Forgive Me

Forgive Me Copyright Š 2015 by Kaithlin Shepherd All rights reserved. No part of this e-Book may be used or reproduced in any written, electronic, recorded, or photocopied format without the express permission from the author or publisher as allowed under the terms and conditions with which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution, circulation or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author's rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly. Thank you for respecting the work of this author.

Forgive Me is a work of fiction. All names, characters, events and places found therein are either from the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to persons alive or dead, actual events, locations, or organizations is entirely coincidental and not intended by the author.

For information contact the publisher, Hot Tree Publishing.

Editing & Formatting: Hot Tree Editing Cover Designer: Claire Smith ISBN 13: 978-1-925448-00-9

Dedication Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three

Dedication For anyone who has ever given themselves a second chance.

Chapter One No matter where

he looked, the women's faces all blurred into one familiar one: Amanda Watkins. Ever since moving back to Montana, Drew Callaway saw her face everywhere, and no matter what he did, he couldn't get her out of his damn head. The countless one-night stands he'd had over the years to try and forget her didn't matter anymore, because since she was back, there was no way he would ever escape her.

After five years, he expected to be over the woman who broke his heart, who had left town in a cloud of dust, but could anyone ever forget their first love? He sipped his beer, trying to numb the feelings creeping over him, when he felt a small hand on his shoulder, which wasn't uncommon for a Friday night. The women knew what he was after, and he never had to search very long to find a willing participant to help him forget Amanda— not that it ever worked, of course. No matter how many women spent the night with him, every face he saw was hers.

"You want some company tonight, Drew?" He turned sideways as the woman spoke to him, hoping like hell she wasn't a blonde. He didn't do blondes; they reminded him too much of Amanda. When he faced her, she flashed him a smile he'd imagined had worked on many men before him, not that he gave a shit. This wasn't about a relationship. It wasn't even about comfort. This was about sex.

"I might be, darling. You offering?" he asked her, running his finger down her neck.

She leaned closer to him, wrapping her hands around his neck. "I'd like to take you for an eight-second ride, cowboy."

He held back a laugh and a snarky comment. She was definitely from the city, throwing lines like that around. At that point, however, she could be speaking Spanish and he wouldn't care. He needed to try and forget about Amanda, at least for a couple of hours. He lowered one hand to her ass and brought her closer to him. "Well then, darling, you're in for one hell of a ride."

"You going to buck me off?" she whispered in his ear as her hand covered his cock through his jeans.

Seriously, where did this girl get lines like that? He normally didn't care for games but right then, he was up for anything.

"Darling, I'm going to give you the ride of your life."

"Show me what you got." She leaned closer to him and kissed him. She was sloppy and trying way too hard, but she would have to do for the time being. He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and tilted her head to the side, kissing his way down her neck, softly licking and biting as he went along. When she gripped his shirt and started grinding on him, he knew he had to take this outside. She wants a ride? Well, she's going to get the real cowboy experience.

He pulled away from her, dropped some cash on the bar, and grabbed her hand before walking out. "You ever fuck in a truck, darling?"

She looked at him with wide eyes and for a second, he thought she was going to back out. But she just smiled at him.

"No, but I've always wanted to."

"Well, sugar, you're about to know what it's like to fuck a cowboy." Shit, he sounded so lame; he couldn't believe he was saying this crap. He pushed her back against the side of his truck, caging her face between his arms. Her hands went straight for his belt, undoing it with quick fingers. He should stop her, since anyone could just walk out and see them, but he didn't care. She unzipped his jeans and freed his cock, just staring at it.

They needed to move this along before boredom crept into the back of his mind. "It's not going to bite you, darling."

She flashed him a smile before he watched her body slide down until she was on her knees, in the parking lot of the bar.

This was a first, even for him, but when she licked the tip of his cock with her tongue, he didn't have it in him to tell her to stop.

She wrapped her lips around him and started sucking. His hands went to her hair, coiling it around his wrist, directing her movements. "Shit, that mouth of yours feels so good."

He heard her moan around his cock, sending little vibrations down his spine. Closing his eyes as she worked him, he let his thoughts drift off. Suddenly, the girl on her knees wasn't a stranger, but Amanda. His whole body tightened at the image in

his head, and before he knew it, he was fucking her mouth hard and fast. He knew he would blow soon, but it felt so good and the image of Amanda on her knees was so damn hot, he couldn't stop. When he noticed a hand grab his balls, he bucked his hips and his release built. "Oh, fuck…yeah, that's it. Suck me just like that. Harder. I'm so close."

The mouth around his cock moved faster, and he knew he was about to blow. "God, yes…shit, I'm gonna come. Amanda… yes…fuck…yes! Amanda!" He blew right there, his release hitting him like a freight train. The mouth released his cock way too soon. When he looked down, he saw the girl from the bar with anger and shame written all over her face.

"You know, when a girl is down on her knees sucking your cock, you might want to make sure you don't call another woman's name as you blow in her mouth." He watched the girl rise from the ground, fix her dress and walk away from him as she called him an asshole. And shit if he didn't feel like one.

He fixed his pants before leaning against his truck, "Fuck, fuck, fuck! Get out of my damn head, Amanda."

Driving back home, Drew couldn't stop the waves of memories from crashing into him. All the nights he and Amanda had spent driving around with no destination in mind, just enjoying being together, were some of the best memories he had.

Right then, however, they didn't feel like a blessing; they were like a curse anchoring him to the past. By the time he pulled up to the main house, it was past 1 a.m., which was perfect, because the last thing he wanted to do was answer his brothers' line of questioning as to why he was home so early. If he told them what had happened, he would never hear the end of it.

The house was quiet as he walked in, but he noticed a light still on in the main office. When he stood in the door frame, he saw his brother, John, still buried in paperwork. Drew worked as hard as anybody, but John had them all beat when it came to how many hours they put in each week. Cole might have stepped into the role of dad, but John had become the businessman their father had been.

"It's one in the morning, John. What the hell are you still doing in here?"

His brother jerked his head up as he spoke. There was no missing how tired he looked.

"Looking at these fucking numbers again. Why are you home so early? Couldn't find a willing candidate?"

Drew sat down in one of the leather chairs in front of John's desk, running his hands over his face.

"Wasn't feeling it tonight." He lied because what else was he supposed to say? Yeah, I found a girl. She gave me a blow job in the parking lot, and I called out Amanda's name as I blew in her mouth. That just made him sound like an asshole, and he didn't need to be reminded of that.

"You weren't feeling it?" That was exactly why he wanted to avoid his brothers, this line of questioning that never ended.

"That's what I just said." He knew his aggravated tone was giving him away, but he couldn't help himself.

His brother closed his laptop and took a sip of whiskey before asking the one question he knew would set him off, but apparently couldn't be avoided. "This wouldn't have anything to do with Amanda, would it?"

"Why does everyone always assume it's about Amanda?" He hated that he was so transparent when it came to her, but he couldn't help it. No matter how many years passed, he still adored her like crazy. She was it for him, the love of his life, and no amount of time would change that.

"She was your high school love, Drew. The one girl you loved and never got over. And because everything in your life has always been about Amanda, you haven't had one relationship since she left. Doesn't that tell you something?"

He took a deep breath, fighting the urge to punch his brother in the face. He hated that his brothers felt like they knew what he was feeling. They had no idea; they never did. Even if John had a point, it wasn't a conversation he wanted to have—not then, not ever. "Yeah, it tells me you guys need to get a fucking life."

He watched his brother circle his desk. By the look in John's eyes, the same look their dad used to get before a heart-to-heart, Drew had a feeling the next comment was going to cut him deep. "Get mad at me all you fucking want, man. I don't care.

I'm used to your shit by now, but you better get that shit together, Drew. This isn't who you are."

He jumped out of the chair and shoved John back against his desk, sending papers on the floor. "You don't know anything about who I am, John." The second the words were out and he saw his brother's face go hard, he knew he'd just gone too far.

Damn Amanda, pushing all of his goddamn buttons.

John shoved him backwards. "Whose fault is that, asshole?

