really hard to keep eye contact with the sun glaring in my eyes. "However, if you've changed your mind, that's fine with me." I shrug and lower my hand from my eyes. She seems to relax a bit, and I notice the exact moment she does. Her shoulders drop and she shifts her weight to the other hip. "That doesn't tell me

why you are in my garden, Mr. Lorey," she replies coolly. "Ty," I reply. "Please call me Ty." I rest my right hand on the fence and hop over it, landing just in front of her. "I meant no disrespect. I haven't been to this house in a while. When I pulled up and looked at the garden, I began remembering raiding it when I was a boy. I couldn't have been any older than nine." I point to the apple tree. "And takin' from that too." I smile and wipe my forehead with my arm. "So you were remembering

raiding the garden while you raided the garden? Hardly seems like you've abandoned your juvenile delinquent ways to me." She raises her eyebrow. I've never been able to do that and every time someone does, I obsess over it until it frustrates me so much I curse myself for trying to do something so ridiculous. "Yeah. I was." I admit and place my cap back on my head. "But since you said it like that, it does sound kind of crazy." I swear I see her smile for a brief moment before she turns and walks

toward the house, leaving me standing alone on the sidewalk in front of the property. Sliding her key into the lock, she turns the knob and steps inside, leaving the door open behind her. I remain beside my truck with my leg propped up on the tire, watching to see if she returns or offers an invitation to follow. It doesn't take long before she's stepping back into view with her hands on her hips, staring at me expectantly. Her fingers impatiently drum out a frantic rhythm on her hips.

"Are you coming in, Mr. Lorey?" Removing my foot from the tire, I raise my chin and scratch the short whiskers on my neck. Cocking my head to the side, I smirk and calmly reply, "I would, but my mama always told me not to go into houses with strangers. You might be a good person, ma'am, but I need to listen to my mama." A smile forms on her lips, and she shakes her head, removing her sunglasses. Her eyes pierce me, even from that distance. "My name is Riley Jensen. You can call me Riley."

Hurriedly, she turns and steps away from the open doorway, the faint sound of her heels clicking on the floor as she walks through the empty house. "Nice to meet you, Riley," I mumble to myself as she disappears from my sight. Dusting off my hands, I reach into the cab of my truck and pull out my old leather tool belt and snap it around my hips before turning and walking into the house. Stepping onto the welcome mat, I wipe my feet before walking on the original hardwood. Mrs. Crawley would

turn over in her grave if she knew that I hadn't. She was one for manners, respect, and clean shoes. Walking into the kitchen, I find Riley with her back to me. She rests her right hand on the old oak table and raises her feet one at a time removing her high heeled shoes. I can barely take my eyes from the gentle swell of her backside as she bends slightly. I lick my lips and release a quick puff of air as I redirect my gaze to the cupboards and appliances in the room. "Wow! This place hasn't changed

at all." I offer as I distract myself from Riley when she stands to face me. Getting caught staring at her is not really a wise choice, knowing she has pepper spray within reach of her fingertips in her purse. I notice the dark wood cabinets first, followed by the deep yellow sink matching the yellow gas stove and refrigerator in the corner of the room. "Does this thing even work?" I ask candidly, stepping toward the ancient appliance and turning each knob listening for the telltale hiss of gas escaping each element. Only one element

out of four works, not even the oven ignites, which is a shame. This is a classic appliance, and I know I could find a buyer for it, if Riley didn't want to keep it. "Gonna need a new stove," I inform Riley, who props herself up on her elbow on the counter as she takes notes on a pad of paper. "You tell me what we need and once we have our list we can work out the cost." She smirks up at me. "You got a budget in mind?" I scratch my chin and look up at the

stained ceiling. "Because knowing the former owner of the home, she's going to need plenty of work done to her. I have a feeling that the stove is the tiny point on the tip of the iceberg." I allow my gaze to fall back on my potential boss, and I clench my jaw in anticipation. "Just hit me with it all. Good, bad, and ugly. We'll iron out the details later." She smiles mischievously at me and bites down on the end of the pen. "Alright. You gonna take the notes?" I ask as I put my work gloves back on and turn my hat backward. She

lifts her pen in the ready position and nods. "Well, let's get started then." I look up at the ceiling and point to the dark spot I noticed before. "Stains on the ceiling." I point out without offering any possible reasoning. "Water damage," she whispers and steps closer to me looking up at the dark spot above us. I catch a whiff of her perfume and smile. She smells like spice and fruit. Clearing my throat, I point out the single pane glass on the windows, the 1970s linoleum that's lifting around

the counter bases, and the old yellow sink. She scribbles on her notepad and follows me through the house until we reach the bathroom upstairs. "I think I found the cause of the kitchen water damage." I offer as I drop to my knees and look under the old clawfoot tub. The ceramic tile is hard on the knees, and I mentally kick myself for not wearing my knee pads. Pain jets through my leg and I wince slightly, hoping my pain isn't too obvious. "Really? What is it?" Riley asks and joins me on the floor. The close

proximity makes my head swim, and I shake it off, shining the flashlight toward the drain pipe from the tub. "That's quite a large crack." I point out, and she clicks her tongue. "Large crack? That's the San Andreas fault of bathroom plumbing." I chuckle at her comparison. It doesn't make much sense to me, but all I can do is smile. "That right there is a big job if we're going to keep this tub." "Hmmm." She sits back on her heels and flips through the pages of

renos and demos needed to make this house livable. "I think that about covers it." I grunt and rise to my feet removing my work gloves. Extending my hand, I offer it to Riley. "Thank you." She offers as she accepts it and stands beside me. Her hand is soft, and it feels amazing in mine. I realize how long it's been since I've touched someone's hand and quietly sigh. "Okay, there's a LOT of work needed." She announces absentmindedly biting on the end of the pen, which gets

my attention. Riley absently leaves the bathroom and steps into the hall walking away as I follow her down the creaky oak staircase and back into the kitchen. The stairs are still solid and should only require a few nails to stop the squeaking. Nothing major to be done here. Hell, if she does decide to hire me, I'll throw it in at no cost. "So, with all these repairs, what do you think we're looking at for cost?" she asks passing me a piece of paper filled with the list of repairs and

replacements that we discussed while touring the house. There's an awful lot written here. Silently, I add up the cost in my head. "With everything that's on the list, which is a lot, you're probably looking at..." I trail off and scribble a figure on the notepad. "Now that's not including labor, which will run you a lot higher depending on the time frame and crew needed." "Huh ... that's less than what I was expecting." "Small town costs, Riley." I

remind her as she contemplates my answer. "Okay then. So ... how about if we do this?" She smiles devilishly and puts pen to paper as she looks around the room. Leaning against the counter, I watch her hand move furiously over the paper. Finally, she puts the pen behind her ear and turns the paper so I can see it. It's a sketch of the main floor with some changes. "Does the x mean you want it gone?" I ask as I make a mental note of

her requests. "Sure does." "Stove, fridge, upper cabinets here. That wall. You forgot the ugly yellow sink," I say to her as I spin to get a picture of all the changes in the room. "I like the ugly yellow sink." She smiles. "I would like it refinished." "We can do that. You have ideas for the rest of the house?" "I do!" She smiles. "But based on what I want, er … have in mind for the downstairs, do you think we can reno the rest of the house for a decent cost?"

I consider my answer for a moment as she walks past me to the stairs. "Is there a lot you want done in each room or is the kitchen the main focus?" "Kitchen is the main focus, just need that tub fixed, one wall knocked back and paint upstairs. Windows will get replaced throughout the whole house." "I think we could keep a decent budget. Should be less than one hundred grand for sure." "Let's do it!" She beams and

shoves her hand in my direction. I reach out and take her hand in mine as we solidify our arrangement.

Chapter 2 Parking my truck in the packed parking lot, I climb out of the cab and look around. It's only 8:30 and the line to get in The Shake is as long as I've ever seen it. Looking down the block and around the corner, all I can see is tank tops and blue jeans. The Band is playing tonight, which means Tim will be living the rockstar life once again. Tim has been playing drums with them for a few years now. I used to come to every show, that

was until the accident. It was our thing. All of us guys would come to The Shake and party it up almost every night of the week. Most of them would hook up with a new girl every night. I could not believe the lengths these guys took. Now, Tim still lives the life. The rest of us just participate when we can. When the real world doesn't get in the way. Lost in my thoughts, I walk toward the line and make eye contact with a cute blonde who pushes out her chest to get my attention. I notice, but it's doubtful that anything will come of it. I

don't even bother walking to the back of the line, since Tim has been putting me on his guest list for the past three years. I know that even without it, I could get into the club. Pays to be the nice guy in a small town. Everyone owes you a favor. The girls in the line begin to whisper and giggle, seeking attention and easy entry into the club. I watch the blonde up front for a moment. Her smile broadens with hope that I will indeed choose her. Perhaps buy her a few drinks as well before she gets to ditch me inside the club.

"Damn, Ty, is that you?" The bulky bouncer asks before reaching out and shaking my hand over the velvet rope. "It's been a long time, man," he says and claps his big meaty hand on my shoulder. I tug on my Stetson and nod while passing through the opened velvet rope to the sounds of moans and disappointment from those waiting in line. "Hey, Princess, you're still a dick. Anyone told you that lately?" I chuckle after using the bouncer's high

school nickname. All of us guys pretty much grew up together, if we weren't in the same class, we were in class with a sibling and just clicked more with each other than the sibling. “Hey! Remember that time you were in the showers after practice and the teeny little spider came down on its web in front of you? And how much...” His nostrils flare and his face turns red while the blonde up front giggles and waits for the remainder of the story. She will never hear it. "Shut the hell up, Turtle!" He

swats the back of my head and shakes his. I hate that he still calls me Turtle. He's the only one that does. Even my mom stopped when I was sixteen but some people just never let things go. Me calling him princess is case in point. Tim is over at the bar, and he raises his glass bottle when he notices me. I make my way through the sea of drinking twenty-somethings to where my friend waits for me. There are plenty of tight jeans and short shirts in the wave of patrons. They’re all here for The Band. I shake my head to clear my thoughts as I

reach Tim. The background music and dim lighting is already causing my head to swim. Throw in the din of voices and I feel like I'm on display. Eyes follow me while I cross the room, and it feels like they are all talking about me. "TY!" Tim smirks and passes me a cold longneck, distracting me from my thoughts. I barely hear him over the noise in the room. Condensation coats the bottle and drips on the floor as I tip back the beer and take a large mouthful, washing away my anxiety. "Glad you could make it, man!" He slaps my

shoulder and taps my bottle with his. "Thanks." I offer as I scan the room. It was hard for me to come tonight, but I know I need to get out again. I need to live my life. Tim taps my shoulder and points toward the shooter bar. "She's been looking for you every night, bro." My eyes follow his arm, and they come to rest on Sasha. In that exact moment, her scanning eyes zone in on me and a man-eating grin appears. Slowly wrapping her manicured fingers around her glass of

red liquid, she begins her approach. "DAMMIT!" I roll my eyes and take another pull of my beer, while Tim laughs and begins flirting with the tall waitress in the push-up bra. I turn away from the approaching viper, and silently curse Tim while nursing my beer and hoping she finds new prey on her way across the bar. A warm hand touches my lower back and slowly travels up my spine between my shoulder blades. She didn't find another victim, and I am going to have to be creative here to make her

leave. "Well, he-llo, Ty. I'm so glad to see you." She purrs into my ear, her lips brushing my lobe causing a shiver to run down my spine. She smells like strawberries. Fake manufactured strawberries. "Sasha." I greet her without making eye contact. I continue leaning on the bar as I finish my beer. I can only hope my disinterest will make her lose interest and abandon me for someone more - willing. "When do you go on, Tim?" I ask in an attempt to pretend the barracuda

isn't circling in my waters. Tim is schmoozing with a pretty little blonde beside him at the bar. She's doing a lot of giggling and hair flipping. Realizing he didn't hear me, I pull a quarter out of my pocket and toss it at his head. The coin bounces off of his thick skull, and I nearly lose the mouthful of beer when his head snaps in my direction. "What the hell?" he asks and rubs his head before realizing it was me. Blondie covers her smile and points in my direction when Tim looks at her. I tip

my hat when he turns back to me with a scowl on his face. "I think she's a sure thing, man. I mean. She hasn't run off screaming." I raise my voice just enough for the two of them to hear me. Sasha runs her fingers up my spine, still not quite getting the hint that I am definitely not interested in her. The girl with Tim looks at me in disbelief. Her mouth drops open slightly, and she rolls her eyes before storming away from the bar, leaving Tim by himself and me laughing. "Maybe not." I

smile and take another drink while shrugging. Sasha continues to try to get my attention. Her fingernails trace the waistband of my jeans, tugging slightly on my belt loops. It's annoying me more than anything else. Shifting my weight from one foot to the other, I sidestep slightly to try to get away from her. "I'll get her later. Once I put my hooks in 'em, they feel the need to reel me in." Tim winks and turns around so he's leaning back on his elbows against the bar. "Isn't that right, Sasha?" he asks

the woman who is currently rubbing up against my leg. "Once they get the idea they can have a taste of me, they keep coming back, kinda like you did." "Whatever, Tim," she growls and presses harder against me. “If I recall, it was you doing the begging that night.” I turn to face her, but as I start to spin my eyes land on Riley, who is just entering The Shake. I step away from Sasha, who is now arguing with Tim over who was more desperate all those nights they spent together and walk away from the bar. Finding myself compelled

to approach the lone chestnut haired beauty standing by herself near the door. "Who's that?" Tim calls out behind me. Ignoring him, I push through the crowd. She looks as though she's having second thoughts about being here until her eyes find me and her gaze softens, bringing a smile to her lips. Stepping in front of her we both smile brightly but say nothing to each other. "Hey there, Mr. Fixit." She fidgets with the strap of her purse, while pulling it up onto her shoulder. Flipping

her hair away, she tucks her hand into her front pocket. "Hello to you, boss lady. What brings you to The Shake?" The crowd is getting thicker and the cute blonde from the line outside, walks past me smiling flirtatiously while bringing her small green straw to her lips. I nod politely and turn my attention back to Riley, who doesn't seem bothered in the slightest by the exchange. "It's been a long time since I've gone out, and I thought, what the hell? Go shake it up.” She shakes her head

back and forth and bites her lip playfully causing me to chuckle. “But seriously, I heard there's a good band playing tonight, and I wanted to check them out. I love live music." "I suppose you don't have a chaperone do you?" She shakes her head. “Wasn't aware that I needed one.” She plays along and raises her eyebrow. "It's absolutely mandatory.” I grin behind my bottle. “You don't know what sharks are lurking in these waters.”

I point to the hipster standing by the bar in his cheesy sweater and man-bun. His look is extremely serious as he speaks to a man in a suit. I can only assume it's about the best coffee shop in the city, or maybe it's global warming. Her eyes follow my finger, and she snickers. "I see what you mean. Could be dangerous to a single woman." I nod seriously. "Then you see exactly why I need you to allow me to be your chaperone tonight. This place can get a little crazy." "Is that so?" she asks and raises

her eyebrow, once again causing my eyebrow arch envy. "It is." "Sounds like I don't have much of a choice here." She chuckles. "Not if you want to make it out alive." I tease. "You're not a shark dressed in sheep's clothing are you?" We both pause for a moment and laugh at the silly analogy. "That made no sense." "No, ma'am. I can promise you I'm genuinely a nice guy and definitely not a sheep."

"I don't doubt that for a second." She grins and looks around the bar. "Sounds great ,Ty, thank you. It will be nice to hang out here with someone I kind of know." Turning around, I offer my elbow and lead her to the bar. I watch Tim as he notices Riley on my arm. To say his reaction was different from Sashas would be an understatement. Standing up straight, he turns his back on the new woman attempting to gain his attention while Sasha turns green with envy and storms away.

"So tell me, Ty. Why exactly might I need a chaperone?" "You'll see in five, four, three..." "Hi. I'm Tim." I smirk at Riley and shrug. Leaning in, I whisper in her ear, "My count is a little off," causing her to laugh. I know my friend. He is the one that she needs to be protected from. "Hi, Tim, I'm Riley." She reaches out and offers her hand. Tim promptly lifts it to his mouth, trying to act suave. Leaning one elbow on the bar, he continues his best sleezy pick-up stare.

He reminds me of a lecherous Tom Selleck, minus the mustache. The girl who was getting all of his attention, sadly walks away leaving me to shake my head. People are starting to surround us at the bar. Making Tim lean in even closer to her. Rolling my eyes, I get the bartender's attention. Holding up two fingers, I signal the bartender, who promptly nods and places two cold beers on the bar top before us. "Excuse me, Tim." I lean between Tim and Riley to claim the

bottles. Ensuring my place between the two, I pass one of the bottles to Riley, who gladly accepts my offering, and I think a little thankful that I stepped beside her, protecting her from my best friend. "Shouldn't you be getting ready to play?" I ask Tim as I pull back slightly and offer him a sideways glance. Riley smiles and takes a sip of her cold beer. I watch as her tiny fingers wrap around the long neck causing the condensation to run down to the label. It becomes hard for me to swallow.

"Shut up." Tim demands and walks away from the bar. Shifting my stance, I watch him as he heads to the stage where the other band members are beginning to meet up. Riley leans on the hard bar top and watches as Tim sits at his kit. "Old friend of yours, I assume?" She smirks in my direction. "Him?" I set my bottle on the bar and lean back on both elbows. "Never met him before in my life." I shake my head from side to side. Lying and by her grin, I can tell that she knows.

Tim pounds on the drums a few times as Corey tunes his bass. "That's Tim. I've known him since kindergarten. As a matter of fact, he was my garden raiding accomplice." I admit to her and warm at the memory. "I see." She contemplates my reply. "Her eyes watch the horde of women rush the stage and start vying for attention from the band. Each one of the guys is in some sort of relationship, except Tim. Tim is The Band's whore, and women are constantly trying to land him. It's absolutely laughable.

"Who's ready to shake The Shake tonight?" Tim screams into the mic as the rest of the band begin taking their place on stage. The women in the audience start screaming, and the men watch from the side of the dance floor. "He's kind of a ladies' man." I follow her gaze and see Tim raise his beer and tip his hat in her direction. Rolling my eyes, I look at her. "Do me a favor and don't fall for his shit. He's more of a fuck 'n chuck kinda guy, and you're..." I size her up. Her long legs look amazing in those jeans, and her

pillow lips look soft and inviting. I'm mesmerized briefly as the music starts, and I can no longer hear her voice. I can only watch her lips as they form words, hypnotizing me. Leaning in, she calls out, "I'm sorry. I can't hear you." I smell her light scent and close my eyes. I'm taken back to the first night I met Mel, and my smile drops. Riley notices my walls going up, and her hand finds my shoulder. The band is playing loudly in my ear, and the memory is still so fresh - it's painful. "Ty, are you okay?" She leans in

again and asks loud enough for me to hear her question. Deciding to play it off, I act like I was momentarily distracted by something over her shoulder. "Fine. I just thought I saw something." I smile tightly and watch her as she accepts my answer and returns to watching the band. Slowly, I join her and I scan the crowd, pushing the memory aside for the time being. Sasha is at the stage - front and center - screaming for the band. That woman won't stop until she takes her next victim home.

The first song ends and the bar goes crazy. The Band is really good, and they deserve every cheer they receive. "So what's the name of the band?" Riley questions as she places her empty bottle on the bar top. "I never got the chance to ask your friend." Glancing back, she calls to the bartender. "Water please," when he appears to replace her bottle with a fresh drink. "Make that two waters, Mark." I order and he nods, returning with two fresh glasses of ice water. I chuckle. "The name of the band

is just that." Turning again, I lean my hip against the bar, taking both waters in my hands and passing one to her. "Just that? That's a strange name for a band." She offers. "No, it's The Band." I remove the straw and drink directly from the glass. "They could never decide on a name, so they just went with The Band. It works for them." She brings the straw to her lips, and I clear my throat. As the band plays on we watch them and sing along to the covers we

know. Before long, the set is done and the bar DJ begins playing the standard Wednesday night country music. As the dance floor fills, I catch her glance in my direction, and she smiles when she gets caught. "So, Riley. It's been great hanging out with you tonight, but I have to head home. I start a new job tomorrow, and I heard the new boss is a tight ass. I'm afraid of what the repercussions would be if I was late." She shakes her head. "I know how you feel." She sighs. "I have a new employee tomorrow, and if he shows up

late, or hung over, I'm gonna have to turf his ass." She winks at me. Tim returns just as we finish the exchange, smiling and covered in sweat. The bartender hands him a cold bottle of beer which is brought directly to his lips. "One for the lady too," he calls out before swallowing half the bottle. "Thanks, Tim, but I will have to take a rain check. We were just about to leave." Riley informs him as I smirk when his expression turns to shock. "You two..." he looks between us as the wheels turn, "are leaving ...

together?" Riley bites her lip and nods, while I just stand here, not offering him an answer or suggestion. "No you aren't." He looks at me for an answer, and I change my stance, tucking my left thumb into the front pocket of my jeans and my right hand on the small of Riley's back. His eyes follow my hand, and he claps his hand hard on my back. "DAMN. TY!" His eyes twinkle. He looks genuinely happy for me. "Good show tonight, Tim. See ya

later." I begin to walk toward the door, leading Riley gently with my hand. "OH, MY GOD, you were amazing tonight, Tim." I hear a woman shriek behind us after we walk away. Princess is standing at the door and when he notices me leaving with Riley, he grins really wide. "Really good to see you again, Turtle. Come back again and bring your friend." He rocks his head in her direction and winks. "Will do, Princess." I wink at him as he opens the ropes for us to

leave. "That ain't right, Turtle." He chuckles as we step off the sidewalk and into the parking lot. Riley's body shivers in the cool air, and I find myself mindlessly rubbing her lower back with my fingertips. "Where did you park?" I ask her quietly. "Over there. By the driveway." Riley points and pulls her keys from her pocket while she continues to stay in step with me. As we reach her car, I place my hand up on the roof while she

turns to face me. She's smiling as she crosses her arms and raises her eyebrow. "Turtle, huh?" I roll my eyes and shake my head releasing a large puff of air. "You've gotta remember. I've lived here my whole life, for the most part. I grew up with these guys, and Princess still calls me Turtle. It was a nickname my mother gave me as a child." "Is that so?" She twists her smile, and her eyes brighten. "Why did he call you Turtle?"

I pull my arm off the roof of the car and shift my weight to the other foot. Looking back at the line waiting to get into The Shake, I rub the back of my neck with my right hand. "Because I used to wear only turtlenecks." She giggles. "I was four. I had my thing, okay?" I defend playfully. "We all have our thing I suppose." Her smile is still plastered across her face. "What's your thing?" I ask and slowly step into her space. Her hand fumbles on the handle as she shakes her

head. "I don't have a thing," she whispers huskily. "Sure." "Goodnight, Ty. See you tomorrow." She quickly tries to change the subject as she steps forward, closer to me where I can once again smell her amazing light perfume. Opening her car door, Riley turns and sits in the driver's seat. Her feet slide into place, and I close the door for her. I tap the window, and she rolls it down expectantly. "See you tomorrow, boss lady," I

say as I lean into the car. "Goodnight, Ty," she whispers and slowly pulls away. Turning, I walk to the other side of the lot to my truck. The window is still down because no one would want her, everything is just how I left it. Climbing in, I turn the key and the radio comes on. The Jeff Healey band is blaring in the speakers, reminding me of Mel. I turn off the radio and pull out of my stall as quickly as I can to head home and hopefully sleep enough before I'm awakened by my dreams again.

Chapter 3 "Morning," I announce as I step into the foyer through the open door of Widow Crawley's home. I slide my hammer into my tool belt and wipe my feet on the mat in the doorway. Memories wash over me as I look around the front room, bringing a smile to my face. "Coffee?" she asks cheerfully from the kitchen, breaking me from my trip down memory lane. I follow her voice into the room and am greeted by

Riley wearing a ponytail, t-shirt, and sweatpants. I was not expecting her to be so dressed down. I can only assume she will be helping me do the renos and I think I kind of like the idea. She turns to pour my cup of coffee and my eyes are instantly drawn to her backside, but what I find makes me chuckle out loud. "What's so funny, Turtle?" she questions suspiciously while still pouring my coffee. "I have to admit. I'm a little surprised at your choice of attire." I rest my hip against the counter and bend over

to lean on my elbow. "What's wrong with my attire?" She turns suddenly, twisting her mouth and peering at me through squinting eyes. Her playful demeanor is welcomed. It's going to be nice to have someone around me for a while who can be normal. Who won't treat me with kid gloves because of the accident. "Here you go," she places my coffee on the counter, "Turtle." A mischievous grin dances across her lips. "Thanks." I suck my teeth and shake my head, still not responding to

her question, I attempt to avoid it. "Aww. It's not that bad." Riley smirks and lifts her steaming coffee to her lips with both hands wrapped around her 'It's my Coffee and I'll use cream if I want to' mug. "Yeah." My tone is clipped. I really hate this nickname. I really hate that Princess used it in front of my boss. "You don't have the nickname." "I'm sorry, Ty. I just..." "No, it's fine." I mock her. Pretending to be hurt by her words, I sniffle and turn away drinking my coffee

as I look around the room. "Ty." Turning back to her, I wink. "It's not that bad. Don't sweat it, boss lady." Relief washes over her face, and she visibly relaxes against the counter with the ugly yellow sink. “Oh I know it's not that bad. You're just being a drama queen.” Riley smirks. “Let's walk around and get our plan. I still have to get permits for the major items on the list, but we can do the little things." "Sounds good, boss lady. Getting

permits here isn't hard and won't take long either. I can put in the paperwork on my way home tonight. I kinda know the planning guy. We can have the permits back tomorrow afternoon." As we climb the stairs, I glance up and see her firm backside with the word 'Juicy' written across the fabric. How am I not supposed to stare at her with that word, drawing my attention every time it's in plain sight? Shaking my head, I try to get rid of the thoughts that are starting to invade my mind. I bite my lip and attempt to keep my gaze elsewhere.

