Page 7 of Seaside Cowboy's Second Chance

“Take care of yourself.” He marched to his truck, leaving her with a feeling of emptiness.

“Just you and me, huh?” She crouched to Breeze. “I know you must be hungry.” While Austin had given Breeze a snack, it couldn’t have been enough.

Her hand flew to the pendant, hidden under the smooth fabric of her blouse. Dallas had given her that pendant for their first anniversary. She’d never taken it off, no matter what. Like her memories, it was hidden by her heart but always there.

Even if the guy who’d given it to her was no longer in her life.

Her month-old sedan shone in the sun, spotless after a recent car wash. After her memories started coming back and she’d left her hometown, she’d tended to like things spotless and shiny, their colors muted, an antidote to the tumult her soul had been in then.

She pushed the ignition button on her shiny new key fob. Her car didn’t start. Maybe it—and the rest of her whole shiny new life—wasn’t such an antidote, after all.

Chapter Two

DALLAS NEARLY DROVEaway from the vet clinic parking lot. He should have. But something stopped him. He frowned.

Who was he kidding? It wasn’t something. It wassomebody.

Skylar.

He clenched his teeth as she slipped inside her silvery sedan after letting the dog in. He’d been fine without Skylar all these years. Or close to it. Was still fine.

Why now, after all this time?

Well, after this chance meeting, he’d have to do his best to avoid her. A tall order in a small town, but it shouldn’t be too difficult if he stayed at the ranch. Time to go.

Her car engine sputtered, coughed, and went silent. Then again and again for several tries until it didn’t even sputter.

She could get a lift from her grandmother. Or call a taxi. Unlike several of his brothers, he didn’t know much about engines, so he wouldn’t be able to repair whatever the issue was. Likewise, he could never repair whatever her issue was with him, because she’d never told him what it was in the first place. Just told him they should postpone their wedding. Then cancel it.

No explanation. No nothing.

Except for saying “It would be for the better.” Better for whom?

When he’d called and asked to meet, she’d always found an excuse not to. Instead of coming alive with her usual chatter, their conversations had become brief, and then she’d seemed to avoid them altogether. She’d become a different person, and he couldn’t understand why.

His stomach clenched, and he resisted the urge to hit the innocent steering wheel. He really should go. She’d made it clear.

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