When she left town, you shut us all out. You think we didn't see how fucking hurt you were? Get your shit together and get that girl back, or get the fuck over her already. It's been years since she left, and you're still acting like a teenager. Man up! This is not how Dad raised us, you—using women to try and forget another. He would be so fucking ashamed of you right now. I'm sick of your bullshit."

Drew watched his brother walk out of his office and for the first time in a long time, he didn't try to hide his feelings. He felt like a fucking disappointment to his family, to the memory of his dad, for using women the way he had. He grabbed a picture of him and his dad and in that moment, he made a promise he would stop at nothing to keep.

"I'm going to be a better man, Dad, a man you would be proud of. I'm going to fight for her, just like you would have fought for Mom. She reminds me a lot of Mom, you know. She's strong and independent, and doesn't take crap from anybody, least of all from me. It won't be easy, but nothing worth it ever is. We're not the same people we were in high school. Hell, I know I'm not. I get why she had to leave now. I understand she had to go and make something more for herself, but she's back now and I'm not letting her get away a second time. I'm going to make you proud, Dad, I promise."

Seven months. Seven months of being back in Montana, seven months of being back in the house she grew up in which was falling apart, seven months of avoiding Drew‌. If anyone would have told her she would end up back in Montana after swearing to never come back, she would have never believed it.

Yet there she was, alone on a Friday night, watching a sappy romantic comedy and making conversation with a dog. She had worked hard to make a good life for herself in South Carolina as a sous-chef. But just when she was up for a promotion, she received the call that changed her whole life: "Your dad has passed away."

It had been months since she'd buried her dad, and she still couldn't believe he was gone. But he was, and she was back in Montana running her dad's diner while doing her best to avoid seeing Drew, which wasn't easy. In a small town, it was hard to avoid seeing someone as popular as one of the Callaway brothers, but she'd managed to do just that.

She pulled the blanket up her body and Tango snuggled closer to her. "We make a good team, don't we, Tango? Who needs a man when you have a dog?" she told him, running her fingers through his fur, which was more white than golden.

Tango looked at her like she was crazy, which wouldn't be too far-fetched from the truth, considering she was talking to a golden retriever.

"I don't need Drew Callaway in my life to be happy, okay?

Don't look at me like I'm crazy, Tango. Drew and I were done a long time ago. It's not like I still love him or anything, 'cause that would be crazy, right? Right, like talking to a dog isn't crazy." Tango snuggled closer as if he knew she needed comfort.

That was why she was head over heels for this dog; plus, he couldn't call her out on her bullshit.

She turned her attention back to the movie that was playing just in time to see a scene where the man kissed the woman with so much passion, Amanda's cheeks warmed. Tango barked, and she laughed. "Yeah, boy, I know. A dog can't do that."

When the movie finished, she cleaned the living room and washed her dishes before heading to bed. Her eyes glared at the ceiling, which would probably fall on her head any time soon.

She couldn't believe how much her dad had let the house go; it was practically falling apart. Tango climbed into bed with her at her feet. "I love you, Tango, but sometimes I wished you looked like Drew and not like a golden retriever." She turned off the light and hoped like hell she wouldn't dream of Drew, even if

deep down, she knew she would. For five years, he was all she ever dreamed about, and that was all he would ever be: a dream.

When she woke up the next morning, Amanda glanced up at the ceiling, which seemed to be holding up by a thread. She was convinced that if she didn't find a way to fix her house soon, she would wake up one morning looking at the Montana sky. As she got ready, the cold shower she was forced to take was just another reminder of something else that needed to be fixed. Just like her life, the house was crumbling.

By the time she opened the diner the next morning, there were already people waiting outside. That was the one thing about owning the only diner in town—she was always busy. She served people coffee and took order after order, trying her best to make small talk with the people she'd known all of her life, but really didn't know anything about.

Around 8 a.m., she smiled when she saw Cole Callaway and Jamie walk into the diner. She and Jamie had become quick friends since the first time they met. She watched as Cole possessively put his hand on Jamie's growing baby bump as people said hello to them. They had the kind of relationship people wrote about in romance novels. Amanda leaned against the counter and took a few seconds to look at them. She envied what they had so much, someone to care for you unconditionally, and someone who would fight for you until their dying breath. That was what she and Drew had promised each other before she left their love in the dust. She shook off the cobwebs in her head, grabbed the decaf pot and headed for their table.

"Hey, guys, how's it going?" she asked them as she poured coffee into their cups.

"I feel like I'm a whale about to pop. This baby cannot get here fast enough," Jamie told her while shifting in the booth, obviously trying to find a comfortable position.

"You look beautiful, baby."

Amanda smiled at the adoration she heard in Cole's voice. If there was one thing the Callaway men were good at, it was making the women in their lives feel special. Cole definitely had it down to an art with Jamie.

Jamie laughed at his comment. "You have to say that if you want sex, Cole Callaway. Don't think I don't know what you're doing." Cole flashed her a smile that said it all: he didn't need words to have sex.

Ah, sex. Just the thought of it made her skin tingle. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd felt a man's hands on her. She didn't want much out of life, but she also didn't think that wanting a man to hold her like that was too much to ask for.

Amanda laughed at the interaction and pressed her hand down on Jamie's shoulder. "I think you look beautiful, Jamie.

Pregnancy definitely suits you." She wasn't kidding, either.

Jamie was a beautiful woman, but she had this glow around her at the moment that just shined.

"Thanks, Amanda. How are you doing? Are you adjusting to being back? It must be a big change for you."

She knew exactly where this conversation was headed, and she knew she had to change the subject before they started on the topic of Drew. "Oh, I'm good. It's been interesting being back, but nothing much has changed here, so it still feels like home. How are the wedding plans going?"

Jamie tilted her head to look at her, obviously aware of what she had just done, and Amanda just smiled at her innocently as she felt Cole watching them closely. "Slowly but surely‌I never thought planning a wedding would be so much work. I swear every time I cross something off the to-do list, five more things pop up."

"Well, let me know if there's anything I can do. I know weddings can be stressful," she told them, thankful Jamie hadn't pushed her on Drew.

A silent conversation passed between Cole and Jamie, but before she could ask questions, Jamie spoke up, breaking the silence. "We might just take you up on that."

"How's the house holding up, Amanda?" Cole asked her, obviously concerned. There was a lot of work that needed to be done, but with the diner not making a lot of money, she knew there was no way she would be able to afford renovations anytime soon.

"Well, it's still standing, at least. I just can't afford all the renovations it needs right now, but I'll get around to it eventually," she told him honestly.

"I'd be happy to take a look at it for you. I'm sure we can figure it out together. I don't want you living somewhere unsafe." She knew he would do it if she asked him, but she didn't want to impose, or risk Drew showing up with his brother.

She tucked a stray hair behind her ear and nibbled her bottom lip nervously. "I appreciate that, Cole, but it's not necessary. It's not that bad."

As if he were reading her mind, Cole grabbed her hand. "I'll make sure Drew isn't around, Amanda, if that's what you want.

Just let me look around and make sure it's not dangerous. I don't like you living alone in that house when we don't even know if it's safe. The roof could fall on your head any time."

"Okay then, that's fine. Thank you." What else was she going to say? She knew she needed the help and if Cole promised to keep Drew away, she believed him.

"No problem. You know, you can't avoid him forever. This is a small town, so you're bound to run into him at some point," Cole told her, and she knew he was right. She'd been locking herself in her house when she had time off, desperately avoiding coming into town, all to avoid Drew.

"I know, but for now, avoidance works for me. It works for us. Now, what will it be this morning?" she asked them, taking her order pad out of her apron, desperate for a change of subject.

"Waffles for me with bacon, and orange juice, please." Jamie smiled as she ordered. Amanda couldn't quite put her finger on what she was missing when she took in Jamie's grin, but it was obvious she was missing something.

"All right, Cole, what about you?" she asked, trying her best to not let him see how unsettled the conversation had left her.

"The usual for me." He looked like he wanted to say something more, but she was thankful when he didn't press.