We get into the bathroom and discuss how we are going to fix the tub. It's not going to be easy because the pipe needs to be replaced. We decide together the best way to approach this is to remove the two back legs and get the tub into the hall, but there is no way she will be able to help. She's just too damn small. "I'm going to have to hire someone to help. There's no way you can help lift this thing." I explain to her. She chews on her lip briefly and nods before taking a drink of her coffee. I can tell that she's slightly offended by my words,

and I can tell she likes to get her hands dirty. Be a part of the process and all, but clearly she doesn't have the muscle to lift this bad boy. "Can we get this going by Friday morning? I have to head out of town for the weekend." "You know you don't need to be here to get the job done right? But yes, we can get this going probably by tomorrow. I have a couple of guys I can call." I think the only one big enough that could help would be Princess. He could probably use some extra cash. I mean,

who can't? "That would really be fantastic, Ty." She looks up at me from the floor as I lean against the pedestal sink against on the opposite wall. We just sit there for what seems like a couple of moments, watching each other. “I know I don't have to be here. I have confidence in you. But honestly, I like to be here so I can learn to do these things. I like to get my hands dirty and be able to put a piece of me in the job.” I clear my throat and push off the sink, offering her my hand to help her

stand up. Blushing slightly, she accepts the offer and I help her to her feet. "Thanks." "Shall we go tear out some cupboards and start pulling the frames for the windows?" I pull my hammer out of my tool belt. "I thought you would never ask." We step into the master bedroom and beeline it directly to the picture frame window on the far wall. Looking out I can see the street in front of the house that leads directly to the school. I briefly imagine Widow Crawley sitting

in a rocking chair and knitting while watching the children play on their way home for the day. I can also see the crabapple tree that I used to steal from. Perfect view from this window. And I smile. This is how she used to catch us all the time. Sliding the claws of the hammer below the corner of the frame, I crank it, which causes the frame to shift on its nails and slowly pull away from the wall. Seeing how easy it was, Riley does the same on the opposite corner. With a few grunts that gain my attention,

she helps me pull the pieces completely away from the wall. I clear my throat and turn my ballcap backwards. "So, Riley, what made you decide to buy Widow Crawley's place. Are you moving out here for good? 'Cuz, if you are I would be happy to be your chaperone any time you go to The Shake. I can also warn you away from other events where you may need my assistance for when I am unavailable." We walk to the second bedroom and check out the frame before continuing on the demo.

"Have you ever seen those home reno shows on television? The ones where people buy cheap homes, reno them like crazy and then sell them for double the price?" She asks before grunting again as she pulls the slat away from the wall. "I think so," I reply as I walk over to give her a hand. The hammerclaw is stuck in the wood. "Look at you, Wonder Woman. Breaking this place up." She rolls her eyes and blows air up out of the corner of her mouth, forcing

the dangling hair from in front of her eyes. "Wonder Woman. Bah." She grunts while throwing the disassembled frame onto the pile in the hall. "So yeah." She claps her hand and a puff of dust wafts through the air in front of her. "That's what I'm doing. I'm flipping this amazing house." "So not sticking around, huh?" "Nah. I'm a city girl. I'd probably go crazy if I lived here too long. Especially without knowing anyone. I mean, you grew up here. You know everyone. But me ... I need a chaperone."

She winks at me and wipes her forehead with the back of her arm. "You know Tim." I joke while we head down the stairs, I try, in earnest, not to stare at her backside. Not only does it say 'Juicy' it now has a line of dust just above the word from where she leaned against the counter. Inwardly, I groan and resist the urge to dust it away. Reaching the kitchen, I offer her a bottle of water from the cooler on the table. Both of us twist off the caps and take a drink. "So what's your story, Ty? You a

ladies' man like your friend Tim?" She waggles her eyebrows at me. I haven't had to answer this question before, and it takes me off guard. I lean against the counter, placing my hands behind me gripping the overhang. "No. I'm far from a ladies' man. I mean, if I was a ladies' man, I would have mentioned the word that's printed across your backside a few times. Said a few, possibly inappropriate comments and dusted off the thick line of white that marks the material just above the letters," I answer honestly. “But since

I'm not a ladies' man, I kept those comments to myself,” which has been challenging. She smirks and shakes her head back and forth, chuckling quietly to herself. Dropping my gaze to the ground, I rub the back of my neck and take a deep breath. "But seriously, my story is a little different." I take off my ballcap and scratch my head - nervous habit. Riley watches me intently while I struggle to find the words without sounding like a broken shell of a man. "I had a fiancée." I finally

manage, taking a breath and replacing the cap on my head. "You had. Did you guys break up? Do you need me to kick her ass?" Laughing nervously, I shake my head. "No, um. She's dead." Riley's expression takes a drastic turn, and she puts her bottle of water down on the table. "I'm so sorry." Looking back up at her, I squint my eyes and chew on my bottom lip. "So am I." We both stand in awkward silence for a couple of moments until a

knock on the door breaks the discomfort. Quickly, I walk past her through the entryway to answer the door. Taking a deep breath, I quickly grab the handle and pull open the door. "Got a delivery for a Riley, uh, Jensen." The tired looking delivery man announces as I open the door. He tries to push the clipboard with papers in my direction and offers me a pen. "If you could just sign..." "I'll get Riley for you." I offer and before I can call her, she steps beside me in the foyer. Her hand reaches

up and rubs my lower back tenderly. "Got it. Thanks, Ty." "Want me to check them out while they're still on the truck? They are a pain to get back in there once they're off." "Sounds good." She starts looking over the paperwork, and I remove my box cutter from my tool belt as I climb into the back of the truck. "The product number is D1589A630. How many do you see up there?" Looking at the remaining boxes in the truck, I quickly count. "One-two-

three-four. I see four of that number. Slate gray?" "Perfect. There should be a stove and refrigerator in there too." Looking around I see both appliances and cut the boxes to take a quick look. "Stainless?" "You got it. Fantastic! Thanks, Ty," she yells as she continues to speak with the delivery guy. I climb off of the truck and put my work gloves on. This guy won't do it by himself, and if I don't help him, he won't do it at all. As it is, he looks like he could snap in half if he

even tried to pick one of these up. "I'll help you wheel 'em in," I tell him as I pull out the truck's ramp. He nods at me and climbs into the truck to help me drag the items to the edge. It takes half an hour to unload everything and unbox them on the lawn. Riley collects the scattered cardboard and piles it on the porch by the door. The cabinets are really nice, and they will look fantastic with the stainless steel appliances. But it seems too... "Nice right?" Riley calls out as she admires the cabinets laying on the

floor of the kitchen. "These are going to look fantastic when we have the remodel done.” Smiling excitedly up at me, she circles the cabinets and bites her bottom lip. "These are those no-slam cupboards. You can throw the door closed, but they close quietly! Really cool." "You mean they have shocks in them?" I ask unsure of the system. Cupboards have always had hinges and those suckers just rock back and forth. "I guess they are like shocks. They just slow the motion right down and close quietly." Riley shrugs and

turns to the yellow sink, running the water she begins rinsing off her hands. "They are nice. I just can't picture it all together right now." She looks over her shoulder and raises an eyebrow at me. "Okay. That's it." I hiss and shake my head "What?" "How in the hell do you do that? I mean-" I'm frustrated. Pointing to my own eyebrows I continue, "Mine don't move like that!" I try and try, but she's laughing at me. Hysterically. "What's so

funny?" "You look like you're constipated." "Shush you." I purse my lips and glare playfully at her. We glare at each other playfully. I can't hold this dirty look for long, and I break it with a smile. Her look lightens as well, and we watch each other quietly for a few moments. I look at my watch and see that it's already 3:30. "So, now that they are all in the house, how about we call it a day. I can call someone to work with me tomorrow on the tub, then get the

supplies." "Good call." She nods in agreement while pushing away from the counter. "I'll pay well. Make sure it's someone who can hack the workload and the pushy boss." "No problem." I nod and I toss my work gloves on the counter, removing my tool belt and placing it beside my gloves. I might as well keep it here as I will be working for probably the next month. "Hey. You wanna get something to eat tonight? I grill a mean steak," I ask as I turn my ballcap back

around. "Yeah?" "Seriously. So tender it melts in your mouth." Riley licks her lips, and it takes my breath away. "I'll bring salad." She offers. "Salad?" I change my stance and hook my thumbs in my front pockets. "Well hold on there, lady. You see. I'm a man. I eat meat. I'm not a rabbit. I do not do salad." "I'll bring a salad." She smirks. "Write down your address for me, I forgot my mug upstairs. I'll meet you at

your house later. Yeah?" I watch her walk out of the room and hear her feet as they hit each stair on the way up. Taking the small notepad from my tool belt, I scribble down my address and phone number. Looking around the room, I ensure I am not leaving anything behind, at least that's what I'm telling myself. I'm stalling. "I'm gonna have to make a stop on the way home. See you at six alright?" I call up the stairs and wait for her response, instead of waiting here desperately. "You got it, Turtle." She teases.

"Jesus. You are never going to let me live that down are you?" "Nope! Go cook me some steak." I smile and tap my fingers on the banister. "You got it! See you in a couple of hours." Turning I walk out the front door and to my truck waiting on the other side of the fence. Climbing in, I turn the key but watch the kitchen window for Riley to appear. The reflection of the tree on the glass makes it difficult to see, but I'm sure she got my note by now. I throw the

truck into drive and pull onto the quiet street. As I turn the corner, I pull out my cell phone and call Tim and ask for Princess' number. Tim doesn't pick up, but that doesn't really surprise me. He screens all of his calls because of all the one night stands he has. If I were him, I would too. "Hey, Tim. It's Ty. Listen. I need Princess' phone number. Text his contact info to me would ya? Bye." Turning up the radio, I find myself singing along to the pop song

that's playing. This is definitely not ordinary for me, but I'm actually in a really good mood. I pull into the butcher shop parking lot and turn off the vehicle. Still whistling the tune of the song that I was just singing, I bounce into the shop and head to the meat counter. I ask for the two thickest cuts of beef that I can get and wait while they are cut fresh for me. Once done, I grab some mushrooms and beer to go along with dinner. While waiting in line behind an old woman who is insisting on counting out exact change from her coin purse, my phone

beeps with an incoming text. Hoping to see a message from Riley, I am slightly disappointed when I see its a message from Tim with the information I asked for. "That'll be $36.23 please, Ty." The woman behind the counter snapping her gum tells me. "How has your mother been lately?" "She's great! Loving the city life," I answer with a smile and toss a couple of twenties down on the counter. "I'll be sure to tell her you say hi." "Please do, Ty. I sure miss her

around here. Will you let me know when she's due for a visit?" Sue passes me my change and places the items in a brown paper bag. "Sure thing, Sue." She offers me a broad smile and tilts her head off to the side. "Have a great day!" "I sure will, Ty. Take care." Picking up my bag, I carry it to the truck and place it on the passenger seat before rounding the vehicle, climbing behind the wheel and starting the engine. As the engine rumbles, I call the number that Tim provided and I

smile when Princess answers the phone. "Hey, Princess." "Turtle! How are you? Hey, who was that woman you were with last night? She had legs that didn't quit!" He whistles into the phone. "She wants to see you again. She was actually hoping the three of us could get together tomorrow." I tease into the phone. "Are you serious?" "Dead serious." "Man ... what do you mean exactly because my mind is traveling to

places that I don't know it should be traveling to." I start laughing. "Not that way, you perv. Actually, I'm doing some renos over at Widow Crawley's house, and Riley is the new owner. I need help moving the old clawfoot tub into the hall tomorrow and Riley just ain't big enough to help with that." "Man! You can't do that to me. I had no clue what was really going on there. You freaked me out, yet I found myself slightly excited at the possibility."

"So does that mean you're going to help me?" "Yeah. I'll be there at eight." "Thanks, Princess. See you in the morning." "No worries, Turtle." I start my truck and head toward home. I have to clean up before Riley comes over. I have no clue what I have left out.

Chapter 4 At 5:55, I'm outside setting up the grill when my phone buzzes in my pocket. Wiping my hand on my jeans, I raise the lid of the grill with one hand and raise my phone to eye level with the other. It's a number I'm not familiar with. "Ty Lorey speaking," I answer into the microphone, hissing when I burn my finger on the rack as I try to move it. "I'm hungry, let me in." Riley demands playfully. I smile into the phone and look

back at the house behind me. It's my parents'parents old house, they gave it to me when they built a new one. I've lived here my whole life, except briefly when I moved in with Mel. "Come around back, I just turned the grill on." "Alright." I disconnect the call and slide the phone back into my pocket. Smiling the entire time. I close the lid on the grill and pick up my beer from the table. Riley appears from the side of the house, wearing short pants and a t-shirt. Really

casual. It's a cleaner version of this morning, and I think I really like this side of her. I rush over to take the bags from her hands. "Hey, let me take those." "Thank you." She smiles and gladly passes the bags over. "What's in these bags?" I inquire when I get a handle on the weight. "Salad and dessert." "For how many?" I ask her accusingly. "I only have steak for the two of us.

"Shush." She rolls her eyes and follows me into the back of the house. We enter the kitchen, and I place the bags on the table. I take a beer out of the fridge for her as she removes the items from the bags. Taking a big swig from the bottle, she places it on the table and sits in a chair, making herself comfortable. Sitting across from her, I pick at the label on my bottle while I watch her watch me. "So what made you decide to flip houses?" I ask while studying her fingers around the bottle.

She sighs and shifts her position on the seat. "Well, I knew I wanted home ownership. It was HUGE for me, since my family didn't have much while I was growing up. Evictions and your home being sold from under you is not ideal when you are an impressionable youth." She chuckles. "So anyways, I graduated and bought my first house when I was eighteen years old. It was a piece of crap. Everything was circa 1960, and the colors were hideous." She takes a drink from the bottle and puts it back on the

tabletop. "So I renovated and it turned out amazing. A friend told me about house flipping, and so I thought why not? I have nothing to lose. So I put it on the market and had it sold within a month. I had some extra padding in my pocket and decided to do it again. And again and here I am." She brings the bottle back to her lips "So you can say you've been successful." "I do okay." I contemplate her answer for a moment before standing and picking up

the platter of steaks on the counter. "How do you like your steak?" "Rare is great. Please. I'll get the salad and dessert ready." "Sounds good. I'll go throw these on and be back in a few." I step out onto the porch and throw the beef on the grill. The smell when the beef first gets licked by flames, and the sizzle causes my stomach to growl loudly. Looking back into the house I watch as Riley moves comfortably around my small kitchen. Finding the plates with ease and setting the table. I'm staring when she looks up

at me and smiles brightly. I have to admit, her charisma has gained my attention. It doesn't take long for the steaks to be cooked, so I turn off the grill and promptly remove them from the fire, carrying the tray into the house. "Thanks for setting the table." "No problem. Thanks for giving me your meat." She stops and instantly turns a light shade of red. "I mean. Thanks for the steak." In an attempt not to embarrass her, I overlook her blunder and place the

meat on her plate. "I hope that you can eat all of that. It's a big chunk of meat." "I like meat." Her face reddens some more. "I'm going to stop talking now." "I'm sorry. I couldn't resist when I saw you blush. I had to see more. You have some adorable dimples when you're embarrassed." "My thing," she whispers into her hands as she covers her face. "Excuse me?" "You found my thing." She shakes her head and dishes up the salad on both

of our plates. "You have turtle and I have dimples. My thing," she finishes as I look at her puzzled but intrigued. "Oh that thing." I smirk. "Your secret is safe with me." I wink at her and start cutting my steak. "Or maybe now I have a secret weapon." I raise both my eyebrows and raise my fork to my mouth. Watching Riley cut her steak and place it into her mouth has got to be my new favorite thing. She's a serious carnivore. Tearing through the meat and bringing it to rest on her tongue before

closing her eyes and savoring the flavor. My mouth drops open, and I shift slightly in my seat as I listen to her quiet moan. When she moans a second time, I drop my fork and clear my throat. "Sorry." I offer. She smiles and continues to chew quietly while I try not to stare. "So, you lost your fiancée. May I ask how?" I don't know how to answer this without losing my cool, so I take a deep breath and hope the man upstairs can give me peace as I try to tell her. I rest

the tines of my fork on my plate and braid my fingers in front of my chin while searching for the easiest way to tell her. "We were in a car accident. Got blindsided by a semi on our way to Vegas. It was the worst day of my life." I rest my forehead on my folded hands and close my eyes. Flashes of Mel run through my mind. I try to chase them away. "How long had you been together?" she asks and I open my eyes and tilt my head so I can look up at her.

"I'm sorry. Just tell me to mind my own business." She apologizes. "It's okay. I just haven't talked about this with anyone in a long time." I chew the inside of my cheek and tug on my facial hair. "You don't have to." She reassures me leaning back in her chair and drinking from the water glass in front of her. Regret covers her face. She didn't know. How could she? "It felt like we were together forever. We finished each other's sentences. We just... "

"She was the one, huh?" Riley asks softly, her chin resting on her folded hands. "Yeah. She was." I agree and take a drink from my beer bottle. "But she's gone and I'm still here so I have to remember that." "Were you hurt too?" "Yeah. My leg was broken in four places. Took a while for it to heal. Have a few nice titanium pins in it now. I'm almost a superhero." I chuckle and the room grows silent at my awkward attempt to lighten the conversation.

"For what it's worth. I'm glad you're here." Riley reaches out and takes my hand in both of hers. The shiver that travels up my spine from her touch is new. It's something I think both of us feel as she shudders when my hand accepts hers. "Thanks." We sit awkwardly holding hands across the table. Our eyes meet and we just kind of watch each other for a few minutes. Offering one last squeeze, she takes her hands back and pushes her plate to the side. I follow her lead. I

don't think either of us wants to finish our dinner at this point. Clearing my throat, I turn my glass in my fingers. "So I got a guy to help tomorrow, I warn you though ... he's kind of a mama's boy." "Is that so?" She smirks and when she does she gets a little wrinkle in her nose and blinks her eyes. "Yes, and he's deathly afraid of spiders. So if you hear any squealing it may be followed by constant ribbing from me for the rest of the day." "Princess?" She raises her

eyebrow and laughs when she watches me try to lift my own. "Shush." I push out from my chair and clear the table of our plates. "Yes, I called Princess because honestly he's the biggest guy I know, and he wouldn't be trying to hit on you all day." Turning in her chair to face me, she cocks her head to the side. "You're worried about your friends hitting on me all day?" Rinsing the plates off, I place them beside the sink and turn to lean on the tiny island between us. "Riley, if Tim

were to come and help us, I would be doing the whole thing by myself and would lose my job because I would be guilty by association. He can be very ... colorful with his words. And well, I really don't want to subject you to that, and I definitely don't want to be painted with the same brush as him." "I don't think you would have to worry about that. Ty Lorey. I can already see what kind of man you are." Her voice trails off as if she were teasing me, and she turns to cut and serve the cheesecake she brought.

"And what kind of man is that?" "You're a good man, Ty. And a fantastic chaperone." She winks at me and places a slice of cake in front of my chair at the table. She sits again and this time, brings her legs up and crosses them on the chair, leaning into the table. "Now get over here and eat your dessert." "Yes, ma'am." *** "Well, thank you for the steak, Ty. You are a grill master, just as you said." Her sincere compliment makes me smile.

I walk her out the front door and to her car parked beside my truck. "Thanks for coming over, it's not often I have company that isn't trying to talk me into going to a strip club or sleeping with Sasha." I wrinkle my nose and shake my head. "How do you know I wasn't going to ask you to go to a strip club?" she asks as she fastens her seatbelt and leans on the rolled down window. "I would never go to a strip club with you, Riley." "Why's that, Ty?"

"You don't belong in a place like that. I don't know what they have to offer in the city, but the clubs here are definitely not classy enough for you to go to." I inform her as I lean one hand on the roof of her car and tuck my right hand in my front pocket. My fingers drum on the roof and I clear my throat. It's true though. She blushes and looks down at her lap when those tiny dimples appear again. Nodding a couple of times she blinks. "That so, Mr. Lorey?" Stepping back. I cross my arms

over my chest. "Most definitely, Ms. Jensen." Taking a deep breath, she turns the key in the ignition and licks her lips. "See you in the morning, Ty." Shifting the car in gear she reverses and waves to me before pulling into traffic. I watch as her taillights get smaller and smaller the further away she drives. Walking by my truck, I drop my hand on the hood and continue into my home. Before she left, Riley insisted on cleaning the dishes so that's one less

thing I need to do tonight. I grab a cold beer from the fridge and drop down on my sofa, turning on the television as I do. I kick off my boots and lift my feet up on the table as I untwist the cap and take in a mouthful of the cold bitter liquid. Closing my eyes, I tip my head and rest it on the back of the sofa. Placing my bottle on the table beside me, I take my phone out of my pocket and open my gallery. The first picture that pops up is Mel and me in the car moments before we were hit by the semi. She's kissing my cheek and my eyes are

glued to the road, but my smile tells it all. It's my eyes that show just how much in love with her I was. I touch the screen and the image changes to her face with puckered lips and closed eyes. I stare at the image so long the screen goes dark and once again I am left alone with my thoughts. Instead of sad thoughts about Mel, I see Riley and her dimples as she pulls away from me on the street tonight. And I smile. Tonight I sleep soundly. I don't wake up at 3:22. I wake with my alarm at 7:15 finally refreshed and feeling

more alive than I have in months, if not for at least a year. *** Swinging by the coffee shop, I grab a cup for Riley, Princess and myself. It's going to be a crazy morning of lifting and working in a small space with such a big boy. I really hope there are no spiders. I don't think anyone could mentally prepare themselves for the high pitched shriek that he produces in the face of fear. Pulling up to Widow Crawley's house, I'm the first one here. I really

shouldn't be surprised but I kind of am. I should have gotten a key from Riley, but I'm just her employee, not her partner. Climbing out of my truck, I drop the gate on the bed and hop up to sit and wait for the rest to arrive. Drinking my coffee, I look over and the crabapple tree is calling my name. Dropping to the ground I walk over and pluck an apple from the branch. I breathe on the apple and polish it on my shirt before taking a bite. Sour and amazing like always. Slowly walking back to my truck, Riley arrives and shakes her head when I

wave the half eaten fruit at her. "What did I tell you about garden raiding?" She climbs out of her car and shakes her head. "I don't recall." I joke as I take another bite. Holding it out I tuck the apple into my cheek and smile. "Want some? It's really good!" I'm not expecting her to do what she does next. She reaches out and holds my hand still while taking a bite of my apple. Crunching the fruit she smiles and nods. "You're right. I might have to make a pie." She starts walking toward

the house, pulling the keys out of her pocket. I watch her walk away and once again begin chewing the fruit tucked in my cheek. "When's Princess arriving?" "Anytime now," I reply as I pull the new pipe and the coffees from my truck and follow behind her into the house. Holding a warm cup of coffee out to her, I lean the pipe up against the door frame and wipe my shoes. "Why do you do that?" she asks as she takes the coffee from my hand and looks at my feet.

"Habit. Mrs. Crawley was very strict about clean shoes in her home. When I come in here, I'm seven years old again." "I see. You do realize that she doesn't own the house any longer right?" Riley asks as she walks into the kitchen. "I do. But I think I will still do it until it's renoed. You know, when she is out of here completely." I follow behind her. "Are you seriously going to make a pie?" "Yeah, but I don't have an oven, so I was thinking we could do dinner

again next week and I could use your oven to bake. I'll take care of dinner this time." "Well ... if you're going to use the apples, you need to use the fresh veggies from the patch too." "You and those veggies." She smirks bringing the cup to her mouth. "WOW! This place looks so..." Princess states as he enters the home. "Wow." "'Bout time you showed up!" I taunt him. "We've got work to do, you slacker."

