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  “What’s up, Jess?”

  “I’m going to be MIA for a while. I mean I’ll still send you a good morning every morning, but not sure how often I’ll be around for much more for a while.”

  “Is everything okay? Did something happen?”

  “No…well yes, but nothing bad. I landed a new job. They want me there by next Monday.”

  “Who wants you where?”

  “At Aeronautical.”

  “How did you get involved with Aeronautical?”

  “While taking a tour of the plant here, I noticed a potential problem with a piece in the extrusion assembly when they showed us the plans for the machine we would be designing parts for.”

  “Leave it to you to see a problem.”

  “You know me…”

  “Yes, I do, you have to poke and prod everything.”

  Her laughter filtered across the miles through the phone connection. He loved to hear that sexy sound. Her laughing meant things were good, whether he thought they were or not.

  “Well, I just wanted to hear your voice. This conversation will have to hold me over until I get this move done and adjusted to the new job. I figure they’ll have me pretty busy at first.”

  “Ya know, you’re something else.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because you are. You have smarts and know how to use them. Plus, you’re the bravest woman I know.” He wished he could tell her how much she meant to him, but he knew she deserved someone better than him. With nothing to offer her, he didn’t have the right to think of her as anything more than a wonderful friend.

  “Nothing brave about it. I’m scared out of my mind, but I need a serious change, and this is as good a chance as I’m probably going to get.”

  “Well, good luck with the new job and the move. If you need anything I can help you with, you know where I am.”

  “Thanks, Ash. You’re the best. I’ll call as soon as I’m settled.”

  Tell her you idiot. Don’t let her go without telling her how you feel. “Sure thing, hon. Stay safe and be careful. Love ya.”

  “You too, darlin’. Bye.”

  The click of her hanging up sounded too final. What if this was her last goodbye? He’d been an idiot to reject her offer. Hopefully, she wouldn’t disappear from his life. He wasn’t sure what he would do if he lost her friendship.

  Chapter Two

  Finally, after five weeks, Jess had everything unpacked, the house organized, and the new job was going smoothly. Now if she could get her personal life rolling, everything would be perfect. She hoped the date she had at seven o’clock would go well. Dan seemed like a nice guy. She already knew he was a good conversationalist.

  They’d met through her work. He worked for a partner company, visiting for the week. She needed to get out, to relax and have a little fun. Ash had been quiet other than their good morning texts back and forth every day. She had no idea how to tell him she now lived across town instead of several states away. Keeping the details of her new job from him had been a mistake. Fear of losing his friendship now kept her silent, but she had to fix this somehow.

  Jess knew she’d pushed too hard with wanting to meet. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I should have waited, should have let him ask to meet. She had to keep busy, had to keep occupied with anything other than thoughts of Ash. Doing her makeup and hair took her mind off him for a little while. Nothing kept him from creeping into her thoughts for long though.

  The sharp ring of her phone jerked her from her thoughts. Dan was calling—either to cancel or make sure things were still a go. “Hello.”

  “Hi, Jess, just calling to make sure we’re still on for tonight.”

  “Sure, I’m getting ready to leave now. We’re meeting at The Raven House Theater, right?”

  “Right, I’ll see you there.”

  “See you in a few, Dan, bye.”

  “Bye, Jess.”

  Grabbing her purse and jacket, she locked up then climbed into her car. She stopped herself before she could wonder what Ash would be doing tonight. Not now. You don’t go on a date with one man while thinking about another. Thinking about him tonight wasn’t what she’d wanted to do. She’d hoped the date with Dan would keep Ash off her mind. Her plan seemed to have the opposite effect, though. The more she tried to clear her head, the more her thoughts strayed to Ash.

  Jess started her car, pulled out of her garage, and turned right heading toward downtown. The Raven House Theater wasn’t too far from her house. She had been lucky to find a reasonably priced three-bedroom ranch on the edge of town.

  She’d have to tell Ash sooner or later, even though he’d probably never talk to her again. Why she thought it would be a good idea to move this close to him and not say anything escaped her now.

  Pulling into the parking lot next to the theater, she watched a group of motorcycles park in front of the bar next-door. Would he be there tonight? The place was his usual haunt, but he said he hadn’t been going there for a while.

  She watched a number of people enter the bar. None were Ash. Stop it! You have to get Ash out of your head.

  Reaching for her purse on the passenger seat, she jumped when someone knocked on her side window. There stood Dan with a wide grin. She smiled back as he opened her door and offered her his hand to help her out of the vehicle.

  “Hi, Dan.”

  “Hey, Jess. When you said ‘see you in a few minutes,’ you weren’t kidding.” He laughed as he led her into The Raven House. They were going to see a local group perform Fiddler on the Roof, one of her favorite musicals.

  After they took their seats, Dan regaled her with how long he’d worked with Aeronautics and how he was building quite a nest egg for himself and that special someone. “And if you play your cards right you could very well be that special lady.”

  Is this joker serious? He can’t possibly get any more cliché if he tried.

  When the lights went down in the theater and went up on stage, Dan’s hand landed on her knee. Terrific.