"Coming right up, guys." She grabbed the pot of coffee she had put down on the table and turned around so fast, she didn't notice the body standing beside her.

As she spun, she collided with the massive body and spilled coffee all over a white T-shirt. "Oh, shit! I'm so sorry." She lifted

her head to see who she was apologizing to and in that moment, her whole word stopped turning: Drew.

Drew smiled as he listened to Amanda's conversation with his brother. She obviously hadn't noticed him come in, which he was happy about because it gave him time to look at her. After having his epiphany the night before, Drew had decided it was time to stop avoiding the diner, and her. After the conversation he had with John, he was determined to see if there was still something worth fighting for between him and Amanda. The minute his eyes landed on her, he had his answer. He would always have something to fight for when it came to Amanda.

She looked even better than she did back in high school. Her blonde hair was longer, and even in a ponytail, he could tell it flowed down the middle of her back. The image of her lying on his bed with all that hair falling down on his pillow invaded his mind. She had always had beautiful curves, but she had the curves of a girl back then. The woman standing in front of him was all woman, and damn if she wasn't even more beautiful than he remembered.

He saw the scene play in slow motion as she picked up the coffee pot from the table and turned around, but before he could take a step back, she crashed into him, spilling the coffee all over his shirt and his jeans. The burn from the hot liquid hurt, but not nearly as much as the look in her eyes when she lifted her head and saw him.

"Oh, shit, I'm so sorry. I wasn't paying attention." The instant their eyes met, he saw all of her emotions flash across her eyes.

It was the one thing about her he could never get out of his mind. Everything she felt was written on her face; she couldn't hide anything, not from him.

She was scared and nervous. But shit, when he saw a flash of desire appear, he thought he might lose control, haul her ass on the table and kiss her like he'd been dreaming about for five

years. He couldn't do that, though; it would only make things worse. "As clumsy as ever, I see."

She smiled at him like she didn't know what to do or say.

Well, at least he wasn't the only one a little shell-shocked.

"Drew."

He loved the way his name sounded out of her mouth.

Clenching his fist, he managed to stop himself from reaching for her.

"Mandy."

He saw the flash of something he couldn't quite decipher at the use of his nickname for her. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you. Oh, God, did I burn you?" she asked him as she grabbed napkins from the table and started sponging away the liquid. When she got dangerously close to his crotch area, he wrapped his fingers around her wrist, stopping her movements.

"I'm fine but if you go any lower, we're going to have a problem, darling." He'd waited years to feel her hands on him again, but this wasn't the time nor the place.

He watched as her eyes traveled down his body, stopping at her hand inches away from his building erection. Her whole face heated, and she took a few steps back. "Oh, oh…God, I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it, sweetheart. But I'd prefer not to have a hard-on in the middle of the town diner," he told her, his voice filled with humor.

"I have to go…place orders. I mean…oh, God! I'm really sorry." He was enamored by the way she blushed. Damn, he'd missed how easy it was to make her skin turn pink.

"Mandy…." He tried to keep her from running, but she was already gone.

"Let her go, Drew." He turned around as his brother spoke.

He nodded in acknowledgement. One thing for sure was he'd let her walk away, for now, but he wasn't letting her go, not this time. Sitting down next to his soon-to-be sister-in-law, he noticed she looked beautiful as ever. It was so strange to think that soon his brother would be a husband and a father.

"She's struggling." He turned around as Jamie spoke the words that shattered something inside of him. He knew there was something going on with Amanda, but whether or not he had a right to interfere was another conversation altogether. She

had always needed her independence—it was one of the things he loved most about her—and whatever troubles she might be having, he knew offering assistance, at least directly, would not help his situation.

"I know," was all he could say. He smiled and shook his head when Abby appeared with his brother's order and offered him an apologetic smile. Amanda was definitely avoiding him, and he was going to have to change that. She'd been evading him for seven long months, and he was done waiting for her to come to him. She was his, and it was up to him to show her they still belonged together.

Chapter Two Drew wasn't the

kind of man to mind getting his hands dirty, but with the sun shining on his back and sweat dripping down his face and chest, he wished he hadn't volunteered to fix the fence that had been storm damaged. Ever since the incident at the diner with Amanda three days before, he'd been volunteering to do practically every manual job on the ranch, desperate to keep busy. He grabbed one of the bottles of water from the bed of his truck and took off his shirt to wipe the sweat dripping from his face.

He was just about to get back to work when he noticed Amanda's pickup truck coming his way. What the hell is she doing here? He had been furious that his brother had excluded him from checking out Amanda's house for the renovation needs. Out of them all, Drew was the one with the best construction skills. He understood why Amanda might feel more comfortable without him around, but he still hated that he wasn't the one assisting her. From what Cole had told him, the work needed on the house would require his skills, but if Amanda wanted his help, she was going to have to come to him.

He watched as she parked the truck a few feet away from his, and when she stepped out, he forgot to breathe. She wore cut-off shorts that hugged every curve, with a white top that clung to her sweat-covered skin. Her hair was in one of those bun-type things on top of her head, and God, he didn't think she'd ever looked more beautiful.

He sensed her eyes on his body as she walked toward him, and he had to admit having her check him out made him feel pretty damn good. He'd always been in good shape, but five years of manual labor had transformed his body into a solid wall of muscle.

"Hot enough for you?"

He smiled at her as she tried to make small talk, something she had never been really good at. Even back in high school, she'd attempted it when she was getting ready to ask him for something. He used to smile at how cute she was back then, and it seemed that part of her personality hadn't changed in the last five years.

He chugged some more water and leaned back against his truck, his blood boiling when he caught her staring at his body like he was a work of art. "That's a Montana summer for you.

What brings you over, Mandy?"

He already knew why she was there, but he needed her to say it. If she were going to ask him for help, the house must be in worse shape than he thought. After the incident at the diner, Cole had filled him in on the state of the property, and he knew it was only a matter of time before she came by. "I'm sure you know, but Cole came by to check the house yesterday."

He nodded. "I heard. What's the diagnosis?" he asked, despite knowing the answer.

She laughed but looked like she was about to cry; he knew it was bad. "Well, it basically needs to be completely remodeled.

The foundation is leaking, the roof needs to be redone, and the electricity is not in regulation. I also need a new water tank, some new windows, oh, and some walls need to be torn down."

He watched her closely as she sat down on his tailgate, reminding him of so many days and nights in high school. They would be just like they were in that moment, parked in the middle of nowhere, just the two of them.

He walked toward her, stood to the side of his truck, and gave her a bottle of water. "Shit, Mandy, I didn't know your dad had let the place go so much. If I did, I would have done something."

He should have checked in on the man more, but after Amanda left him, he'd shut everyone out.

She kept her eyes locked on the land in front of her, and all he wanted to do was pull her into his arms and tell her everything would be okay. "It's not your fault. I should have come back sooner. I knew my dad wasn't at his best, but I let my pride keep me away for too long. This is on me." Her voice shook. He hated seeing her like this.

"What are you going to do?" he asked as he sat down on the tailgate of his truck.

She turned her body around, leaving one leg on the tailgate and dropping the other on the ground. "Well, Cole told me he could fix the foundation and the roof. He says he can't do electricity and water stuff, but you could." She bit her bottom lip as she spoke, her nervous tell. The one good thing about his relationship with Amanda was that he knew her, knew her ticks.

He knew her body better than he knew his own.

He kept his eyes locked on her as he spoke, forcing himself to hide the smile crawling on his face when he noticed she couldn't take her eyes away from his body. She was definitely still attracted to him. At least that was something he could work with, something he could use to break down her defenses. "I can."

"Are you going to make me say it?" He laughed at the annoyance in her tone but if they were going to do this, he needed to hear her say it aloud.

When his laughter died down, Drew grinned at her. He smiled at her. "Yes, Mandy, I am." He chortled.

She laughed, and it was the sound he remembered, the one he would give his life to hear her make all the time. There was just something about her, no matter how many years had flown by, that made him want to do everything he could to make her smile and laugh every day. "Would you please consider helping me fix my house before it caves in and kills me in the middle of the night?"