He yawns and stretches. You're lucky I'm here at all. Big fight broke out last night, and I'm stiff from breaking it up." He leans against the wall and shakes his head. He looks as though he wants to cross his arms, but his biceps are so huge, his arms couldn't cross in front of his body if he tried. "That so? Who was it this time?" Once in a while one of the high school buddies comes in and tries to hustle someone in pool or hits on someone's lady. They are all pretty stupid, but they try. "One of the boys from the high

school?" Princess closes his eyes and shakes his head. "No, man, damned Sasha and Tammy. Those chicks went after each other. It was crazy!" I start laughing. "Why were they fighting?" "It was Sasha. Why do you think they were fighting?" he asks and rolls his shoulder before offering his hand to Riley. "Hey, I know you from the other night! I'm Danny." "Hi, Danny. I'm Riley." "You own this place now?"

"You could say I own it for now. I'm renoing it and selling it." "That's cool." He nods and looks around. "So where's this tub?" "Follow me, Princess." Riley teases and walks past him to head upstairs. I stay behind purposefully covering my mouth to hide my laughter while the curtain of confusion takes over his features. His head snaps to look at me, and I cough to change the expression. "You told her?" He accuses sharply. Well, as sharply as Princess can

get. He couldn't be intimidating to me if he tried. I've known him far too long. I shrug without committing an answer. "Damn, Ty ... that's not cool." "Girls, girls. You're both pretty,” Riley calls out. “Thanks to you, I call him Turtle so you guys are even. Are you guys coming or what?" "You got it, boss lady," I call out in response and lightly punch Princess in the shoulder. "Let's go, buddy. Got some heavy lifting to do." "Damn. You seriously have issues, Ty. Telling a super hot chick,

with amazing legs my stupid-ass high school nickname." He lumbers behind me. Taking the stairs slowly, I continue walking ahead of him without turning around. "I do. You are so lucky to have a friend like me." "If this is lucky..." He mumbles to himself as we reach the hallway at the top of the stairs. Ignoring him, I continue down the hall until I meet Riley, who is waiting for us in the bathroom with her arms crossed in front of her chest and shaking her head.

"If you girls are done bickering, we have a task here." She teases. "Yes, ma'am," I reply and Princess dips his head. "Sorry, Riley." "Boys." She shakes her head smiling brightly. "What do we need? I can run and get it." I drop to the floor and take a look below the tub. "Okay, I have to turn off the water, and then I'll need a pipe wrench to unlock the pipes. Once that's done, Princess and I will haul it out of the area and fix the broken one. Won't

take long once we get this tub out." "What can I do in the mean time?" She crouches beside me, and I get a smell of her perfume. She smells amazing and it momentarily makes me lose my train of thought. "Ty?" Shaking my head, I clear my throat and apologize. Pulling my hammer from my tool belt, I hand it to her. "You can go beat up some innocent cupboards downstairs." "Now THAT sounds like it could be fun! Call me if you guys need me," she replies and leaves the room. Pulling

the monkey wrench from my belt, I loosen the nuts so I can move the pipes. In no time, I hear her banging on the cupboards, and I smirk as I wrench the final nut loose before standing. Together Princess and I manage to lift the tub out of its resting place so we can attack the pipes. Using the hacksaw, I cut out the broken portion of the plastic pipe and surround the inside with adhesive. I slide the new portion inside and lock it in place with the plastic lock. It takes fifteen minutes but Princess and I

manage to get the placing just right as we put it back. We walk down the stairs, both of us wiping our foreheads free of sweat and dead tired. Riley has two big glasses of lemonade waiting for us. "Is it all done?" she asks cheerily as she passes us each a glass. "Sure is, that was a lot easier than I thought it would be." I take the glass from her hand. “That was easy?” Princess questions before drinking down half of his beverage. Pulling the half empty

glass from his mouth, he looks at Riley and promptly thanks her for the drink. With her hands tucked into her front pockets, she leans back against the old yellow refrigerator in the middle of the room. The old appliances need to be taken out to the waiting truck the team agreed that everything is going to a reuse center in the city, someone might want them even if they have to gut the stove to make it work again. "Thank you, Ty and Danny. You guys are amazing." Reaching into her back pocket, she pulls an envelope out

and passes it to Princess. "You earned every penny today. Having to deal with Turtle here." She winks. "Think I could call on you again if we need you?" "Of course you can, Riley. I would be happy to work with you." He punches me in the shoulder. "Thanks again, Ty. You guys coming to The Shake this weekend?" "I'm going home this weekend. Maybe next week," Riley answers Princess, and I just shrug. "One never knows for sure, my friend," I say as he walks out the front

door, leaving Riley and me alone in the kitchen. "What are you doing this weekend, Ty?" she asks after throwing a towel in my direction. "Probably just laying on my couch and drinking beer. Maybe eat a steak or two. Avoid Sasha ... typical things." I honestly have no plans. I don't know how to tell her that I will probably just sit at home and miss Mel, but that makes me sound pathetic. I don't want to be pathetic. I want to be normal. "Come with me to the city. We

can play pool and you can see some of the other houses I've flipped," she offers excitedly. "You don't even know me, Riley," I admit as I furrow my brow. "You're a good man, Ty. I trust you. Besides, I may need your help with something." "I don't know." I cross my feet at the ankles and lean against the wall. "Well, you have until noon tomorrow. That's when I'm leaving. I'll be back on Tuesday next week, maybe Wednesday. So if you want to come, you

are more than welcome." "Thanks. I'll think about it." I nod my head once in appreciation. Her stomach growls across the room causing us both to laugh. "Let's go get some lunch. The diner actually makes some amazing food." "That's probably a good idea," she says as her stomach rumbles some more. I pull out my keyring and spin it on my finger. "Let's go."

Chapter 5 Tim hits the cue ball with a crack. Sending it across the felt and into the eight ball, which in turn gently rolls into the corner pocket. "BOOM! Rack 'em up!" He bellows following a fist pump. Walking over to our high top table, he pours another beer from the jug, only to swear when he fills his mug mostly with foam. I laugh as he shakes the foamy liquid from his fingers and then dips them in his glass, popping all the bubbles in its path.

I finish collecting all the balls from the pockets and rack them, in order, nice and tight. It takes a couple of tries of rocking back and forth to get them tight enough, but finally they sit perfectly on the felt. "Winner breaks," I announce and take my pool cue from its resting position near the corner pocket. We've been coming to this pool hall since we were teens and skipping school. Which was crazy because our town only had one senior class and everyone knew everyone. Tim approaches the table and leans down

mockingly eyeing the rack, ensuring it's to his standard. This makes me roll my eyes as his racks are far worse than any of mine have ever been. He places the cue ball on the dot just off the center and lines up his pool cue on his knuckles. Pulling back, he pushes it forward and cracks the triangle on the table with a loud CRACK, sending balls flying in every direction, sinking only two. One low and one high. "Nice break." I offer as I try to line up my next move in my head. I know which one he's going to go for and it will

allow me to play because he just can't get anything in those side pockets. "Thanks. Nine ball side pocket," he calls out as if he were reading my mind. As he hits the ball, he doesn't give it enough back spin and the white ball follows the nine into the pocket. "Dammit." He hisses and shakes his head. Taking the cue ball out of the pocket, I toss it in the air while I round the table and place it on the felt, lining up my next shot. Bending over I take my time lining up the cue. "Fourteen corner

off the rag," I call and follow through with my right arm, giving the ball just enough spin to tap the fourteen into the corner. "Yesssss." "Nice shot." Tim expresses from behind his mug. "So hey, that chick from The Shake the other night." "Riley," I offer. "Her name is Riley." I line up my next shot and snap the cue forward sending another ball into the pocket. "Riley. Where did you meet her and why wasn't I there before you?" he asks, throwing me off guard and causing

me to miss my next shot, giving him the opportunity to step up to the table. "I'm low ball?" he asks resting his hands on the rail. "Pay attention will ya? Yes, you're low." I step past him and pick up my own mug, taking a drink of warm beer from the tap. "She's the new owner of Widow Crawley's house. She's flipping it, which still confuses me." "Flipping it?" he asks while circling the table for his next shot. "People really do that, huh?" "I guess." I shrug and tip my beer

back again. "I thought it was only on TV." In his next three shots, he clears the table. "Eight ball corner pocket." He's got this one in the bag. I watch his mini celebration as he places his stick on the table and joins me. "So she just happened to show up at The Shake, and you just happened to see her and take her under your wing at our watering hole." He swallows "Sounds fishy to me." "Think whatever you want to think. It just so happens that I was there on the night she decided to come out and

I am the only person in town she knows. She liked your set, by the way." This causes my best friend to smile with pride. "Why wouldn't she? We're amazing." He laughs. "I'm done playin', you?" "Yeah Yeah. Let's just finish off the beer and head out. I'm beat." He takes both cue sticks and hangs them up where they belong, returning to our table he finishes off the beer in his mug. Looking across the hall, I see the old timers drinking their beers and smoking

their filterless cigarettes near the window. Plumes of smoke circle their heads. I watch them momentarily banter back and forth with drunken movements. I'm sure they've been here for most of the day and will most likely be here until the owner kicks them out. "What do you think about this Riley chick?" Tim pulls me from my thoughts. "She's my boss. I think she can make me work." I laugh trying to avoid the question he's really asking of me, and I am not going to go there.

"Dude, it's been over a year. I mean, Mel would be okay with you moving on." He treads lightly around the topic of Mel. He always has, unlike others who just forget she ever existed and meant everything to me. "Don't." I warn him. "I'm just saying, don't be afraid to move on. It's okay if you're attracted to Riley. Hell, I am attracted to Riley, and I will bet every guy that saw her in The Shake the other night is attracted to her too. You're not doing anything wrong. You're living and that's all that

damn well matters," he states to me while picking up his car keys from the table and spinning them on his finger. I lift my ballcap and place it snugly back on my head before walking away from Tim, and towards my truck parked in the quiet parking lot outside. He doesn't understand at all. Hell, I barely understand myself. I throw the truck into reverse and back out of my stall, kicking up gravel and dust behind me. I shift into drive and pull away from the pool hall. It doesn't take longer than a few minutes to get home, there's one set

of street lights between my house and the hall and luckily it was green. Arriving at my house, I slam the door of my truck and storm inside of the house and drop onto the sofa. I realize that in all actuality, I am more angry at myself than I am at Tim, and it angers me further. Taking off my cap, I toss it on the table and turn on the television. Randomly flipping the channels I hope that one channel will have something to watch, but it never does. I settle on Wheel of Fortune and call out the

answers to Pat Sayjak along with the contestants. I haven't done this since I lived at home with my parents. It was our dinner time ritual. We would all sit in front of the television, with dinners on our laps, shouting the answers at the TV.” With a sigh, I take my phone from my pocket and start scrolling through old messages from Mel. Yes, I still have them. All of them. Smiling, I read the thread starting with the first text I sent her when I got home. "Hi. This is Ty. So, I really

enjoyed your company in Mexico and I really hope to hear from you when you get home. Even if you just tell me to go to hell." Scrolling through the thread, I see that she responded a week later when she got home. I remember thinking she just kept me in Mexico. Not bringing our connection home, and I was okay with it. Then she replied, and it changed everything. Turned my world upside down. "I am so glad you texted! I just got home this morning and really just

need to sleep for a month. Can I call you tomorrow? I'd like to hear your voice again. Oh! And I don't think I would ever tell you to go to hell." I cover my mouth with my fingers and lean forward on the sofa. Elbows on my knees and my phone held with both hands between them. After scrolling through all the messages, I take a deep breath and allow my finger to hover over the select all box. Chewing on the inside of my lip, I take a deep breath and press the home key. I'm not ready to delete Mel from my life, and I just pray that the next

person in my life can understand. I come to the realization that I have to talk about her. I have to tell Riley about Mel, about how we met and fell in love and how she was ripped from me. How her parents blamed me and denied my access to her funeral, not that I could go anyways since I was laid up in that hospital bed for the longest time. And how I haven't really talked about her. Maybe, just maybe I can get some closure. Picking up my phone I shoot Riley a text.

Me: Hey. When you get back to town, can we get a beer or something? I'm nervous just pressing send. She doesn't respond right away, and that's fine. The only person who ever answered me instantaneously was Mel, and I don't expect anyone to be like her. Riley: I'll be back in 45 minutes. You okay? Me: I am. Come to my house. Have you eaten? Riley: No eating. Me: Are you driving? Riley: Voice to text. My eyes are

on the interstate. Me: Good. Thank you. I'll get pizza and some beers. Riley: See you soon. I take a deep breath. Baby steps. I step into the bathroom and splash cold water on my face. Looking up into the mirror, I watch myself lean on the sink and examine my thoughts. Why do I want Riley to know? I find her attractive and exciting and fun to be around, and she helps me put the sad memories at the back of my thoughts. She makes me want to move forward step out of this dark

shadow I have been living in for the past year. She makes me feel again. I wipe the water drops from the mirror and leave the room, picking up my keys and heading to the restaurant to order a pizza and pick up a six pack. On my way there I find myself laughing. I haven't felt this nervous in a very long time, and I honestly don't think I like it. I feel like a school boy. *** The pizza place is Sue's restaurant. It's half diner and half takeout restaurant. Sue has been running it

for quite some time, and she's always busy. I lean against the wall waiting for the pizza to be finished, and I decide to call Tim. I feel like an ass for storming out on him earlier, and his words did push me to make the call that I made. Made me realize my own thoughts of moving forward weren't crazy that they were real thoughts and real needs. "Hey, Ty. Whatcha doin?" He slurs into the phone. I look at the beer in my hand and realize that this whole town has a problem. "Not much. Just waiting for a

pizza at Sue's." "Why are you getting a pizza at Sue's? Come back to the pool hall and have some wings with me. Sasha is coming by. We could have a real fun night, as long as we don't cross swords." I chuckle at his Star Wars reference, but there is no way in hell that I would be with Sasha, or even Sasha AND Tim. That's just opening up a whole can of wrong. "Sorry, man." I take a deep breath, and I hear him mumbling something to someone near him.

"Actually, Riley is coming by tonight." "'Bout time. This past week has been nothin' but watching you mope over her. I can see it, you're sick like a puppy over her." I don't see it. I have no clue what he's talking about. "Whatever, man. Look. I just wanted to call and say thanks for making me realize I'm a jerk." "You're more than a jerk. You're an…" I hang up the phone before he can continue his thought. Rolling my eyes, I tuck my phone in my pocket and continue holding the wall up with my back.

Minutes tick by and finally the cashier calls me over, telling me my pizza is done and handing me a large box. Winking at her, I take the box and tuck the beers under my arm, bouncing out of the building whistling the entire time. I pull up to my house just as Riley is getting out of her car. She grins when she sees the pizza box. Her grin grows when she sees the six pack of beer in the other hand. I'm suddenly nervous. Very nervous. "I was starting to think that you weren't coming home, and I would have

to break in." "I told you I would be here, with pizza and beer. I promised to feed you and I keep all my promises," I express to her as I push the pizza into her hands so I can unlock my door. Taking a deep breath, I turn the knob and let her in. Riley winks as she crosses my path, and I smell her faint perfume. She smells amazing as usual. Closing the door, I follow her in and pull out a couple of beers as she opens the box and doesn't even bother with plates. She just scoops a slice up

with her hands and eats the cheese loaded slice of heaven without any utensils. "Oh, my God." She moans with her mouthful. "I don't think I have ever had pizza this good." She sighs between bites. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, I offer her a napkin and take my own slice. Grabbing the six pack, I take it to the living room and pass one to Riley, who now joins me on the sofa. I watch her in amusement as she powers through three more slices before falling back on the sofa full from her meal.

"Good pizza, huh?" I chuckle and swallow the last bite of my slice. She can't even answer me with more than an audible sigh. "You were pretty hungry." "I haven't eaten since breakfast. I've been on the go all day long. Wheelin' and dealin'." She spins her pointer finger in the air. I enjoy watching her act so comfortably in my home. "So you said something about wanting to tell me a story. Sounded kind of serious." Riley shifts on the sofa, picking at the label on her bottle. “You feed me and get me buzzed. It's gotta be

something good.” It's now or never. I turn my body and bring my leg up on the sofa so I am facing her. "Riley, I haven't been completely up front with you." I reach out and brush the straggling hair from her face, grazing her cheek as I do. Her eyes close momentarily, and I let out a low rumble in my own throat. Just by her actions, I'm sure that she would be up for it, if something were to happen. My hand travels lightly down her shoulder, her arm, coming to rest on her hand, tenderly stroking her knuckles with

my thumb. "About a year and a half ago, I went to Mexico with Tim and a few other guys to let loose. You know fun week without rules." Her eyes open and follow the direction on my fingers as they dance against her skin. "I went up to the hotel bar and I met the most beautiful woman in my life. I still remember the smile she gave me. How her hair smelled and the color of the polish on her toes." I chuckle and shake my head. "We became almost instantly connected." I smile at the memory.

Riley has a look of confusion on her face. Unsure of where I am going with this she questions me with her eyes. "I need to tell you this. You need to see…" "Okay," she whispers and waits. "I wound up ditching my friends and she ditched the bridal party she was with and we never left each other's side. Instant. It was amazing. Time came for me to leave and she was still going to be there for a few more days, so we exchanged numbers with the intention of meeting up back home. Trouble was, she

lived in another state, but that didn't stop us. I moved in with her and within days, we decided that there was no changing our minds and we left for Vegas to be married in one of those cheesy Elvis ceremonies." "But you never made it," Riley whispers, and I confirm with a head nod. "That's right. We never made it. A truck driver was texting while driving and because of that small phrase that just couldn't wait, Mel was ripped from my life. I watched her die. It was almost instantaneous. I remember it almost

every night in my dreams. I wake up in a pool of sweat and confusion at the same time every night, until I remember that it already happened, and I lived through it." She puts her hand on mine and looks into my eyes. "I was in the hospital for a long time. My leg was broken in a few places and I needed a lot of therapy. But out of everything that happened - losing Mel and losing my ability to walk - her parents took away my one and only opportunity to say goodbye. They

blamed me. It was my fault their only daughter died on the interstate. It was my fault because I told her we had to get married - it was all my plan. They had money and they knew that's why I targeted their daughter in Mexico and moved in with her right away. They knew that I was a lowlife scum who planned it all." "That's horrible." She gasps in disbelief, closing her mouth only to swallow and lick her dry lips. I run my thumb along her bottom lip and across her cheek.

"What's horrible is they came to my hospital bed and tore a strip out of me. Banning me from the funeral that I couldn't go to anyways - banning me from my opportunity to say goodbye. They took away my closure." "Did you ever go to the cemetery? Say your goodbye? You know, they can't ban you from a public place unless it's in a private area ... like Forest Lawn, or Graceland." She shifts her position on the couch and she looks into my eyes. "So you never got closure?" "No." I take a drink of my beer.

"Instead, I drink more than I should, I replay all of her voicemails, re-read all of her texts and relive the worst day of my entire life over and over again. "I place the bottle back on the table. "That was until recently. This is where it gets tough." I stand up and pace the floor a little while she watches me. "I met you and I thought you were extremely attractive. You know? That first day when you caught me stealing a carrot." She laughs at the memory. "I remember.” "I was taken aback because I

haven't found anyone attractive since Mel. It kind of took me off guard. Then we worked on the house together, and I started feeling ... something. I think maybe you did too." Blushing, she puts her head down and those dimples appear again. "I'm not saying I'm ready to move forward. Not even close. But I want to one day." I tuck my finger under her chin and watch her expression fall from what I can only assume to be hopeful to let down. The last thing I want to do is hurt her, I want to get to know her. I want to

move forward. I want to live again. "So you brought me here to tell me that you aren't interested in me. That you don't want to move forward from this major tragedy in your life. But you are attracted to me? What the hell is that? I don't understand the point of this conversation." She snatches back her hand and stands up, storming toward the door. "I can only hope that you've had too many of those and tomorrow at work you will be back to normal." She points at the glass bottle on the table. "Wait that's not what I'm saying,

I…" "Look. Tomorrow we should be finished the renos. Painting is all that's left. Once we do that you can continue dwelling on the past and not wanting to move forward. Sound good?" Her hand digs in her pocket and pulls out her keys. Turning abruptly she storms out of my house leaving me alone on the sofa regretting everything about today.

Chapter 6 I'm not going to lie, it's awkward as hell with her today. She won't talk to me the way she used to. No joking, no friendship. Just business. She's my boss, and it sucks something bad. I've tried to talk to her several times but every single damn time I enter the room where she is, she's either on the phone, or she holds her finger up with pursed lips and walks away. It's just hard to walk away from her. She smells amazing, and her ass

looks magical today. She's twisted her hair up in a ponytail and has a tiny piece that hangs in front of her face, that she constantly tries to blow out of the way. I want to brush it behind her ear for her, but I know that I can't. Last night I blew it, just by trying to be honest. I finish painting the last of the baseboard trim in the house, and I know that the end is just around the corner. Deciding to take one last look around, I try to buy every moment I can. I need to get the courage to talk to her, to try to save the friendship we had in this last

month. It was a pretty good one, and I thought maybe we could continue to be at least friends after this flip. Maybe I was wrong. I hear her enter the master bedroom behind me. Her shoes on the floor as she walks around the room inspecting it. "You did a fantastic job, Mr. Lorey," she comments. I sense the distance in her voice, and it angers me. "Ty. My name is Ty. Your name is Riley." I stand from my crouching position near the far window and turn to face her. She closes her eyes and shakes

her head back and forth. Her nose wrinkles and she takes a deep breath. "Don't." Her nostrils flare as she turns and starts to walk away from me. "Riley." I begin while reaching for her arm and gently urging her to turn around. "Look. I had NO intention of last night turning into this." I motion my hand back and forth between us. "None." "What were you hoping for, Ty?" She crosses her arms and purses her lips. I can see her jaw clench as she tries to keep her cool. "What were you hoping would happen by telling me that you

didn't want to move on? A roll in the hay? A heavy petting session? What?" I roll my eyes and scratch my chest. "That's what you want to see, huh? You think that little of me after all this time? Thanks. You sure know how to make a guy feel good." She's impossible, and I know that there is no way I can make her see my intentions. She doesn't want to see them. "So now I'm the bad guy? Whatever, Ty Lorey." She hisses. "It's been a pleasure working with you. Your final payment will be deposited on

Friday as agreed upon." She spins on her heels and storms out of the room, leaving me standing alone angry and done with the whole damn thing. I hop down the stairs, and into the kitchen where I left my tool belt and coffee mug. I see her out in the garden taking pictures of it as I collect all of my belongings. Turning my hat around, I push open the screen door and step out onto the porch. It's an action that catches her attention, and she glances in my direction briefly before taking more photographs on her phone. Storming past

the gate, I reach my truck and climb in, slamming the door hard behind me. Turning the key, I shift the truck into gear and speed away from the property, kicking up gravel and dust behind me. Looking in my rearview mirror, I think I see her step out of the gate and watch me as I drive away before being swallowed up by dust. *** Sweat pools along my spine as I wake up not remembering where I am, and I begin to panic. I'm not as drunk as I was earlier or yesterday. This doesn't

feel like my bed, and it certainly doesn't smell like me. I smell strawberries and realization suddenly hits me. Sasha. I nod at Princess as I enter The Shake. He doesn't even stop me, he just greets me as I walk past him. I make a beeline straight to the main bar where Tim and all the groupies are hanging around. Tim hands me a beer and a shot. I gladly take both and slam them back as quickly as I can. Holding up my fingers, I signal the bartender to pour another round of shots for us and to

keep 'em coming. The women are trying to get our attention, hinting that their glasses are empty, wanting us to give them alcohol, but we ignore them filling our own, getting drunker by the minute. Through fuzzy vision, my eyes swim in my head as a hand rakes up my spine. Causing goosebumps to raise in the wake of the fingernails. They reach my hairline and trace the line to my jaw. Turning my drunken gaze to the left, I see the smiling face of Sasha.

