Jack rinsed toothpaste from his mouth, grabbed a towel, and wiped. The three-day stubble that he never let grow covered his face. But Luanne said she liked it, so maybe he’d keep it. Who the hell knew?

He glided his hand over his jaw. The man in the mirror was a stranger to him. Along with the facial scruff, his hair was too long, and he wore a Gladiola High School t-shirt he’d picked up at the Gladiola Walmart. It was wrinkled and had a grease stain that hadn’t come out in the wash.

But mostly it was his eyes. They looked…well, not like his own. His always had the glint of a winner, someone who had the world by the tail and knew how to make it submit to his will. This guy staring back at him looked like life had punched him in the balls and wasn’t done kicking his ass yet.

Self-doubt wasn’t something he suffered from, not as an adult anyway, but he sure had a bad case of it right now. He had no idea how to feel about Mitch, except that he wished he’d never found out about him. Guilt swam in his stomach. The man seemed sincere and like a genuinely nice guy. A father who’d made the ultimate sacrifice for his son. But none of that was enough to crush the desire to run far, far away.

He punched the mirror, then grabbed it as it shuddered from the blow. When had he become so shallow that he couldn’t even give Mitch a chance? His mother would be ashamed of him. She’d loved Mitch, and for that reason alone, he’d somehow find it in him to be kind.

Suddenly, he desperately needed Luanne. It’d taken all of his willpower not to try and seduce her the last several nights, but something about her body language—or maybe it was the fact that she bedded down on the sofa—told him she wouldn’t be open to his advances. But that hadn’t stopped him from having plenty of dirty dreams about her blazing blue eyes and willing body every damn night.

He heard her before he saw her. She was on the porch talking to Beau.

Son of a bitch.

What the hell was that pretty boy doing spending a private moment with his woman? Okay, true, she didn’t know she was his woman yet, and they weren’t exactly having a clandestine meeting, but that hardly mattered to the caveman who apparently lived inside him.

“I’m so sorry, Beau. I can’t imagine how painful that is.” Luanne’s voice was full of compassion.

“Thanks, Luanne. It’s really hard, you know? He’s all I’ve ever had. It guts me to think of him being so damn sick.” Beau’s voice vibrated with emotion.

“I’m sure it does.”

“And if I’m honest, it messes with my head to think about being alone in the world. Damn. I can’t believe I’m unloading all of this on you.”

Jack couldn’t believe it either. Did the guy have no pride? Beau had emotionally thrown up in front of a beautiful woman. What in the hell did he think would happen? Jack almost felt sorry for the guy.

“Oh, Beau.” Luanne’s voice was so gentle that it made Jack want to go to her.

He peeked through the front window and saw Beau with his head bowed and Luanne holding his hand. He nearly went through the window when she rubbed her hand up his cousin’s arm. Confusion, jealousy, and fear smashed into each other in his brain. What was happening?

Beau looked away from Luanne while taking several shuddering breaths. “Sorry.”

Luanne sat back in her chair. “You never have to be sorry for being honest about your feelings. Besides, chicks dig it.”

Beau chuckled and scrubbed his face with his hands. “How about you? Do you dig it?”

“I do. A man who can be vulnerable in front of a woman is sexy.”

Is that what she wanted from him? Jack knew the answer—yes. But he’d not wanted to appear weak in front of her. Maybe he’d been playing this whole thing the wrong way.

“Sooooo, you and me…” Beau grinned and let the question hang in the air between them.

Luanne grinned back. “No, I’m afraid not. I’m kind of…well, I’m not available.”

Jack let out the breath he’d been holding. Thank goodness.

“I’m not surprised you’re already taken. You’re so nice, Luanne. Jack’s a lucky guy.”

Luanne snorted, and Jack had a hard time holding back a belly laugh.

“What?” Beau asked.

“Many would strongly disagree with you, your cousin for one.”

“But I thought y’all were together.”

She pushed off the porch with her toes, rocking the chair she was in. “It’s complicated.”

“Ah, I’ve had a few of those relationships.”

“I don’t want to date you, Beau, but I do want to speak to you about your career.”

Jack’s ears perked up at that. What the hell was she talking about?

“What about it?”

“I know Jack spoke with you the other night, but I couldn’t tell how seriously you were taking him. I can assure you he’s quite serious about signing you. You have an incredible voice, and amazing stage presence, and I could see you crossing over from country to southern rock very easily.” She picked up her coffee cup and sipped, then replaced it on the table next to her. “You’ll need a good manager, someone who won’t take any crap, and who will look out for your best interests. You won’t find anyone better than Jack. And if you tell him I said that, I’ll swear you’re lying.”

They both laughed and Jack’s heart nearly swelled out of his chest.

