Page 3 of Sneak Attack

My chest seized all over again. My hands trembled and my knees shook so hard I slid down the wall, reveling in the scratch along my back. The pain kept me grounded, alert, at least until I fell to my ass, my knees bent in front of me. I pressed my forehead to my knees, closed my eyes, and tried to breathe.

I was safe. I was alive. I had Marley. I had parents who never gave up on me even if I gave up on myself a long time ago. I had a career I loved. The sun was out, brightening the trees around me and the heat pushed through my clothing to remind me my flesh was alive. That my heart still beat.

I grounded myself, focused on all the things that were true and the things I could be thankful for, or at least acknowledge, until the knotted ball of fear and regret loosened in my chest, making breathing easier.

It was only then when I was sure I could stand without falling over, I set my hand on the pavement to push to my feet and a shadow, followed by two hot pink and black athletic shoes, stepped into view.

Selma’s presence had been a force in high school, and it had not diminished over the years. If anything, her presence had me trembling all over again, more so when she finally spoke.

“I didn’t think you’d have the guts to come back here.”

Selma grew up being Hilary’s best friend. A third wheel to Cole and Hilary, the town’s beloved high school sweetheart couple, the three of them were attached at the hips until I showed up. I hadn’t intended to bump her out of the lineup, had never wanted to, but that was….

It happened before I knew she’d despise me for it. Before I ever met her, and I could never make it right no matter how hard I tried to stay away.

That was what Cole and I had been from the moment we met, magnets circling, attached and being yanked apart. By Selma. By Hilary—but considering she’d been Cole’s girlfriend, that was her place.

It took effort, more than I thought I had, to stand tall and push off the brick wall. “Marley insisted.”

A cop-out. I could have told her I had all the guts to do whatever I wanted, but it was a lie, and I’d promised myself years ago I’d never lie again, regardless of the cost of the truth.

Her beautifully highlighted blonde hair fell past her shoulders as she tilted her head. Selma was gorgeous. Always had been, but where Hilary had that sweet girl next door sweetness to her, Selma’s sharp edges and features belonged more on the cover of Vogue.

Certainly not in this small country town.

I was surprised she was still here—but given her and Cole…well, there was a time I would have stayed for him, too.

Almond-shaped eyes narrowed into slits, only highlighting her ocean-blue eyes. “He won’t want to see you, and I want you to stay away. From himandour son.”

My eyes closed as her barb sliced through me as intended.

“I will.”

“Yeah, well, I’d believe you, but I don’t trust you as far as I can throw you but know this—when he heard you might be returning to town—well, let’s just say I know for a fact he won’t want to see you either. Ever again.”

She turned on her rubber-soled shoes and floated away with grace, leaving me in tatters.

Of course, Cole wouldn’t want to see me ever again.

I already knew that.

I just hadn’t realized hearing it would hurt so much.

CHAPTER2

COLE

“Jasper! We need to get moving, buddy. Your mom is going to be here any minute.”

My son ran at speeds hovering one thousand all day long until it was time to leave our house. Then he trudged through molasses, slow as the day was long. Already I was hating that summer was almost over and school would start. Then he’d be trudging through molasses with lead-weighted boots.

“Bongo needs to go out!” Jasper jumped the last step on the stairs and tried to dodge me, but I reached out, snagging the back of his shirt and pulled him backward where his shoes and bag for his mom’s house were by my feet near the front door.

“Shoes on.” I ruffled his hair. “Grab your breakfast on the kitchen counter. I’ll get Bongo.”

Bongo, the one-year-old Golden Retriever Jasperhadto have. We rescued him three months ago, and I was pretty sure the only reason we did was because of Marley. We’d heard the worst news regarding her diagnosis. Jasper hit me at the wrong time, the wrong day, and Selma doubled down by telling me she’d help when I had to travel.

I’d refused at first, as I did with most of Selma’s offers to be closer than she knew I wanted, but that changed the day I came home after a long day of off-season training to the escape artist puppy who’d somehow freed himself from his kennel and tore open the couch cushions. Stuffing had turned my living room into a winter wonderland of fake snow. He’d even somehow managed to upend the coffee table my grandfather and I had built when I was ten. I could barely flip it over by myself, it was so heavy.

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