"Was that so hard?" He loved teasing her; she was always so easy to bait. Even back in high school, he would spend hours

goading her, except back then, she would give as good as she got. But that was the girl; the woman sitting in front of him looked almost sad, like she was at the end of her rope. He just couldn't have that. It killed him to see her like this, to see her struggling. All he ever wanted was for her to be happy.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, it was. Listen, I'm really tight on money right now, Drew. I don't know how much all of this is going to cost, but I don't think I can do it all. I know I won't be able to afford all the work right away. I'm out of my league here," she told him honestly.

"How about I come over and take a look? I can tell you what's most urgent, and we can go from there, okay?" He didn't tell her that he wouldn't let her pay a dime for anything. Whether or not she knew it, she was his, and he took care of what was his.

It's how he was built, not just how his dad raised him.

"I know you're really busy with the ranch. I don't want to take time away from your work. You guys work so hard." That was one of the reasons why he loved her so much—she cared about everyone.

"It's fine, Mandy." She continued to bite her lower lip, and it felt strangely good to know he still got to her on some level. But she had enough on her plate. He didn't want her to worry about him; he wanted the right to worry about her.

"Okay, well, when do you want to come over?" she asked, twirling a piece of her hair around her finger.

He grabbed another bottle of water as she climbed off the tailgate. "I can be there tonight, if that works for you," he told her as he watched her take in his half-naked body. Her eyes roamed over him.

Drew coughed, and when Mandy looked up, she blushed at being caught ogling him. "Oh, hmmm, sure. That's fine."

He tried to think about what he had to get done that day and what could wait until the following one, because there was no chance he was letting this opportunity pass him by. "I'll drop by around eight. Is that too late?"

She looked at the ground, and he knew she was avoiding eye contact. She used to do the same thing when they were younger.

He wouldn't force her to acknowledge there was still something between the two of them, not right then anyway, but one day

soon, they were going to talk. "That's fine. Well, I'll see you tonight then."

"I'll be there." He watched Amanda walk away and his eyes went straight to her ass. It had always been one of his favorite things about her; it fit perfectly in his hands, even more at the present than back in the day.

"Drew?" He looked up when he heard her call his name, and the vulnerability he saw broke his heart.

"Yeah?" he managed to say through a cloud of lust that told him to lay her back down on his tailgate, explore every inch of her body and make sweet love to her.

"Thank you." Two little words were all it took for him to fall in love with her all over again.

It was past 6 o'clock by the time Drew pulled his truck up to the main house. He had just enough time to shower, grab a quick bite to eat, and head out to Amanda's. If he was lucky, maybe she would cook for him. He missed her cooking, not that he would ever admit that to his mother. Climbing out of his truck, he stormed through the house, hoping none of his brothers would stop him. He was still feeling the high from seeing Amanda. Something about having her that close to him, sitting on the bed of his truck, made a part of him ache for what they once had, even if he knew deep down they'd both changed in the last five years. Maybe those changes meant they weren't compatible anymore. He sure as hell hoped they were, though, because she still touched him on a level he didn't even know existed.

"Drew, get in here." He swore under his breath as Jamie called his name. If it were one of his brothers, he would just tell them to fuck off, but this was Jamie and he could never hurt her like that.

He walked back into the kitchen and smiled at how Jamie and his brother made the perfect picture of domestic bliss. She sat on his lap, his hand on her belly, and they looked so happy; it made

his heart ache for the same. He sat down beside them. "Hey, beautiful, what's up?"

"We wanted to ask you something, but you have to promise to think about it before you say anything." Over the last couple of months, he'd become familiar with some of Jamie's expressions and tones. From what he was picking up, this was about to either make him really happy or make him regret not going straight to Amanda's.

He had a feeling it was the latter when she gave him puppy eyes that most likely made his brother melt on the spot. "Do I need to get my check book for this?"

She waved him off. "No. We've been having a hard time finding the right caterer for the wedding and, well, when Cole went to check out Amanda's house and saw how bad it was, he thought maybe we could hire Amanda to do the wedding in exchange for working on the house."

"I'm not fucking charging her anything to fix her house," he said, probably angrier than he should've been that his family would even consider charging Amanda for anything.

His brother helped Jamie out of his lap and when he spoke, Drew knew this wasn't going to end well. He felt like his entire family was against him; he hated that his actions had put him in this situation. He was the only person to blame, and he loathed himself for it. "Relax, man, we weren't planning on charging her for shit. But you know how she is, and there is no way she's going to accept free help. I just thought this might be a good way to get her to agree."

"You need to cover the cost of all the food. She's struggling right now, and you know she's too damn proud to say anything on her own," Drew told him sternly so there would be no misunderstandings between them.

"What the hell do you take me for, man? I've known her for as long as you have. You think I would ever do anything like that to her?" They stood inches away from each other, tension radiating around them.

"Don't fucking start with me, Cole. I'll ask her about the wedding tonight." He pushed his chair back and started walking out of the kitchen before he did anything stupid, like punch the hell out of the man he respected more than life itself.

"You're seeing her tonight?" He wasn't sure he liked the tone in his brother's voice as he spoke.

"Yeah, I am. She came by today, asking me for help with the house. I told her I would stop by tonight and check what was needed to be done immediately, since she can't afford it all right now."

Before he knew it, Cole had him backed against the wall. "Do you know what you're doing? This isn't one of your one-night stands, Drew."

The anger boiling inside of him snapped, and he pushed his brother back with a force that surprised both of them. He loved his brother, but he couldn't believe the man who practically raised him would think so little of him. Cole had been there after Amanda left. He saw firsthand how devastated Drew had been, and hearing him talk about Amanda like she was nothing more than a quick fuck pissed him off.

"You know what? Fuck you, man! You have no fucking idea what that girl is to me, and it's none of your business anyway. I know exactly what you think I am, but you know what? That girl is my everything, so don't you fucking tell me how I feel. Look around you, Cole. You have everything—a beautiful woman, a baby on the way. Can't you see I want that for me? Amanda is it for me, and I won't stand here and let you tell me any different.

We stood by you with Jamie—hell, we fucking gave you mom's ring—so the least you could fucking do is the same. She fucking killed me when she left for the city, and I'm not letting her go, not this time."

Drew shoved his brother back with all the force he could muster. He ignored Jamie calling out his name; he needed to get the hell out of the house. He grabbed his keys and stormed outside, fighting the urge to punch the wall on his way out.

Amanda couldn't get the picture of a half-naked, sweaty Drew out of her head. No matter what she did, all she saw was that body of his covered in sweat, looking like something out of the

movies. Drew had been good-looking in high school, but he was the most gorgeous specimen of man she'd ever seen. Her hormones had taken notice.

She knew she was going to have to ask for his help the second she saw Cole's reaction to the house. Cole was handy, but Drew was the one with the ability to fix or build anything. It was one of the things he'd inherited from his dad. It had taken everything she had to drive up to the Callaway ranch and ask Drew for help. He was the last person she wanted to have around, and she felt guilty knowing the amount of work he had to do for the ranch. But she had no one else to count on.

Seeing him working on that fence, on his family's land, she had since realized how selfish she had been five years before, when she asked Drew to move to South Carolina with her. This was where he belonged and she should've seen that back then, but she had been so hell-bent on getting out of Montana that she had missed how much of this town was in Drew.

"Hey, Amanda, I just finished putting in the orders for tomorrow, so I thought I would head home, if that's all right with you?" Amanda looked up at her new employee and smiled at her.

Abby had walked into the diner two weeks back, and Amanda offered her a job immediately. It was obvious the girl was running from something, and she knew what that was like, what you had to give up to run from your demons.

"Go home, Abby. Is John taking you?" She smiled at how Abby blushed at the mention of John's name, and Amanda understood completely. The Callaway men were all gorgeous, but John had that mysterious and serious vibe. She remembered how devoted he had become to making sure the ranch survived after their father died. It had become his whole life.

"Not tonight. He's been real busy with the ranch lately, and with the wedding and everything else, I don't want to add to his load." Abby blushed as she talked, making Amanda grin.