  The play was very good, the actors were definitely talented, and did a great job of helping her forget her troubles for a bit. That is until Dan inched his hand farther up her thigh. Dropping her hand on top of his, she whispered, “That’s far enough, Dan. We don’t know each other well enough for that.”

  “Party pooper.” His quiet chuckle grated on her nerves.

  He flipped his hand over and entwined their fingers. His sweaty palms were revolting, but as long as she kept ahold of him, his hand couldn’t wander.

  The intermission was a chore. As they walked to the lobby, his hand rested on the upper curve of her butt. “Dan, do I need to remind you we don’t know each other that well again?”

  “I’m just having a little fun. Don’t be such a prude.”

  She rolled her eyes as his irritating laugh rang in her ears all the way back to their seats.

  Dan seemed to straighten up and actually enjoy the rest of the play. Still, this would definitely be their one and only date. She’d had enough of him.

  As the play ended and the audience filed out, Dan was all gentleman while he guided her through the lobby.

  Jess was pleasantly surprised with the local talent. “Wasn’t the play wonderful? They did such a good job.”

  Dan pushed the door open, ushering her outside. “I’m glad you enjoyed the show. It was good.” His hand wandered low on her hip.

  “Dan, you need to move your hand.”

  He pawed at her as soon as they got around the corner of the building and into the shadows. “Stop it, Dan. Go home. This isn’t happening, not tonight, not ever. Am I being clear enough for you?”

  She heard people leaving the bar next door and hoped the interruption would make Dan give up. Apparently, he wasn’t bothered by the possibility of being caught assaulting someone. He continued to push her, trying to get under her jacket.

  “You don’t mean that, doll. We clicked, didn’t we? We just need some privacy to get to know each ot
her better.”

  She pushed at him, trying to shove him away. “Knock it off, you asshole. I said no and that’s what I meant.”

  “Hey, buddy, the lady said no. Back off!”

  The deep voice booming from behind Dan was all too familiar. Oh shit! Just the person I didn’t want to run into. Jess had to think fast, she had to find a way to get out of the situation unseen.

  “Mind your own business!”

  “The lady said no. You need to move on or I’ll make you move on.”

  “Buddy, you need to leave us alone. We don’t need you butting in where you aren’t wanted.”

  “I think we need to let the lady decide what she wants. Ma’am, now’s the time to leave if you’re going to.”

  Ash walked toward them, and Dan dropped his hold. Jess took advantage of Ash’s interference and backed a few steps deeper into the shadows.

  Keeping her voice a little gruff, she hoped he wouldn’t realize who she was. “Thanks, mister.” She took off for her car as fast as she could without running. She had to get away in case Ash walked to the back of the lot to make sure she got to her car, which is something she knew he would do.

  Ash’s voice carried across the parking lot. “You better get out of here, before someone calls the cops. Don’t try to follow her either. I’ll be waiting for you to leave.”

  “I’m going, asshole. The bitch isn’t worth my time anyway.” Dan stormed off to his car, gunned the motor as he started the engine, and then quickly tore out of the lot.

  Jess tried to get her hands to still so she could get the key in the ignition of her vehicle. They wouldn’t cooperate. “Shit, come on, get yourself together. If he sees you, tonight is only going to get worse.” Talking to herself seemed to work. She slid the key into the slot, turned it smoothly, and the motor started immediately. With a quick look in her mirrors, she put the car in reverse.

  Bam! The sudden stop confused her at first. Looking into her rearview mirror again, she saw the rear end of a truck illuminated in the red glare of her taillights. “Where did he come from?” There hadn’t been anyone behind her when she put her car in gear.

  “Perfect!” She dropped her head to the steering wheel. “This is just wonderful. What else can go wrong?”

  Tap, tap, tap. “Ma’am, are you okay?”

  Oh my God, there is what else can go wrong. She had been in such a hurry she didn’t notice him backing out. She could only nod her head at his query. Her heart seemed to hit the bottom of her stomach when she realized there was no way to get out of this. He would hate her for sure, but she had created the situation all on her own. She should have told him exactly where her new job was located and where she would be moving.

  Keeping her head down, she gave him a thumbs up, hoping that would be enough. When Jess glanced out the corner of her eye, he was still there. She rolled down the window just enough for him to be able to hear her. “Yes, thank you.”

  Jess slowly sat up and looked at Ash through the window. His eyes widened slightly before he frowned at her. “Jess? What are you doing here?”

  “Well, I had a date with a colleague. Guess I should have known better.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me you’d be in town?”

  “Um…I think some people want out. You should probably move your truck.”

  As he turned, he lifted his head to look at the parking lot. “Fine, I’ll move so you can get out, then I’ll follow you to where you’re staying so you can tell me what’s going on.”

  He walked to his truck, not giving her a chance to say no. She hadn’t even bothered to check for any damage she might have caused backing into his truck. Of course, she’d pay for any repairs needed, if he’d let her.

  “Terrific, I should have just let Dan grope me all the way to my car so I could have dealt with him myself.”

  Now what, genius? She knew Ash was probably thinking she had a room at the local hotel. How would he react when she pulled into her driveway?

