I woke up to find a pair of arms wrapped around me. I looked up, staring at Braden’s sleeping face. The sight caused the events from last night to flood my mind like a tidal wave. I couldn’t believe we had slept together.

It was amazing. No. Amazing didn’t even begin to describe it.

I sighed in satisfaction, looking up at the ceiling, savoring the moment for a little while longer. I knew I couldn’t stay here forever. This had just been a one time thing. Emotions had gone out of control. I’d been away. It was nostalgic — sleeping with your high school love. It was nothing more than that.

Gently, I lifted his arms, trying not to wake him. He seemed to be sleeping soundly.

I was thankful for that.

Slowly, I walked around the room, gathering my clothes. When I found my panties, I chuckled. They had legitimately been ripped in half. I threw them into the trash and tugged up my pants, feeling a little strange with no underwear on. Breezy.

Just before I could tiptoe out of the room to retrieve my shirt and bra from the porch, I noticed the condom we had used. I stared at it, wondering what would have happened if we had forgotten about it.

Would I have gotten pregnant?

I knew, realistically, that the chances were slim, but still, the thought lingered in my mind. Even when I was in high school, I had thought about having a child with him. One time, we’d even brainstormed names. Casper if it was a boy, and Maribelle if it was a girl.

We’d said that we would get together and have a family if both of us were still single and childless when we were thirty. Even after that last fight, we’d held to that. And I’d kept it in my mind.

But it was a foolish fantasy — and that’s all it was.

Braden and I hadn’t been good for each other, not back then. His family was always holding money over his head, making sure he stayed in line. And they certainly hadn’t been in love with me. I’d innocently thought that bringing a child into our lives would make all of that change.

I was wrong. I reminded myself again that I was wrong.

But looking back at that man lying in the bed — his splendid body, the laughing dance of his eyes — the biological urge was still there.

That’s all it is, Adele. A biological urge. Get a hold of yourself, girl. You are a trained army medic and a future veterinarian. A woman like you shouldn’t be beholden to biology. There’s plenty of time —

Braden interrupted my train of thought, shattering it mid-sentence. He had a way of doing that kind of thing — making me forget my own mind.

“Good morning.” Braden’s voice broke through my maternal fantasy. He was propped on his elbow, taking in the sight of my still-exposed breasts. “You weren’t trying to sneak out on me, were you?”

“What? Of course not,” I said quickly. “I just… I don’t know. I need to get going. School tour today.”

He chuckled. “Well, I’m glad I caught you before you could run off because I make a mean omelet and I wouldn’t want you to miss out.” He winked before rolling out of bed. “What do you say we take a quick shower together? I promise I’ll keep my hands to myself. Maybe.”

My cheeks started to grow warm, and that thrumming desire threatened to hit my body again. A part of me wanted to resist the hormones that were making me so susceptible to his advances, but at the same time, I wanted nothing more than to see water cascading down his oh-so-sexy body.

“Like I said, I do need to actually do some shit today,” I said.

“Yeah, I promise not to keep you too long.” He raised an eyebrow. “Or too hard.”

“Okay,” I relented, following him into the bathroom.

He took off my pants, letting his fingers run over my body. I shivered under his touch. “Is someone still excited?” he asked, his lips twitching in amusement. “And here I was, thinking I wore you out last night.”

“What happened to keeping your hands to yourself?”

He chuckled. “You know you love it.” His hands cupped my ass cheeks for a moment before he gave them a little slap, pushing me toward the shower. “After you.”

I stepped inside and a second later, he had me pinned to the wall. He kissed me, but it wasn’t fueled by the same kind of passion that was there last night. Instead, it was something different. Something I couldn’t quite pinpoint. A sense of longing maybe? Of yearning? It was like he was kissing me because he needed me in order to survive—like I was the air he breathed.

When he finally pulled away, my mind felt like it had turned to mush. There was a blazing look in his eye that made me shiver. Maybe there was still a spark left to be ignited between us.

Maybe we still had a shot at making this work. I shook the thought away. It wasn’t good to think like that — after all, it had been so long ago that we were together.

To my surprise, our time in the shower wasn’t as sexual as I thought it would be. Of course, his hands still wandered my body, but in a gentle, loving way. He took the sponge and washed me, treating me like his most prized possession.

