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  *

  Ronnie tried to be embarrassed at her behavior in front of Jack, but he wouldn’t let her. The way he’d talked to her, brought her down from the frenzy she’d been in, offered to help her find Ace. It was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for her in a very long time, including herself.

  He’d treated her as though she was important, that she mattered to him. They left the house together after he’d put on a clean shirt, although after she’d calmed down a little, she decided he looked damn good without one. Jack was hotter than hell.

  “Can we take my car?” He looked at her old car dubiously. “That thing might not make it to the next block.”

  “Don’t dis my ride, Reilly. Nugget has served me well for ten years. He’s old but he gets me where I want to go.” She glanced at the car Jack was driving. She’d never been in anything so fancy. “But I want to feel that leather on my ass.”

  They jumped in and Ronnie directed him to the culvert just outside their little town. It was a popular spot for teenagers, and she’d found Ace there once or twice. She’d hung out there back in her day. There were many memories attached to the shadowed spot beneath the highway.

  Jack parked and glanced at her. “How about I go look for him?”

  She was still buzzing with fear and confusion. For the first time, someone was supporting her, offering her a helping hand. She’d survived for so long on her own, relying only on herself, it was a unique experience to hand the reins over to someone if only for a few minutes.

  “Okay. Thanks.” She didn’t know what else to say. In her experience, people didn’t do anything without an ulterior motive. She didn’t see one with Jack, or he was damn good at hiding it.

  The next two minutes, she spent staring at her nails, wondering when was the last time she had painted them. Probably more than ten years. Since before there was Ace. Before she became a mother and everything, including herself, came second.

  When the door opened again, relief flooded her when Ace crawled into the back seat. He didn’t look at her but he didn’t need to. Not yet. She was thankful he was all right. Punishment would come later, after she’d calmed down.

  Jack climbed in and gave her a grim smile. She squeezed his hand and they headed back to his house in silence.

  Ronnie loaded Ace into her car after they arrived at Jack’s. “Sit here and don’t move.” He nodded, misery written across his face. He did something stupid and he knew it, which was a good first step.

  She walked back to Jack and took his hands. “Thank you enough for talking me off the ledge.”

  He ran his thumbs along the center of her palm, sending an army of goose bumps up her arms. “It was my pleasure. Most excitement I’ve had since I moved to town.”

  “I’m trying to make sure he doesn’t turn out like me.” She shook her head, emotions crowding her throat. “I made a mess of my life, but he won’t.”

  Jack tipped her chin up and looked into her eyes. “He’s going to make mistakes, but they are his to make. Don’t try to control him, but be there for him, love him, and forgive him.”

  She nodded and he pulled her into a hug. Ronnie melted into his embrace, his strength and warmth filling her with much needed affection. Sometimes a body just needed to be hugged and this was her moment. He kissed her softly, twice, and stepped back.

  “I’m here for you. Anytime.”

  Ronnie went back to work and apologized to Patty for the lost time. With a stern look at Ace, Ronnie sat him in the corner and told him to wait for the rest of her shift to pass. The rest of the morning passed by in a blur with Ronnie’s thoughts going in circles about Ace cutting school and worse, about Jack. Her son needed to be punished and he knew it, watching her with misery on his face from the corner table.

  Then there was Jack. He’d shown her kindness and caring, and she didn’t know why. There was nothing she could offer him except a warm bed, and he hadn’t tried to take advantage of that situation.

  Too many years of failures with men had hardened Ronnie’s heart. Cynicism became an everyday occurrence. Now something else was happening. Something she wasn’t prepared for.

  Soft, squishy feelings she didn’t know what to do with. It could be a scam, and that scared the hell out of her because she was beginning to like the man. More than like, really. She didn’t know anything about him, which should scare her off.

  But it didn’t.

  Anyone who helped her down from an emotional ledge that quickly was someone she wanted to trust. What if he’d just done what Ronnie expected and he was leading her on? For what purpose, though?

  Her thoughts were a jumble and were damn well giving her a headache. By the time the restaurant closed at two, she was no closer to making a decision about Jack. Patty must’ve sensed her confusion.

