either way.”
“I’m happy for you, Sammie. No one deserves love more than you.” She raised her glass. “I feel that we’ve both made it through a dark tunnel and come out on the other side, together. So let’s drink to new beginnings.”
“To new beginnings.” Her friend held up her glass and took a sip.
Jess drank to Sam’s prospects. Her friend had always lived a charmed life compared to hers. Despite the fact that Sal Pinzolo would no longer be a threat—and she could stop sleeping with her Colt Python under her pillow—too much remained unsettled in Jess’s life to make her feel good about her future. And although she had come full circle, with the destruction of Millstone’s mansion closing that chapter in her life, she felt restless and anxious for something new to happen.
Without having any idea what it should be.
A week later
The morning held the promise of an early fall as a crisp breeze jostled the trees of the Chapel Hill Cemetery. Not a cloud marred the pale blue sky. If not for the nip in the air, the day had the feel of spring and new beginnings.
A strange contrast to why she’d come.
Dressed in a dark pantsuit and holding a dozen white roses, Jess spotted Harper standing alone by a grave, staring down at the modest headstone. Since his usual Jerry Springer tee and jeans weren’t fitting for the solemn occasion, Seth wore a navy suit and gray-striped tie, looking more like the man Alexa had talked about.
Why hadn’t she seen it before?
When she got closer, he looked up, not hiding his sadness—not from her.
“Hey, Jessie.” He took a deep breath. “When I said I’d be here this morning, I really didn’t expect you to come. But I’m glad you did.”
She’d come for him. And despite not knowing Mandy, she’d come to recognize the occasion and acknowledge her passing from this life. In the end, she felt a connection to her. Mandy had been a girl unable to deal with what life had dished out. And thanks to Seth, he’d helped her see beyond the labels of hooker and drug addict to find the human being Mandy Vincent had been before she met Danny Ray Millstone. Except for the mercy of a higher power—or a fortunate roll of the dice—Jess might have turned out the same.
She placed her roses at the base of the headstone, next to the elegant pastel lilies he had brought. Jess smelled the earthy aroma of the freshly turned soil at her feet. And she watched a hawk make lazy circles in the sky, content to stand next to Harper in silence until she found a way to comfort him.
“You picked a real nice spot, Harper.” She stared across the horizon and took a breath. “It’s peaceful.”
Seth had paid for Mandy’s funeral expenses. She’d been buried two days ago, with Jess and a handful of others in attendance, but today would have been her birthday. Mandy would have been twenty-three years old.
“You know, Jake told me that you made a difference with her.” She watched the breeze blow his hair, but he didn’t look up. “She had gone to him for money, to start a new life somewhere else. I think that’s why she called you…that day.”
He turned to look at her, a questioning expression on his face. She could tell he didn’t believe what she said.
“Despite Jake being an asshole”—she furrowed her brow—“I don’t think he lied about that.”
When a tear rolled down Seth’s cheek, she knew he was struggling to find the words to share what he was feeling. And she was content to let the quiet moment linger between them.
“I was the one who got her killed,” he said. “I put her in the line of fire.”
“No, you only tried to help her.” She touched his arm. “Mandy made the wrong choices in her life, long before you came along. I think meeting you gave her hope…that things could change for her.”
He shut his eyes tight, then slowly looked down at her grave.
“No really, just think about it. You have…” She tugged at his sleeve until he looked into her eyes. When he did, her breath caught in her throat. “…such a big heart. This wasn’t only about your father and your search for the kids in his casebook. Once you found who you were looking for…”
His eyes made it hard for her to continue—especially when her gaze lingered on his lips. She swallowed and took a deep breath.
“…you wanted to make a difference. And you have. Believe me, you have.” She nodded and let go of his arm. “I mean, you did. With Mandy.”
For an instant, his eyes softened and his guilt-ridden grief faded long enough for her to imagine he might kiss her again. She held her breath, waiting for that moment. That second chance. But when he didn’t, she saved face by shifting the conversation.
“So…have you reconciled your past with Max? I mean, are you still planning on using that old case file to track down the kids he saved? I know it’s none of my business now, but—”
He stared at her, blinking. The shift in topic had thrown him. He cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair.
“I don’t know, Jessie.” He shook his head. “When I found you, I realized you were a strong, capable woman, making it on your own. You didn’t need me. Mandy was different. If I did make a difference with her, maybe I should still pursue this…quest of mine. And you’re right. It’s not about my father anymore.”
“Oh, I think Max has a great deal to do with this.” She grinned, feeling the heat of her blushing cheeks. “You inherited his good-guy genes…and his courage. You’ve had a connection to your father all along, smart guy.”
Seth nudged his lips into a crooked half smile, an expression Jess wanted to remember. And after he touched Mandy’s headstone one more time, he headed for his car. Jess walked with him, but halfway there she got a call on her cell. She reached into her pocket and recognized the number. Area code 907. Payton Archer.
“I gotta take this. It won’t take long,” she assured him. “Don’t leave me—”
He interrupted her by saying, “Never.”
“At least, not without saying good-bye,” she added.
Seth watched her walk away, but not before he saw her smile, and say, “Hey, Payton. Yeah, it’s good to hear your voice too.”
And his heart sank.
He should have been happy for her. Jessie had found someone she cared about, yet seeing her happy with another man only made him miserable. It had been the reason he had walked out of her life months ago, something he’d never told her. He could see being a friend to her eventually, but his heart wasn’t ready to let go.
Most men would see Payton Archer—a former NFL quarterback—as a major rival. But Payton was a good man and not the problem. It was Jessie. She thought of him as a kid and had no feelings for him beyond friendship. And hearing the phrase “let’s be friends” would zap the love muscle out of commission. He couldn’t face hearing those words from her.
By the time he got to his Mustang, he blocked out the world by plugging music into his ears as he waited for Jessie. When Secondhand Serenade launched into “Fall For You,” he slumped against his passenger door and shut his eyes, letting the lyrics do a number on his heart. He was so rapt in his misery that he never saw Alexa walk up. She pulled the earbuds out to get his attention.
“Hey there, Harper.” She slid next to him and nudged his shoulder with hers. “I came by to steal you away. Nothing fancy. Just you and me.”
“I thought you left town after the funeral.” He let his eyes search for Jessie. When he found her, he wished he hadn’t. He heard her laugh from where he stood.
“No, I thought you might need a friend.” Her hand brushed his hip as she leaned against his car.
“A friend, huh?” he asked, finding it hard to hide his disappointment at hearing the word “friend” from another woman.
“For starters,” she said in a low husky voice.
His eyes grew wide when Alexa raised an eyebrow and lowered her gaze to his lips and beyond. But she shocked him even more when she loosened his tie. She straddled his legs and leaned close, tugging at his tie and unbuttoning his shirt, not taking her eyes off his. He swallowed, hard. And when her perfume drifted to him on the wind, goose bumps raced across his skin. And his reaction had nothing to do with the chill of a stiff breeze.
“Don’t you want to hear what I have in mind?” She winked.
