Lucas stared at the plate sitting in front of him. An overcooked microwave burrito stared back.

He used his fork to try to saw off a piece. When that didn’t work, he stabbed it and brought the entire burrito to his mouth. He tore off a hunk and chewed it, thinking it tasted like a seasoned rawhide. He washed it down with a mouthful of beer.

He was at home for what felt like the first time in days. The TV was on, tuned to ESPN even though he wasn’t interested in the talk show currently on the air. He was busy replaying the conversations he’d had at the high school just a couple of hours earlier.

Hannah and Jack hadn’t offered much of anything useful. And now, sitting on the couch with a couple hours of distance between their conversation, Lucas wasn’t sure Mariah Coates had, either. Sure, she’d told them about the project Noah and Lindsay had worked on, but the more he thought about it, the more he believed their chosen theme had more to do with what they’d been reading in class. He’d looked up the summary of the novel they’d been assigned, and Mariah was right: the bit she’d mentioned from Noah and Lindsay’s project seemed to reflect some similar ideas to what had taken place in the book.

Lucas bit off another piece of burrito, then spit it back out on the plate. It was inedible. He sighed and reached for his beer, took a long drink.

His thoughts drifted to Alaina, and he wondered what she was doing. They’d left Mariah’s classroom, and didn’t really speak as they headed toward the entrance to the school. Lucas wondered if Mariah’s parting words had anything to do with Alaina’s silence.

He could see it clearly. He’d thanked Mariah for her time and handed her a business card. Asked her to get in touch if she remembered anything else, or if she decided she could share more. She’d stared at the card, her lips twitching into a smile.

“Can I call you even if I don’t?” she’d asked.

“Excuse me?”

Mariah ran her free hand through her hair, twining a long strand around her finger. “Maybe we could finish what we started before.”

Lucas had tried not to frown. And he’d tried not to look at Alaina, too, but he couldn’t help it. She stood there, her expression wooden, and he wondered if it was in response to what Mariah had said about Noah and Lindsay, or if she was irritated by Mariah’s obvious flirting.

Lucas hadn’t asked, and Alaina hadn’t told him.

He’d mumbled something to Mariah—he couldn’t even remember what—and exited the room as quickly as possible.

Lucas sighed again and glanced at the television. The hockey game wasn’t due to start for a couple of hours. His gaze drifted to his phone. It was on the table, right next to the plate with the petrified burrito. He leaned forward, picked it up. Stared at it for a minute.

He should call her. Alaina. See how she was doing. See if she was okay after everything that had happened. She’d been to her brother’s room. They’d found some clues that, although didn’t prove anything, were a little suspicious. And they’d visited one of Noah’s teachers who had shed some light on a part of his life that Alaina hadn’t been involved in. She was bound to be feeling a little raw, a little emotional.

There were other reasons he felt compelled to call. He wanted to hear her voice. He wanted to say something that might make her smile. Laugh, even.

But he also wanted to call because of the way he’d reacted when they’d exchanged words outside of Mariah’s classroom. He’d be the first to admit that his temper had gotten the better of him. She’d challenged him, stood up to him. And he’d reacted. Her doggedness and determination were something he admired, but being on the receiving end of it had been jarring, and he’d bitten back with his own sharp words.

And then she’d nearly cried, practically begged him to let her stay and be there for her brother. It was the hardest workout his heart had ever done, and for reasons he couldn’t even explain, he wanted more.

To hell with it, he thought. I’m calling her.

The phone rang several times before rolling to voicemail. He listened to the message, to Alaina’s voice as she gave instructions for after the beep. It was clear and strong, just like the woman herself.

He hung up right before the beep. What was he supposed to say? “I’m calling to make sure you’re okay”? The implication that she might not be would probably go over as well as trying to give a cat a bath. Alaina was feisty and independent.

“I’m calling because I want to hear your voice. Make you laugh. I’m calling because I just want to talk to you.” Lucas groaned out loud. Nope. He had a hard enough time admitting those things to himself, much less outright saying it to Alaina.

But still, he couldn’t get her off his mind. Thoughts of her consumed him, and he was pretty sure that even the hockey game he was waiting for wouldn’t get her out of his head. He had to do something.

He chewed his lip, thinking.

