The next morning, Sherry woke up and headed downstairs. The first thing she needed to do was buy some new clothes. She couldn’t wear half of what she’d grabbed when she had run from her fiancé’s indiscretion. She definitely needed some new shoes.

She liked Michaela, the young woman who managed the inn. If she were to stay around, Sherry had a feeling the two women would become great friends. Michaela was always busy running the inn, and with all its remodeling needs, it made her time to visit pretty limited. Sherry felt guilty keeping Michaela from what she needed to do, so she curtailed her interruptions as best she could.

Pointed in the right direction by Michaela, she found herself at Backwoods Sport & Ski, the local outdoor shop where she picked up some jeans, sweaters, and a new sweatshirt with “Havenwood Falls” emblazoned across the front and a ski jump and ski slope in the background. Complete with thick socks and hiking boots, she felt like a new woman in her new clothes. She had also picked up some mittens, a hat, and a scarf in her favorite shade of blue. She almost felt like dancing down the street.

She made her way past the shops that wrapped around three sides of the town square’s park. The area appeared to be vibrant and thriving. Everything smelled fresh and clean, the storm having added an edge of pine-scented air to the normal smells of coffee and fresh baked goods that captured her attention. She turned toward the smell of coffee, intending to purchase a cup, but stopped to admire the view of the street first.

Nodding to a few early morning risers like herself, she was surprised when they smiled and waved back before moving on to their activities. It made her feel welcome. A woman, jogging by in a bright purple track suit, waved and smiled like the others, as if greeting an old friend. Sherry waved back, a smile turning up the corners of her mouth.

As she wandered the streets, she marveled at how the brightly painted shops blanketed with freshly fallen snow from last night’s storm added to the Currier & Ives appeal of the town. After a short time, she found herself in front of the Havenwood Falls Garage and decided to check on the progress of repairs to her car.

“Hey, Joshua,” she greeted the mechanic. “Any word on my baby?”

Joshua turned, caught sight of her, and waved before walking toward her. He wiped his hands on a rag. Shaking her hand, he gestured for her to join him in his office.

“I was just starting on your car, so no definite word yet, but I think part of the problem is some loose wiring. For sure you have a busted hose, which I have replaced. I’ll know more later today.”

“Great,” Sherry said with a smile. She sent up a silent prayer to whatever gods looked out for cars that the damage to her bank account wouldn’t be too serious.

“Sherry,” Joshua said, stopping her from leaving the shop, “I wonder if I might have a word with you?”

“Sure,” said Sherry. “Is it about the car?”

“No, it’s about our conversation last night.”

“Oh.” Sherry wanted to say that she would not discuss Rusty, but she had a feeling Joshua needed to say something important to her, and her therapy training kicked in.

Sitting back down in the bright red plastic chair, she faced him. This time it was Joshua who looked uncomfortable. She kept silent, waiting for him to open the conversation.

“I may have overstepped my boundaries, and for that I apologize. Sometimes I cannot help but interfere. It’s my curse, Evelyn used to say.”

Sherry smiled, waving a hand as if to say it was okay, but Joshua continued.

“This town has its secrets, and it’s not my place to tell them, but I think you need to talk with Rusty. I think you need to know . . .”

“Know what?” asked Sherry, her tone sharper than she’d intended. She’d managed not to think of the sexy park ranger for the last hour, and here Joshua was, dragging her back down that road again.

“Just . . . talk to him.”

And that was all the mechanic would say. He promised to call her as soon as he knew what was wrong with her car, and then he walked her to the door.

As the door closed behind her, she shook her head. Joshua was an odd one. She had no intention of following his advice. Rusty had had his chance to explain himself before she left, and he’d chosen not to. She had nothing more to say to him.

Walking back to the inn, distracted by her thoughts and not paying attention to where she was going, Sherry bumped into someone. Raising her eyes, an apology on her lips, she stared in shock.

“Well, hello, stranger,” Brad said. He held her by the arms and gazed intently into her eyes, gauging her reaction.

“Brad?” she said, recovering her voice.

A truck passing by stopped quickly, before pulling up next to her. She heard the door open and close, but didn’t take her eyes off Brad to see who it was.

“Sherry, is this man bothering you?” Rusty’s voice penetrated her shocked mind.

“Mind your own business, stranger. This is my fiancée.” Brad gripped her arms tighter.

“Sherry, is this true?” The hurt in Rusty’s voice cut into her like a knife.

Glancing over at him, she hesitated then nodded. “Yes . . . I mean, no . . .”

Brad glared triumphantly at Rusty and then stared at her in consternation.

Rusty stared pointedly at Brad with his arms crossed and stepped closer to the pair.

Both men stood there, glowering at each other. Sherry felt like the pickle in the game of pickle in the middle.

“Is he or isn’t he your fiancé?” Rusty pressed her, not taking his eyes from Brad.

“He was, but now he’s not,” Sherry said, ignoring Brad’s strangled cry of anger.

“Yes, I am. I’ve come to ask you for your forgiveness,” Brad insisted. He hadn’t released her arms yet.

“Let her go,” Rusty said softly, the threat of bodily harm implied in his tone of voice.

Brad released her.

