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Genevieve deserved all the credit. She’d rescued my friend and brought life back to his eyes.
I was almost twenty-eight years old and wanted to be desired. For once in my life, I wanted to be pursued.
“Someday, years from now, I’m going to remember that time the gorgeous movie star kissed the hell out of me in my kitchen on my birthday.” And any time I thought of Montana, I’d remember the woman with eyes bluer than the big sky. Or maybe I’d just think of her, no trigger needed. Maybe when it was time to go, there’d be no leaving her behind.
I loved that kiss. I wanted a kiss like that every day until I was in dentures.
“I’ll keep this quiet, but when we’re alone, you’re all mine.”
“I’m not perfect, Presley. I’m just a man, flawed like any other. The perfection is an illusion.” No, that wasn’t right. He was perfect because he saw his flaws. Because they made him human. He embraced them. Owned them.
He was a memory I hoped one day wouldn’t taste so bitter.
“Your grandfather was the best man I’ve ever known. He saved my life.” “He did?” Genevieve asked. “I didn’t know that. How?” “He gave me a family. He gave me something to fight for. I was a broken girl when I came to live in Clifton Forge, and he didn’t pick me up. He expected me to do it myself. So I did.”
You’re stronger and better than your past. Choose the life you want and work your ass off to make it happen.
I was in Montana to fix my colossal fuckup and win back my girl. No more secrets. No more hiding. Presley was mine, and Luke had to go.
Presley was more important. Her happiness. Her dreams. Her love. I’d fallen in love with her. I’d fallen in love with her every time she’d told me no, sitting across from her at the Clifton Forge Garage.
“It matters. You matter.”
“Goodbye, Shaw,” she whispered. I lifted a hand and pressed it to the cold glass. “See you tomorrow.” Never again would I tell Presley goodbye.
“How many times have you told this story?” She met my gaze. “Once.” “To Draven?” “Yeah.” She cast her eyes to the photo on the wall. “To Draven.” He might have been a flawed man, but Draven had loved her like a daughter.
Time to lay it all out there. “Because I fell in love with you this summer.” I framed her face in my hands as she gasped. “Because you fell in love with me too. And because he’ll never kiss you like this.” Then I crushed my mouth to hers, hoping to erase every lick of Luke Rosen with every sweep of my tongue.
Feeling his lips on mine was like coming home after a long day. It was like finding the sanctuary, the solace I’d been missing for months. The boat of my life stopped rocking. The waters of my soul calmed.
“You better not break my heart.” He stepped closer, placing his palm between my breasts. It flattened on my sternum and the heat from his touch seeped through my sweater. “It’s safe. I swear it.” Safe.
“Hmm.” My smile stretched wide. “Yes. I’ll go on a date with you.” His arms came around me in a flash, flipping us both until he’d pinned me to the bed. “Finally I didn’t get a goddamn no.”
“I want it all,” I admitted. “I want you, and I want Montana.” “Okay.” Shaw nodded. “Okay? That’s it?” “Okay,” he repeated. “Then we live in Montana.” “What about Los Angeles? What about your career?” “LA isn’t going anywhere, and I don’t have to live there to do my job. I’ll need to travel at times and to see my family, but as long as I can convince you to come with me, this can be home base.”
“Like hell he’s keeping me out of that house.” Three pairs of eyes turned my way. “Us,” Dash corrected. “Like hell he’s keeping us out of that house.” “No.” I huffed. “You’re mechanics.” “Mechanics with more hours in shit situations than any officer here besides Luke. Mechanics who know how to fire a gun and take a life when it means protecting those we love.”
“And this”—he spun us again, this time only forty-five degrees—“this is where we’ll have our house.” “What kind of house?” I asked. “A happy one.”
“Will you marry me?” I giggled. “No.”
“Haven’t you figured it out?” I whispered against his lips. “Sometimes when I say no to you, it really means yes.”
My legacy wasn’t fame or fortune. It was in this car, the smiles on my children’s faces and the happiness in my wife’s heart.