Looking at me with lust, maybe? She's smiling and continues to touch my arm and my chest. "Sasha." I slur and lift the bottle to my lips, tipping it back and having some of the liquid dribble down my chin. I don't even wipe it, I just let it leave its trail as it falls onto my shirt from my chin. The lights around me are flashing and spinning. I hold onto the bar top for balance, hoping I don't pass out. "Let's go," I suggest to her and her eyes light up. She's surprised by my offer since I barely give her the time of

day. "Back to your place. You need to drive though, I can't even..." I start but don't finish the sentence before she puts her glass down on the bar top and brings her lips to mine. The rest of my memory is fuzzy, and I am thoroughly dehydrated. Turning my head, I see her laying there on her belly - completely naked. Her arms are tucked under the pillow causing the swell of her breasts to be visible. She does have nice breasts, but I have to go. This is far from the ideal situation. Carefully I roll over and try to sit

up without shaking the bed too much. My feet hit the carpet, and I wiggle my toes while I lean forward and rest my still drunken head in my hands. What was I thinking? Looking around, I don't see my clothes. They aren't on the floor by me. So, I stand and tiptoe to the other side of the bed, where I find them laying in a ball. "Your keys are in my purse. Your truck is outside." She mumbles into the pillow as I bend down to pick up my clothes. "But I think you're still too drunk

to drive." She's probably right. I slide my legs into my jeans and clumsily pull my shirt on, looking around for my ballcap. "Hat is in the truck." She mumbles again. Stopping. I look down at her and have no clue what to say. "Thanks," is all I can muster before turning and walking out of her room. I quickly find her purse on the table in the kitchen and take my keys out. Before I leave the room, I run the water

and drink directly from the tap. I drink for a while, but my thirst is still there as I turn to find my boots in the doorway. Hopping into them, I open the door and leave. The night air is chilly, but I still decide to walk home. I leave my truck in the driveway but lean in to get my cap before starting my trek home. The town isn't that big, but it's still going to take me some time to get there. I'll get Tim to bring me to pick up my truck in the morning. There's no traffic in this town at

this time of the night. If anyone is out at The Shake, their vehicles stay overnight, unless they stay sober. Most of them. I pass the tree that Cam Parsons wrapped the front end of his Chevette around after we first turned twenty-one. He's so lucky he survived. Paralyzed but alive. We all learned a lesson that night, at least our group did. The kids who turned twentyone after us, heard the stories or remembered them from the year before, until the stories went away. But now, more young people are being smart about their alcohol consumption.

I walk past Sue's next, and all the lights are out. She shuts down at eleven. If she were to stay open later, she'd make a killing from all the bar people. But she doesn't hear that. She likes her sleep, and since it's mostly her at the restaurant, I can't say I blame her. Maybe I'll go see my parents for a week. I haven't seen them since they left my place a few months ago. I miss Mom's cooking. I miss Dad's sports talk. I wonder how they like their new place in the city. If they found friends, or if the neighbors just kind of invited themselves

into the postage stamp sized yard for a cookout one day and my parents just kind of took them in as their friends. Mom probably drives everyone nuts with her bragging about the son who survived death. My thoughts suddenly change to Mel, and it pisses me off. I storm the rest of the way home, knowing that I messed up tonight and amazed at how I can regret the past forty-eight hours, when I have never had a moment of regret in my life before this. Finally reaching my house half

an hour later, I head straight to the kitchen for a big glass of water. Guzzling one down as quickly as I can, my next stop is the shower to get this smell of strawberries off of me. To wash away a mistake. A stupid drunken mistake. I turn off the water, grab a towel and tie it around my waist. I walk into the bedroom and drop to the bed. Not toweling off. Nothing. Pulling the blankets up over me, I close my eyes and sleep a dreamless night. BANGBANGBANG

The sound wakes me, and I don't quite know where it's coming from. I sit up and cradle my head in my hands, rubbing my temples, trying to massage away the icepick that's stabbing my brain. BANGBANGBANG Someone is pounding on the front door, and each bang makes the icepick dig deeper into my gray matter. Standing, I slowly wrap the towel around my waist and plod through my home to the door. Pulling it open, Riley is standing on the doorstep.

"Decided I didn't have enough yesterday? Thought maybe you would come to my house and continue on your little pity me rant?" She purses her lips and taps her fingers on the manila envelope in her hand. "I came to give you this. Your check, your bonuses. Thanks for everything, I'll make sure to put a good review up on Yelp for you." She pushes the envelope into my hands and turns on a dime. She's great at leaving, and she's proving that right now. "Don't bother. I don't need you to

put that up. People in town talk. We communicate to get things done. We don't need the internet or fancy reviews." I slam the door and toss the envelope on the sofa before returning to my room to go back to sleep. Too frustrated to get comfortable, I angrily put on some clothes and storm into my kitchen to turn on a pot of coffee. Picking up my cell phone, I find my parent's phone number and turn to watch the pot percolate. "Good morning, Sunshine." My mother's cheery voice answers the

phone. I can picture her wearing her apron, removing fresh cinnamon buns out of the oven and taking them to the table for her and Dad. He's reading the paper and drinking his black coffee. "Morning, Mom. How are you?" "Tyson! Oh what a pleasant call!" She is genuinely surprised to hear my voice. I think my parents are the only people in the whole world that don't have caller ID. She's also the only person in the world that still calls me Tyson. I wince every time. "How are you and Dad?" I take a

coffee cup from the cupboard and lean back on the sink waiting for the pot to finish brewing. "We're fantastic, honey. Your father has taken up making models. He is really enjoying the old cars. His excitement is contagious." I can hear dishes bouncing off each other in the background. "I have a couple of ladies whom I have afternoon tea with every Tuesday and Friday. This week it's my turn to take a treat. I'm going to make crispy rice marshmallow bars, but I'm going to be sneaky and add some

butterscotch." She sounds proud of herself, and it makes me sad that I'm not there to witness her excitement. "That's fantastic, Mom. I was wondering if I could come see you for a bit. A few days or so?" I push my fingers through my hair and wait for her response. Of course she's going to jump on it. Any chance where she can dote on me for any length of time is welcomed. "Of course, son. When are you coming? I can cook a pot roast with those crispy potatoes you love, brown gravy and some vegetables. Of course

they are frozen, the vegetables aren't the same when you live in the city. I much rather prefer the frozen to the old stock in the grocers. It's all wilty and well, just no flavor." An idea hits me like a ton of bricks. "I can be there tonight and I will bring some fresh vegetables from Widow Crawley's garden. You know she passed on right, Mom?" No one lives there, and I'm sure as hell not going to let the garden rot in the soil. They'd never be able to plant again. "I heard. She was such a nice

lady. Do you remember when she used to give you apples and carrots on your way home from school when you were a boy?" Her twisted memory makes me smile. We both know that's not how it happened, but all these years later, she is still holding on to the story we made up for Dad so I wouldn't get into trouble. "I do." I confirm. "I'll get on the road around two or three. I can be there by six, is that alright?" "That's perfectly fine. Take your time and be safe on that interstate." I can hear the worry in her voice, and I can't

say I blame her. It's still very fresh for all of us. "I'll tell your father to expect you for supper. I can't wait to see you, Tyson. I miss you so much." "I miss you too, Mom. I'll see you at supper." We disconnect the call, and my coffee finishes brewing. I place the phone on the counter and slowly push off the sink with my empty mug, walking the short distance to the pot. I look up at the clock and see that it's 11:30. I'll have time to get my truck and pick some veggies before I have to leave. But first … I need this coffee.

Chapter 7 "Did you hear me cheering as you stumbled out of the bar grabbing her behind? I was howling. WHOOOOO HOOOOOOO!" He licks the corner of his thumb and steers with one hand. "'Bout TIME you got back into the driver's seat partner." Tim's calloused hand drops down on my shoulder. "At least Sasha's not going to fall in love and want you to call her every waking moment. She'll probably leave you alone now." He continues laughing while I sit

back and take it. He's just giving me what I gave him all those months ago. My arm rests along the window, and my fingers tap out in tune to the song on the radio. "Well, I don't remember any of it so it's not a huge deal." "Not a huge deal?! Are you kidding me? You are moving forward my friend, and it's about goddamn time!" His hand comes down hard on the steering wheel as we continue across town. I can't be mad at him, not even a little. "I don't think I'm moving on. I

think I was drunk. Worse than drunk almost comatose. It must have seemed like a good idea at the time." I look out the window as I trace the frame of the glass with my fingertips. "I was really messed up." I don't know who I'm trying to convince, Tim or myself. But it most definitely sounds like a pile of crap. "What happened with Riley?" he asks as we pass Sue's. There are a few cars parked outside much different from this morning when I walked past the vacant parking lot. "Nothing. I told her about Mel

and well, I don't think I was able to express anything right." "Really? Because you have such a way with words." He teases. "I hear you're a cunning-linguist." He starts laughing at his little joke, and I am getting further and further from impressed. "Look I'm sorry it didn't go the way you were hoping, but I sure as hell am glad Ty is coming back. I missed him." I get it. Of course I get it, but that doesn't mean it pisses me off any less. We pass the tree that still bears

the scars of the accident even all these years later. In my sober state of mind, I think back to that night and remember I was supposed to leave with him. It could have been me. Scrubbing my face with my hand, I turn my attention back to the road and see my truck up ahead. "I'm going to see Mom and Dad later. Probably be gone a week. Can you keep an eye on the place? You know. Water my plants?" I chuckle under my breath. Tim parks his car, and I undo my seatbelt. No response is needed. He

nods and I climb out, taking my keys from my pocket. I walk to my truck and climb in the driver's seat. Shaking my head as I back away from Sasha's place, I throw her into gear and head to Widow Crawley's house. *** Slowing as I near, Riley's car is nowhere to be seen so I am free to park anywhere I want. I take the tote bag from under the seat and climb out looking around one last time before I walk up to the little white fence to claim some items from the garden. Widow Crawley would

pull my ear and give me a tongue lashing, but she honestly would give away everything in her garden to the families around town. Opening the gate, I step on the dry soil and start pulling carrots and picking peas, but before I can start digging for potatoes, I hear a tiny throat clear. I know I'm caught before I even turn around. Continuing to pull. "I believe you're trespassing, Mr. Lorey." "I don't think any of the townsfolk would see it as that," I

respond and pick up my full bag. "I'm just taking what's not going to be used, taking them to my parents for supper." Her manicured hands rest on her hips, tapping just her pointer finger as she eyes me disapprovingly. Her eyes are shielded by her large sunglasses. I can imagine her eyebrow raised as she watches me. Slowly, I approach her, with my bag over my shoulder. My eyes travel the length of her body. Her chestnut hair in a knot on the back of her head. A blue cotton blouse and a long gray skirt. She's

in business mode again, which probably means she will be meeting with either a realtor or people interested in buying the house. "I hope they like the house," I state as my shoulder brushes hers when I pass her on the way to my truck. Throwing the bag inside, I turn to say goodbye and she's facing me, her sunglasses on the top of her head and her eyes full of remorse? Or is that regret? "Look, Ty. It was nice knowing you. You're a hard worker, and I will be sure to tell the new tenants about your

services. But you really shouldn't have come." I slam my truck door and walk towards her with determination. "Stop, Ty," she demands as she holds up a finger. "Stop right there." "Why? Why? So you can continue controlling this without even hearing me out? So you can wash your hands free of me and never look back? Why, Riley? Why?" Confusion washes over her face, and her head sways side to side before she tips it down. "Just go, Ty. I'll be out of here in a few days, and we never have

to see each other again." "You know that's not going to work." I storm up to her tucking my hand behind her head, tipping it up and looking into her eyes. "You won't get out of my head. You are what makes me want to move on, move forward. Until you ... Nothing." She rolls her eyes and tries to take her head out of my hands. "That's not fair, Ty. To tell me what you want and take it away from me before even seeing what I want? This isn't the Ty Lorey show, not all the time. It's not just

about you." Her hand comes up and brushes mine from the back of her head as she turns and walks away from me. I let my hands fall to the sides, and I watch her as she climbs onto the porch and into the house. Away from me. No. This is not okay. She isn't going to walk away from me. I follow her into the house. Running the whole time. Up the three steps and pushing open the front door, causing her to startle and turn around grabbing her chest. "Why are you walking away

from me, Riley? Why? I've laid every single thing out for you on a fricking platter. And you are the one running." I stare at her from the welcome mat that I stand on. Breathing heavy, my chest rises and falls while my heart throbs in my chest. She doesn't answer me. She covers her face and sniffles into her palms. "Please go, Ty. Just go." "Ri-" "JUST GO! TY LOREY! LEAVE!" she yells and charges at me. Her tiny fists pounding my chest. I grab

her small wrists and gently restrain her, stopping her unwarranted assault on me. She struggles for a moment, and finally stops and slowly lowers herself to the floor at my feet. "Please, Ty." She looks up at me begging me to leave, and now seeing her tears, there is no way I'm leaving her. Lowering myself to her level, I reach out and rub her arms gently. "What's going on, Riley? You aren't going to make me run." "I'm am very attracted to you, Ty. I love working with you. We have so

much fun together. I was starting to have feelings for you. But those were mine. Something just for me. I was never going to act on them. I knew you carried baggage." Her hand comes up and brushes my knuckles. "And then you told me that story the other night, and I realized that I was jealous of Mel." She laughs. "I'm jealous of your dead girlfriend because she will always carry your heart, and I didn't realize until just then, that I wanted your heart to myself." She wipes her nose

with the heel of her hand. I wasn't expecting the confession and she takes me by surprise. I stand and turn away from her. I don't want to see her like this. I hate knowing that I caused this, yet another regret to add to my forty-eight hour regret marathon. "I have to go." It's my turn to run, just like it was hers before. She whimpers in agreement. "But before I do, I need you to know that if I can ever give my whole heart to someone again, I wanted her to be you." Opening the door, I step outside

and walk to my truck. Climbing in the driver's seat I look up and see her watching me sadly from the front door as I pull into traffic and away from the one that made me feel again. This is probably the one thing I never thought I would have to do. Choose Mel over living.

Chapter 8 It's been three months since I saw Riley. Since I last stepped foot in Widow Crawley's house. I have no need to be there anymore, the new owners paved over the garden just like I thought they would. Pavement. There's no need for a paved yard out here, you need a place to be a family and the pavement doesn't let you get close to nature. I've been doing my monthly maintenance checks on the local businesses. They pay me to come and

change lightbulbs, fix the tile, plumbing ... anything that's needed. It was nice to get back to what I was doing before she turned my life upside down with that flip property. Tonight Tim and I are hanging out at The Shake. The Band is doing much better now than it was and people are actually driving here from the city to see them. We're expecting a big crowd tonight, so I'm going to help Princess at the door with security. I get to give them a stamp to enter. It's their only way in and out.

The line is long, and I love watching Princess interact with the crowd. He's a completely different person with them than with me. All the girls are 'sugar' or 'sweetie.' All the guys are 'man' or 'bro' to him. It's rather amusing. "So you never told me what went on between you and that Riley chick?" he asks as I place my stamp on the next patron. Looking up I shake my head, I knew he was going to ask at some point today. I nod at the next guy coming

through and place the stamp on his hand. "Ah man, nothing. She was my boss and we worked together well. Job ended and we were done." "That's bullshit!" Princess swears catching me off guard and startling the next girl in line behind the velvet ropes. I apologize to the tiny little woman standing there. Leaning forward I see the line is going all the way down the side of the building, possibly even around the corner down at the end by the gas station. "I don't know what you're

thinking, Hoss, but there was nothing there." "Damn. Because I could have sworn that day with the tub there was something. For the most part, it just felt like I was the third wheel on a date." I break out in a chorus of laughter. "Why are you just asking me this now? I mean, you've had months. Every Wednesday for the past two months I've been here, and you're just asking me now." I shake my head. Princess shrugs his ginormous

shoulders. They look like ham bones, big and meaty. "Gotta talk about something to pass the time." I guess he's right. He continues to ask for ID, and I continue stamping the hands of the young and immortal. The line begins to dwindle as most of the people are allowed in. Capacity is seven hundred fifty three and for the first time ever, The Shake is filled to the brim. "You okay turning the rest away on your own? I want to go watch the set, or what's left of it." I ask Princess as I open the door and hear The Band

hammering out one of their best covers. Tim is really on tonight. He's cut back on the drinking, and his talent is showing it. I shoulder my way through the sea of people watching The Band from where ever they may be in the bar. Dancing against their partners, swaying side to side. Singing along when they know the words. Sasha is in hog heaven right now, all these new boys in her scope. She's on the prowl, but at least she's started leaving me alone. Finally making my way to the bar, I have an ice cold beer put down in

front of me by the new bartender they recently hired. She winks at me and I smile back at her, tipping my hat as I do. I watch her as she walks away in those tiny shorts and tinier tank top. She has a slim waist, fantastic legs, and perfectly perfect pert breasts. Not much bigger than what would fit in my hand, but anything more than that is a waste now isn't it? She looks back over her shoulder and smiles bashfully at me. Her blonde braid shifting over her shoulder and her teeth biting gently into her lip. Turning

back to the customer she is serving, I turn around and Tim is standing behind me smiling widely. "What?" I ask bringing the bottle to my lips and tipping it back while scanning the crowd. "I saw you." His expression not changing in the slightest. Stepping forward he leans over the bar and shakes his head. "Mmm, that is nice." He groans and pulls away from the bar. "I have no clue what you're talking about." I take another drink and turn away from him again.

"Then you won't mind if I go after her." He taunts and breathes on his knuckles, as if polishing them. I can't tell if he's serious or ribbing me. "If you want to. Whatever." I try to remain calm, aloof even. But I can tell he sees right through it. His hand comes down on my shoulder and he leans in. "Don't worry, man, she's looking at you. Not me." He glances in her direction and points with his chin, turning around I notice her smiling at me again. "You think I can go there?" I ask

my best friend, not believing that he may have actually changed. He may not be challenging me, and it's somewhat disconcerning. "If you don't, you know someone else will." "Would that someone be you?" "Could very well be." He teases and sniffs, tugging his shirt into place, spiffying himself up. I take a deep breath and nod. "Yeah, I think I'll ask her out. Take her to Sue's for a pie." "Take her to your place, or go to

hers. Don't take her to Sue's it's not exactly a prime date location with all those old farts drinking down her coffee and slamming back her apple pie." "I'm definitely not ready for that yet, but thanks for the tip." I tip back my beer and look back at the girl standing on the other side of the bar pouring drinks for others but trying to look in my direction every chance she gets. Some of the crowd heads toward the door to leave for the night, which means we have to start letting some of the people from the line in. Slamming

back the rest of my beer, I nod at the bartender and push off the bar. "I'm going to go back and help Princess for a while." I bring my hand down on Tim's shoulder. "If you need a ride home tonight, I'll be the sober one out front next to the big guy with the chick's nickname." I walk through the crowd bumping shoulders with every Tom, Dick, Harry and Susan. Princess is standing out front with his giant arms crossed over his chest, shaking his head back and forth. Since I can only see the

back of him, I can only assume someone is trying to talk him into letting them in when we're at capacity once again. "Go take your break." I suggest to him as I come up from behind. "I can watch the door for a bit." "You got it, no one in, unless some come out." He points his finger at me and tries his best to look mean for the people wanting to come in. It doesn't work for any of us as we all laugh a little at his expense as he enters the building. "So come on. Just the two of us."

The dark haired girl whines bending over slightly, showing off her cleavage. "Look how tiny we are, we barely take up any room." The other one joins in, swinging back and forth chewing on her fingernail. She's attempting to look innocent, but I highly doubt purity is one of her virtues. "Sorry, ladies, not until we clear out some. I'll let know when that is. Just hang tight." I turn my back and walk to a position closer to the door. Scanning the crowd on occasion, watching for fights. It's very low key considering the amount

of people that are actually vying to get inside. The women start whispering between each other behind their hands, looking in my direction. I try not to pay attention, but it's very distracting and it is somewhat flattering. A handful of people leave, and I wish them a goodnight, hoping that one of them is sober enough to drive and the girls in the line look at me expectantly. Slowly, I saunter over to them and check their ID. They both check out, and I lift the velvet rope granting them and four others into The Shake.

People are starting to get the hint that they aren't going to make it in before The Band stops playing, so they slowly begin leaving and head back to their vehicles in the parking lot. Throngs of people are starting to leave the club, I assume to try to find some food. The loud voices carry through the parking lot as they climb into their vehicles, tires chirp on the pavement as the cars drive away. "Cool it, Fonzie." I mutter as I watch the red taillights get smaller into the night. I shake my head at their antics

and clear my throat. "Anything interesting happen while I was gone?" Princess asks as he steps back outside into the chilly night. "Brr. Got a little brisk out here?" He shivers and rubs his arms. "If the line were shorter we could do this from inside but there's still too many damn people in this line," Princess whines, so I tease him and wiggle my finger through my pouty lips, causing him to roll his eyes and wave his hand at me. "Nah, nothing much happened. People left, others went in. Ebb and

flow." I yawn and stretch my arms. My eyes travel into the club as the door opens, and I see the new bartender as she pokes her head out smiling in my direction. I nod and offer a small smile, which she returns and steps back inside. "So you getting much work?" Princess asks, distracting me from the closing door. I know he's hinting at me offering him something since he made some really good money that one time with me. Riley made sure of it. Riley. Hmm.

Wonder what she's doing now. This is the first time I've thought about her in a little while. I used to think about her all the time. She made me so mad, I couldn't get her out of my head. But then one day, she wasn't there as much. And now, barely at all. "Gettin' some, but if I ever need a hand you'll be the one I call for sure. The jobs I normally do are small. Not all of them are moving cast iron tubs from a bathroom." I promise him. Another group of people leaves, and it happens so quickly. One moment

they are all chatting and the next minute, two of the guys are throwing fists at each other. Princess runs over and I man the line, keeping my eye on the fight while we wait for backup. Standing between them, Princess tries to hold them apart and winds up taking a fist to the chin. I jump the velvet rope and pull his assailant off, as he takes the other in a headlock away from the fight. "What the hell?" I demand. "You need to get in your car and leave. This is NOT the place for this crap. Take it somewhere else." I raise my voice to an

authoritative level, hoping this guy will back off and walk away. He struggles in my arms, determined to strike at his enemy in Princess's arms. I hear a woman screaming on the other side of the parking lot. "Get your hands off my fiancé." She's shrieking now, raising a lot of havoc slapping at my gigantic partner, trying to make Princess let go of him. Suddenly two more staff members come rushing out, holding back the crowd as it forms around us, just in time to witness the one I've just let go of grab a bottle from a

bystander and bring it down over my head. The pain is excruciating and it drops me to the ground instantly, the world around me goes black. *** I hear distant voices talking. I can't tell where they are, and I can't see them. I barely hear them, but I know they are there. The pain coming from my head is reminiscent of the pain I had the day of the accident when I lost my world. Beeping. An annoying beep sounds once every second, it never changes tone but

the speed changes when I try to move. "Shhh, don't move. You're okay. We've just got you in here under observation." A calm voice tells me, which causes slight panic to set it. I open my eyes and see a nurse looking back at me. She's an older lady, but she seems friendly enough. I swallow a few times and take a few deep breaths. I suddenly feel immense pain in the back of my head, winching I reach up to touch it, but instead of hair, I find a gauze bandage instead. "Finally awake!" Tim calls as he

comes into view. "Glad you're okay, buddy." The nurse walks away and leaves me to hang with my friend. "We're in the ER. They wanted to make sure you woke up and didn't slip into a concussion or anything. The police want to speak to you when you wake up." I'm confused. "Why do they want to talk with me?" "So you can press charges against the guy who smoked you with a bottle. Princess pinned him faster than Sasha did you that night."

I roll my eyes and groan at the memory. "I'll go tell 'em you're awake. The faster they talk with you, the sooner we can get you home." He pulls the curtain back and steps outside, I hate hospitals. The sooner I can get out of here the better. Slowly dropping my head back on the pillow, I close my eyes and try to remember what happened, when Tim returns with an officer. "Glad you're awake, Mr. Lorey. I'm Officer Parkes and I would like to

take your statement please." "I'll try. My head is kinda fuzzy." "Just do your best." "I was helping to break up a fight outside The Shake. Princess, I mean Danny, took one, and I took the other guy. I had called into the door before I helped separate them. Then Princess got jumped and all hell broke loose. I don't remember much after that." "Do you know what the fight was about?" "They were drunk guys. One of them could have smiled wrong at the

other guy. Anything I say would clearly be speculation and not what I know for certain." "Charges will be pressed against him for assault. You will be notified of your next steps if we require you further, but otherwise we will let you know what the full charges and punishment is." "Am I free to go, officer?" "As soon as the hospital clears you, you are welcome to leave. If we require further information we will contact you." "Thank you, officer."

Officer Parkes nods and leaves the curtained area. Tim comes over to the side of the bed and sits in the only chair available "Damn, they need to make these more comfortable. My ass is going to go numb." Tim whines. I turn and shoot him a dirty look. "Your ass is going to go numb? How about a concussion? Think I'm enjoying that much, buddy?" "Sorry. I didn't mean…" He starts, and I cut him off by raising my hand. I honestly don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear anything. I want this

incessant beeping to stop, and I want to go home to bed. The nurse returns with a young doctor and they look at my head. "Mr Lorey. You are so lucky. You will have a headache for a few days and a slight concussion. I will advise you to stay away from heavy machinery, no driving cars or quads or any of that stuff. No alcohol." The doctor turns to Tim. "He's going to need supervision for the next twenty-four hours. Make sure he wakes up, that kinda thing." "Other than that. How are you

feeling?" "Besides the killer headache? I feel like a million bucks." The doctor nods and doesn't offer me a smile. Barely looks in my direction. ER doctors have trouble with bedside manner, what's the point getting attached to patients if you don't know what's going to happen to them. "Alright then, Mr. Lorey. You are free to go. If you pass out, vision changes, start vomiting blood, etc., come straight back and we will check you out." "Thank you, doctor."