  “I’ve had my fair share of men in my life.” The older woman sat at the counter and spoke while Ronnie cleaned the coffee carafes. “Different in looks, but the same at heart. I was always falling for Mr. Wrong.”

  Ronnie nodded. “I know that feeling too well. I think I give off pheromones that only attract assholes.”

  “It was the jeans. A man in a tight pair of Wranglers made my panties damp every time.” Patty’s gray curls bounced as she laughed along with Ronnie. “I couldn’t get over my obsession with a man’s ass until I met Oscar. He was an inch taller than me, bald as an egg, and twenty pounds thinner than me. I never expected to fall in love, but it happened anyway.”

  Ronnie envied her friend for the man who held her every night and was her partner in life. She’d envied their love and devotion to each other, which was clear to anyone who saw them together.

  “I was fifty years old when I found him, but maybe if I’d looked away from the Wranglers, it might have happened sooner.” Patty folded her hands and looked down at the counter. “For years I’ve watched you push every man away from you, using Ace as an excuse.”

  Ronnie felt the sting of that remark. “He wasn’t an excuse.”

  “Bullshit, Veronica. This is me, not someone who doesn’t know you. Life handed you a shitty start with a good pa who passed and a mama who has a poisoned core. But you got the most beautiful, smart child from the choices you made. That’s your blessing. Stop using him as a wall to keep people at a distance.” Patty’s eyes blazed as she spoke, her voice rising until she nearly shouted.

  Ronnie’s eyes pricked with tears. She rarely allowed herself to cry and here she was doing it for the second time in the same day. Patty was right, of course. Not that it was easy to admit that out loud. Ronnie and her pride had been frenemies for a long time.

  “What should I do?” Her voice was trembling as hard as the rest of her.

  “I can’t answer that for you, honey. You know I love you like you were my own.” Patty came around the corner and pulled Ronnie into her arms. “Take a chance. He might be the love of your life.”

  Ronnie closed her eyes and took the comfort offered. If she wanted a chance at happiness, she had to step off the cliff and see if she could fly.

  *

  Jack was nervous. His palms were clammy and his heart thumped an uneven tattoo as he walked toward Beans. Things had changed yesterday. Big time.

  He’d seen some of her soft underbelly, and she’d allowed him to do it. Then there was Ace’s situation and the fact she let him help her. Damn skippy, things had changed. He didn’t know what that meant, though, and that made him nervous.

  The bell above the door greeted him as he stepped in. Ronnie was nowhere in sight, but the older woman was there. She smiled and pointed to the same table he’d sat at previously. He plopped down and waited. Where was she?

  “What can I get for you?” The older woman with a name tag reading “PATTY” walked up to the counter. Her silver curls shone in the morning sun streaming through the window.

  “Uh, coffee, whatever the special is.” He tried to appear nonchalant. “Is Ronnie working today?”

  Patty grinned. “She sure is. She’s
in the back taking a short break.” He patted his shoulder. “You have it bad, don’t ya?”

  Well, yeah, he did. Jack was supposed to be flying under the radar, but the Bentley, and this thing with Ronnie, yanked him right out in the open. He wasn’t going to stay incognito for long if he didn’t step back into the shadows. But he didn’t want to. That would mean he wouldn’t see Ronnie again.

  So much for making a plan to reinvent himself.

  When someone set a mug of steaming coffee in front of him, he glanced up to find Ronnie wearing a wry grin.

  “Hey there.”

  He found himself smiling in return. “Hey.”

  “Hungry for breakfast?” She cocked a thumb behind her. “I made peach tarts last night. Ace had to help as part of his punishment.”

  “Mmmm, I love peach tarts. I’ll have one of those.” He gestured to the coffee. “What’s today’s special?”

  “You’re going to slurp that down. Friday’s brew is Jet Fuel.” She winked and walked away.

  He watched her ass, his hands itching to cup that nicely rounded behind. His dick twitched with interest, reminding him he’d been celibate for six months. He didn’t want to rush her into anything, but those kisses had lit a fuse that burned steadily.