I returned the favor, running my fingers through his hair, enjoying how long it was. His deep curls had always been one of his finer qualities. When we were in high school, I used to play with them all night long as we watched movies together.

Once we were done, he wrapped a towel around my body and kissed the top of my head. “There, all squeaky clean.”

I giggled.

He smiled at me before walking back into the bedroom, passing the trashcan. “Sorry about your panties.”

I felt myself getting warm at the thought. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Good, because I rather like the thought of you walking around with no panties on.” He smirked as he tossed on a pair of sweatpants that hung deliciously from his hips. He didn’t bother to put on a shirt. God, he sure did know how to tease me.

Outside, I snatched my bra, about to put it on when Braden came up behind me, lending me a hand. As he did so, his lips trailed along the side of my neck, making me shiver.

I leaned into him and moaned.

His hands crept to my breasts, giving them a firm squeeze before he stepped back. “I’ll get started on breakfast.”

He disappeared into the kitchen, leaving me alone to find my shirt. I shrugged it on and started to button it, but without much luck. There were only two buttons left. The rest were nothing more than gaping holes that I was sure Braden would appreciate.

I watched him through the window as he waltzed around the kitchen. He was humming to himself, glowing with happiness. Could I really be the reason for that?

It was hard to believe that Braden had been married. Had he thought about me during that time like I had thought about him? What had caused the divorce? These questions picked at my brain, making me worry. What if he was lying and I was just some side chick he had picked up at a bar?

“Breakfast is served,” Braden announced, peeking his head through the French doors.

I nodded and headed back inside, trying to keep my mind free of doubt. I couldn’t change the past so for better or for worse, I had to accept what we had done and move forward from there.

So, I sat down and took a bite out of my omelet.

Braden looked at me expectantly. “What do you think?”

I swallowed my bite and waited a moment, really letting the flavors settle in my mouth. “It’s good.”

“Just… ‘good?’” he asked, sounding a little disappointed.

“Last I checked good was a compliment, isn’t it?”

“Well, yes, but I was expecting you to say it was the best omelet in the world.”

“I see your ego is still very much intact,” I teased, taking another bite. “It’s good, but not perfect.”

He held a hand up to his chest as if he had been shot through the heart. “You wound me.”

I rolled my eyes. “Stop being so dramatic. It’s better than Denny’s. Does that make you feel better?”

A wide smirk painted his face. “Denny’s is your favorite place to get omelets.”

“You still remember that?” I was surprised. It seemed like such an insignificant little detail to remember after being a decade apart.

“Of course I do.” He leaned back in his chair. “I remember a lot of things.”

“Such as?”

“Your favorite color is yellow.”

“Okay, that’s an easy one.” I laughed. “And favorite colors don’t have a lot to do with someone’s inner personality, Braden.”

“Your favorite movie is Titanic. When I brought you to watch it in the theatre, you cried like a baby.”

“I did not!”

“Oh, really?” He grinned. “‘Oh! Jack! Don’t let go!’”

I rolled my eyes. “I did not cry. Why would I?”

“Because it’s an emotional movie and you want the couple to stay together. So, you think to yourself, yeah, the two of them could’ve probably survived on that same plank of wood, but the guy made the ultimate sacrifice for her, and that tugged at your heartstrings,” he hypothesized. “Or am I wrong?”

“No… You’re right,” I grumbled. “It was romantic, okay? In a very late nineties kind of way. In a bad movie kind of way.”

“Don’t you think it would’ve been more romantic if they stayed together? If we had—”

“Do you think I could get something to drink?” I asked, cutting him off. I didn’t want him to ask the question. I had thought about it one too many times. How would my life differ if I had stayed behind, instead of going to the army? I tried to picture a scenario where I’d be happily married to Braden, but his acts of dishonesty always tinged that fantasy with doubt. It wouldn’t have worked.

“Sure,” he answered, but his features had darkened.

When he returned with a glass of orange juice, the awkwardness between us only intensified. I wanted to say something that would melt it all away, but what was I supposed to say? What could I say?

So, we just sat there and ate in silence.

Eventually, however, Braden cleared his throat and looked at me. “Do you remember our pact?” His voice shook slightly like he was nervous. His fingers twitched against the side of his mug.