Wanting to make sure she was okay was a solid thing to do. It made sense, given the circumstances. It was believable. He wouldn’t have to disclose the other reasons why he felt compelled to talk to her.

And really, just because she might not want to be checked in on didn’t mean he shouldn’t do it.

Before he could change his mind, he stood up and grabbed his keys. Leaving his burrito and almost-full beer on the table, he shrugged into his coat and slipped on his boots.

The drive to Alaina’s house took all of ten minutes. The roads were dry and traffic was light; hitting mostly green lights helped, too. He passed a police cruiser parked in the library parking lot and cast a glance in its direction, trying to see if he could make out who was sitting behind the wheel. He still knew most of the people on the force, but there had been a couple of new hires since he’d left, and he didn’t like to admit that this bothered him. That the force was changing and growing. Without him.

He put that thought firmly out of his mind as he pulled up in front of Alaina’s little bungalow. Light glowed from behind the living room curtains and steam puffed out of the chimney vent, a sure sign the heat was on and pumping through the house. With the blanket of white snow in the yard and covering the rooftop, and the warm lighting visible from inside, it looked almost like a storybook cottage.

Lucas sat in his car for a few minutes, suddenly apprehensive. He’d driven over because he wanted to check on Alaina, to make sure she was okay. Not because he thought she was weak or because he thought she needed a man to help her. He was there because…

He swallowed.

He was there because he cared.

He shook his head, trying to clear his mind and trying to will his heart to slow down from the gallop it had kicked into.

He went through the logical, rational explanations—the ones that didn’t address the tough questions.

Alaina had experienced a traumatic event. He’d worked with her over the last few days, and he had a ton of sympathy for what she was going through and what she’d already endured. He’d have to be a robot not to care.

He nodded to himself. Yep, that was it. That was all it was.

That was all it could be. She’s your client. He needed to play that on constant repeat. To remind himself.

He opened the door and stepped onto the road. His breath blew clouds of white smoke and he stood there, his eyes still locked on the little house in front of him.

“Just go,” he muttered to himself.

And he did.

His legs propelled him to the sidewalk and then to the front door. He hesitated, his hand formed into a fist, ready to pound on the wooden door. It was almost as if he moved in slow motion, watching as his fist connected with the wood once, then twice, then three times.

He heard a sound from inside, the sound of wooden floorboards creaking. The door opened and Alaina was there.

She looked beautiful.

So damn beautiful.

Her long blonde hair hung loose around her shoulders, a golden waterfall against the navy blue sweatshirt she wore. Her face was free of makeup, but her cheeks were flushed pink and her mouth was soft and pouty. Kissable.

To Lucas’s eye, she didn’t look a day over eighteen.

Which made the full wineglass cradled in her hands a little alarming.

“Lucas.” Her tone was friendly but cautious. “What brings you here?”

He glanced down at the door threshold.

What had brought him there? How was he supposed to answer that question?

“I just wanted to see how you were doing,” he said.

Her brow wrinkled. “I’m fine.”

“I also…” He paused and looked at her, meeting her gaze fully. “I also wanted to apologize.”

“For what?”

“For being an ass.” He offered a small smile. “I jumped down your throat earlier today and I never apologized. It was uncalled for.”

She answered his smile with a small one of her own. “Apology accepted.”

They stood there awkwardly for a minute, Alaina cupping her wineglass and Lucas just standing there, his hands shoved into his pockets.

“You think I could come in for a little bit?” he asked.

She hesitated, and he felt the heat rise in his cheeks. Maybe she wasn’t alone. Maybe there was some guy sitting on the couch, waiting for her to close the door so they could get back to their evening. Or maybe she just didn’t want to see Lucas, didn’t want him barging into her house unannounced and uninvited.

Alaina blinked. “Of course. Where are my manners? It’s freezing outside.” She swung the door open and stepped back so he could enter.

She had a candle burning, something that smelled like cinnamon and vanilla. The television was off, but there was music playing softly, some folksy song he couldn’t place but sounded vaguely familiar.

He kicked off his boots and followed her into the living room.

“You want a glass?” she asked, holding up her wine.

“Sure, if you have some.”

“I always have wine,” she told him as she disappeared into the kitchen.