  As she pulled out of the parking lot and turned left heading to the house, she couldn’t stop tapping her fingers on the steering wheel. Her nerves were getting the better of her.

  The drive to her house didn’t take as long as she would have liked. She had to figure out how to tell him the truth fast. Her driveway was just ahead on the right.

  Will he hate me? His disappointment was one of her biggest fears. She hoped she hadn’t lost his friendship. The turn signal chime sounded loud in the small confines of her car when she flipped it on, showing Ash where they were going.

  * * * *

  “Jess, where are you going?” He wondered if she was lost until he saw her turn signal flash. This is the Cramer place. She must be renting it while she’s here. He’d always enjoyed the quiet of the property at night when he’d spent time here as a kid. The Cramers’ son was his best friend during school.

  He climbed out of his truck when Jess parked in the garage. Once he reached her car, he opened her door and watched her jump. “Easy there, hon, it’s just me.”

  “Shit, Ash, I almost punched you. Don’t sneak up on me like that.” Her nervousness was evident in the tense way she held her shoulders.

  He couldn’t wait to hear her reason for not telling him about her coming to town. He thought he meant more to her than this. Maybe he was wrong about her after all, not like that would be anything new. He was normally wrong when it came to women and relationships, but doubting her wasn’t sitting right with him. She’d never done anything to him to earn his distrust. She certainly wasn’t like the women from his past. He would give her the chance to explain before he jumped to judgment.

  He was almost afraid to touch her, afraid she wouldn’t be real. Reaching out to her, he waited for her to take his hand. “I don’t bite, hon. Well, not hard anyway.”

  Her small smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. Once he had her hand in his, her fingers were like ice. As she stood up, he pulled her into his arms and inhaled the clean scent of her coppery-brown hair. “You really are here.” Having her in his arms seemed surreal, something he dared not even dream about. He pulled back and took in her oval face, prominent cheekbones, and slightly upturned nose. This time the smile reached her beautiful eyes. The warm shades of amber with flashes of gold made him think of Jack Daniels on the rocks.

  “Yes, I’m really here. Let’s go in where it’s warmer.”

  Not wanting to let her go, he retained hold of her hand as she led him toward the house. He was in no hurry to release her, though he needed to. She pulled her hand and he let her slip from his grip when they reached the door.

  Following her inside, he asked, “Are you renting while you’re here, or did the company?”

  “I bought it.” She turned her back to hang up her coat.

  “I don’t understand. Why would you buy a house here?” He moved up behind her, nudging her shoulder to turn her back around to face him. She slowly turned to face him again, obviously having a hard time looking him in the eyes. Instead, she dodged him and laid her phone on the coffee table before turning to look at him.

  “I don’t think you realize that when I asked you about meeting last month, it wasn’t just to see if we could have a long-distance relationship. The job was a done deal and I was coming out here anyway.”

  * * * *

  The pain that flashed in Ash’s eyes was too obvious to ignore. Jess knew she’d hurt him by keeping the move from him, but she’d dealt with the situation the best she knew how at the time.

  “I’m sorry, Ash.”

  Without saying a word, he turned and walked back out the door, slamming it as he disappeared into the dark garage.

  Jess was too stunned to move. The sound of his truck revving up and pulling out of her driveway had her mouth snapping shut and her body on the run for the door Ash had stormed through.

  As she hit the center of the front yard, all she could see was the red glow of his taillights disappearing down the road. The realization he might very well have walked out
of her life for good had her dropping to her knees in the damp grass.

  “Now what?” Tears came fast, unbidden, and hot.

  She had no idea how long she’d been kneeling there. All she knew was Ash had left her instead of letting her explain. Now her legs were wet and cold where her pants had soaked up the moisture that had collected on the lawn from the temperature change as the night deepened.

  Stumbling to her feet, she made her way back into the house, which seemed a whole lot emptier once Ash had been there, only to walk back out. Locking the door behind her, she sat at her desk, still crying, debating whether to turn on her computer. Will Ash be online or should I text him an ‘I’m sorry’?

  Unable to find the energy to reach up and turn on her computer or the courage to see that Ash wasn’t there, she sat staring at a blank, black monitor. The clock in the kitchen ticked off every passing second. She never looked at the timepiece hanging on the wall, just sat listening to the seconds tick away.

  The passage of time became unimportant. Nothing mattered at the moment. She should have handled the move better, told him she was coming, even if he didn’t want a relationship. But would he have thought I did it on purpose? That I moved out here to push him into a relationship he didn’t want?

  Her phone ringing and vibrating across the coffee table interrupted her agonizing questioning of the choices she’d made. She knew the ringtone, Shiftwork by Kenny Chesney, the one she’d picked specifically for Ash. The song fit him perfectly.

  Sitting down on the couch, she reached for the phone. The screen lit up with Ash’s picture. The smiling image of him on her cell phone screen was almost too difficult to look at. Without further hesitation, she slid her thumb across the green handset symbol, answering his call.

  “Hello.”

  There was no reply. She heard music in the background as she waited for him to say something.

  “Ash, I know you’re there. You had the balls to call, the least you can do is say why.”