"Yeah, thanks, doc." Tim chimes in. "Okay, well I guess we're roomies for a few days." Tim claps his hands together and rubs them briskly. It would appear that he's formulating some sort of plan, evil enough to take over the world. Or maybe he's just excited to be in control of me for once. I sit up and slowly turn my head to face Tim. Glaring at him. He looks far too happy with this situation, and I don't like it. "Pass me my pants and get out while I change." I bark at my best friend while he continues to wring his hands.

I don't like this one bit.

Chapter 9 Tim's bachelor pad stinks like sweat socks. His sofa is full of popcorn kernels, and the table is filled with empty glasses. I look around the room in disgust. "Dude, this is where you bring the ladies? This is not sexy, and I can promise you, I refuse to put out until it's cleaned up." I walk in slowly and look around the place. "Are you kidding? I go to their place. There is no way any chick will find out where I live. I refuse to bring

them here." He scoops up some papers from the sofa. "Here, get comfortable." He points to the seat and walks away picking up discarded items as he goes. Dusting off the cushion, I take a seat and hold my head in my hands. I can't believe I have to stay here for the next few days, but it's not like I have any other options. "What can I get you? Need a drink or anything?" "A blanket, man. I need sleep. It's…" I begin and look at the clock. "7:23 in the morning? Are you serious?"

"Yeah, you were knocked out around midnight, and we got you to the hospital as quickly as we could. You only woke up an hour and a half ago." He yawns and stretches his arms above his head. "If anyone needs sleep, it's me. I'm going to catch a nap." Tim stands and walks to the bedroom, stopping in the hall as he does, he pulls an extra quilt from the towel closet. "We'll go get your pillow this afternoon along with whatever else you're going to need." "I can use this." I pick up the throw pillow from the back of the sofa.

"Don't forget to check on me to make sure I wake up." I remind him and roll my eyes. "I'm setting my alarms." Tim leaves me alone in the living room, and I hear the bathroom door close. Laying down on the sofa, I toss and turn in an attempt to get comfortable. Trying to avoid the gauze on the crown of my head, I finally find acceptable comfort on my left side and pull the blanket up to my chin. No nausea, no dizziness. I should sleep well for the

next hour or twelve. Tossing and turning I can't sleep. I keep thinking back to my last hospital stay, even though I am trying desperately to avoid those thoughts. I lay here staring at the black television screen, reflecting myself laying here on the sofa. Taking a deep breath, I sigh and slowly sit up. Raising my hand to the gauze bandage, I find myself touching it gingerly. I don't know what's under this bandage. I don't remember the nurses saying anything about stitches but surely there are some.

Bored, I stand and make my way into the kitchen. This is somewhat clean as I'm sure most of Tim's meals come from takeout containers. I turn on the pot of coffee and sit at the table with my head in my hands. I hope this headache leaves soon. I don't think I can handle much more of it. As I wait, I take my phone from my pocket and look at the pictures again. Mel smiling. Mel and myself sharing a moment. A kissyface selfie and then a new picture. I don't remember taking this, but I must have. A photograph of Riley with a big swatch of

pale gray paint on her cheek. I remember that day well. She kept teasing me because I was trying to raise my eyebrow, and I was whining that I couldn't. Thought it was hilarious and she kept calling me Turtle. ALL. DAY. LONG. I took my full paint brush and marked her cheek with it. At first she was surprised, and then she started laughing. I thought she looked so beautiful just beaming the way she was. Ponytail, sweatpants and a big ol' blob of paint on her cheek and I needed a photo of it. I find myself still staring at

the picture when I realize the coffee is done percolating, and the dark roast aroma fills the air. Pressing the end button, I place the phone on the table, and the screen goes black. With a sigh, I stand carefully and walk to the cupboard to grab myself a mug. Pouring the coffee, the steam rises and fills my senses. I swallow a mouthful and close my eyes absorbing everything about this mug. "I thought I heard some noise." Tim startles me from my peace. I lean back on the cupboard and place my mug

just behind me. "Sorry, there was no way I could sleep. Hope I didn't wake you." "No, I hadn't slept yet. Just heard the coffee brewing. Then of course it's coffee and there will be no sleep." He chuckles and takes a mug down, pouring some for himself. He lifts it in the air as a toast and takes a drink. "Damn. That's good coffee." "I really don't have to stay here, Tim. I can go home. I'm sure I will be fine. I'm not dizzy or nauseated or anything." I plead my case. I really don't

want to be here. His place is dirty and smells. I want my bed, not a sofa. And I feel like a damn princess all whiny. Maybe I do need to stay a little longer just to get this out of my head. "Tell you what. You get through today and tonight and I will take you home tomorrow." "Why don't you just take me home and you can sleep on my sofa? I mean I am the one who got injured and needs his rest. I can't rest on your crumb infested sofa." "Why not?"

"Dude, have you ever laid down on your sofa?" I hold up my fingers one at a time. "One, it stinks. I don't know what it smells like, but it ain't pretty. 2, it's lumpy as hell. Isn't that the same sofa your grandparents had in their basement when we were kids? We trashed that thing so many times." He continues staring blankly at me. "And 3, SO. MANY. CRUMBS. I feel like I'm laying in a sandbox. Dude. Vacuum." He says nothing just stares blankly at me as he drinks his coffee. Each time the mug comes up to his

mouth, I just want to shove it in his face. He makes no effort to discuss this with me, instead he changes the subject. "I was thinking we could invite some of the gang from The Shake over tonight for dinner. I know at least a few of them are anxious to see that you're okay. Princess only being one of them." I roll my eyes at his lack of understanding and walk to the table. "Oh yeah? Who?" "Like I said, Princess and Matty from the shooter bar, and of course the band." He begins to raise the coffee to

his mouth again. "And Trina." He adds as an afterthought. "Is that so?" "Oh yeah! Princess is upset that you got hurt because of him." He shakes his head. and I think I see a smirk form on his lips. "Matty was of course upset because he didn't get to help you in time. The band was upset because, well, your fight interrupted the set." "I see." I spin my phone on the tabletop. "We aren't having them over here, Tim. It's a mess. Let's go do this at my place if we must. It's not gonna

happen here." He continues to ignore my pleas, and he's starting to piss me off. I'm done. Picking up my phone, I put it into my pocket and tuck my folded ballcap into my back pocket and walk out of the house. I'm going home. Where I can be comfortable, where I can rest and where it doesn't smell like old sweat socks and football gear. Moments later, Tim pulls up in his truck alongside me as I walk. His windows are rolled down. "Let me drive you."

I offer him the same look he offered me when we were in the house. Boredom and distaste. He stops the truck, and I climb inside without speaking to him. "Look. I was worried about you. I didn't think it would be that bad to crash at my house for a day or two, and quite frankly, I wasn't expecting any house guests, so my home probably did smell a little funky and my sofa did have crumbs all over it. But you need to stop acting like a damn princess and stop feeling sorry for yourself."

He turns the corner that takes us to the street I live on, and I turn to glare at him. "Feeling sorry for myself? What the hell are you talking about?" He stays silent for the couple moments it takes to get to my driveway. Throwing his truck into park, he shifts his body and drapes his right arm over the back of the seat. "I get it. I'm not a complete ass. I get that you lost Mel. I get that you were in a horrific accident. I get that you didn't get closure because her parents were dicks. But what I don't get is

almost two damn years later, and you still mope over the love you lost. You can't move on because no one is Mel, or Mel wouldn't approve or some nonsense like that." "You really think that?" It's starting to anger me. "You really think I was moping around for Mel? I wasn't moping. I'm not a freakin teenage girl." "I hate to break it to you, but for the past almost two years, you have been a teenage girl, and I'm done. SO many of us are done, but everyone is afraid to say something because you might snap.

We're afraid that you didn't get the proper help you needed to move on with your life, that maybe just maybe we will lose you too." It's like a slap in the face. It stings coming from Tim. I open the truck door and slide out, slamming it behind me as I storm away. For once today I am not thinking about my throbbing head. Or Mel, or Riley, or Trina. I'm not feeling bad for myself. Instead, I feel anger. So much anger and resentment for my friend. Pushing the door open at my house, I

stalk inside and straight into the bathroom to wash my face. Turning on the taps, I splash warm water on my face and rub my eyes trying to remove the cobwebs from my head. Looking up into the mirror, I see my pathetic reflection staring back at me. Realization smacks me in the face like a ton of bricks. Tim's right. I have been a mopey teenage girl, and I need to end this. I start the water to my shower, and slowly take off my clothes, trying to avoid the bandage on my head. I grab my

razor out of my shaving kit before stepping under the spray. Facing the water, I can avoid getting any on the wound while it soaks my body. I look down at the blade of the razor and lift it up to my exposed neck. Carefully, I take my first swipe and remove the first strip of stubble. I continue this motion over and over again shaving below my chin and keeping the stubble on my face. I can't wash my hair until I take off the bandage, and I can't remove that for two days. I have to change. I have to step

forward and away from the accident and move on with my life. First thing I need closure. I need to say good bye to Mel. I will print off the pictures but I have to take them off my phone. I need to say goodbye, and I plan on doing so as soon as I can. Stepping out of the shower, I swipe the condensation from the mirror and take note of the small knicks I left on my skin. Only two this time. I rip small pieces of tissue and stick them on the open wounds before I pick the small scissors out of my shaving kit and give

the scruff on my face a trim. By the time I'm finished, my anger has subsided, and I am ready to do this. I walk into my bedroom and throw on some decent clothes before making my phone call. "Hello." The sweet voice on the other end of the line responds. She was always so gentle to me, until that day in the hospital. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Vispar. This is Tyson Lorey. Please don't hang up." I rattle off quickly. I need to plea my case.

"Go on." Her voice becoming as cold as ice. She still blames me. She hasn't moved on either. "Mrs. Vispar. I need your permission to pay my respects to Mel. I need to tell her goodbye." I hear her breathing on the other end, but she says nothing. "Mrs. Vispar. Please. I just want to go and say goodbye. I won't come to you. I will go quietly and not stay long. Please understand that my guilt is unbearable, and it wasn't even my fault. You have to know this."

"I'm sorry," she whispers. "My husband won't allow it." They were always under the rule of Mr. Vispar. His voice carried and no one wanted it to be directed at them. "I just need a half an hour. That's all, and you will never be bothered by me again. Please, Mrs. Vispar. Do you remember when you gave us your blessing to elope because you knew that your husband did not approve? You wanted your daughter to be happy." She sniffles quickly. "I remember. But I can't let you do this. I

made such a mistake last time. I regret offering you my blessing." "I know you do. But please, I'm begging you." The line is silent for a moment, and I hear some muffling on the other end. I believe she's walking around and I'm hoping to another room, or to an area where she can talk. "Okay. I have Mr. Vispar drive me to go shopping every Saturday at ten. We will then have lunch at 12:15 at our favorite restaurant. Once we're done there, we go to the cemetery to say our

hellos. We are usually there by two. I can't delay longer than two. Don't doddle," she whispers hurriedly into the phone. "I'm sorry you've had to live with this. I forgive you." She hangs up the phone, and I choke back a tear. I've waited a long time to hear those words. I just hoped I would hear them face to face, but I will accept them the way I got them. Saturday is three days from now. I need to make some arrangements.

Chapter 10 "Thank you. I still don't like road trips, especially ones this far from home." "It's okay, Ty. How've you been?" I turn to look at her, and she's just as beautiful as I remember. Her dark hair pulled up into a ponytail, and she's wearing little makeup. She doesn't need it. Her features are amazing even without accentuation. "I've been good. Did you hear

about the bar fight?" I ask as I shift in my seat. Her Tiburon is definitely more comfortable than my truck would have been for this trip. "You were in a bar fight? I don't believe that for a second." She smirks and turns her attention back to the road. I smile and lick my lips. "No, ma'am. I wasn't in one. I was a victim of one." She turns her head and raises her eyebrow at me. "Explain." "The Band is getting very popular and more and more people are

coming to see them from all over. They actually started playing on Tuesdays and Wednesdays now." "Good for them! They have talent." "So I've been helping at the door. Stamping hands after Princess IDs them. You know. Doorman type stuff." I shift in my seat to get more comfortable and look out the window. "Two guys leaving got in a fight, for what, I have no clue. Princess and I separated them, and the one I had decided to smoke me over the head with a bottle."

She hisses. "I woke up in the hospital. It freakin' hurt. Minor concussion and a huge bandage. Turns out they glued my head closed and it makes it difficult to wash." "You’re lucky that's all that happened," she informs me. "It led to me getting mad at Tim and then at myself, and finally I decided that I needed to do this. Thank you for understanding." "Why did you call me to go with you?"

"It was..." I take a deep breath. "The only thing that made sense." "So I got us a room at the Comfort Inn for the night. It's nothing special but it's a place to sleep. We'll get some dinner and hang out." She shoulder checks and changes lanes getting ready to take the next off ramp. "I appreciate that, thank you." Neither of us says another word until we reach the hotel. Together we walk in and we collect our room key. I look at her in surprise when I see the one key. As we

walk away from the counter, I nudge her shoulder with mine. "I was expecting two rooms." "How can we hang out if we're in two rooms?" She nudges me back. "I want you to know that I'm not that kind of guy. I'm not going to be putting out tonight." "Shut up." She smiles. The dimples appear as does the blush on her cheeks. "I missed those dimples," I state quietly as she opens the room. I step inside and see two beds, and a large

television. "Which one do you want?" I ask, trying to be the gentleman. However, I hope she takes the one closest to the bathroom. I need the breeze of the window to sleep more comfortably. "You pick, I'm going to the bathroom." She tosses her bag on the bed closest to the bathroom and I watch her perfect backside as she walks away. This is going to be a hard night. No pun intended. *** After a restless night, I wake at

7:00 A.M. and tiptoe past Riley's bed to take my shower and to grab some courage for today. I reach for the taps and pray for silence when I turn on the water. The last thing we need is screaming pipes as the hot water rushes through them. Placing my folded clothes on the counter, I undress and climb into the tub and scrub down. Carefully I wash my hair. The spot is still tender where I was hit. The glue is still holding but I have to be careful not to pick any off. I clean up as quickly as I can and

towel dry off, taking extra care to dry my hair as gently as I can. Once I have my pants on, I'm just about to button up my shirt when there's a gentle knock on the door. I turn and pull it open and see Riley standing on the other side. Her hair is mussed up, her face still puffy with sleep. She looks amazing. I've never seen anyone look this beautiful in the morning. My heart skips a beat, and my mouth wants to drop open. Instead, I clear my throat. I find her glancing down at my chest and back up to my face. She

reddens a little before asking if I was done in the shower. "Sure am." I pick up my pajamas and step out of the small room. She steps in and closes the door. As I reach the bed I hear the water turn on and just thinking about her standing under that spray in the next room, gives me goosebumps. "Hey, Ty." Her small voice calls from behind the door when the water turns off. I stand and approach the door. "Yep?"

"Can you pass me my bag? I forgot to bring it in with me. It's on the floor by the bed." "Sure thing. Just a minute." I walk back toward the bed and look on the floor. I see her bra laying there next to the bag and pick it up, thinking that she might need it along with her bag. The material is soft in my hands, almost silky, but I know it's not silk. It's delicate, and I picture it on her body. Clearing my throat, I shake my head and carry both items to the bathroom door. Resisting the urge to run

the lingerie against my cheek, I raise my hand and tap slightly to let her know I'm at the door. "Here you go. I'll turn away," I say and step to the side of the door frame. Turning my head back to the beds. My eyes come up and find a mirror as her eyes find the same mirror. Momentarily, our eyes meet in the glass before we both turn away in embarrassment. She pulls her arm and the bag inside in a hurry while I take my hand back and turn away from the mirror.

"You trying to spy on me, Mr. Lorey?" Her voice calls out a second later. "No, ma'am. I wouldn't do such a thing." I assure her. Old me might have. The before Mel me wasn't such a sweet guy. I'd be in the shower with her right now if this was pre-Mel. We'll see what happens in a couple of hours. Turning on the television, I find the local news station and settle in for a while. Amazed at the city news compared to the small town news I'm used to. Shootings that aren't related to

hunting accidents are never heard of. Muggings, car accidents. School closures and donation drives. It's heartbreaking to hear all of this stuff. I drop back on the bed and close my eyes in disbelief. This is why I don't like the city. I can't handle stuff like this. "Crazy night," Riley states as she sits beside me on the bed. I open my eyes and turn my head to look at her. Her hair is twisted up on the back of her head, and she's wearing a small amount of makeup. The pink blouse she has on looks amazing on her skin tone, and I

can't help but stare. "Indeed." She takes the remote from my hand and turns off the television. "Let’s check out and get some breakfast so we can be there as quickly as possible. Then you can do what you need to do." Tapping my leg, she encourages me to stand and follow her while we claim our items and leave the room. I leave Riley to check out, and I take our bags to her car in the parking lot. There's a pancake house on the other side of the lot, and we've decided to have breakfast

there. It only takes a few moments for her to check us out and meet me in the lot. She's smiling as she approaches me, and it captivates me. I can't take my eyes off of her, and I'm sure I'm showing every bit of my adoration for her like a mask. "What?" she asks suspiciously as she approaches me. I knew she could tell. I'm not very good at hiding these things. "I just want to tell you that…" I begin and think better of it for the time

being. "Thank you again for being here for me." "You're welcome." She smiles. "Let's go eat. I'm starving." Together we walk to the restaurant and wait at the door for the hostess to seat us. It doesn't take long before we are both finished with our second cup of coffee, and our meals are being placed in front of us. I'm starting to get nervous now. The time is getting closer for me to do this, and I just pray that I don't back out. It's getting harder and harder for me to

swallow my meal and Riley watches my struggle. Reaching across the table, she takes my hand in hers and squeezes it. "I'm here for you." It's the only thing I need to hear to remind me that this is what I want. Squeezing back, I nod and finish my meal with one hand. There's no way I'm going to let go of her again.

Chapter 11 We pull into the parking lot and cut the engine. Anxiously, I sit and try to calm my breathing. My heart is beating out of my chest, and I'm filled with a hive of angry bees. Reaching for my hand, Riley squeezes and brushes my knuckles with her finger. "You don't have to do this today, Ty," she whispers. She can see the pain my body holds. "You can do this when you're ready and only you will know when you're ready."

I turn my head to face her. Chewing on my lip, I adjust my hand and braid our fingers together. I know she's just trying to encourage me to do what I need to do. She knows how much I have suffered with this for a year. "I need to do this. It's time," I tell her quietly. "I have so much to say to her, and I need to do it today. Her mother gave me today. I could never ask for another." I look out the window and see the beautiful cemetery before me. Rows upon rows of beautiful ornate markers

made of slate and marble. Flowers on almost every plot. Looking up I see blue sky with wispy clouds and a gentle breeze rocking the leaves of the oak trees that line the property. "I want you to come with me." I turn back to Riley. "Please." She nods and gives my hand one last squeeze before we open the doors and step out of the car. Rounding the car, she takes my hand and together we follow the sidewalk into the cemetery. Slowly we walk the path and take note of some of

the markers. Grandparents with lilac flowers. Children with baby's breath and teddy bears. Mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers. Every one of the markers is a loved one, lost but not forgotten. Finally we come to the section where Mel is laid to rest and we separate to find her. It takes a few minutes of reading headstones before I come across a simple black marble headstone with her name on it.

Melanie Corrine Vispar. Beautiful daughter. Fly high among the angels, sweet child, we will dance again one day. I kneel on the ground in front of it and start shaking like a leaf. "Hi, Mel," I whisper. "I'm sorry I didn't come sooner. It took a lot for me to come. I wasn't ready to say goodbye." I take a deep breath and change positions so I'm sitting directly on the earth above her. My fingers run through the grass, and my emotions hang on by a

thread. "I've missed you so much. That last day we were together was the happiest day of my life. You were so amazing. Smiling and loving me on our journey. I remember that morning so well, we just threw whatever we could in our bags and started toward Vegas. It was so exciting. Do you remember that, babe?” I ask quietly. "Your mom quietly offered us her blessing just the day before and we couldn't wait. We decided to do it as quickly as we could.” I smile at the

memory and chew on the inside of my cheek. "We made love that night, knowing that would be the last time we did it as a dating couple. Little did we know that would be the last time we were intimate - ever." Birds chirp in the trees just behind her marker and I look up toward them. Taking a deep breath as I do. "I miss you so much." A tear runs down my cheek and into my beard. Tipping my head forward, I close my eyes and wipe my nose with the heel of

my hand. "You were the only thing in my life that meant anything. You made me a better man." I sigh. "Just knowing you made me a better man." Behind me I hear quiet footsteps approach on the sidewalk. I don't turn around to greet her, but I know it's Riley. She steps off the path and onto the grass beside me. Her hand finds my shoulder and gives a squeeze. My hand comes up and reaches hers. Squeezing slightly, I take a breath and continue. "This is Riley. She doesn't know

why I brought her here today. It's not just for the company, it's so she can see that I am finally ready to move on. I miss you every day, Mel. Every day! But I need to move on, and this is the woman I want to move forward with." Her hand squeezes my shoulder, and I look up at her. "Mel, I know you would love her. She is amazing. Talented and beautiful. Riley is fun and smart and she makes me want to move forward. She makes me want to remember you. She makes me want to love again."

Riley's eyes fill with tears, and she kneels beside me. I continue. "Mel, I dreamed of you every night for a year until I met this woman. I started sleeping better and through the night again when she came into my life. I started smiling again when she gave me attitude and showed me the fire that fills her belly. She made me live again when she smiled at me." Silence falls over us on Mel's grave. I'm with the two women that mean the most to me, and I care for both of

them deeply. She clears her throat. "Hi, Mel. I'm Riley. I want to thank you for being a part of Ty's life. For in a way, being a part of mine. I know how amazing you were and how special you were to him. It was hard competing with you. I won't lie. I had to walk away to keep my sanity, but it didn't work. I thought about him every day we were apart." I drop my head and chew on the inside of my cheek, while I listen to Riley talk to Mel. Telling Mel how she

feels about me, and how thankful she is to her. I listen as Riley takes a breath and reaches for my cheek, brushing my beard with her thumb. I know in this moment that this decision is the right one. This is the closure I need. "So, Mel, I've come to say goodbye. Your mom gave me her blessing to come here today so I could say goodbye to you properly. Your dad would never allow it. He told me as much in the hospital, along with other words that were not very kind. But we

know how your dad felt about me." I laugh. "I want to move forward, hopefully in the same direction as Riley." I stand and walk to her marker, brushing it gently with my fingertips. "I remember how your skin smells. I remember how soft your hair was. I remember your gentle voice." I take my wallet out of my pocket and open it. Two of my fingers slide out a small photograph from one of the ID slots. It's a picture of us kissing in one of those mall photo booths. I don't know

what happened to the other ones, this is the only one I have. Taking out my pocketknife, I make a slit in the sod at the foot of the headstone and slide the photo into it. "I love you, Mel. I always will. But I have to go now." I look back over my shoulder and see Riley standing there wiping her eyes. "I think I have someone waiting for me." Leaning over, I press my lips to the cold marble and run my fingertip over her name one last time. "Bye, baby," I whisper onto the stone.

Turning back to Riley, I reach my hand for hers in hopes that she will take it and walk with me. Nodding, she accepts my offering, and I wrap my arm around her waist, bringing my free hand to her face. Brushing her cheek with my thumb and staring into her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she releases the air with a sigh and nods briskly before bringing her lips to mine. Her pillow lips greedily attack mine, and I willingly surrender to her. Pulling away, I kiss her forehead, and she brings her fingers to her swollen lips.

Together we join hands and walk back to the car. I open the passenger door for her and climb into the driver's seat. Before I turn the ignition, I stare back at the entryway to the cemetery and take a deep breath. "You okay?" Riley asks reaching for my thigh. "I am. I'm better than okay." I lean over and kiss her lips. Turning back I throw the car into reverse and pull onto the street. The funny thing is I feel better. A huge weight has been lifted from my

shoulders, and I don't miss her so much. The pain isn't as crippling and the world looks brighter. I wondered what would happen when I did this. Would the day be gray and cloudy? Would Riley walk away and leave me stranded at Mel's grave? Would I go through with it? But I did, and the world looks different now. *** We drive the entire way home, without stopping. It's a six hour drive, but we push on until we're home. I pull in front of my house and cut the ignition.

