Page 3 of My Heart for Yours

Okay, this burger was amazing! And the Corona hit the spot just right too. Even the company was entertaining. Jared kept up a steady stream of conversation, telling me about the town and his place in it. He mentioned Shane a few times too, as if to assure me that the man I met was not always the rude version I saw earlier. What was that?! I thought bartenders or bar owners in this case, were supposed to be hot, friendly, and chatty. At least he got the hot part right, but the rest of it? Not so much.

I noticed him the moment I walked into the bar because he is breathtakingly gorgeous. He looks to be in his late twenties, tall with broad shoulders that taper down to a trim waist which indicates he takes care of himself. He has short wavy brown hair you want to run your fingers through and dark eyes that don’t seem to miss much. And that mouth! Full lips that must look incredible when he smiles … which is not what he was doing when I walked in. In fact, I almost considered turning around and walking back out before he asked me to leave. Anyway, I enjoyed my meal and am now trying to decide whether to hang around a bit longer or head to my room at the inn. Just as I’m about to call it a night, my phone rings.

“Hey Joe, how are you?” No matter what, his calls always get answered because that is what you do for the one person in this world who cares about you and has been there for you when no one else was.

“Hey kiddo, where did you disappear to? You said you were going to take a trip, but I figured you’d be back by now.” And now I feel bad. Joe is the closest thing I have to family and he’s looked out for me since I was fourteen. I owe him a lot. I should have contacted him sooner to let him know I was still on the road.

“I’m sorry for making you worry. Do you miss me? I haven’t even been gone that long.” I try to tease, but it’s more to make myself feel better. Joe is going to worry no matter what I do, that’s just who he is.

“Nah, just checking to see if I need to send a search party to look for you. When you coming back?” See? I kind of have a history of taking off, especially when I was growing up and conditions at home were less than ideal.

“Not sure. I’m taking it as it comes for now. Got nothing but time.” I try to keep my tone light, but Joe sees right through the act.

“So, this has nothing to do with Starke? You’ve never been the type to stick your head in the sand or hide from your problems.” That’s true because running is not the same as hiding. Anyway, this trip is about so much more than that.

“I’m not. Cole is not going to chase me across state lines so as long as I keep moving; he is the least of my worries.” That makes sense, right? The whole out of sight out of mind thing. If I’m not constantly in his sphere, he’ll lose interest. A girl can hope.

“Not sure I agree with you, but it’s your decision. Just be careful and check in with me occasionally, so I know you’re not stuck in the middle of nowhere.” God, what did I do to deserve him?

“Will do, Joe. Take care, okay?”

“You too, kiddo.”

I disconnect the call and look up, straight into Shane’s dark blue eyes, and from the look on his face he heard at least the last part of my conversation. It really isn’t right that someone with such a grumpy demeanor should be so good looking. He glares at me, opens his mouth like he’s going to say something and then closes it again, turns around and disappears into the kitchen area behind the bar. Oh well, it doesn’t matter what he thinks. I probably won’t see him again anyway. I get up, signal to the other bartender that I’m ready to leave and settle my bill.

“You just going to leave me hanging like that?” Jay asks, curiosity clear on his face. He was obviously listening to my side of the conversation.

“Yep.” I give him a wink and head for the door. I hear him chuckle so know I made the right choice. He’s here to have a fun night out, not listen to some stranger’s crazy story. Some people find it easy to talk about themselves, to share the details of their personal life. I’m not one of them. Experience has taught me it is safer to keep to myself, not trust every person I meet and think twice before opening my mouth. Must be nice though, to live in a town like this and not constantly have to worry about people’s motives. Maybe someday I can have that too.

Chapter 2

Shane

I decide to stop by Mel’s Diner for breakfast before heading over to Derick’s place which is on the opposite end of town. I walk through the door with the requisite bell ringing overhead and freeze. She’s here, the woman from last night. Lisa.

For only a second, I consider turning around and going somewhere else, but the truth is there isn’t anywhere else to go and there is something I need to know.

“What kind of trouble are you in?” Her head shoots up from her plate as I sit down at her table and the look on her face is a mixture of surprise, annoyance and … guilt?

“Excuse me?” She pulls herself together quickly but the nervous fidgeting with her fork tells me she is not at all happy to see me. Too bad, beautiful, because I’m not leaving until I get answers.

“I heard you in the bar last night when you were talking on your phone. Something about someone chasing you across state lines?” Those words literally made my blood run cold, right before a fire lit in my chest at the thought of her running scared. A protective instinct that hadn’t seen the light of day in years reared its head and, even though I know I should stay away, this is where I find myself.

“That’s nothing for you to worry about. I’m handling it.” She looks me straight in the eye as if that’s supposed to convince me of her sincerity. Nice try.

“Yeah, I don’t find that encouraging. Answer the question.” I stare straight back at her, but she doesn’t flinch or look away.

“Last night you could barely stand to look at me, let alone serve me a burger, so why do you care? In a couple of days’ time, you’re not even going to remember my name,” she challenges me.

“I don’t remember it now. Answer the question.” Of course, it’s a lie, her name played in a loop through my head like one of those annoying pop songs they play on repeat on the radio, but I need to keep her at arm’s length. She cannot know that she’s gotten to me when I don’t even understand how or why it’s happened.

“Jerk! Please just leave me alone.” She keeps her back straight and her chin up but still looks so vulnerable that I almost cave, but somehow I manage to hang on to my resolve. I need to know what’s going on.

“You don’t seem to understand, so let me explain it to you. This is a small town, not exactly a tourist hotspot. When someone new shows up, people tend to take notice, and by that I mean they will take the time to get to know you. Because they are good people. If you bring trouble to their door, I will stop you. Don’t doubt that for a second.” The threat comes tumbling out of my mouth before I can think to stop it and I can see her shutting down, all emotion leaving her beautiful face until only a mask is looking back at me. I hate it, but this is my town, and everyone and everything that is important to me is here.

“Fine, I hear you. I’ll pack and leave as soon as I’ve finished my breakfast. Is that good enough for you?”

I stare at her and again it feels like all the air has been sucked from the room. Her acquiescence takes me by surprise, but I’m not going to question it right now. I give a sharp nod and get up to leave but can’t resist looking back one last time. The look on her face is resolute and she wears her stubborn independence like a cloak around her shoulders, but this is for the best. She doesn’t belong here and the sooner she moves on, the better. All I need to do now is convince myself that I’m not going to think about her every day for a good long time to come.

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