"Do you need a ride home?" she asked Abby.

"Oh, no, that's okay. Hey, Amanda, are you okay? I mean, I saw what happened with Drew Callaway a couple of days ago, and I know you guys had something back in the day," Abby babbled nervously. Amanda was used to people tip-toeing

around her when it came to Drew, but she knew she couldn't avoid the questions forever.

Amanda took a deep breath, focusing on keeping the wave of emotions erupting inside her under control. "We were highschool sweethearts. He was my first love. I thought I was going to marry him."

"What happened?" Wasn't that the big question? That was the one downside to living in a small town—every single person in town wanted to know every detail about everyone's life.

"Life." She paused as if reflecting, then continued, "All right, I'm fine, Abby. Go home and get some rest." She was thankful when Abby didn't argue with her, because all she wanted was to be alone and get a handle on the overwhelming playback scenes of her and Drew on display in her head. Her brain was flooded with pictures of them at the lake, driving around in Drew's truck, sitting on the tailgate watching the stars, or sneaking out of her dad's house for a midnight kiss. She used her fingers to wipe away one tear that had fallen down her cheek and forced herself to focus on work. Work was something she could control, unlike her relationship with Drew. Right then, she needed to focus on something she had power over.

It was close to 6 p.m. when she made it home, and she couldn't remember the last time she'd been so nervous. She grabbed her apron just as Tango barked, making her jump. "I know, Tango, and this is crazy. It's just Drew. I shouldn't be this nervous." She turned her radio on and did the only thing that could calm her: she cooked.

Amanda was in the middle of rolling dough when she heard the knock on the front door telling her Drew was there. "Come in, I'm in the kitchen." She laughed as Tango ran toward the front door when Drew walked in.

"What smells so good in here?" She looked up from her dough, his voice bringing every cell in her body to life, and when she saw him, she forgot to breathe. If she thought this afternoon's look had been enough to send her up in flames, seeing him in a tight-fitting pair of dark blue jeans and a black Tshirt that clung to every one of his muscles was doing things to her she hadn't felt in a long time.

Tango's bark reminded her Drew had asked her a question, and she hadn't answered him yet. She wiped her hands on her apron and walked around the counter to the fridge. "Oh, I made lasagna and some stuffed chicken. Oh, it could be the cookies or the pie, too." She grabbed two beers out of the fridge and handed one to him.

"Are you nervous, Amanda?" She swore his voice was huskier somehow. God, her hormones were all over the place.

She was nervous all right—not about him being there, but about her jumping him.

"No, no‌. Why would you say that?" she asked, hoping her voice wasn't betraying her. When she saw the glint of humor in his eyes, she knew she hadn't managed to fool him.

He circled his hand to the copious amount of food placed on her kitchen counter. "You always used to cook when you were nervous."

Of course he would remember that about her. As if having him in her home didn't make her edgy enough, he had to remind her just how well he knew her. "Right, I forget you know everything about me." Most people would argue that she was exaggerating with that statement, but she wasn't. Drew really did know everything about her, which made letting go of him all but impossible because she knew everything about him, too. That type of connection didn't just fade away, no matter how hard she tried.

"Are you going to eat all of this?" he asked with a smirk, making her giggle like a school girl.

She glanced at him and smiled. "Oh, no, I'll probably end up freezing some of it. Are you hungry? There's more than enough if you want something to eat. It's the least I can do."

He looked surprised by her question, and that hurt her more than she cared to admit. "That lasagna looks really good."

Feed him she could do, and hopefully, she could manage not to sound stupid doing it. She grabbed a plate as she spoke to him. "Sit down, I'll heat you a plate."

"You don't have to do that, Mandy." She respected that about him. He didn't expect her to serve him or to be at his beck and call. If she let him, she knew he would feed himself, clean up after himself and he would make sure she wouldn't have to lift a

finger to clean after him. But she loved taking care of people, especially with food.

"I know, but I want to. Like I said, it's the least I can do."

Serving people her food was the one thing she could never give up; it was why she had become a chef. There was just something about knowing people enjoyed treats she'd made herself. There was nothing like being able to bring someone a moment of bliss with food, or remind them of a memory with a recipe.

"The house looks worse than I expected. I'm surprised you haven't set it on fire yet."

She laughed, honestly laughed, because with everything else that had happened, she wouldn't be surprised if the house did burn down. "Give it time. I've already taken more cold showers than I care to think about, had power interruptions, and I'm pretty sure the roof is leaking. Here you go." She placed the plate in front of him.

"Thanks, sweetheart. I got to say, I never thought I'd see you in this house again. It suits you, though. Once it's all fixed up, it'll feel like home again." There was something in the way he said it that made her heart ache. When she looked at him, she saw a glimmer of sadness in his eyes, the same one she sometimes saw when she looked in the mirror—an emptiness that couldn't be filled.

"Yeah, well, me neither, but it is what it is. It's not half as bad as I thought it would be." That was the truth. If her dad hadn't died, she wouldn't have come back and sure as hell wouldn't be serving lasagna to Drew Callaway. But as much as she wanted to deny that she was feeling like herself for the first time in months, she couldn't.

"This is really good. I forgot how amazing your cooking is."

He smiled at her, and she grinned back. She felt a bit of the tension leave her body. Food, she understood, unlike all of these feelings that were resurfacing about the man eating her lasagna, and looking sexy as could be doing it. Oh, God, what is wrong with me?

"Thanks, it's the pasta. I make it myself." She wanted to kick herself. Really, Amanda? Get it together. You would think she was still a love-sick teenager, not a grown woman.

"This is probably why Cole and Jamie want to hire you to cater their wedding. Although now I'm considering keeping your cooking skills for myself. Damn, this is good."

"They want to what?" She must have misheard him. There was no way she could cater Cole and Jamie's wedding. They deserved the best, and that wasn't her.

"You heard me," he stated, like it wasn't a big deal, when they both knew it was.

"Oh, God, I don't know what to say. Catering a wedding is a big deal, a life-changing event. The food will be linked to a memory forever. Catering Cole's wedding, it worries me. What if I mess it up? I don't know what to say." And that was the truth.

Could she really handle cooking for a whole wedding party?

Especially for people she knew, people she cared about?

What am I thinking? She was a damn good chef and people were crazy about her food. Just because she was back in Montana running a small-town diner did not mean she couldn't cater Cole's wedding.

"Say yes. Plus, I wouldn't want to piss off Jamie. Pregnancy has made her cranky." She knew he was teasing her and couldn't hold back her smile. This was the Drew she remembered, the one person who could make her grin and forget about everything that was going wrong in her life.

"She wouldn't hurt a fly. I'll call them tomorrow then," she told him, slapping his arm playfully.

They spent the next hour going through every room and every repair that needed to be done, and with each item they added, Amanda felt her stress levels climb. There was no way she would ever be able to afford all of this; she'd be lucky if she could manage to fix one thing. When they finished touring the outside of the house, she sat down on the front steps and buried her head in her lap. She was so overwhelmed; she didn't know what to make of her emotions.

"Mandy, it's going to be fine." She heard Drew's voice but it made no difference because no matter how many times he told her that, she knew it wouldn't be.

"No, it's not, Drew. I can't even afford to do one of the things on that list. I'm so broke it's not even funny."

He used his hand to tilt her head up, forcing her to look at him, "Look at me, it's going to be fine. You have me and my brothers, and we're going to get this done, Mandy. I'll talk to the Thompsons, and I'm sure they'll want to help out, too." He sounded so sure of everything that she wanted to hang on to his every word.

"I can't even afford the materials, Drew, that's how broke I am." She knew she sounded defeated, but she didn't care. At that very moment in time, it was exactly how she felt.

"Let's not worry about that, for now." She should push him about what Cole had up his sleeve, but didn't have it in her.

The happiness she felt earlier with Drew was gone. All she could think about was how she was going to come up with the money to fix the house. "This is all just one big disaster. First, my dad dies, leaving me with a mountain of bills. Then I have to move back into the home I grew up in, to find it is all but ruined, and then you have to be even hotter than you were five years ago, and it's not fair."