I turn to face Riley. I gently run my fingers over her lips and cup her cheek. Riley closes her eyes and leans into my hand. Sighing, she blinks her eyes open, and they shimmer while darting around my face. "How are we going to do this, Ty?" she asks hopefully. "Let's play it by ear. I don't want to rush anything with you. I want to take it where it needs to go, when it needs to happen." "Can we play it by ear in the house? My legs need to move." She grins

and brings her lips to mine. "And I need to pee," she says against my lips. I nod and reluctantly I pull away from her lips. Opening the car door I climb out and round the car helping her out of her door. Taking her hand, we walk to the house and step inside. "You want coffee?" I ask walking into the kitchen. Reaching for the beans from the cupboard and filling the maker with water. "Please. I'll be right back," she calls out and rushes down the hall to the bathroom.

I fill the filter and press the power button. Grabbing a couple of mugs, I place them on the counter and lean forward on my elbows, dropping my head. Finally, the weight of the day falls on my shoulders, and I'm exhausted. My head swims with the memories and my heart swells with the girl whom I want to give my whole heart to. She comes back and joins me in the kitchen. Her hand travels the length of my spine and rubs between my shoulders. Her touch invigorates me. Lifting my head, I turn to face her, and

she steps into me. Her back presses into the counter as I box her in with my hands. My forehead meets hers and I close my eyes again, absorbing her scent. Our noses sweep each other. Barely touching. Neither of us use our hands, instead we brush lips and cheeks. I bring my nose to her hair, and my lips find the tender spot just below her ear causing her to shiver. "I've been wanting to do this for a long time, Riley" I whisper. "So have I," she replies and arches her neck making it an easier

target. I appease her and allow my lips to travel down to her collarbone, licking gently when I reach my destination. Slowly I pull away and bring my lips to hers one last time. When I pull back we open our eyes and look at each other. "I don't want to rush this, Riley." "I understand, Ty. I do." She conveys to me as the coffee finishes brewing. "Let's just take things slow and see what happens." "Agreed." I plant a chaste kiss on her lips and push off the counter turning to fill our waiting mugs. Riley takes her

mug and heads to the sofa, pulling her feet up beneath her, hugging a pillow. I follow her into the room and stand beside the sofa watching her for a moment. Swallowing a mouthful of coffee, she turns to me. "What?" she asks playfully. "I wanted to be so mad at you, Riley. I wanted so badly to be able to walk away and hate everything that I felt for you." "You aren't the only one. When you told me you wanted to move forward with me but didn't know how.

That scared the crap out of me. I wasn't ready to face my feelings. I felt cornered and scared. I ran because that's what I do. I run." "I don't understand." I sit beside her on the sofa. "I flip houses so I don't have to stick around anywhere for too long. So I can leave without guilt. So I can do what I want to do and not meet anyone, not fall for anyone. And it has worked up until you." "But you flipped the house and you will be moving on to the next one.

Same as always." She smiles devilishly. "What's that look for?" "That's not entirely true." She bats her eyelashes. "I didn't sell the house." Riley lifts the coffee to her mouth and swallows. "You didn't? I'm so confused." "I rented it out. The people living in it are my tenants. They tried to buy it, and I wouldn't let them. I needed to be able to come back when the time was right." This is new news to me. It

changes so many things, and it makes me want to grab her and hold her tight. She felt the same way I did. "So you knew I wasn't ready and stepped off?" "Basically." "How did you know I would come around?" My fingers find her hair, and I pull it free of the elastic holding it in place. "I didn't. I just hoped you would. I'm sorry if I upset you. But I needed it to be clean for both of us just in case that was it." She looks down at her lap and

places the mug on the table. I sit beside her and drape my arm around her shoulders. She nuzzles into my arm, and her fingers play with the buttons on my shirt. It was in the past. It doesn't matter. What happened between us brought us to where we are now, and that's all that matters. My fingers dance on her shoulder, and I kiss the top of her head. We fall asleep in each other's arms on the sofa and nothing feels more right than this. If this is what moving on

feels like, I'll take it.

Chapter 12 Three weeks have passed, and we have been inseparable. Well, as best as we can considering she's in the middle of flipping another house in the city. Every weekend she stays here, we still haven't made love, but we do sleep together touching and caressing each other every chance we get. Tonight we are going to The Shake. Well, Riley will be meeting me there after she meets with her tenants. The Band is playing and it's my first time

back since I was hit over the head with the bottle. I pull into the parking lot and throw the car into park. Stepping out, I walk slowly toward the bar. Princess smiles when he sees me approaching. "TURTLE! So glad to see you, my friend!" he calls out and opens the rope for me. I reach out my hand and we shake. "You've gotta be all healed now. You feeling good?" My hand travels to the spot where I was hit and I nod. "Feeling pretty good. I think that most of the glue

is gone now." "Good. Good." Princess smiles. "Go inside. The crew will be happy to see you." "Sounds good. Oh and hey, I have a friend coming tonight. Make sure they get in okay?" "Who is it?" I ignore his question and wander into the bar. It's still early so not many people are here yet. Looking across the bar, I see The Band and Trina. Her eyes light up the minute she sees me, and she rushes out from behind the bar.

"It's so good to see you! I was wondering when I would see you again, handsome." She wraps her arms around me and stretches up on her tiptoes. I'd be lying if I said her breasts pressing against me wasn't exciting. They feel amazing. I place my hands on her shoulders and step back. "It's nice to see you too," I reply and remove my hands from her arms. She offers me a look of puzzlement. Tim raises his beer, still unsure whether or not he should approach me

after my hospital release. I can't say I blame him, but he doesn't know what I did after. How he pushed me to move on and make the best decision of my life. Stepping around Trina, I leave her behind as I walk toward him. "How's it going, man? I haven't seen you in a couple of weeks. I thought the concussion got ya," he says with disinterest and takes a drink from his long neck bottle. "If you were that concerned, man, why didn't you call?" Trina returns to her place behind the bar and slams a

beer down in front of me before walking away. I shake my head, and Tim looks between us. "What's going on here?" he asks suspiciously. "Nothin'," I reply and take another pull from my bottle. "Expecting a big crowd tonight?" I ask as I turn to see the stage set up somewhat differently, and there's a couple of new bouncers scattered around the bar. "Since you were hit, we couldn't risk it again. The owners figured they didn't want any lawsuits from guys like

you just helping out, so they actually hired more people. You aren't gonna sue them are you?" Princess asks me as he walks up with Riley on his arm. "I think I found your friend." "Hi, baby." I cup her cheeks with my hands, kissing her lips. It feels like the world goes silent and it's just the two of us. I hear Princess cheer behind me, before he claps me on the back and returns to his post at the door. Linking pinkies, Riley joins me at the bar and takes a drink from my bottle. Tim's mouth hasn't closed yet, he

stares at us in bemusement. "Trina, a beer for my girl please," I order. A look of understanding covers her face, and she nods sadly. "Sure thing, Ty." She takes a cold one from the small fridge and delivers it to Riley. "I'm Trina. You're a lucky lady. He's a really good guy." Riley smiles and blinks in my direction. "Thank you, Trina. I'm Riley. He is a very good man." "Okay, what?" Tim asks me and I almost laugh beer out of my nose. "This is because of you. That day

you dropped me off and told me I was being stupid, I took a look at myself and decided to change." "So you just changed?" He shakes his head. "You can't just change." "You're right and I'm still working on fixing myself, but I…" Riley takes my hand and squeezes. "We drove out and said goodbye to Mel." This gets his attention, and he stands up looking me in the eye. "How? I was there the day her dad went ballistic on you in the hospital. You were never supposed to know where she was. You

were never to see her resting place." "I called and asked permission from her mom. Had he answered the phone, I never would have asked. I would still be in the horrible state of self-loathing that I was in." I lift the bottle to my mouth and wrap my arm around Riley. "Anyways, here we are." "It's about damn time. Welcome back, Ty!" He raises his bottle and winks at Riley. "You sure you want this?" She smiles and hip-checks me playfully. "Ah, it will pass the time." It doesn't take long before the

crowd starts to fill The Shake, the sound of voices rises above the sound of music. It doesn't take long before the DJ turns up the volume slightly. As the people at the bar get more demanding, Trina is running off of her feet and has little time to chat with us. However, I do catch her looking over her shoulder and offering a sad smile. I wonder how different things would have been had I not gone back outside but instead stayed in asking her out like Tim suggested that night. The Band heads to the stage and

the crowd follows them and erupts in cheers and screams. Riley and I step closer, she stands in front of me and I tuck my thumbs in her front pockets. With her back pressed to my front, together we sway to the music. My lips find her neck, and her hands reach up and touch my hair. Turning her body, she presses her mouth to mine. Swiping at my lips with her tongue. Her fingers dance in my facial hair and her body presses seductively into mine. Looking into her eyes, I know

I've made the right choice and nothing else matters. "Wanna get out of here?" I whisper into her ear and trace the length of her neck with my fingertips. Her eyes close and she nods. "Take me home, Ty. I want you to make love to me." This causes a low growl to erupt from my throat. and I feel her demand all the way through my body. I raise my hand to wave at Tim, who's not paying attention to me anyways and together we leave the bar arm in arm. I lead Riley past Princess, and to my waiting truck. I open the passenger

door and help her into her seat. Her legs part slightly, and her hands find my hair as our mouths connect, and I press in as close as I can to her. "You sure you want to do this?" "I am, if you are," she answers. Reluctantly, I pull away and close her door. Walking around the truck, I climb into the cab and start the engine. Pulling out of the parking lot, I drive toward my house full of nervous energy. *** We step into my house, and I take her hand. We've done this a dozen times

at least, but this is different. This is the next step, and I am scared shitless. I take a deep breath and expel it before leading her into my bedroom. Closing the door, we turn and face each other. Anxious. Excited. I lick my lips and nervously run my fingers through her hair. Her eyes close and she leans into my hand. Riley's hands find my face and with her guidance, she leads our mouths together. Taking my hand, she slowly

leads it to cup her breast, and I suck in a sharp breath of air hissing it out as she releases me. My thumb dances over her blouse and I feel her nipple bud below the delicate material of her bra. Bringing my other hand up, I begin the slow process of unbuttoning her blouse, exposing the line of pale skin between her breasts and her navel. I step back and admire the sight before me. Bringing my lips to her neck, I follow the trail with my tongue. Slowly, I remove the shirt from her body and step back to admire her again. She

stands there, breathing heavily with anticipation in her bra and jeans. It's the same soft bra from our trip, but now I see how amazing it looks on her body and the way her nipples pop through the material. I take a step back and unbutton my shirt, keeping my eyes on her the entire time. I tug on each side, pulling the tails from my denim jeans and push my arms back, allowing it to fall to the floor. Together we stand there looking at each other. Her hand comes up over my stomach muscles causing them to jump.

Her long fingers trace the line from my navel to my belt, and I am covered in goosebumps again. Dipping her fingertips in, she tugs at the waistband and pulls me closer. Our lips find each other again, and our bodies press together. My arms wrap around her and undo her bra, letting it fall to the floor, feeling the entire length of her torso against me. Leading her to the bed, I take my time exploring every inch of her. Worshiping her like she deserves to be worshiped.

Chapter 13 Riley moved into Widow Crawley's house on the first of the month. Her tenants took great care of the property and even had a raised garden with a composter and watering system. They left it behind when they moved out. I pull up to the house and pick up the bunch of pink carnations I cut from the flower bush behind my house, and I step up onto the porch. Knocking twice I open the door and wipe my feet on the welcome mat, like I always do.

"Ri!" I call out and walk toward the stairs, passing the empty kitchen on my way. I get no response, and I continue on my path through the home. "Ri! Where you at?" "I'm upstairs. I'll be right down," she yells, and I back step until I reach the kitchen. It's got the limited necessities, coffee maker that makes single cup servings. It's definitely not for me. I drink a pot a day. I look out the window and I hear her footsteps come down the stairs, they quicken when she reaches the last step

and momentarily her tiny arms are around my waist. "Hi, baby," she whispers into my back and hugs tighter. "Hi," I whisper back. "I brought you a little something." "You did?" she questions in surprise. "What is it?" I expose the bunch of flowers and her face lights up. "They're beautiful!" she announces as she brings the bunch to her nose and inhales deeply. Her eyes close and she smiles widely. "They're beautiful. Thank you!" She kisses my cheek and turns to get a vase.

"I thought you needed something to brighten up the place. A small housewarming gift." I explain to her as I sit at the table and follow her every move with my eyes. She's delicate, and I can't keep my eyes off of her, like watching a butterfly in the yard. Running the water, she fills the vase and places the flowers inside. Pulling them apart gently, they fill the space, and she carries the decoration to the table. Placing it in the center of the table, she looks quite proud of herself as her hand comes up and rests on my

shoulder. "Thanks, babe." Riley bends over and kisses my cheek. She pulls out the chair beside me and sits, taking my hand in hers she leans her head on my shoulder. My hand finds the small of her back. We sit in silence for a spell, not needing to say anything just enjoying each other. "I'm going to visit my parents next weekend. In Salt Lake City. I was wondering if you would want to come?" She looks up at me with puppy dog eyes. Her thumb rubs lightly across the back of

my hand, and I look at her deeply and smile. I've never had an interest in going to Salt Lake City. I don't know why, but it just really has never held my attention. It's a good fifteen hour drive from here if we drive straight through, and I'm still not keen on long interstate trips. "Flying?" I raise my eyebrows and ask her hopefully. "No, why fly when driving is a ton cheaper and way more fun." "Since when is a numb ass and cramped legs more fun than flying?" I

tease. I know she's right but at the same time I don't know if I can do it. I don't even know if I'm ready to meet her parents. "Still nervous about long interstate drives, babe?" she asks before standing from her chair and straddling my lap. Her arms rest on my shoulders, and her lips find my neck. "Honestly? Yeah." I swallow hard and take a breath. "But I think I'm more nervous about meeting your parents. The last parents I met really didn't approve, and I don't think my ego

can take it again." "I've been telling my parents all about you. They are really excited to meet you and I promise that they are nothing like Mel's parents. My dad is the one pushing to meet you." She wiggles slightly while pressing herself onto my lap. I gasp slightly and a low moan erupts from my throat. "I have a really big fear of shot guns and dying. They aren't very high on my list of things to do," I whisper causing her to laugh. "You don't have to worry about

that. My daddy doesn't have a gun. He doesn't even know how to use one." She runs her hand down my chest. "Besides, my mom is the one you would have to worry about. She's taken all the shooting lessons. I think she's gotten pretty good." Pulling my head back I raise an eyebrow at her, which takes her by surprise. "BABY! You finally did it! You raised an eyebrow, without your fingers!" "Pretty good right?" I beam. "Amazing, baby! I'm so proud of you!" She wraps her arms tightly around

my neck and squeezes. My face finds the spot between her breasts, and it automatically takes comfort in its new resting place. Thinking about it for a moment. I bite my lip and sigh. "You really want me to go with you, babe?" I ask her knowing full well that she will let me have an out if I need one. She would never force me to do something that I wasn't ready to do. Resting her head on my shoulder, she tenderly strokes my chest. "Babe, if you don't want to you don't have to. I

won't make you do anything if you aren't ready." Taking a deep breath, I look down at her and smooth her hair. "No, I'll come. I don't know if I am one hundred percent ready for this road trip, but I should be moving on, pressing forward right?" She doesn't respond. She nuzzles into my neck instead. "Alright, I'll go. But I don't know if I will be able to share the driving responsibilities. I'm sure you understand that."

"Thank you, baby. I think this will be good for you. Help you heal and move forward." Standing up, she takes my hand in hers and pulls me up. Linking both of our hands, she steps forward and tilts her head up slightly to look at me, and I tilt mine down. Pressing a quick kiss to her lips, I pull back and take notice of her smile. She's glowing. "You're pretty happy I'm going with you." "Captain Obvious is in the room." She smirks. "Of course I am. My parents will be thrilled. I've never

brought a boy home before." "Never?" "No one's been good enough to meet my family. My parents have had no interest in meeting anyone of them either. Until you." "Wow. That's a lot of pressure." "Why is that?" "It makes me feel like I need to be perfect." "You are," she says and it makes me feel like a million bucks. I've never believed that anyone else would feel the way that Mel did, and this just tops the

cake. Dropping one of my hands, she slowly starts backing up and pulling me behind her. "Where are we going?" I question playfully. She continues walking and turns her back to me, our fingers still locked. "Where are you taking me?" "Follow me." She sings. "Why should I do that?" This question causes Riley to stop dead in her tracks. Turning, she raises her eyebrow and leans in. Whispering she replies,

"Because I'm going to take you upstairs to the bedroom and show you just how happy you have made me." "How happy have I made you?" I offer a crooked smile. "VERY happy. Now stop asking questions and follow me." I don't argue. I don't hesitate. I do what I'm asked and follow her up the stairs to the bedroom. *** "I don't want you to go to the city tomorrow. Can't you just take this week off? Do you really need to go look at

those houses?" We lay together tangled limbs twisted up in the sheets. Her head is resting on my shoulder, and I'm tracing small lines down her bare arm. My question causes her to roll onto her stomach and cross both arms under her chin. "Trust me, I'd rather stay here now that I've moved in as well, but I have a few strings in the city. Plus I have to speak with my contractor. The house needs an extensive facelift, and I have to make sure he got all the permits so it can be finished next month."

"That needs to be done tomorrow?" "Yeah. Why don't you come with me? I could take you to all my haunts and we could have a mini adventure." "Sorry, love, I can't. I have to rebuild a porch for Sue's restaurant tomorrow, and then I have to go get the paint for her window frames and shutters." "Work blows. I wish we didn't have to do it." "Me too, but we have to this week if we are going to go to Salt Lake

City next week. How long are we going for, so I can be sure to tell everyone if they need me to do something?" "How long do you want to go? Three days with two days driving?" She lays back on the pillow, and I sit up contemplating my answer. "We could do that. I'll take a week off so we can pretend we aren't home for a couple of days after, and we can just stay in bed the whole time." I kiss her belly. "That is the best suggestion I have heard in a long time." She purrs

and pulls me back down onto her. Our chests press together, and our mouths meet. Her lips taste like honey, and she smells like heaven. Reluctantly, I pull back and rest above her on my elbows. Her fingers run through my hair, and I trace her cheekbone with my thumb. "Why did you accept my phone call when I called to ask you to come with me to see Mel?" Her nostrils flare slightly with the intake of breath. "I was never really mad at you. I was mad at myself. I had to make myself mad so that I wouldn't try to

persuade you just to move on. So you wouldn't hate me." "I didn't hate you. A couple of days after I got home from my parent's house I had to stop myself from calling you. From trying to find you. I was under the impression that you were very upset with me." I flop back on the pillow and blow out a puff of air. "I knew I couldn't be the man you wanted. I wasn't ready but I didn't realize just how much I wasn't ready until Tim pointed it out to me, in an extremely blunt way." "Is that so?"

"Truth." I hold up three fingers and smile. "I'm sorry it took so long for me to realize that it was time to move on." "You took as long as you needed. It wasn't too long, and I know you aren't one hundred percent out of the past, but you are able to move on and you want to move on. That's what counts." "No, I kept my promise to you. YOU are the one I wanted to move forward with." We lay here for another hour, talking quietly between ourselves. Just

the two of us.

Chapter 14 I wake up in a cold sweat for the first time in months, except I don't know for certain what I was dreaming of. I don't know if it was Mel or the attack or what, all I know is I'm rattled. My body is vibrating with nervous energy, and my heart is pounding in my chest. Sitting up, I wipe the sweat from my brow, throw my legs over the side of the bed and cradle my head in my hands. Rubbing my temples, I shake my head back and forth and throw the blanket off

my body. Standing I walk to the kitchen and fill a glass with water. Downing the glassful, I refill it and walk into the living room. I want to call Riley. I have the sudden need to talk with her, and I don't know why. That dream surely fluttered my brain, and it's going to take a little bit to calm down before I can get back to sleep. I sit on the sofa and look up at the green LED screen telling me the time. 4:37 A.M. There's no way I will be getting back to sleep. But what on earth was I dreaming about to make me wake

up like that? I turn on the television and flip aimlessly through the channels. There's a show about multiples. I can't tell if it's the marriage or the kids, but why on earth is this on TV? Turning off the television again, I throw the remote back onto the tabletop and stalk to the bathroom to take a shower. Might as well get today on the road. As I turn on the water, I get a memory flash that I just can't place. I can't tell what it really was, but it has my heart hammering again. I place my hand

up on the tile in the stall and brace myself. I don't know why but I'm feeling absolute dread. I wonder if this is an anxiety attack. I wonder if it finally hit me that I will be meeting her parents, or maybe it's the fact that I will be driving for fifteen hours on the interstate. Slowly, I lower myself to the tub and allow the water to wash over me while I put my head between my knees in an attempt to both calm down and catch my breath. My chest feels like it's caving in on me, and my body is killing me. It's bad. This is so bad. Curling into a ball

in the tub, I wait and pray for the feeling to stop. I lay here until the water runs cold. Shivering, my teeth knock against each other as I slowly rise up and turn off the water. Reaching out I take the towel with my fingertips and drag it from the rack to the floor. With aching muscles, I climb out of the tub and wrap myself in the soft bath towel and stumble back to my bedroom. Climbing back under my blankets I tremble and wait for the cold to leave. My jaw hurts from being clenched so hard.

As I begin to warm, I look up at my clock and see that it's now 6:15, and I am thinking about calling Riley. I'm still shivering as I dial her number. "Good morning, baby." She yawns into the phone. It's obvious that I woke her, but she won't say anything. "I'm sorry, Ri, did I wake you?" "It's okay. I slept in. How are you doing?" ""I-I think I had an anxiety attack." I tuck in tighter on the bed and continue to try to warm up while listening for her response.