“I do,” I said, my tone flat, wondering where this conversation was headed. I didn’t add that it had crossed my mind several times last night — and this morning. Or that it was the one thing I wanted out of life when I was stuck overseas, tending to everyone else’s needs as a medic. I wanted a child — no, more than that. A family. Sometimes it felt like a silly thing to want, especially without a man in my life.

But it was always there, the idea tugging at my heart. I wanted to feel a life grow inside of me. I wanted to give birth, hold my baby. Be a mother.

It was good that he didn’t know any of that.

“Do you ever… think about it?” His voice was soft as if he was treading on dangerous territory.

“Yeah, but don’t you think that’s kind of a weird thing to bring up on a first date?” I joked, knowing the idea was ludicrous. Still, my heart skipped a beat. “We were really young.”

He laughed, but it was a forced, strained sort of laugh that slipped through his teeth. “Yeah I guess we were pretty young.”

I cocked my head in silent question, my eyes narrowing in suspicion. What was his angle? Why was he bringing up the pact? I thought about pressing the issue, but in the end, I decided it would be best to just drop the subject.

“So, when did you learn to make such a good omelet? If I remember correctly, back in high school you had a knack for burning toast.”

“I still do.”

“How? All you got to do is set the toaster to the right setting, put the bread in … and then you get toast. Simple.” My lips twitched into a smile.

“I think every single toaster in the world has a vendetta against me. Just the other week, mine kind of… exploded.”

“You’re kidding. Since when do toasters just explode?”

“Do you want to see the scorch marks on my counter? I’m lucky I still have eyebrows!”

I giggled, trying to picture what he would look like without eyebrows. It was quite amusing.

“Anyway, I learned to make omelets shortly after I started raising chickens.”

“You have chickens?” I asked, a little surprised.

“Indeed, I do. Eighteen of them, in fact. I’m sure they would all be happy to meet you. If you have the time, that is.” He rubbed the back of his neck in uncertainty.

Even though we had spent the night together, I could tell we were still on shaky ground. Neither one us knew what to make of our relationship. It could be a one-night-stand, or the beginning of something more. My money was on the former.

“Sorry, not today,” I said. “I have a few things going on.”

“But maybe next weekend?” he offered, a hopeful look in his eyes.

I wanted to say no, so that I could properly screw my head back into place, but at the same time, how was I supposed to deny that handsome face? I bit the inside of my lip in contemplation.

“Okay,” I gave in. “Does Saturday work for you?”

He nodded. “Yep, perfect. I’ll see you then.”

After the date had been set, we finished our breakfast with a bit of light banter. It felt good to spend time with him again. Sitting at the table together brought back so many fond memories. A part of me just wanted to stay there forever, to listen to his voice, to bask in it for the rest of my days.

But unfortunately, my watch started to beep at me.

“What’s that?”

“Oh, I have that tour in an hour. And then a meeting at my new job.” I bit the inside of my cheek. I’d stayed too long. Even though I didn’t have too many responsibilities, I did have a few. And last night, I had myself convinced this was a perfect idea.

“Where do you work?” Braden asked, clearing the table.

“At the animal shelter. They were kind enough to hire me as a veterinarian assistant while I study.”

“And you’re going back to school?” He leaned against the wall, his legs crossed.

My hormones surged at the sight. He looked like a model that belonged on a billboard in New York, not a ranch in the middle of nowhere, Colorado. When did he become so sexy?

He waited patiently for my answer, cocking his eyebrow when I just continued to gawk at him. “Adele?”

“Oh, sorry. I just got a little distracted.” I cleared my throat. I was always doing that. Getting lost in my own little world. And Braden didn’t help — not with the way he looked.

He smirked. “You were staring at me, weren’t you?”

“What? No,” I said quickly, folding my arms over my chest. “I was just—”

He shook his head. “You always did suck at lying.” With a few strides, he closed the distance between us, laying a hand on my shoulder. “Well, it’s great you’re going back to school and following your passion for animals. If I ever have any issues at the farm, I know who to call.” He winked.

I smiled.

Awkwardly, I made my departure out of the house. It felt like I was forgetting something. Like I was leaving something behind, something important.