She felt his hands rubbing circles on her back, and her body and mind calmed down a bit. "Mandy, take a breather. That's it, breathe for me." He didn't acknowledge her comments about him being hotter, but she knew by the amused look on his face that he'd heard every word.

"Oh, God, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lose it like that. I'm just tired." How much more embarrassing can this night get?

"It's okay. You don't have to be strong all the time, you have me."

Have him. Those two words set her off because she didn't have him. She didn't have anybody but herself. "But I don't have you, Drew. We're not together anymore. Hell, we're not even the same people we were five years ago. Looking at you today, working on that fence, I realized how selfish asking you to come with me was. You belong here but me, I don't even know who I am anymore, Drew. I had a great job in the city but no friends, no one in my life. Hell, I've never even had sex because no one was you."

"What?" he asked her, shock lacing his voice.

Oh, no, she couldn't believe she had just said that to him. She covered her face with her hands, hoping she was dreaming

because there was no way she could ever look at him after telling him she was still a virgin. "Oh, God, no, no, no, no, no!

You need to leave." She couldn't even look at him after blurting that out.

"You're a virgin?" he asked, disbelief in every word.

She jumped to her feet and headed for the door, desperately needing for him to not be there in that moment. "Drew, please, just leave." She wanted to crawl under a rock and never come out.

"Mandy." She heard her name as she closed the door in his face. Then she headed straight for her bedroom, which she would never leave and quite possibly die of embarrassment in.

Drew stood on Amanda's front porch for what seemed like hours after watching her run back inside. His mind was still reeling from what she had told him. She was still a virgin. She was still a virgin because she wanted him. He didn't know what to make of that except to be so freaking happy it should be illegal. The only girl he'd ever love was still untouched; she hadn't been claimed by any other man. She wanted him. He looked down at Tango, who sat beside him. "She's going to be the death of me."

The dog barked, and Drew laughed. "You're right, I wouldn't have it any other way." The dog barked some more. "She's always going to be mine. It just might take some work to make her see that."

He drove home, despite his better judgment. After Amanda's confession, the last thing he wanted to do was leave her, but he knew better than to push her.

Cole was waiting for him on the front porch when he got home and as much as he would die for his brother, he really didn't feel like getting into it with him.

"I know you don't want to talk to me right now. Hell, I wouldn't want to talk to me either if I were you. I was way out of line earlier, and I'm fucking sorry for what I said. I know how much you gave up when I left, and I want you to know I am

fucking proud of the man you've become. Dad would be, too."

Drew had seen his brother do many things and apologize more times than he could count, but the emotion in Cole's voice as he spoke to him was something he'd never heard before.

"Man, Jamie has made you soft," he told him, trying to hide just how much his words meant to him.

"Shut up." His brother shoved him and they both laughed.

"Amanda is a sore subject for me, and I know I haven't lived up to how you raised me, to how Dad would have raised me, but I'm trying. I want to be better for me and for this family, but most of all, I want to be better for her."

"What really happened between you two?" Cole asked.

Just thinking back to the night where it all went to hell made him uneasy. The memory of her driving away was stamped forever in his head; he would never forget it.

"She liked it here, you know, but she always talked about moving away. She wanted to go to the city and explore life outside of Montana. I always thought it was all talk, something she just dreamed about. On graduation night, she had her truck all packed up and was leaving town. She asked me to go with her, but I couldn't leave." He felt like he was back in time, his heart breaking all over again as he relived the memory he wished he could forget.

"Because I was in Afghanistan." The hurt in Cole's voice was palpable. He knew his brother felt responsible, but the truth of the matter was he could never leave the ranch. It was everything to him.

"You did what you had to do, and I did the same. I couldn't leave, Cole. This place is everything I am. I never wanted to leave. I never wanted anything more. Dad built this place for Mom and for us, and I want my kids to grow up here, to grow up on this land. So she left, and she never came back." He finally understood why she had to leave after talking with her earlier in the evening. He just hoped she had found whatever she went looking for, because he couldn't lose her again.

"Until now‌. What are you going to do?"

He didn't hesitate to answer. "Make her fall in love with me again."

Chapter Three

After a night

of tossing and turning, the last thing Drew wanted to do was get out of bed and face the music. He couldn't stop replaying his conversation with Cole from the night before, and as much as he wanted to make Amanda fall back in love with him, he had no clue how to go about it. For a self-advertised ladies' man, he sure as hell wasn't thinking like one when it came to Amanda. She wasn't just some girl he was trying to woo into a one-night stand; she was the one girl he was trying to woo into forever. No matter how hard he tried convincing himself that this wasn't the right thing, that he should let her go, he couldn't do it. After spending time at her place and seeing her, feeling her so close to him, there was no way he could ever let her go. They had something special once, and he would be damned if he would give up without a fight.

When his alarm started beeping, he shut it off and rolled off the bed, ready to get down to work and hopefully have a break from his own thoughts. He walked into the kitchen and smiled at the sight of his mom over the stove, making pancakes, with his brother, John, making coffee. To a lot of people, four grown men living in the same house—well, three since Cole and Jamie had moved into the cabin—was a weird arrangement, but for Drew, it was all he knew. He wouldn't trade his choices for anything in the world. This was where he belonged, where his heart belonged, and there was no denying that type of connection.

"Morning, Mom. How did you sleep?" He walked around the island in the middle of the kitchen and kissed his mom on the cheek.

"Like Sleeping Beauty, honey. How about you? You look like you didn't get much rest." He should have known better than thinking his mom wouldn't see right through him.

"I've had better nights, but I'm fine, Mom. I just have a lot on my mind right now." He prayed like hell that his mom wouldn't push him for more information.

"You want coffee, man?" John's voice was thick with worry, and he hated that they hadn't made things right since their argument. They weren't the kind of family who stayed angry with each other, or the type who didn't clear arguments; that just wasn't how they were.

He walked over to where his brother stood. "Are we good?"

John looked at him, and for a brief second, he thought he was about to tell him to go to hell, but what he said next left him speechless. "We're brothers, Drew. No matter how bad we screw up, no matter what shit happens, we're brothers. We're always good. Nothing is ever going to change that."

"You remind me so much of Dad." And that was the honest truth. John was the one who had inherited their dad's deep soul way of thinking. Almost philosophicallike, there was nothing John couldn't fix using words, and their dad had been the same.

"You all have a little bit of your father in you. John thinks just like he did—deep, emotional but rational.

Your father always had an answer for everything, just like you do. Cole inherited your father's sense of responsibility. He takes on so much, cares for this family. Nick has the same free spirit as your father, and the need to run wild and free is part of who he is. Becca's heart is so pure and feels everything so deep, and your

father was like that. And you, baby, you inherited his passion for this land. Your father couldn't be torn away from this land, no matter what. It was part of who he was, just like it's part of who you are. But more than that, you all inherited something else from him: your heart. You all love fast and hard, and when your heart belongs to someone, it's theirs forever."

Drew listened to his mom and let her words sink in before speaking up. "I miss him so much, Mom. Sometimes, when I'm working out on the land, I swear I can see him right there beside me, telling me how to fix the fence. Do you think you could ever move on, Mom? Fall in love with another man?"

"Oh, baby, your father was the only man I have ever given myself too, and he is the only man I could ever truly give my heart to. When you fall in love with a Callaway man, you never fall out of it. Maybe that's the answer you're looking for."

"Maybe," he answered, but the truth was he really didn't know what he was looking for.

John piped up just then. "I was talking to Abby the other day, and she told me Amanda has been spending her time either at the diner or at home. She thinks she's working herself to the bone trying to forget something.

I'm no expert, Drew, but what you two had back in high school was hot and heavy. It was hard and fast, and that kind of love doesn't just go away with time. It just adds to the fire." Sometimes, he hated how smart his brother could be, nothing got past the man.

And there it was, the question he was desperately trying to avoid. Would what they had back then still be there after all this time? He didn't want to go down that road this morning, especially not in front of his mom. He looked at his brother with a smile and turned the tables on him. "You were talking to Abby?"