"Oh, I'm sorry, baby. Tell me, how are you feeling now?" "I feel tingly and lightheaded. And cold." "Cold?" "I kinda freaked out in the shower and stayed in it until the hot water ran out." I hear her chuckle on the other end, which causes me to chuckle too. "I'm sorry, baby. I don't mean to laugh, but you have to admit it sounds kind of funny." "It does." I sigh. "I'm sorry I-I

just lost my shit. And the worst part is I don't even know why." "You don't know what brought this on?" "Not exactly, I woke up from a dream, and it wasn't Mel. At least, I don't think it was Mel. But I don't remember it and then I started feeling…" I whisper under my breath. "Dammit. I'm sorry." "Why? Why are you sorry?" "Because I'm not strong enough for this." "Stop it. Ty. You are strong

enough, but you will be living with this for the rest of your life no matter what. No one can take your past from you and you are always going to have that memory and guilt. There's nothing none of us can say to make it better. I wish I had the cure. I wish I could fix it so you didn't have to deal with this anymore. But I don't. And since I'm with you, I have to be here for you." She takes a breath and I hear her shuffling around. She's most likely shifting in the bed, finding a more comfortable position. "I'm here for you, Ty. But you need to let

me in, and if I'm not there you need to find your calm. You need to see a doctor." I consider her words, and although I appreciate them, the fact that she wants me to see someone, hurts. It stings like a slap to the face, and the realization strikes me that her words are true. I should have seen a doctor a long time ago. I should have had the closure a long time ago. But I didn't and now I have to deal with this pain and the memories forever. I'm still a teenage girl, and I'm so done with feeling like

this. Maybe when we come back from Salt Lake City, I will talk to the doctor here in town. "You going to be okay, Ty?" "I will be. I don't even know why I called you. There’s nothing you could do for me from there." I shake my head and run my fingers through my hair. "You called because you knew I would support you. I'll be home in two days and we can get ready to go on our road trip." "Sounds good, Riley." "Call me again if you need

anything. I know it's a tough thing to do, but you need to talk about this. You need to allow yourself to ask for help." "I know. Thanks. I can't wait to see you." "Two days." I can hear her smile on the other end of the line. "Two days, and you won't be getting rid of me for a couple of weeks." "Only a couple of weeks?" I pout. "Yeah. But as soon as this house here is done, you won't be getting rid of me for a while. I'll be a permanent

resident there, and I can't wait." "It will be amazing." I agree. "Just be safe okay? Call me when you're leaving and no texting and driving." I warn. I'm still shaken and unfortunately I know it comes across as wussy. "I will, I promise," she responds. "Talk to you later, baby." "Bye, Ri." We disconnect the call, and I sit up wondering what I should be doing now. I decide to get dressed and head over to Sue's early to take care of those shutters. Pulling my pants on, I stand and look around for my

work shirt. Once I find it, I pull it over my shoulders and button it. I turn on the coffee pot while I toast a bagel to eat on the road. I know I can eat lunch at Sues and there's a good chance she will refuse to allow me to pay for my pizza, and that's okay by me. I fill my thermos and butter my breakfast, taking a big bite. I slide my phone and wallet into my pants and head out the door to my job for the day. Climbing into my truck, I throw it into reverse and pull onto the street. The roads are very quiet this time of day,

living in a small town there's no rush to get to work before traffic begins. I am the traffic right now, and I love it. I can roll down my window and smell the dawn as it welcomes me and the only thing I hear are the birds greeting the day. I hold my hand out of the window and allow the breeze to guide my hand up and down, like it's flying. I do this until I reach Sues. Pulling up out front, I back into the stall so I can access the materials easier. Her shutters are about thirty

years old and are in drastic need of revamping. We've decided to do all the windows on the building. I can see this being a two day job, easy. Lugging my sawhorses out of the back, I set them up in the stall next to me, followed by the pieces of wood that I will need to make these. Attaching the slat of wood to the saw horse with vice grips, I begin to measure and cut. Measuring twice and cutting once, Dad taught me that when I was younger, and I still do it today. Two hours of measuring and cutting brings me to a large pile of

wooden slats, waiting to be pieced together and attached to the building. With the sun rising, so is the heat. I wipe my brow with the back of my arm and retrieve my water bottle. Swallowing the last gulp, I return it to the gate of the truck and sit in the shade of the porch for a little. I look out at what I've accomplished and think back to the crazy anxiety attack this morning. "Mornin', Ty. Early start today?" Sue asks as she parks her car on the other side of my sawhorse parking stall. She's chipper this morning and full of

smiles for me while she approaches and pulls her keys from her purse. "Well you know, Sue, I like to get the show on early. Challenge myself to try to finish most of the job in one day." I squint as I look up at her. Her glasses sit on her nose and they are attached to a jeweled glasses band that hangs down around the back of her neck. She reminds me of an old librarian. Sue cackles and pants as she climbs the three stairs. "Well, Ty, I'll put the coffee on. Come on in and have some breakfast in about ten minutes. I'll whip

you up some buttermilk pancakes and sausage with some hash browned potatoes. Sound alright?" "Yes, ma'am. Thank you." "Come in when you're ready. I'll be cooking for you." She disappears inside the building leaving me alone once again on the porch with my pile of measured and cut wood. I scoot off the porch and set up a sheet of plywood on top of the sawhorses to make a table to work on. Sliding the wooden pieces together, I create one shutter in the ten minute allowance Sue gave me, and I

decide to follow her suggestion and go claim a meal. The bell above the door rings, and she calls out from the kitchen. "Grab yourself a coffee, Ty. Breakfast is almost ready." I have to admit, the smell coming from the kitchen is amazing. My mouth begins to water and my stomach growls in anticipation. I can't wait to sink my teeth into the meal she's making for me. I step behind the counter and pour a coffee from the waitress stand. Walking from behind, I grab a stool at the counter and

stir in some cream and sugar. I cradle my head in my hands and look down at the countertop and close my eyes. I'm starting to feel the effects of a horrible sleep. My eyes aren't closed for long before a large plate is placed in front of me. "Tired this morning, darlin'?" she asks and pours herself a coffee before sitting in front of me on the stool that's too tall for the counter. "Horrible sleep. But I survived and I will be giving you the best damn shutters you've had in - well, forever

really." I pick up my fork and stab it into the potatoes scooping some up and taking a big bite. Not only does she make a killer pizza, she also makes killer everything. My taste buds explode with the first taste. Moaning in appreciation, I look up longingly at Sue and nod while chewing. "Oh, my God, Sue, this is amazing." "Thanks, sugar. So tell me." She pauses to take a sip of her coffee. "Why did you sleep so rough?" I finish chewing the bite of

sausage and swallow. "I don't know. I think I had an anxiety attack and I don't even know what from." "Were you thinking about your accident?" "I don't think so." I rub my head and put down my fork. "I don't know what I was dreaming about. It was so weird." Leaning back in my chair, I sigh. "I think I'm just nervous to take the road trip to Salt Lake City and meet Riley's parents." I lean back on my elbow and stab the sausage with my fork and scoop it into my mouth.

"That's the problem right there!" She slams her hand down on the counter and stands. I look at her with a mouthful of food. Puzzled and confused. "Oh don't look at me like that. The problem is obvious. You have to take a long road trip! Come on, you can't tell me that you didn't figure that out." When I think about it, I know she's right, on both accounts. It hadn't even crossed my mind that I might be nervous about the road trip, and it's feeding into my dreams. The only thing I was concerned with was the anxiety

attacks. "Is it just cold feet?" '"Pfft. I would bet a year's supply of pizza on it." Sue scoffs and waves her meaty hand at me. "You'll have a great time when you go, and I think this is the best thing you could do. You've made a great choice, Ty." She lets me know as she slugs back the last of her coffee and stands up to busy herself around the restaurant. Finishing my meal, I wipe my mouth and take the empty plate back to the kitchen, rinsing it off before placing it on the dish rack. Wiping my hands on

the towel I step into the restaurant and refill my coffee before going back outside to work. I have a lot of shutters to do and only a few days to do them. After lunch, the crowd starts getting bigger at Sue's. Mostly old timers having coffee with their buddies like they've been doing for years. The sun is getting warmer, and I was hoping to be on the shady side of the building by now, but it's not going as I planned and am behind a little bit. I still have three shutters to put up on this side. Wiping my brow, I put down the tools and step

inside to claim a nice cold drink to cool me down. "You still working out there, Ty?" "Yes, ma'am," I reply to Sue as she pours me a tall glass of lemonade. "How many of these shutters do you have left to finish?" she asks and pours more coffee for the group of men sitting beside me. "I have 3 to put up on this side." I motion with my hand toward the front door. "And 4 on the other side. Most of them are dry already, but it's just so

warm out there I needed to come in and cool down." "You take as long as you need, Ty. The building has gone this long without a facelift. If you want to call it a day already you can, just try to finish it before your trip." Sue leans in nice and close. "But if you don't, it's not the end of the world." She nods at me and smiles as she picks up an empty plate and walks away teasing the customers as she always does. I look around the room, and everyone lights up when she approaches

them. She may be the owner, but she gives every customer one on one attention and they all appreciate it. Stepping back outside I decide to hang the ones closest to eye level and call it a day. I have a lot to think about and come to terms with, and I don't know if being high upon a ladder with a nail gun in my hand will be a good idea while I'm distracted.

Chapter 15 Waking up that morning, I feel energized. We stayed at my house last night since her car was already packed with her items. The plan is to stop on the way out of town and pick up snacks for the road. Sue offered to have some sandwiches made for us at seven and some coffee to go as well. She's such an amazing lady. Always taking care of people in this town. I roll over and feel her with my fingers, gentle strokes on her arms cause

goosebumps to rise in the wake of my touch. Slowly, I press my lips to the small of her back causing her to wiggle and moan slightly. "Wake up, sleepy head." "Mmm, mmm." She objects with a moan. "We need to go." "I don't wanna." She groans into her arm. Laying beside her, I kiss her cheek and urge her awake one more time before sliding my foot over the side of the bed and pulling on my jeans. Walking

to my dresser, I open the third drawer and remove my super comfy t-shirt for the trip. I need comfort if she wants me to be on the interstate for fifteen hours. From the bed I hear Riley sigh and turn in time to watch her pull the blanket around her body and roll over. Her dark hair covers the pillow in a messy nest. Her face is nice and puffy from sleep and has creases where she rested on the pillow. "What if I said the trip was a ruse so we could stay in bed for an entire week and everyone would think we were gone?"

"I'd say, nice try. Get dressed we need to be on the road if we're going to make it to the hotel in good time." In a dramatic swoop, she throws the blankets off of herself and sighs. "FINE!" She twists her body and sits so her back is facing me. "I'll get dressed. I really don't want to get out of this bed though. This was quite possibly the best sleep I have had in over a week." She starts to pull on some clothes and stands, sliding her sweats over her hips and pulling a hoodie over her head. Turning back to me, she twists her hair

up in a ponytail and crawls to me over the bed. I stand here, unmoved since I saw her naked backside. Instead, I am frozen and watching her. "I thought you said you wanted to get a move on. Where's your shirt, bucko?" She pokes my abs making my skin jump from her touch. I find myself dumbfounded and momentarily unable to speak. Finally able to clear my throat, she laughs at me and walks out of the room. I shake my head and finish getting dressed, following shortly behind her. Tossing the strap of my bag over

my shoulder, I leave the bedroom, making sure all the lights are off before I do. Reaching the living room, I find her drinking a glass of water, ready to go. Noticing me enter the room, she finishes the rest of her water and smiles at me. "Ready?" "I sure am!" I reply over eagerly. I'm sure she can see right through me, but she doesn't say anything, instead she winks and picks up her bag and her keys from the counter. We leave my place and head to Sues for the road food that was promised. The bell above the door

chimes as I walk in and Sue is just packing everything in bags. "Here you go, Ty. I hope this is everything you'll need. You shouldn't be hungry until you reach that motel later on today." She folds the top of the bags down and pushes them toward me on the counter. "Thank you so much, Sue. I'll be back in a week and come by here first. If you need anything, I'll take care of it. How much do we owe you?" I reach in my back pocket for my wallet, and she shakes her head.

"Absolutely nothing, darlin'. With all the stuff you do around here for me, this is the least I can do for you. I've put some cold drinks and candy bars in the bag as well. You shouldn't need to be stopping for anything but a leg stretch and a bathroom break." Her solid hands lift the bags and push them into my arms with a chuckle. "Alright, thank you." "Now get yourself outside to the car so you can take this journey. It's past due." She shoos me away with her hands and busies herself around the restaurant.

I turn and leave. I suppose I was hesitating. It's nerve racking having to do this for the first time in a year. I can't pretend I won’t be nervous every time there's a semi-truck or an intersection on the road. I just have to face it and learn to get past my past. Riley's eyes open wide when she sees the items I'm carrying, and she clambers out of the car to help me open the door. "What in the world is in those bags?" She laughs as she climbs back in, leaning over the console to roll up the

rim on one of them. Dismissing her with my hand, I tell her to mind her own business, and I hand her the cup of coffee that was meant for her. Cheering, she brings it to her lips and takes a deep sip, sighing when she does. "Sue makes THE best coffee in town." As I take a sip of my own. Tucking the coffee cup into the cup holder, Riley backs out and slowly pulls down the road ready to hit the interstate. Silently, I say goodbye to the town as we pass certain areas. I know I

won't be gone long, but it just feels really odd leaving for the first time since that last time to a place that wasn't my parent's place. I clench my jaw several times and tap my fingers on my thigh when she merges onto the interstate. Riley notices my anxiety and takes my hand in hers. Squeezing my hand slightly she reassures me that I'm going to be okay. *** Three hours into our trek and I am finally comfortable enough to take my eyes from the road for a few minutes

at a time. "Babe, can you pass me a candy bar please?" Riley asks since the bag is at my feet, and she needs to keep her eyes on the road. I'm sure she's doing it because I started to stress out a little bit. She's always distracting me when she can tell I need it the most. Reaching into the bag, I jump when Riley screams. Panicking I sit up as fast as I can and grab my chest, preparing myself for anything. When I look around I see nothing, but I'm still near hyperventilating. Looking at her

with wild eyes, I realize why she's screaming. Riley reaches over and turns down the radio. "Oh shit. I'm sorry, Ty." Her brows are furrowed and deep regret is etched into her face. She covers her mouth and blinks her wide open eyes. "I just got really excited when I heard what was on the radio," she admits and turns up the sound. "Are you kidding me right now?" I scold. "You nearly gave me a heart attack for Rick Astley ... are you serious?"

She snickers into her hand and nods slowly. "So you seriously, seriously just screamed because Rick is never gonna give you up? Really?" I shift in my seat and face her. "I can't believe that." "Pretty ridiculous, huh?" she asks and chews the inside of her lips. "Beyond ridiculous." I stare at her and drum my fingers against the glass. "Did you Rickroll me? Is that what you would call it?" She's laughing wildly at me now. I continue to watch her as she laughs

heartily while driving down the interstate. She's beautiful. The sun is shining through the window causing her hair to halo her head. Her smile lights up the whole vehicle and her eyes sparkle. I could very easily fall for this woman if I let myself. I don't know if either of us are ready for that, but it might be heading in that direction. "Well, let's hear it then. If it was that exciting, let's hear it." I reach over and turn up the volume and the sound of Rick never giving us up makes my head spin. Riley starts singing along and

although the song is ridiculous, it's absolutely adorable to see her this happy. I shake my head and join in on the last chorus, shaking my head the entire time. When the song ends, she gives me a dirty look. "What?" I ask. "Why do I get a dirty look?" "My candy bar, you never did pass it to me." She pouts, and I shake my head before bending over and collecting one for her. "There. This make you happy?" I

ask after opening it for her and watching her take a big bite. Once she chews and swallows she turns to me and shakes her head. "Nope, it doesn't make me happy." "No?" "No." I look out the side window and watch the landscape whiz past. "What makes you happy then?" Her hand falls on my thigh and she squeezes. "You do. You make me happy." Snapping my head back to her, I see the look on her face. She’s

absolutely glowing. "You make me happy too, babe." I confirm with her. It's absolutely honest. She makes me smile and fills me with warmth. Leaning over the console, I kiss her cheek and her smile widens. "Just wait until we stop. I've got something special for you." She winks and makes a kiss sound with her lips. "Intriguing," I counter and she laughs. "You wanna give me any hints?" "Nope," she replies, popping the P as she does. "Fine, I don't want to know

anyways." I pout and pull myself closer to the car door, in an attempt to hide my smile I scratch my chin. "Oh don't be a baby." She teases and slaps my chest lightly, causing me to cough and sputter. "Be gentle, baby!" I bring my hands to my chest playfully. "I'm pulling over at the next rest stop. I need to stretch my legs." She shifts in her chair, stretching her back and her shoulders. Taking a deep breath, I make my difficult decision before sharing it with

her. "When we stop I'll take over and drive for a while." "You sure you want to do that?" she asks. "It's not necessary. I just need to stretch a little bit." I chew on my cheek and nod. "I'm really serious. I can do it for a while. I don't know how long I can do it, but I can certainly try to do it for a while, you deserve a break." "Just tell me if you need to change. I will gladly change back," Riley whispers. Neither of us are sure I

will be able to do this. Just up ahead is the turn off to the next rest stop. Shoulder checking, Riley puts on her signal and slowly merges off of the interstate. My nerves start taking over. After she parks we unbuckle our belts, climb out of the car and stretch our legs. Taking my hand she walks us to the edge of the turnout and then back. We walk slowly, just enjoying each other's company. "Want to have lunch now? Or do you want to wait?" I ask when I hear her

stomach rumble. "Maybe we should eat now. We can always hit a gas station for snacks in a couple of hours if we need to," she replies as we reach the car. Pulling her in front of me, I lean down slightly and press a kiss to her lips. Her arms reach around my neck and she kisses me back. We pull back slightly and look into each other's eyes. My heart fills when I see the look she's giving me. I'm really lucky. "Here." I lift her up onto the hood of her car. "I'll get our lunch. Sit

tight." I kiss her nose and rush around to the passenger door to retrieve the food bags packed by Sue. Carrying them to the front of the car, I place the bags on the hood and begin pulling out the lunch as prepared for us. Pulling out the plastic wrapped sandwiches, we also find potato chips and desserts. Sue pretty much thought of everything. Opening the plastic wrap, we find that she used her amazing roast beef for these and my mouth begins to water. "Wait until you eat this, you will

never find another sandwich that will ever compare to it." "Is that so?" I nod and unwrap her sandwich for her handing it to her. She takes it and pulls it toward her mouth. "Just eat it, you'll see," I tell her and wink while unwrapping my own and taking a bite, moaning around the meal. Riley follows suit and in no time she's moaning along with me. Her eyes are wide and she dives in for another bite even before she finishes the first. "You are so right. Oh, my God.

Remind me to kiss Sue when we get home." I love the sound of that. We and home in the same sentence gives me something to consider for the future. My nerves start taking over. Finishing our meals, I take the keys and go around to the driver's side. Climbing in the first thing I do is change radio stations. "What are you doing? You can't touch that! It's my car." Riley chirps and slaps at my hand. Calmly I turn to face her.

"Riley. When you were driving you chose the radio station. You screamed because of Rick Astley and, by the way, scared the shit out of me." "Sorry, but you have to admit it was pretty funny." "Maybe. But since I am driving now, I get to choose and let me tell you. I will not be screaming over Rick Astley or Justin Bieber or Nick Jonas." She raises her eyebrow and eyes me speculatively. "Yes, I know who they are. Sheesh." "Fine, you change the station.

See if I care." She crosses her arms and sits back in her seat, pouting as she stares out the window. I smile and turn up the volume before pulling the car away from our temporary parking space and getting back onto the interstate. My palms are slightly sweaty, and I quickly wipe them off on my jeans. Riley notices the radio station doesn't change, and she turns back placing her hand on my thigh. "It's going to be fine, babe. We can switch at any time, just say the word." She reassures me and leans over

the console whispering into my ear, "Thank you for not changing the station." "Thanks, babe." I try to keep my voice calm and my heart from racing as we continue on our journey.

Chapter 16 It takes an hour for me to feel comfortable driving. The feeling is odd and I don't know if I will ever get past this. I will most likely move on, but just can't forget. I roll down the window and let the wind whip me in the face, dancing across my body to tease Riley's ponytail. Dropping my hand from the wheel, I take her hand in mine and make long strokes with my thumb. Glancing over, I see the hint of a smile as she watches my thumb on her skin. Taking

my hand from hers, I reach up and brush the stray tendril of hair from her cheek and she leans into my hand. "You sure are beautiful, Ri." I express to her. Checking my mirrors, I pull off the interstate and onto the shoulder. I can't wait another minute. Turning off the car, I undo my seatbelt and lean over the console taking her mouth with mine. She gasps at the sudden attack but doesn't attempt to thwart it. Unbuckling her seatbelt, she climbs up on her knees while her mouth

never once leaves mine. Her hands take my face and her thumbs brush at my beard. It's arousing, and I know that neither one of us could wait another moment. Sliding my seat back as far as it will go, she climbs over the console and straddles my lap. Her arms encircle my neck as my hands find her breasts. Together we rock, fully clothed in the front seat of the car on the side of the interstate. Nothing has ever compared to this moment. No sex. Just feeling, exploring, and showing affection for the

other. The kisses are delicate but needy. The rubbing is gentle but frantic. We barely take time to breath. Her body causes mine to awaken and my desire to ignite, but neither of us would do that on the side of the interstate, we can wait until tonight. Caught up in our thoughts and our actions we are both startled when there's a knock on the driver's side window. Riley jumps back, and my head snaps in the direction of the glass to find a state trooper leaning over and looking in with

a smirk on his face. Riley quickly wipes her mouth and jumps back into her seat on the other side of the vehicle, while I roll down the window. "Good afternoon, officer." "Afternoon." He sucks his teeth and looks around the vehicle. "I'm glad to see you're fine and you will be moving along now?" "Yessir." I agree as does Riley. We both reach for our seatbelts and cross our bodies with the straps before I start the engine.

"You've got yourself a good girl there, sir. She was willing to risk what people thought she was doing to give you mouth to mouth. You have a fantastic girl." Puzzled I look at Riley, who shrugs her shoulders. Turning back to the officer, I offer a small head shake. "Sir, I did not need…" I begin but he cuts me off and holds his open hand up. "I saw a woman providing mouth to mouth for her choking partner? It's nice to see First Aid still being

practiced." He lowers his aviator sunglasses. "Move along, sir." The trooper smiles and tips his hat at Riley before stepping back and walking slowly back to his cruiser. We can't help it, the moment he gets in his car, we drive off laughing. No one would ever believe this to be true. No one. Riley takes my hand and kisses my knuckles. We'll finish this at the motel later on." Her promise is felt all the way through my body. I might be falling for her.

The landscape whizzes past the window and the yellow line continues to be my guide on this journey. Fields of yellow and green pass us, blurring past our vision. But through it all, she has most of my attention. Her voice sings to me when she speaks. She fills me with joy and feelings I haven't felt in a really long time. I turn down the radio slightly so I can concentrate on what I want to say, but no words come easily to me. I thought they would since I know what I want to say, I just can't find them.

"What's going on?" I sigh and chew on the inside of my lip for a moment, pushing my bottom lip in with my thumb, while pulling my top lip out slightly. I blow out a sharp puff of air and shake my head. I can't go through with it. I don't want to say anything stupid. Anything I might regret. Anything I really don't mean. "When did you move out of the S-L-C?" I ask and drag my right hand to the top of the steering wheel, placing my left elbow up on the door resting against the window. I glance to her direction and

see her expression fall slightly. Looking down at her lap, she folds her hands together and picks at her thumbnails. Taking a deep breath, she releases it nervously and forces a smile. "I moved when I was twenty-one. I just didn't want to be there anymore. I bought my first house and boom, here we are." She looks out the window. "I told you the story before haven't I?" "You told me about buying your first house and how you started flipping, but I don't know anything about your parents or why you left."

Hanging her head, she sniffles and nods. "My upbringing was good. Salt Lake City was good for me for the time I lived there. I couldn't stay for much longer than I needed to. I outgrew it, I guess you could say." Riley shrugs and for some reason, I get the feeling that she's hiding something from me. I don't want to pry. I don't want her to think she needs to tell me so I move on. "Well I can't wait to see the room you lived in when you were a teen." I wink at her and turn the curve in the road. We have passed only a few cars

this past hour, not many cars have been on the road today and now that we are almost at our stop there's suddenly a line of cars ahead of us slowing us down. "Where did they come from?" Riley asks as she looks ahead to the crowd of cars. We follow the vehicles until we reach our destination. Our motel is on the left. It's nothing special, just over halfway there and we need the break from the road. We break free of the line of traffic and pull over to the motel. Riley runs in and checks us into

our room, coming out she shakes the keys at me and points to where we're supposed to park walking to meet me there. I park in our stall as she climbs the stairs to unlock the door. I take our bags from the trunk and follow her into the room. The moment I step inside she closes the door behind me and meets my lips with hers. "Where were we?" she asks against my lips and pushes me to the bed, straddling my body with her legs. *** The morning comes too soon

after a night of making love. We OD'd on each other, seeking, yearning and pleasing each other. Taking our time, we explored each other's desires finally collapsing in each other's arms. We drag ourselves from the bed and take our sweet time together in the shower. Picking up where we left off. The motel has a small truck stop diner attached to it, and we run in for breakfast before we completely check out. The coffee is stale. The toast is soggy with butter and the scrambled eggs have shells, but it's filling and clean.

After we finish our meals, we leave the money on the table before heading back out to our car to hit the road. Riley is glowing as she jumps into the driver's seat, and I walk around to the passenger's seat. Smiling to myself, thankful for the contagious afterglow. Looking in all directions she winks at me and steers us onto the interstate for the final stretch to Salt Lake City. Like yesterday there's not much in the way of traffic, but it will still take us time to get there as long as we stick to the speed limit and the road

we're taking. I turn up the radio when I hear one of my favorite songs. Sweet Home Alabama has always been one of my favorite driving songs and this is no exception. Riley's eyes light up as much as mine do and the two of us start singing. She leans to the center of the car, and I do the same leaning into her the two of us sing together off key to the chorus. We both are so caught up in the song, singing the notes at the top of our lungs, that neither of us hear horns

honking. Then time to stands still, and I hear the sounds of the crash. I grab for Riley, but she's suddenly so far from me. We spin and spin and flip five more times and the sound is deafening, until I can hear it no more. She's held into her seat with her seatbelt, the car crushed all around her. Tiny shards of broken glass surrounds her body and dust her skin, so she shimmers. The horn is sounding continuously and the radio is crackling in the background. And I realize we're on the roof of the car.

My arms hang in an awkward position above my head and then the only thing I can hear is her voice, getting farther and farther away from me. It's happened again, and there's not a thing I can do. "I love you, Riley. Please come back."

Chapter 17 Riley No. No. NO! Please God no! The car flips and flips, over and over again and again and there's not a thing I can do to stop us from this marathon of somersaults. My head hits the glass in the window and the edges of my vision blurs. I barely hear him calling out to me. Ty! I can't hear you! I yell out, but I don’t think the words actually make a

sound, instead they echo in my head as I painstakingly attempt to find him and make sense of our situation. I reach and reach for him but with all the banging around I can't grab onto anything. My fingers won't hold and everything keeps getting jerked out of my reach. The crashing sound stops suddenly but the engine continues to run and the smell of dust and blood rests in my nostrils. I scrape frantically at my seatbelt, scratching and reaching trying to get free. I'm hanging upside

down, locked in at my hips. I can barely move. Turning my head, I see Ty. Hanging there. Lifeless. "TY!" I start screaming. "TY. MY GOD. TY!" I try harder to reach him, but we're so messed up in this heap. I couldn't reach him if I tried. I scream and weep, but no one can hear me. The only noise that can be heard is the sound of the horn and the radio crackling. I close my eyes so tightly and ball my hands into tight fists and

continue to scream his name until my voice goes hoarse. Feet shuffle the gravel outside my window in quick succession. The sound of glass and rocks popping between feet and asphalt stops when the man drops to his knees just outside my mangled door with shattered glass. He has to bend at an awkward angle just to get a look inside the vehicle, and he barely gets low enough for me to see him. "I'm going to get you out of here," he confirms. "I promise." His

panicked voice tries to comfort me, but it doesn't stop my body from shivering and my lungs from tightening. "Are you bleeding or is anything broken?" Sobbing uncontrollably, I can barely voice an answer. Instead I offer a panicked head shake. I have pain but I don't know where my pain is coming from. He reaches in and touches my shoulder with his fingertips. "Help's coming. I'm going to go check on your friend. Are you okay for me to leave you?" I can't see him. My vision is

blurry from tears. My ears are ringing, and I'm shaking violently as shock sets in. I nod hoping my body is doing what I want it to do. I try to look around and follow his feet as he rounds the vehicle, but I lose them when he reaches the front of the car. Panicking I turn my head back and forth quickly trying to find him. I can't breathe. Air is escaping my tightened chest before it can completely fill my lungs. Whimpering joins the forced breaths, and my face tingles from the lack of oxygen.