“Do you want me to drive you home or are you going to walk?” Braden called out from the door.

“Oh. Right.” I tucked my curls behind one ear, looking down. “Yeah, a ride would be nice.”

He chuckled. “No problem. Let me grab my keys.”

“And would it be possible to borrow a shirt?” I asked.

“If you insist.” He bounded up the stairs, disappearing.

I sighed, feeling like I had just run a marathon. There were so many emotions swirling around my chest that it was hard to keep track of them. Everything was happening so fast. I had only moved back home a few weeks ago and I had already slept with my ex-boyfriend. Hell, I had even agreed to a second date. Things weren’t supposed to go like this. I was supposed to focus on my career first and guys later.

All that family stuff — the getting pregnant, having a baby. That stuff was in my heart. But my career needed to be the priority. I had to keep that in mind.

“Ready?” Braden reappeared, wearing a tight baby blue shirt that really brought out the color of his eyes.

As I looked up at him, I could already feel myself falling—just as I had ten years ago.

He was the kind of man who made a woman forget just about everything she ever knew.

* * *

The week went by slowly. My job as a veterinarian assistant was emotionally draining. The shelter housed a lot of strays with varying health problems. One too many times, I had to be next to an animal as it passed away in the night. It was tough, grueling work. When I was a medic, at least I got a thank you here and there from the soldiers. This work with animals was important, especially to me. But it could be tiring and thankless.

By the time Friday rolled around, I was actually looking forward to seeing Braden again. I didn’t want to admit it, but I wanted to spend time with him. A part of me wanted to see where the wind would take us.

I was watching TV on the sofa when Dahlia gave me a call. I answered, putting her on speaker. “What’s up?”

“So, did you spend the whole week at Braden’s, or what?” she asked, her voice high-pitched and annoying. I should have known that she’d only call me to bug me about my love life.

“No.” I tried to keep my tone flat, so she couldn’t read me at all.

“Then, why haven’t you called me?”

“I guess it must’ve slipped my mind,” I answered, feeling a bit guilty that I had been neglecting my sister all week long. “I’ve been busy with work and school. I’ve barely had the time to think.”

“It’s fine, I understand. How’s work been treating you?”

“Honestly? It’s been rough. It’s heartbreaking to see all those animals in such horrible conditions. We had to let a few of them go.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. It sounds awful.”

“Yeah.”

We were silent for a moment, both of us uncertain as to how to proceed.

Finally, Dahlia spoke up. “So, this weekend, are you busy?”

“Actually…” I trailed off, knowing if I told my sister the truth, she’d never let me hear the end of it.

“Actually, what?”

“Um… I have a hair appointment.”

“With who? You just got your hair done when you got here two weeks ago.”

“Dahlia, I — it’s the salon in Greenbridge — I might be —” I stuttered for an answer, struggling to find the right story. Fuck, why was I so bad at coming up with a convincing lie?

“Spill it. You’re going to see Braden, aren’t you?”

I sighed. “Yes. He invited me over to see his farm.”

“To see his farm, huh?” I could almost see the smirk on her face. “Is that all you two are going to do?”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure about that?” she teased.

“Oh, shut up.”

She laughed. “Well, I hope you two have fun.”

“What about you? What were you going to ask me?”

“Well, I have these tickets to a comedy show at the city center, but don’t worry about it. I’ll ask one of the other teachers. I’m sure they’d be thrilled to get away from their kids for once.”

“Are you sure? I can reschedule with Braden.”

“No!” she said, way too quickly. “Go to the farm. Have fun. You deserve it. But, we should catch up sometime soon. Call me when you have a day off.”

“Okay.”

“Great!”

“Bye,” I prompted, knowing if I didn’t initiate the farewell, she would stay on the line forever.

“Bye!” With that, she hung up.

I tossed the phone onto the couch before I sunk into the cushions, staring at the ceiling. I thought about calling her back and accepting her offer, but at the same time, I didn’t want to miss my chance to see Braden again.

The moment I closed my eyes, his face popped up in my mind. I could picture his every inch, almost as if I had burned his image into the back of my eyelids. There was a playful smirk on his face as he beckoned me forward, pulling me into the world of slumber and naughty dreams.