“Hey, babe,” I say, coming up behind her. “Sorry I’m late. I got held up at work.”
She turns around and looks into my eyes. God, she’s gorgeous. I give her a small smile and an even smaller nod, then flick my eyes to the guy trying to pick her up, letting her know what’s going on. A second passes and I’m regretting what I just said, thinking Sierra is going to get up and walk away, assuming I’m even worse than the guy next to her. Then her full lips pull into a smile.
“Oh, hey, boyfriend. I’m so glad you finally made it.”
I would have laughed at her obviousness if I weren’t well-versed in bullshitting. “Me too. Work was crazy. Being the CEO of a Fortune 500 company keeps me busy.” She laughs, and I take the barstool next to her.
“You work too much. I think we should put that private jet to use this weekend and get away.”
“Good idea. We can go to Hawaii?”
She lets out a dramatic sigh and shakes her head. “We just went there two weeks ago. How about Paris instead?”
“Too cliché. Iceland?”
“Too hipster.”
Now I laugh. I put my hand on the counter and Sierra slides hers forward, so our fingers are touching. The gesture is small and is the last thing I expected to send shivers down my spine. “There’s a little island in Scotland,” I start. “Everything is rocky and green, and you feel like you’re the only people left on earth when you stand on the cliff overlooking the ocean, feeling the spray of the waves on your face. Legend says mermaids gather in the coves on the cliff. Maybe we’ll see one.”
Her smile turns genuine and she looks at me like she’s seeing me for the first time.
“It sounds lovely.”
“It is. I’ve been there before. For business, of course.”
Beer Guy leans over, eyeballing me. “You’re her boyfriend?”
“I am,” I say. “You got a problem with that?”
Drunk enough to say whatever is on his damn mind, Beer Guy widens his eyes and looks at me, taking in my muscles and tattoos, then runs his eyes over Sierra. “I didn’t think a pretty lady like her would go for a guy like you.”
“But you thought she’d go for a guy like you?”
Beer Guy lets out a snort, laughing for a second before realizing I insulted him. He finishes his beer, sets the bottle down, and gets up with an indiscernible huff.
“Thank you,” Sierra says, taking her hand back. She leans in when she talks, having to speak over the music. Her brunette hair brushes over my arm, and we lock eyes again. Something passes through me when we do, almost like a faded memory being brought back to life.
I don’t know this woman.
I have no memories of her.
So why does she feel so familiar?
“No problem. I’m Chase, by the way.”
“Sierra. Nice to meet you.” She puts her hands on her Kindle but doesn’t turn it on. Her posture changes and she’s back to looking uncomfortable.
“So…are you from around here?” I ask, acting like Josh didn’t give me the rundown on her entire family mere minutes ago. The question perks her up. She’s used to people in this town knowing who she is.
“I am. Are you?”
“I am now. I just moved here.”
“Oh, nice. Welcome to Summer Hill. How do you like it?”
I shrug. “It’s different than what I’m used to.”
“It’s like its own little world here. Where are you from?”
“A few places,” I say with a laugh. “I was in New Jersey before this. And New York before that for a year. LA for a few years too, and I really have been to Scotland.”
Her head tips as she looks at me with curiosity, letting her eyes wander over my body. It’s obvious, yet innocent. It’s like she’s looking at a work of art, just taking it all in before she makes a judgment. I can’t tell what the verdict is.
“Why did you move so much?”
“I was trying to find a place that felt like home.” The words leave my mouth before I have a chance to think about it. The honesty shocks me since I’ve worked hard to deny it to myself. I’d told myself I moved around a lot because I didn’t like being tied down, that staying in one place too long creates expectations and attachments to people, two things I did not want.
Sierra’s green eyes soften. “Did you ever find a place that felt like home?”
I slowly shake my head. “Not yet.”
“Maybe you’ll find it here.”
Behind us, the bar is full of life. The music is loud. Drinks slosh on the floor. The smell of cigarette smoke wafts through the open doors, carried in on the fresh night breeze, making the air stale. But all I see is Sierra.
“Maybe.”
Josh sets a to-go bag on the counter in front of Sierra. “I see you’ve met my brother,” he says to her.
Sierra looks from Josh to me. “Oh, I didn’t know you were related.”
Josh laughs. “Took me years to finally get him here. I had to use a guilt trip,” Josh whisper-talks to Sierra, pretending like I can’t hear. “He’s going to take over for me after my wife has the twins.”
“You’ll have your hands full for sure. And you have a little girl already, right?”
“Yes. Dakota. She’s enough of a handful on her own.”
“She’s cute. I saw her in church a few weeks ago.” Sierra puts her money on the counter and slides her Kindle back into her purse.
“Thanks,” Josh tells her. “Have a good night, Sierra. It’s good to see you out again.”
“You too. Good luck with everything.” She slowly slides off the bar stool. “Thanks again, Chase. I appreciate it. That guy was rather persistent.”
“No problem.” I fight the compulsion to kiss her. “See you around.”
“Yeah, I’m sure I will. Bye.”
She pulls her keys out of her purse and heads out the door. I watch her leave, getting swallowed by the sea of people before disappearing out the door. Right as the red door swings closed, I see him.
Beer Guy.
He’s staggering as he walks, cigarette hanging out of his mouth. Sierra’s back is turned, and she doesn’t see him coming. He’s headed right to her, and he doesn’t look happy.
Chapter 5
Sierra
It’s been well over a year since I felt even the slightest inkling of attraction to a man. The moment I set my eyes on Chase Henson, everything changed. Tall and muscular with tattoos covering his arms, he’s a tall drink of water that I don’t need but desperately want to sip. His well-structured face didn’t help my case. The strong jaw, full lips that promise to give the best kisses, and deep, hazel eyes were enough on their own to make me have dirty thoughts.
But there was something else about him, something I could relate to but couldn’t exactly put my finger on. Maybe it was the way he said he was trying to find a place that felt like home. Things changed this past year, and while I love Summer Hill like an old friend, the sense that I belong has vanished like whispers in the wind.
I press the unlock button on Lisa’s key fob, then remember the battery has been dead in this thing for the last six months. It’s turned into a bit of a running joke between us since she complains about it all the time but has yet to put in a new battery.