Sherry stepped around both men, unable to stand the proprietary, testosterone-fueledglares that passed between them. She wasn’t sure which one was more dangerous, and she didn’t intend to find out.

Brad, seeing her leave, made as if to follow, but she heard Rusty warning him to stay away.

“Not sure who you are, cowboy,” Brad said through clenched teeth, “but you’d better back off. That’s my woman there. And I intend to take her home with me.”

Before Sherry could protest his unjustifiable, territorial alpha attitude, Rusty moved toward Brad with clenched fists. His expression dark, Rusty said, “Don’t you think you should ask her what she wants?”

Sherry reached out, her hand on Rusty’s arm, stilling his anger for the moment. He shot her a quick glance, then returned his expression to Brad. Sherry pulled her arm away, but not before Brad noticed it.

Brad, awareness dawning in his eyes, darted a quick look between Sherry and Rusty and smirked. “I see. Sherry, is there something you need to tell me, sweetheart?”

Sherry threw up her hands in annoyance. “Stop it, Brad. Stop it, Rusty. Both of you, just stop being children. I belong to no one, Brad.”

Rusty moved toward Brad, every muscle tight with the effort of holding back from physical violence. Sherry reached out. Touching Rusty on the arm once more, she felt his muscles relax, and she pulled her hand away again. Rusty’s glare remained focused on Brad.

With a disgusted sound, Sherry walked away from the two men. They paid her no attention, neither man reacting to her leaving.

When she reached the gate to the inn, she turned and saw Brad and Rusty arguing. Rusty, facing her, locked eyes with her, and she was surprised to see longing and regret in them.

She quickly turned away and walked up the stairs to the inn, closing the door firmly behind her.

Two hours later, Brad showed up at the inn to take her out to dinner. Sherry wanted to decline, but she was starving and dinner at the inn wouldn’t be served for at least another hour. She knew Brad would just follow her anywhere she went, so against her better judgment, Sherry left with him. Throughout dinner, he kept trying to convince her he’d changed, that he wouldn’t cheat on her anymore, that he loved her.

“Come on, baby,” he’d said, taking her hand and raising it to his lips. “You know I mean it. I love you. I truly do.”

Sherry was disgusted by his attempts to woo her. He was clumsy, and all she kept thinking about was how Rusty had never lied to her, that his emotions were always out in the open. She knew he could be trusted.

“Brad, it isn’t just the blonde, or even the cheating, that has me thinking it is time to end our engagement. You barely pay anything toward our bills, and I pay all your bills, too. I cannot keep doing this. We are too different. You lie, and think everything is okay if you say you’re sorry, but it’s not okay.”

“All right, I get it, you’re hurt. But honey, what other choice do you have? I’m here, I’m what you need. You know this.”

“No, Brad, it won’t work. I want you out of the house when I get back. I won’t do it anymore.”

He stared at her with narrowed eyes. “It’s that ranger, isn’t it?”

Sherry looked away, her blush revealing everything.

“You slept with him, didn’t you? And you talk about me being easy,” he said bitterly.

Sherry stared at him with cold eyes. “It’s over, Brad. I won’t discuss it with you any further. I’ll be home in three days. I want everything you own out of the house when I get back. And if you dare take anything of mine, I’ll have you in court so fast, your head will spin.”

“He’ll never love you like I love you,” Brad spat out as he stood up.

“I hope not,” Sherry muttered under her breath. She wasn’t even embarrassed by the temper tantrum Brad was causing as he stomped from the restaurant, promising revenge.

“You okay, miss?” the waiter asked when he brought her the check.

Sherry appreciated the waiter’s concern, but wanted to leave as quickly as possible. Stepping outside, she remembered too late that Brad had driven them to the restaurant, since her car was in the shop one more day.

“Damn,” she said, fumbling in her purse for her phone. She wondered if they had Uber in this neck of the woods, but doubted it.

“Need a ride?”

Sherry’s head jerked up at the sound of Rusty’s voice.

Was he following her? How had he known she was stranded?

“I was passing by on my way home,” Rusty explained as he settled her in the truck, “and I saw you standing there, looking a little lost.”

“Yes, well, Brad isn’t too happy right now. Stranding me is the least of what he would like to do to me.”

Rusty chuckled, and suddenly Brad’s childish temper tantrum struck her as funny, too.

The two of them were laughing loudly when they arrived back at the inn. Sherry, uncomfortable now that Rusty had turned off the engine, glanced toward the inn with some trepidation. What was the protocol here? Should she kiss him good night as a thank you for being her knight in shining armor, or should she shake his hand, or just get out of the truck with a thank you and not touch him at all?

She wanted to touch him, though. That was the problem. She knew, instinctively, that if she offered to spend the night with him again, he wouldn’t say no, but she also knew that would be the worst thing she could do right now.

She was too fragile emotionally, and another night with this man who haunted her dreams would drive her over the brink. So, without another thought, she opened the door and hopped down.

“Thank you for rescuing me again,” she said before she closed the door and ran up the steps to go inside.

Rusty, watching her go, muttered, “By the moon.” He put the truck in gear and headed home.

Sherry, leaning against the door, listened to the fading sounds of his truck and sobbed.