"It's okay, lady. I'm right here. I'm just going to check on your friend." His voice is calm but determined. He makes various noises as he attempts to reach Ty. "How is he? I can't see him. He's not answering me." I keep calling out to him. "Sir. How is he?" I ask again between sobs. The pain is starting to fill my body. My chest hurts where the seatbelt has held me back, and my head throbs where it hit the window. I don't know how long I can stay like this. My head is starting to get

dizzy. "Sir! SIR." He stops momentarily but continues with a couple of light face slaps. I hear him mutter under his breath, but the words don't make sense to me. It's undecipherable and all too quiet. Sirens are in the distance. All the chaos and panic and sounds are voiding each other out, and I feel as though I am going deaf. The hiss of the radiator, the whirr of the motor. The pounding of my head and the whooshing of blood in my ears.

"HOW IS HE?" I try calling again and no one answers. "ANSWER ME DAMMIT!" My door is finally pulled open by men in black boots, and they place a brace around my neck. There's not much room between my head and the crushed roof of the car, and I have no clue how they are going to get me out of here. All I can think of is flipping the car back the way it's supposed to be. Sparkles. I see sparkles everywhere. On their boots. On the pavement outside. On my hands. Shimmering in the sun, in

the light from their flashlights as they look into the car. "Help him please. Help him." I beg the people trying to help me. Talking amongst themselves, they ignore my pleas and cut me free of my seatbelt, cradling my body, they gently but forcefully remove me from my prison and quickly strap me to a board. Lights shine into my eyes, a million questions get thrown at me, and I can’t concentrate. Where's Ty? I want Ty. "Is he okay? Please help him," I continue to beg.

"Ma'am, we're getting the two of you to a hospital. There's another team with your friend right now. Where do you hurt?" "Where am I hurt? I want my boyfriend. I want my Ty." I can't even attempt to turn around to see what's happening. I hear the sound of saws and more sirens near. So many voices. "Ma'am, what's your name?" A female attendant asks as I am pushed into an ambulance. I'm shivering, and I can't concentrate enough to speak. A large

silver sheet is pulled out and placed over my body. "Ri-Ri- Ril- ey. M m m my name isss Ri-ley," I say through my shivers. "Hi, Riley. My name is Ann. We're taking you to the hospital and getting you some care. Right now, I am going to look over your body and make sure you are okay. Please don't be scared, we're here to help." Her voice is kind and her hands start working over my body, cutting my clothes away. She starts using medical words that I don't understand.

Contusion. Hemorrhage. Fibula. Cspine. It's confusing and scary. Tubes are placed around my ears and into my nose while a cuff is wrapped around my arm. I continue to shiver even under this blanket. The doors slam shut, and we start driving away. We're moving further and further away from Ty, and my tears begin again. "Where's Ty?" I ask the attendant who told me her name is Ann. "Where's my Ty?" "Shh. He'll go in another ambulance. They will update you at the

hospital. I'm sorry I can't help you. I don't know anything. But you will find out once they check you out." The tears roll down my temples and come to rest in my hairline. Being strapped down I can't brush the tears away, or even wipe my nose. I see the cold steel interior of the ambulance and pray so hard for Ty. In an attempt to tune everything out, and I just think about last night, and the things we did together. The way we touched each other. The quiet whispered exchanges. It's my fault.

Whatever happened it's my fault. Oh God. I wrecked the car and my parents don't know yet, and they are expecting us in a few hours. I have something new to panic about, and it's doing me no good. My chest feels like an elephant is sitting on it, and the beeping of the machines is going faster. "You need to calm down, Riley. Breathe slowly," Ann instructs me and touches my arm. "We're almost there." The driver calls out a whole bunch of numbers and letters that make absolutely no sense to me.

Pulling into the ambulance bay, the chaos continues as more bodies from inside the hospital rush to the sides of my gurney, and they roll me in while Ann rattles off all of those numbers and medical terms that I don't understand to them. The doors open automatically and all I can see is tiled ceiling panels and nurses faces as they quickly rush me into a room for an examination. "I remember that day like it was yesterday. Ty and I wish it never happened." The tears roll down my nose

and drip onto the sleeve of my jacket. I can't even wipe them away. Licking my lips, I can still taste the metallic taste of blood. I can still smell the blood in the car, the sterilized hospital room. I raise my head up as far as I can and look at the sky allowing the warm sun to heat my cold skin. I know I'm alive. I know I'm alone. My legs are going numb from the angle I'm sitting on them. They're bent below me on the grass. I'd probably be better off if I moved to the bench three feet from me, but I need to be close to him.

I need to feel him near me. Hear him whisper my name. Feel him stroking my hair. But instead, when I turn my head back and open my eyes I don't see his face. His handsome face. I don't see the beard I can run my fingers through. No. Instead I see a cold granite marker with his name and date of death. My shaky fingers come up and trace the letters of his name T-Y-S-O-N. Tyson. T-Y. Ty. My Ty.

Gone and all that's left for me is this goddamn headstone. Rage fills me, and I punch at the sod with my right fist. The left is cradled against my chest in a sling and a cast. The collar around my neck limits my movement, and both the stitches and bruises remain on my head and my face. Every time I look in the mirror, every time I push my hair from my face, I have the reminder. "Where did you go, Ty?" I whisper to the earth and lay on the mound. "Where did you go?" I lay here

for what feels like forever. Feeling the gravitational pull as the earth spins on its axis. Fingering the grass with my fingertips, remembering how it felt when I did the same thing to his hair, his short beard. "It should have been me," I whisper and give in to my sorrow. Convulsing in sobs I lay here alone on his plot a week after his funeral. A week after everyone stared at me with venom in their eyes. A week after I said goodbye. A month since I realized I have

to learn to live again. Without Ty. Laying in my bed, I stare at the ceiling through fuzzy painkiller fueled eyes. The physical pain is masked by morphine but the mental anguish I suffer while waiting for news on Ty is more than anyone can handle. I hear nurses talking outside the room as they walk past. I see the looks as they come in to check on me or change my IV bag. Not one of them will tell me anything and I hate them for it. I hate them with my whole heart. Can't

they see that I need to know? Instead of asking again, I just push the button on my morphine drip and conceal the agony and ache of my heart breaking over and over again. I'm remembering the shimmer, the crunch of the glass under foot of anyone who walked by the wreck, and the crunch sound that the car made every time we flipped until we finally came to rest. That sickening sound of steel and fiberglass will haunt me every day of my life. My thoughts are interrupted by

a light knock on the door. My head lolls to the side, and I glare drunkenly at the intruder as the door is opened slowly. "Miss Jensen?" A soft male voice calls out. His attempt in being considerate is ridiculous. “What do you waaaaaaaaant?” I whine and purse my lips as the door opens further exposing a state trooper. My heart slams in my chest and I know, I know right now that he doesn't have good news for me. His face is crestfallen as he enters the room. Two nurses follow him in and approach my

bed. "No. Don't you dare tell me." My chin begins to quiver and fresh tears form in my eyes. "Miss Jensen. I'm Officer Carter. I was one of the officers at the scene of your accident." He stands at the foot of my bed with his hands clasped in front of his body. His somber expression confirms my fears before his words do. "I am sorry to have to be the one to inform you, but the man you were traveling with did not survive the

crash. He sustained serious injuries that he ultimately succumbed to. He died on scene." His eyes travel to the floor, unable to or not wanting to make eye contact with the sobbing woman on the bed being consoled by her nurses while she waits for her family to arrive. "I'm sorry for your loss," he whispers and leaves the room. I'm left in a bundle of sorrow with two strangers to console me in the confines of this darkened hospital room. “We thought you might be here.” I open my eyes to see Ty's

parents standing over me. The look on their face reminds me that I am not alone. "I had to come see him," I whisper and struggle to sit. Mr. Lorey reaches down and helps me reposition myself. "Thank you. I don't know what I was thinking laying down." I'm embarrassed by my struggle. "How are you doing, Riley?" Mrs. Lorey asks, with concern etched all over her face. She removes a tissue from her purse and offers it to me. Blinking away tears, I nervously

laugh and roll my lips between my teeth. "I don't know." Taking the tissue, I wipe my nose. Laughing again my saliva is sticky and sticks between my lips. "I don't know what I'm doing. Why am I here?" My hand drops in surrender and I choke out some more sorrow. Mr. and Mrs. Lorey sit on either side of me, allowing me to wallow in my misery. Their arms wrap around me like a warm blanket, comforting me without demanding my apology. The three of us sit on this bench and quietly watch the flowers on his headstone sway in the

breeze. "You're here because you want to do what Ty couldn't with Mel. You're getting closure, dear," Mrs. Lorey whispers. "Soon you will realize you don't need to be here every day, and it won't hurt as much." Her chin quivers slightly and she licks her lip. Mr. Lorey clears his throat and stands. I watch him as he approaches his son's marker and runs his hands over it. I watch the pain etched in his face as he stares at the name etched in the face of the granite before he walks away,

leaving his wife and myself here on the bench. Mrs. Lorey lets go of my hand and walks toward her son's marker. My heart shatters a little more when I watch her lean down and whisper before kissing the stone. She turns to face me. "When you're ready, Dad and I will be waiting for you in the parking lot. No rush." Her sad smile shakes. At first I think she's speaking to Ty and I don't respond. "Riley dear, did you hear me? Dad and I will wait for you in the car. Come when you're ready. We're taking you to get some food into you."

"Dad?" I ask confused. Was my dad here? I know they can't afford to come here again they've been gone since the day after the funeral. Couldn't get more time off work. "You're our family now. Take your time." She assures me and slowly walks away leaving me to sit here watching his resting place. "You know, Ty, I think I loved you. I think that from the first moment I saw you there, crouched in the dirt stealing carrots - I loved you. You made my heart skip a beat every time I heard

your voice." I swallow hard and close my eyes tightly. "I was so excited the first time I saw you at The Shake." My smile twitches. "When you came to me, it reminded me of a romantic movie. Protecting me from your best friend, who by the way came to see me at the hospital every day, and I really don't think he's all that bad." A bird calls from the tree behind me and her song is peaceful and soothing. It pulls me slowly from my sorrow and makes me smile.

"I miss you, Ty." I stand and walk to his headstone. "I finally understand your pain, and I am so sorry you had to feel this way. I'm sorry I have to feel this way." I press a kiss to my fingertips and place it on his name before I turn to join his parents who are waiting for me in their car.

Epilogue Smiling I offer the keys to the new family. They have two boys and a daughter. The boys are chasing each other through the house and I can only imagine this is how Ty and Tim would have been as children growing up together. Just the thought of those two as boys makes me smile. "You're going to love it here, the town is so welcoming. Sue's is just down the street about five minutes. They have the best pizza."

"Sounds amazing! Thank you so much!" The wife beams and she takes the keys from my fingers. "I love the yellow sink. I just seriously LOVE the yellow sink." It makes me laugh, remembering how much Ty hated that sink. "I knew it had to stay. It's original with the house. I just refinished it. Not everyone involved agreed with me." I chuckle remembering Ty's turned up nose when I told him we were keeping it. He honestly tried for days to convince me to get rid of it, to get something new to match the

appliances, but I was the boss. "Well, it's amazing." "Thank you." I nod and rock back on my heels. Shaking their hands, I turn and walk down the three steps from the porch as they enter their new home. Climbing into Ty's pickup truck, I close the door and turn my head to look over the picket fence to the place I was standing when I first met Ty. I can picture him crouched in the dirt about to eat that carrot. The cocky way he hopped the fence when he introduced himself. The way he leaned against the pickup

that is now mine. I miss his smile. Pulling away from the house, I drive to the cemetery to see him. The one thing I love about this town is no traffic and it won’t take me long to get to my destination. Justin Bieber comes on the radio, and I smile thinking of him. No tears follow the memory, just smiles. I take the small frame from the passenger seat and climb out of the truck. Taking my time I look around and enjoy the day before I reach his final resting spot. There are fresh flowers on

his marker, and it brings a bigger smile to my face. I'm glad to see that he's still getting visitors. "Hi, Ty. Who brought you these?" I ask and look for the card. Miss you every day, brother. ~ Tim "That's so sweet. Tim is a great friend." I sit cross legged on the sod and stare at his name, running my fingers over the letters brushing off the webs and dust. "I sold my house to an amazing family. They have two boys and a girl. I

know they are going to love the house and the town. I've been staying at your place, packing it up slowly. Your parents have been amazing, and they are moving back. They will be taking over the house again. They offered me to stay, but I can't." I rest my forehead on the cold stone. "Dammit, Ty, I miss your face. I wish you were here." I hear voices a few spots over and turn my head to see a young couple placing flowers. I can only assume it's for a parent or a relative. They don't cry, they just place the flowers. Say a few

words. And move on. When they leave, I can get back to concentrating on Ty. "So I'm moving back to the city. I have all my stuff in the back of your truck." I lick my lips and smile weakly. "I promise to take care of her." Gripping each side of the marker, I pull myself in and press my lips to his name. "I have to go. I brought you a present and I'll leave it right here for you," I tell him while I gently press the frame into the grass, angling it so it touches his marker. "I miss you so much," I whisper

and take one last look at the picture before walking away. It's a picture of me that he had on his phone. Smiling with paint on my cheek. Messy hair and the biggest smile I have ever seen on my face. Getting back into the truck, I flip down the visor and run my finger over the picture of Ty that is tucked in there. The smile comes back to my face, and my heart beats again. I did love Ty. With all my heart, I loved Ty. I whisper and start the engine, "I'll never say goodbye."

I reverse out of my stall and point my car towards the interstate. I begin to shake as I approach the intersection to get on the road. It's been a while since I've been on one, but I won’t let the fear consume me. Ty wouldn't let me. I hit the open road and roll down the window, allowing the wind to whip through my ponytail. Glancing at the visor I bite my lip. "Thanks for coming with me, Ty. I hate driving this road alone." His parents were right. It does

get easier. Little by little I will be better. I feel him with me now. I hold the memories and allow them to make me happy. I told him the truth. I do love him. I know in my heart that I always did. And I know in my soul, he will never leave me.

Acknowledgements First off, I would like to thank my supportive, amazing family. To my hubby and my girls, you mean the world to me. I love you. To my beautiful amazing fantastic editor KM Krick. Kathy, I love you! Thank you for your tears. Beta Girls – Karie, Kellie and Ellee. You are amazing. Thank you for blindly reading this in public and cursing

me because I gave no warning. My guess is next time, you won't be so trusting. Ellee...thank you for the name! Dirty Girls! All of you. You rock. You come from all over the globe, supporting me in English and your own languages. Thank you. I can't say that enough for having my back. So much love! Special thank you to Entertwine Publishing for continuing to believe in this crazy Canadian. From the marketing

girls to the proof readers. You are all amazing. Thank you all for everything you do and for continuing to keep our babies out there! Lastly Angie. I never would have thought I'd be reaching 5 books. I figured just 1 and I would be done. I suppose, I believe in you as much as you believe in me and for the past couple of years, it has been proven time and time again with all of your support and encouragement. Love you boss-lady!

Find Lisa Marie's other books here http://www.amazon.com/LisaMarie/e/B00PZLDCHM Keystrokes Scripted (A Keystrokes Novel) Detour (Terminal 1) Derailed (Terminal 2) Enjoyed this book? Please consider leaving an honest review. Just a few words can help tremendously. Thank you in advance.

Love stories of love overcoming all? Try Finding An Angel by PJ Belden. Read ahead for an exclusive excerpt…

Present time…

Here I stand with almost twenty years having gone past since I met the incredible Jessa Rawlins. TwentySeven-years-old now and everything still plays before my eyes as if it’s just happening. Our life together came down to moments, memories, tests, but most of all friendship and a love you can’t find

but once in your life. Being with Jessa, well, at times it tested my willpower, my patience, but most of all my heart. Though, I spent many years ‘saving’ her, she saved me. Moving to this house when I was seven brought me a woman that I couldn’t stand to be without. Twenty years, I shake my head at the amount of time. Twenty years seems like a long time, but when it’s meant to be spent with the one you love… It’s not long at all. It’s almost as if I’ve blinked and I stand in the very spot that I first met the woman of my dreams. The

woman that changed me. The woman that will forever hold my heart. Sadly, she is also the woman that fights an invisible battle. As the man that loves her completely, I can’t fight for her or with the invisible problem that was tearing her apart. All I can do is pray with her, hold her hand when she needs me to, or help her forget when the opportunity arises. For so many years, even as a young kid only seeing her as my best friend, I constantly asked how I could help fight

what I can’t see. The only answer I was ever given was to just be there for her because I was special to her if she let me in. Smiling, I look off in the distance and remember the day she let me in just a little more.

Ten years old… “Jessa? You out here,” I hear her giggle as I call for her.

“No,” she says, followed quickly by, “Dang it!” She sits up and her beautiful light brown hair falls around her shoulders. The longer I know her the more I realize that she’s a living angel. We’ve been friends now for three years and every day I come home from school, I come right over here. Honestly, I just look forward to spending time with her. It’s like looking through a kaleidoscope and seeing all the beautiful colors. No matter how many times you

turn it, it looks different. That’s what she did for me. There’s light in my life when she’s around. Basically becoming an only child after my older brother fights overseas for our country and he’s gone more than he’s home, she gives me a reason to laugh again. To smile. She finds such pleasures in the small things that I have taken advantage of for so many years. “You always find me,” she pouts and looks so cute doing it. I’m a ten year old boy. I may not

fully understand what is going on, but I notice girls. Well, I notice Jessa at least. Every day she gets prettier and prettier. When I talk to my brother on the phone, he teases me about her and I turn red and yell at him. Dad says it’s normal and it’s nothing to feel embarrassed about. But with Jessa… Mentally, I shake my head. Jessa is definitely different. Chuckling, I sit my safe space away from her. “Only because you answer me. I can’t see you when I walk up. So you are a good hider,” I grin at her as she smiles.

She looks down at her hands. “Can you play today?” “Until Mom calls me for supper. Then I have to do my homework,” I point my finger into my mouth and make a gagging noise. This earns me another one of her rare and beautiful, almost music like, giggles. “What’s it like going to school and…” her voice trails off. “And what,” I ask, but my stomach did flips at the thought of her answer. “You know,” she says as she pulls

some grass next to her. It’s in her voice. I can hear them – the negative thoughts about herself, but yet at the same time, I want an answer too. So, selfish as I may be, I push forward. “No, I don’t know that’s why I’m asking,” I say gently, hoping and praying she won’t get angry with me. Her head snaps up at me as she glares through the tears that shimmer in her eyes. “To go there and be normal. Not like me. Not a moron, a retard, a…”

“Stop!” I yell before I can stop myself. Jessa jumps and a tear slips down her cheek. “You hate me too, don’t you?” “No! I hate hearing you talk about yourself like that. It hurts me to hear you think so little of yourself. You’re none of those awful things you are saying,” I end softer. “I hurt you,” she asks as she takes a deep breath. Shaking my head, I try to find the right words for her to understand. She is

super smart, but when it comes to things about herself she only sees the negative. It makes me want to hurt everyone that has made her this way. She’s incredible and deserves to know it. “You’re my best friend, Jessa. When you say things like that about yourself… I don’t like it. Knowing that people have told you that makes me hurt for you. You don’t hurt me. You make me smile and enjoy the day when I used to just put on a pair of headphones and ignore it all. There’s no way you’d ever hurt me, unless you made me leave.”

“You’re my best friend too,” she says. “Well, you’re my only friend,” she admits. “Then no more bad talk about my best friend, okay?” Smiling, she nods her head. “Do you know what you’re friendship means to me?” “Will you tell me?” I ask without directly answering the question. What she does next shocks me so much that I lose my breath. She moves over and cups my face in her hands. All I

can do is stare at her. Honestly, I’m afraid to breathe. Afraid that if I do, she’ll move away and I get a warming feeling from her touch that calms the anger that has been boiling since she started talking bad about herself. “You’re good and there are so many bad people out there. When you spend time with me, I don’t see them or hear them. It’s just me and you. You are my savior and best friend,” she smiles big, presses a kiss to my cheek and moves away from me quickly to her safe distance.

“You… You touched me,” is all I can stammer out as I stare at her. “Was that wrong?” Her eyes immediately going wide. “No,” I answer quickly. “But you never get that close to other people outside your parents.” She shrugs her shoulders, as if it wasn’t a huge step for her. “It felt right for that moment. Please don’t get too close without…” “You don’t have to finish that. I’d never do anything to scare you.”

Ten years old… “I know this stuff already Mama,” shoving angrily at the books that lay before me. “Show me you know then,” Mom challenges me. “What do you mean?” “If you take this test and pass it, you don’t have to do this course and I’ll move you up… again... and try something more challenging to you. Do

we have a deal?” Looking down at the Math that lay out before me that is so easy for me it makes me feel stupid for having to do it. Maybe I am stupid and this really wasn’t easy and all my answers were all wrong, not right. Looking back up at the long test that she still holds in her hand, I knew I could do it. That’s what Hunter would tell me. At first, I tried to make Hunter happy by calling him Drew. Sighing, I just don’t like the name. It doesn’t seem

to fit him. Hunter is strong, protective, and that is the way I see him. Drew seems weak sounding. So, I quit calling him that. Of course, he asked me why I did. I just told him it was because it didn’t fit him. He’d smiled and said Hunter it is then. Shaking my head, I turn my focus back to the matter at hand. Once again my thoughts went to Hunter. He’d tell me to excel at what I know and work hard at what I don’t. With determination, I smile at my mom.

“Okay fine. Deal.” The front cover of the test says that it may take several hours to complete. My first thought is that Mom tricked me, but as I open the test and Mom removes all the school books and papers, I’m done before she even has lunch prepared. “Can I take a break now? Maybe play for a little bit,” I groan. Mom nods her head with what looks to be shock in her eyes. “Y-yes, you can have an hour break then we have more

homework to do okay?” “Yes Ma’am,” I answer as I head upstairs to my room. Looking around my room, I try to figure out what I want to do. My room wasn’t big, but it wasn’t small either. My bed is right in front of the door with a nightstand on both sides. Often times, I’d just run in my room and jump on my bed. If I’m lucky, I don’t get caught. My walls had pinstripes of pink on white. Pink flowered curtains hang around my window. In one corner, I have

a bookshelf and the other there was a closet door and not far from it a bathroom door. Right in front of the door and alongside my bed is a rug with all my favorite flowers on it. Directly to the left of the door, I have a dresser with pictures of my favorite people on there. There’s even a picture of Hunter on there. Smiling, I grab the picture. He was smiling at the camera for my mom. His eyes, they just shine with happiness. Frowning, I put the picture frame back and sit on my bed.

Pulling my knees up to my chest, I hug them tightly. Happiness is not something I’m ever meant to have. Yet, when I’m with Hunter, I am happy. But for how long, retard? The familiar snarl from the bad voice filters through my window. A chill runs down my spine. Grabbing my pillow, I scream loudly into it. Looking back up at the picture of Hunter, he’s my only happiness. What if that, too, is only temporary? What if time with him is

getting closer and closer to goodbye? Out of the corner of my eye, I catch the time on the clock. Jumping off the bed, I run down the stairs. “Mom, when Hunter comes looking for me can you tell him you think I went to my flowers,” I grin mischievously. “Going to hide from him again,” Mom questions with a small smile on her face. “Yup, and I’ll do it this time,” I hurry out the door. Running as fast as I can to the flowers and quickly

positioning myself so he can’t see me, all the while I’m reminding myself not to make a noise. Not long later he was arriving. Just like every time before, I answer him. But this time as we talk afterward, he changes. Something in him changes. Something in me changes. It is almost like a physical and audible click between the two of us. It is that alone that pushes me further than I ever thought I’d go and I hold his face gently in my hands, telling him – no urging him – to understand that hurting him… well, it

hurt me too. The shock on his face the whole time I touched him told me that he never expected me to do that. It only cements more to me on how much I can trust him. There just can’t be a time limit on this kind of friendship… Could there?

Get Hunter and Jessa's story on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Angel-PJ-Belden-ebook/dp/B016C4G2XQ