John sighed, and Drew had to bite back a laugh.

"That's what you got from that? Selective hearing much?" His brother all but barked at him, and that told him a lot more than any words he could have said.

What was going on between John and Abby? That was something he could talk about. "Man, it's not every day your reclusive brother talks about a woman."

"Fuck off, Drew." John shoved him back against the counter, and all Drew could do was laugh. There was definitely something going on there.

"John Callaway, watch that language."

John flipped him the finger, careful not to let their mother see the gesture, before walking toward the woman they all cherished more than anything in this world. "Sorry, Mom." Drew decided he'd put his brother in the spotlight long enough when his mom gave him a knowing stare that told him to stop avoiding the question. He filled his cup of coffee before sitting down at the kitchen table, where they'd shared more talks, dinners and arguments than he could recall. "I don't want to push her too fast but, man, she shared something with me, and I can't get that out of mind."

His brother sat down next to him. "Listen, Amanda isn't the type to act on feelings. She's a logical person, so it's up to you. You want her, take her."

"I always loved that girl. She's good for you." Drew's eyes went straight to his mom. She rarely spoke about his relationship with Amanda, or any of their relationships, actually. But he should have known better; she saw everything, and just like she'd always done, she kept her piece of advice until just the right moment.

"But am I good for her?" The instant he saw the hurt in his mother's eyes, he regretted speaking the words.

However, the truth of the matter was he honestly didn't know if he was good for Amanda. She wanted more to

life than Montana, and Montana was all he could ever give her. It was all he had to give.

"Andrew Callaway, I don't ever want to hear you say that again. That girl is lucky to have you, and I don't want you to ever say otherwise. Now eat, these chores aren't going to get themselves done."

"Yes, ma'am." He kissed his mom before grabbing his baseball cap from the corner table.

As he walked outside, with the sun shining down on him, he couldn't help but feel like he just had a dĂŠjĂ vu moment after talking to his mom. In high school, they had the same conversation, and she had told him the exact same thing back then. Maybe it was time for him to realize he was good enough for Amanda, that he could give her a good life. Maybe not the one she had hoped for, but a life worth staying for.

Around lunch time, Drew was desperate for some time alone to think. "Hey, Nick, I'm taking off for an hour or so. You good?" he told his brother as he walked past the barn toward his truck.

"Yeah, man, I'm good. Is everything okay?" Nick asked, the concern in his voice palpable.

"Yeah, I'm just going to go see Dad and then I'll be back. I shouldn't be too long." He watched Nick give him a nod, and he knew his brother wouldn't push the issue. They all had moments when they needed to talk to their dad, and when that time came, none of them asked questions. Cole had done it right before asking Jamie to marry him, and God knew each of them had their share of talks with their old man when they needed to think.

The drive to the cemetery always managed to calm him down; there was something peaceful about driving down an old dirt road with the sun beaming through the trees, reminding him of the beauty surrounding him. No noise, except the sound of birds humming and gravel flying. There was nothing like it.

He parked his truck outside the entrance and walked down to where his father lay. He cleaned the weeds around his grave and crouched down. "Hey, Dad. I know it's been a while since I've been around, but it's just so hard to come here and talk to a grave instead of talking to you. You'd think I'd stop missing you so damn much after all these years, but I could really use your advice right now. Amanda's back in town. Yeah, I know, none of us saw it coming. Her dad died, and she moved back. I don't think she ever thought she'd be back here. She's so beautiful. God, she's so damn gorgeous it hurts. You should see her house, Dad. It's falling apart.

"I feel like I should have checked in with her dad more, and then maybe I would have been able to do something about the house before it got too bad. But every time I thought about that house, I thought about Amanda, and that just hurt me so fucking much. I loved her so much and when she left, she took my heart with her. But she's back now, and I don't think I can stay away. To know she's waited for me this whole time, to know there's a part of her that will always belong to me.

Fuck, Dad, it makes me feel like Superman. I see Cole with Jamie and I ache for what they have, for what you and Mom had. The kind of love that's so strong it can withstand anything." He paused and smiled. "I'm going to get her back, Dad."

Driving over to the Callaway ranch, Amanda was still reeling from what went down between her and Drew the night before. She couldn't believe she told him she was still a virgin. God, he must think I'm an idiot. She

couldn't shake the look on his face as the words slipped through her lips, a combination of pure shock and lust.

That was one thing about Drew that hadn't changed with the years—the man just oozed sex appeal. It didn't matter if he was working on the ranch, sleeping or just plain breathing. She had no idea how she was going to survive having him work on the house. She barely made it through their encounter at the ranch without jumping him.

She couldn't think about Drew, and especially not Drew shirtless and dripping with sweat. She had to focus on the task at hand. Ever since moving back, she'd been missing the ability to be creative with food. The diner was great, but it wasn't like she could change the menu to something fancy. If Cole and Jamie wanted her to cater their wedding, it was her opportunity for her to get back some of the creativity she had in the city. When she pulled up to the ranch, she saw them, Cole and Jamie, sitting out on the porch, with Cole's hand protectively placed on Jamie's growing baby bump. She parked her truck, took a deep breath, and focused her thoughts.

"Hey, guys." She climbed up the stairs looking around for any sign of Drew. When she finally reached the porch and looked at Cole, she knew she'd been caught red-handed by the smirk on his face.

Jamie elbowed him in the stomach, making Amanda laugh. She loved this family, and Jamie was the perfect addition. It took a strong woman to be with Cole, and she seemed made for him. "Hey, Amanda, how are you?"

She smiled and sat down in the empty rocking chair in front of Jamie. "I'm good. What about you, Miss Soon-to-be Bride and Mom?" "I'll be better once you agree to cater this wedding."

Jamie sounded exhausted as she spoke. Immediately, Amanda knew she was walking out of there with a

wedding to cater. There was no denying that after looking into Jamie's eyes.

"Let's see what we can do about that. I'm flattered that you guys want me to do this for you." Then something hit her: Drew would be there. Being around him at his brother's wedding was something she hadn't thought about until right that moment. Could she handle being so close to him? Good God, she needed to get a grip. She was a professional, and she could damn well do this job without letting her feelings for Drew get the best of her.

"You want something to drink, Amanda?" she heard Cole ask through the fog of her thoughts, which were running wild.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "No, I'm good, Cole, thanks. So, why don't you guys tell me what you're looking for?"

"Well, we're having a small wedding with about forty guests here at the ranch. Honestly, I don't know what I want on the menu, which is why we want you to create whatever you think is best. We want to use veggies and fruits grown here on the ranch, since Kathy has been growing them in industrial quantities lately, but apart from that, it's up to you."

As she listened to Jamie tell her about the wedding, Amanda started seeing pieces of the menu come together in her head. It was why she loved cooking because it gave her the ability to bring someone's vision to life, the joy of bringing happiness to people through food. "This could be a lot of fun. I assume you want something simple and down to earth, nothing over the top."

"See, this is why you're the best person to do this.

You know Cole and the family better than any other caterer we could work with," Jamie said enthusiastically.

She smiled at Jamie then at Cole, who was looking at her like he was trying to figure something out. "Okay, what's the budget we're working with?"

Cole leaned forward with his hands on his knees before answering her. "This is what we wanted to talk to you about. So, I know Drew had a look at your house, and we know you can't afford all of the renovation right now, so we'd like to make a trade. You cater the wedding, and we'll fix the house. We'll cover all the food costs and overhead, of course."

She heard him, but her brain couldn't process the words. It wasn't right; there was no way she could accept that. Catering their wedding was one thing, but doing it in exchange for work on her house? What kind of person would that make her? "No, no, I can't do that. That's not right, Cole. I can't let you guys do that."

Cole took a deep breath, and she suddenly felt like this decision was already made, no matter what her objections were. "Amanda, you're family to us. Seeing you live in that house is making Drew have ulcers, and it's making us all nervous. This is a fair deal, Amanda.

It's a fair trade."