  Jack sipped the coffee while he waited for Ronnie to return. She sauntered back with a plate and napkin-wrapped utensils. She set the plate down heaped with three tarts. They were liberally sprinkled with powdered sugar and gleaming with deliciousness.

  His mouth watered. “You really are a magician.”

  “I prefer witch.” She sat down across from him. “Take a bite and let me know what you think.”

  He extracted the fork and took a bite. His mouth exploded with sweetness and warm flaky pastry. He groaned and her eyebrows went up.

  “That good, hm?”

  He swallowed and shook his head. “Not good. The best thing I’ve ever tasted.” He leaned forward and lowered his voice. He needed to find out if she was as interested as he was in pursuing whatever shimmered between them. “Of course, I still have other things in this world to sample.”

  Her eyes lit. “Is that so?”

  He reached out and took her hand, rubbing his thumb on her inner wrist. “What time do you get off work?”

  She licked her lips and he watched the pink of her tongue swipe back and forth. Holy fuck, he was instantly hard as steel. He’d need to sit there for half an hour or risk shocking all the old ladies sipping their joe around him.

  Ronnie took a full minute before she replied. “Two.”

  Jack picked up his fork. “Then I hope I see you then.”

  She got to her feet and he happily discovered her nipples were hard, pointing directly at him. As if to say, “We can’t wait to see you later!”

  Jack couldn’t wait. Moving to this little town had been a gamble, since he was about three hundred miles from home, and could run into people he knew in the county. But instead of disaster, the theme of the first thirty years of his life, he’d found treasure worthy of a king.

  He couldn’t wait for two o’clock to arrive.

  Chapter Six

  Jack was sanding a cabinet door from the kitchen when a thumping noise penetrated the dusty haze. He turned off the hand sander and realized the sound was someone banging on the front door.

  Boom, boom, boom.

  He raced for the front door, worried there was an emergency. The last person he expected to see was a Texas Ranger with a shiny badge and a big black hat. Fuck a duck. More shocking was the boy standing next to the big man. Ace held his skateboard in one hand while the lawman held his other arm.

  “Officer, I, uh, what’s going on?” He opened the door wider and gestured for them to enter.

  “I’m Ranger Graham. Are you Seamus Jackson Reilly?” The other man had obviously done his homework.

  The reminder of who he’d been made Jack wince inwardly. “Yes, that’s me.” Now that Ace knew what the S stood for, Jack expected Ronnie would know soon enough. His secret was no longer safe, which meant a quick Internet search and his would-be girl could find out everything.

  “Do you know this boy?” The ranger was built like a bull, with wide shoulders and chest.

  “I do. His name is Ace Graham.”

  The other man took off his hat and smacked his leg with it. “Hm, interesting last name. He said he lived here with someone named Jack Reilly.”

  “I dropped Seamus after my parents passed.” He had no idea what Ace was up to or why he was with a goddamn Texas Ranger. “I use my middle name now.”

  The ranger’s brows went up but he didn’t ask any questions. “So does he live here with you?”

  Jack didn’t want to lie to the ranger, but he didn’t want Ace to be in any more trouble than he had already stepped into. “We’re fixing up the house together.”

  “You said his last name is Graham. He your boy?” The lawman’s question surprised Jack. It never occurred to him that someone might assume he was Jack’s son.

  “No, but his mother and I are friends.” Jack wanted more, but for now he would settle for being her friend and hopefully soon, lover. “Can you please tell me what’s going on?”

  The ranger glanced at the boy. “Found him in the middle of I-10 skateboarding. He’s lucky he’s not dead and even luckier than no one was hurt. There was a group of older boys on the side of the road, looked like they were egging him on. He said he didn’t know them.”

  Jack’s gut tightened at the thought this boy had been in mortal danger and he suspected it was a dare. Or something equally as stupid.

  “Is he being charged?”

