Page 22 of Seaside Cowboy's Second Chance

He shook off the feeling of desperation. It all had been decades ago. He wasn’t that terrified child anymore. No need to remember.

His glance kept flicking to the rearview mirror for any tail. If it were up to him, he’d make a few extra turns, but he had to follow Skylar’s car.

The canary-yellow cottage with green trims, like dandelions in the grass. Everything around it seemed quiet, and only familiar vehicles passed the street so far.

He pulled up after her nondescript gray sedan, regret hanging in the air like car fumes and poisoning his lungs. For Skylar’s sixteenth birthday, her grandmother had gifted her a used lime-green car. The contraption screeched when turning corners and had a plastic sheet taped in place where the passenger side window should be. His brothers had spent hours making it drivable, and even then, it would only start after about fifteen minutes of sweet talk to the car.

Exhilarated, Skylar had danced around her first car, then had painted it with bright fairy-tale flowers and covered it with fun decals. There wasn’t a single decal on this one. It was brand new and chosen to blend in.

More than Skylar had changed. Everything around her had changed, as if her bright fire had burned out to ashes. His heart ached for her and her losses—the losses he didn’t even know about—more than it ached for his own loss.

After scanning the peaceful neighborhood, he rushed out of his rusty-trusty truck to carry the pastry boxes they’d brought back from Candy’s Pastries.

“Thank you, dear.” Mrs. Rafferty leaned on her granddaughter as they shuffled up the porch.

Again, he and Skylar exchanged concerned glances.

“A ramp?” she mouthed at him over her grandmother’s head.

He nodded.

“Are you feeling okay, Grandma?”

Mrs. Rafferty conquered another step. “Yes. Just tired.”

He’d install a ramp, just to be on the safe side, as soon as he figured out how to approach the issue with Mrs. Rafferty. She could use a cane or a walker, as well, but she’d refused so far.

Breeze met them with an enthusiastic bark that became even more enthusiastic once the dog realized they were going to take her with them. Breeze started licking Skylar’s hands, then her face when Skylar knelt to pet her.

“Aren’t you awesome?” A now-rare smile lifted Skylar’s lips. “We’re not going to leave you behind again.”

Like she’d left him behind?

The time to mope about that had passed many years ago if there had ever been such a time to start with. He’d had to let her go and live his life. Only his heart had difficulty comprehending it.

She paused from petting the dog and looked up at him. “How about just taking your truck? No need to take two vehicles as we’re going to the same place.”

“Sure.” He nodded. He liked the idea of her being in his truck again. A bit too much.

Whoa. She’d left him. Remember? Without a clear reason. Without an explanation.

Once they were on the road, Breeze barked again, and this wasn’t a friendly bark any longer. Dallas tensed as his gaze jerked to the rearview mirror again. A sleek white car with tinted windows had stayed two cars behind them at several traffic lights already. Now it pulled up close.

Too close for his or Breeze’s liking.

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