“Yeah, I knew he was serious, and I’m interested. It’s all I’ve ever wanted, but to tell the truth, I’ve never really played for anybody who doesn’t know me. I play fairs and honky-tonks around here and the next county over, but I’m not sure if I’m big-time star material like Gavin Bain. And I think I’d like you to represent me.”

“Me?” The shock in Luanne’s voice rang through the morning air.

Her? Jack had to admit it had merit. She was smart and she fought for the people she cared about. He’d need to work with her, and she had things to learn about entertainment law, and client representation, but they were all things she was capable of doing.

Beau chuckled. “Yeah, you.”

“I’m flattered, but it’s my duty as an attorney to tell you that I’m not the best person for the job. I don’t practice entertainment law.”

Jack decided it was time to join the conversation. The screen door squeaked when he opened it and they both turned to him. “Beau, you might be onto something.”

* * *

Luanne stared at Jack like he’d lost his mind. “Have you lost your mind?”

Jack unfolded a lawn chair and sat between Luanne and Beau. “I think it is something you should consider.”

Beau grinned. “See, I told you.”

Jack held his hand up. “Back off, pretty boy. You won’t be her first client. She has a lot to learn before she can handle the likes of you.”

“Oh, I think she could handle me just fine.” The challenge in his cousin’s voice was undeniable.

“I swear, I will set you both on fire if you don’t stop talkin’ like I’m not here.” Barbed wire wrapped around every one of her words.

“She means it, cuz. I’ve seen her in action. She is a force to be reckoned with, our Luanne.” Jack picked up her coffee and took a sip.

She grabbed the cup from him and ignored the warm fuzzy feeling his words caused. “Give me that and quit talking crazy.”

“It’s not crazy. You’d be great. I think you should seriously think about it. You could come to work with Gavin and me. I’ll teach you about entertainment law—you’ll learn the job from the inside out.”

“Are you forgetting I already have a law practice?”

“No.”

“Then why are we even talking about this?”

Beau’s head swiveled back and forth between them. “I see what you mean by complicated.”

Luanne laughed. “Yeah, well…”

“I better get going. I need to take Clyde to the feed store.” He rose and kissed Luanne on the cheek. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He was pretty, but she felt nothing at all at his nearness. All her attention was on the brooding man sitting next to her.

They watched him get into his truck and drive away, then sat in silence for several minutes. “I’ll think about it,” she finally said.

Jack’s flash of white teeth could’ve lit up three counties. “That’s all I ask.”

“I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

“That’s fine. What do you want to talk about?”

“You.” She wondered what he’d say. He’d probably find some excuse to run away.

“Okay. What do you want to know?”

She almost fell out of her chair. That was the last thing she’d expected him to say. “Um…how are you doing? I mean, with Mitch being here?”

He glanced out over the lawn. “It’s hard. There’s a part of me that’s so fuckin’ angry that I have to deal with this whole thing. Then I feel guilty because the guy made this huge sacrifice for me, and I just want him to go away. And then there’s my mom.” He turned back to her. “Hell, I don’t even know…”

The brokenness in his voice caused her to get up and crawl into his lap. He was lost and confused and she could help. She wrapped her arms around his neck. “You can only do what you can do. You don’t have to have all the answers today, or even tomorrow. You and Mitch have time to figure things out.” She stroked the hair away from his handsome face. “I do think you would like him if you got to know him, but that’s up to you. There’s not a playbook for this kind of thing.”

“Thank you.” His warm arms wrapped around her and she snuggled closer to him. He dotted kisses down her neck while a ripple of desire rolled down her back. She arched into him like a cat. “I’m glad you shared that with me, Jack. I…um…want you to know I’m here if you need to talk.”

“Luanne.” His big hand flattened on her back.

“Yes.”

“I don’t want to talk anymore.”

The kiss was tender, slow, and deep. It quickly escalated faster than a brush fire in the desert. Tongues, hands, and moans of desire punctuated the warm summer day. Would it always be like this between them? Being wrapped in his arms was the missing piece to something she didn’t know she’d lost.

“Luanne!” Kyle yelled from somewhere inside the house. “It’s time!”

They slowly disentangled. “Time for what?” Jack rested his head on the back of the chair.

She ran her fingers around her swollen lips. “Kyle’s teaching me to cook. Today we’re making blackberry jam.”

Jack chuckled and arched an eyebrow. “Really?”

She grinned. “He says my education was sorely lacking and he’s here to remedy that. He told me that I’m his calling in life. Isn’t that ridiculous?” She didn’t want to tell Jack how it tickled her to her toes to hear Kyle say that to her. Or how grateful she was that he’d take the time to teach her something so basic.

Jack picked her up and stood her on her feet. “Never let it be said that I stopped a man from his true calling.”

She laughed. “He’s kind of dramatic.”

He followed her into the house. “Ya think?”

“I like him.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Where are you going?”

“With you. I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”