  “Not this time.” The ranger turned his fierce gaze on Ace. “If I see you anywhere near the interstate again, you’ll be in a shit ton of trouble, boy. You’re lucky you have him to vouch for you.”

  Ace’s brown eyes were as wide as saucers. He almost looked like a cartoon character facing the big bad wolf. “Yes, sir.”

  The ranger looked at the boy for a few more beats before he put his hat back on his head. “I’ll release him into your custody then.”

  Jack left Ace trembling in the living room and followed the lawman to the door. “Thanks for bringing him here. He’s a good kid. Sounds like he got goaded into doing something dumb.” Jack knew nothing about what Ace’s situation was, but after spending time with the boy, he had a few suspicions. Bigger, older boys goading a smaller, younger boy into proving his mettle. It was a familiar scenario that another boy experienced, one who had to overcome a childhood painted by the image of a leprechaun and a barbecue empire.

  “I figured that’s what it was, but the kid could’ve been roadkill. He was pale as milk when I grabbed him off the road. Didn’t blubber or cry for his mama. Just asked me quiet-like to bring him here.” The ranger stared at Jack, using his lawman mojo to prompt a confession of sorts.

  Jack wasn’t ready to let anyone know where he was, not until he was ready. “I, uh, appreciate you doing that.”

  “You want tell me anything else?” The man waited like a damn panther, quiet and powerful.

  Jack had an epiphany. “You said your last name was Graham and you emphasized Ace’s last name was Graham.”

  “True.”

  “Are you related to Veronica Graham?”

  The lawman narrowed his gaze. “We’re second or third cousins. I would have to verify with my mother for the specifics. This kid is her son?”

  “He is. She, ah, said she used to go riding with her cousins. I assume you’re one of them.” Jack didn’t know what he was doing but he felt like it was the right thing to do.

  “I am. We used to ride as a wild pack of kids. Not unlike that one in there.” He gestured with his hat. “Then Ronnie’s mom pulled them away from Briar Creek and over here near Tanger. I haven’t seen her in fifteen years. You said she’s alone and this is her kid. Sounds like she’s had a rough road.”

  Jack didn’t want to tell anyone her story but to find one of her cousins was a
good thing. She needed family and not just an idiot hiding from the world in a musty house. “That’s not my place to say. I will tell you she works at a restaurant called Beans. Maybe you can stop by and get some coffee sometime.”

  After a few moments, the other man nodded. “All right then. If she needs anything, call the ranger’s office. They’ll know how to get in touch with me.” With that, Graham left the front porch. “And fix this damn thing. It shuddered when I stepped on it.”

  Jack snorted. “It’s on the list.”

  He closed the door and walked back into the house. Ace stood in the same spot, the skateboard tucked under his arm. Jack wasn’t a parent and handling this situation was slightly terrifying. Ronnie loved this boy more than life itself. When she found out what happened, this boy was in deep shit.

  “Cut school again and hitting the highway? Your mom is going to tan your backside, kid.” Jack picked up the whiskbroom to start cleaning up some of the dust from sanding.

  “Yeah.” His voice was a small as a mouse.

  “You don’t have to tell me anything, but I won’t lie for you. You’ve got to tell your mother about this.”

  Ace sank to his knees, propping himself up on the skateboard. “She’ll ground me for life. She already made me bake.”

  “Maybe, but if you don’t tell her and she finds out, she might do something like burn your board and shave your head.” Jack emptied the dustpan and glanced at his watch. “She’s going to be here in about five minutes. You can either run out the back door or man up and tell her the truth.”

  Ace sighed deep and hard. “Who’s Seamus?”

  “It’s my first name, but I don’t use it anymore.” Jack was hoping the kid had forgotten that little piece of information. No such luck. Ace was too smart for that.

  “I guess I’ll tell her now. I might puke, though.”

  “I’ll be here if you need me to back you up.” Jack walked toward the kitchen. “I’m going to wash up. Be right back.”

  The afternoon had gone sideways and his gut was still tight from seeing a Texas Ranger in his house. The past that had been locked away had come roaring back and smacked Jack right in the face.