"Did Drew put you up to this?" she asked him. She wanted to know—no, she needed to know if Drew had put him up to this because if he had, she was going to give him a piece of her mind.

"Actually, he didn't. It was my idea," Cole told her severely but casually, as if he knew exactly how she would react. She hated that they knew her so well because she had no defenses against them. She didn't like being this vulnerable, this open.

"Amanda, you know they won't let it go. The Callaway men are as stubborn as you can get. Please, say yes," Jamie told her, and Amanda knew she was right.

"All right, I'll do it," she reluctantly agreed, knowing very well she didn't stand a chance.

"Oh, my God, I'm so happy!" Jamie smiled and clapped her hands. Amanda had the feeling that if she

could, the woman would be dancing around on the porch.

"I'll put together a menu, and we can go from there."

She already had some ideas and couldn't wait to get started and see what she could do to make this day even more memorable for them.

"Drew and I will stop by the house this week and give you a game plan," Cole told her, reminding her of the fact that she was going to be seeing a lot more of Drew than she was comfortable with.

Right, the house. She had been so caught up in the food that she'd almost forgotten what she'd agreed to.

She looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you, Cole."

He gave her a quick hug and whispered in her ear, "Don't thank me, Amanda, thank Drew. This might be pushing it, but what you guys had back in the day was special. Don't let that go."

She slowly pulled away from him before whispering, "Thank you."

"I don't know where you stand with him, Amanda, but don't play games. When you left, it broke something in him, and I don't think he can go through that again." The big brother had quickly replaced the friend, not that she blamed him for wanting to protect family.

Listening to Cole, she knew Drew had told him everything. Her heart beat so fast, she thought it may pop right out of her chest. She knew by leaving the way she did had hurt Drew, but hearing it was a whole different story. She never wanted to put Drew through that kind of pain. "I never wanted to hurt him, Cole. I love him."

Cole tilted his head. "Funny how you just used the present tense."

What? Oh, God, she needed to get out of there before she said something else. Something that would give away a lot more than she already had, something that

once said, there was no going back from. "I have to go.

I'll need a couple of days to put the menu together."

The rest of the day went by in a haze. The diner was crazy busy, and she had no time to think about anything else other than getting the food out and serving the customers. She managed to close the diner around 8 p.m., ready to tackle the preparations for Cole and Jamie's menu. "Abby, do you have a minute? I wanted to talk to you about something."

She watched as the tiny woman she'd become fast friends with walked into the kitchen. She didn't know what Abby's story was but knew there was something there. The girl was running from something, but as long as she was there, Amanda would do whatever she could to keep her safe.

"Sure thing. What's going on?" Abby asked, leaning against the counter.

"Well, Cole and Jamie have asked me to cater their wedding and well, I can cook, but I can't bake to save my life. I know you can, though, since I've seen the baked goods you make for John. I was hoping you would do the wedding cake instead of our outsourcing to a baker."

"Really?"

Amanda laughed at how surprised Abby was, but she hadn't lied. She'd tasted some of the goods Abby baked, and the girl was one hell of a baker.

"You'd be saving my ass," she told her honestly. Plus, she was more than sold on the idea of keeping everything in-house.

Abby gave her a hug, her eager happiness easy to read. "I would love to. Thank you so much. I won't let you down."

"I should be the one thanking you. So, you and John, huh?"

Abby blushed and Amanda smiled. Oh, yeah, there was definitely something going on there. She couldn't blame Abby; the Callaway men were hard to ignore and there was something about John that screamed authority and power, something strong. "Oh, well, no, it's not like that. I mean, we're just friends."

"Women don't normally become 'just friends' with the Callaway brothers."

Abby sighed like she was living in a fantasy of her own, and Amanda could relate to that feeling. Abby smiled before saying what most women probably thought of the Callaway genes, "It should be illegal to be that good-looking."

"Ha, I knew it. John is definitely handsome, and I can see why you would lean toward him. He's got that protective streak about him." She was telling her the truth. All the Callaway men were protective of women, but there was something more intense, more primitive about John. He was always so quiet, but you could tell there was a lot more to him than he let on.

"He really does, but Drew has sex appeal written all over him," Abby responded, snickering away like a school girl.

"Oh, yes, he does," Amanda replied with longing in her voice, because that was the one word best used to describe Drew: sex. There was just something about that man—the way he walked, the way he stood, the way he breathed—that was so…sexual.

"Amanda…." Abby tried to interrupt her, but she kept talking.

"Oh, no, you are totally right. Drew was hot back in the day but today, the man is just pure sex. I mean, that body of his is just insane." When Amanda saw Abby's

brows lift, she closed her eyes and knew he stood behind her.

She didn't have to turn around; she could feel him close to her. That was one thing that apparently hadn't faded with time: the connection their bodies felt for one another. She slowly turned around and gasped at the lust in his eyes. They burned with an intensity she hadn't seen before, and God, it turned her on big-time. "Should I just stay here and be quiet while you two objectify me, or should I strip and let you get a good look?"

She watched as Abby left the room, giggling with her face red with embarrassment, leaving Amanda alone with the one man she didn't know how to resist. Traitor.

I shouldn't be here, Drew thought to himself. I should have just called her. But the urge to check on her had been stronger than his will to resist. That was how he'd ended up in Amanda's diner, listening to her describe him as sex on a stick. The more she talked, the harder his cock became, and the more he wanted to push her against the wall and take her like he should have done five years back.

He knew the moment she felt his presence; her whole body stiffened and relaxed at the same time, a contradiction, just like everything else about Amanda.

She wanted more than Montana, yet there she was making friends, being a part of the community. It was part of her and in that moment, he realized this was exactly where she wanted to be.

"Drew." His name on her lips was not helping his self-control.

He backed against the wall, bracing his palms on the hard surface, keeping himself from reaching for her.

"Amanda."

"I didn't know you were there," she said breathlessly, and he knew she was feeling the pull just as much as he was.

He grinned and watched as she licked her bottom lip, and damn if he didn't want to lick it himself. "I got that."

"Why are you here?" Right, why was he there again?

He could barely think past the press of his erection against his zipper.

Her eyes trailed down his body as he shifted his weight, trying to alleviate the pressure building. "After hearing that, I'm seriously considering kissing you. I miss you so fucking much. After all these years, I can't stop missing you."

"I highly doubt you came here to kiss me." She took a few steps toward him, and he knew her brain no longer controlled her body. He could kiss her, lift her around his waist and sink deep into her, and she wouldn't object.

But he wanted her head to be on board with her body.

Right then, she was filled with lust and that wasn't enough for him, not this time. "Don't underestimate the power you have on me, Amanda."

"Why are you here, Drew? I'm really busy, so unless there's a reason you're standing in my kitchen, I need to get back to work," she told him. However, he noticed a hitch in her voice, giving more away than she probably wanted.

"I heard you accepted Cole's offer, so I thought I would drop by and check in."

"Your brother really doesn't give you the option to say no. When he has his mind made up, there's no changing it. I guess you inherited that trait, too." He knew Cole wouldn't let her leave without saying yes. But deep down, he knew how stubborn Amanda could be,

and there was a moment where he doubted she would accept.

"No, I guess he doesn't. I was in town, so I thought I would stop by and ask if tomorrow would be a good time to drop by the house." The truth was he had created a reason to come into town because he needed to see her, but it was not the time to tell her that.

"That's fine." He could tell she wasn't smitten with the idea of spending time alone with him. They were going to have to work on that, one day at a time.

He smiled at her. "All right then, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay."

He headed toward the back door, smiling at how affected she was by him. It was good to know he wasn't alone in this. To know she felt even half of what he was feeling was enough for him.

In that moment, he decided to push his luck. Back in high school, she had loved his straight-forwardness, so it was as good a time as any to see if she still liked it.

"Amanda."

"Yeah?"

He spun around to see her face. Her cheeks were flushed, and she looked like she was on the verge of jumping him, exactly what he wanted.

"I ever hear you talk about me like that again, I won't be responsible for what happens next." He smiled when he heard her gasp.

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