She reappeared a minute later, now holding two glasses, both filled nearly to the brim.

“Why are you still standing?” she asked. She nodded toward the couch. “Have a seat.”

He sat down and she followed suit, handing him one of the glasses. She tucked her legs underneath her and took a long sip of wine.

A golden retriever ambled into the room. His muzzle was almost white, giving him the appearance of an old man.

“This must be Harry,” Lucas said.

“It is indeed.” Alaina looked fondly at the dog. “Guess he decided to wake up from his nap and come check you out.”

Harry wagged his tail, then plopped down on the floor and curled into a ball. He rested his head on his paws and watched them, and Lucas smiled. He’d always liked dogs.

“So,” Alaina said, pushing a loose strand of hair off her cheek. “What’s up with you and the teacher?”

Lucas almost choked on his wine. “What?”

“Mariah. Isn’t that her name?”

She had noticed. And she was asking. Did that mean she…cared?

Lucas thought about blowing off her question, dismissing it and redirecting the conversation.

But he didn’t want to do that. Not with Alaina.

“Nothing,” he answered truthfully.

Alaina arched an eyebrow. “Didn’t look like nothing to me.”

“We met a few weeks ago,” Lucas said. “At Shorty’s. I was playing pool, she was watching. Challenged me to a game afterward.”

“Did she win?”

The question felt loaded. What kind of game was she thinking he’d played with Mariah?

Lucas shook his head, and a look that could only be described as relief washed over Alaina’s face.

Then she grinned.

“I would’ve won,” she told him primly.

He cast a sidelong glance at her. Her eyes were bright, her cheeks rosy, and he wondered just how much wine she’d already had.

“Oh really?” he asked, amused.

She nodded.

“And how did you get so good at pool?” he asked. “Do you spend your weekends hustling unsuspecting victims?”

She giggled. “Hardly. A boyfriend of mine from high school had a pool table in his basement. He taught me how to play.”

Lucas felt something niggle his gut. A boyfriend. It was completely irrational, but he didn’t want to think about Alaina being with anyone. Not even in high school.

“So you don’t play anymore?” he asked

She shook her head. “Not really. No time.”

“What do you mean?”

“Work is what I do,” she told him.

“Sure,” he said, nodding. “But what else keeps you busy? Besides work?”

She cocked her head, a coy smile playing upon her lips. “What else or who else?”

“What?”

“Is that your way of asking if I’m involved with someone?”

Damn, she was good.

He sipped his wine so he wouldn’t have to answer.

“I don’t have time to date,” she said. “I haven’t had time since I graduated high school.”

Lucas knew how long she’d been out of school. “That’s an awfully long time.” He wasn’t about to tell her that this admission of hers made him inexplicably happy. Instead, he said, “Why do you work so hard? What drives you?”

She just smiled.

“Is it the money?” Lucas asked. He knew she’d made a killing off flipping houses.

“I don’t care about the money,” she said firmly.

“Then what?”

She stared at him. “You really want to know?”

He nodded.

He wanted to know everything about her.

“I work hard so I can prove my father wrong.”

Lucas set his wineglass on his leg. “Prove him wrong?”

Alaina nodded. “He wanted me to go to college and I didn’t want to go. I knew it would be a waste of four years, not to mention the obscene amount of money that would literally just end up going down the drain. And what would I get in return? A worthless piece of paper?”

Lucas frowned. He didn’t think degrees were necessarily worthless. Too expensive these days? Yes. But worthless? Not if you needed a job that required one. “Why didn’t you want to go?”

“Because I knew I could succeed without it,” she said. She repositioned herself on the couch, bringing her legs in a little tighter. “I’ve always had an eye for design, and I’ve always been handy. And I know how to manage money. My grandma always said I could pinch a penny with the best of them.” A faint smile appeared. “I have solid business sense, and I don’t take bullshit from anyone.”

“I’m aware,” Lucas said dryly.

Alaina chuckled. “When I graduated and told my dad I wasn’t going to college, he kicked me out.”

Lucas gaped at her. “He kicked you out? Of the house?”

She nodded, a wry smile on her face. “Me. The namesake. I was the miracle baby, the baby that almost killed my mother. They named me after my father so he would get his namesake. I’m pretty sure he was always disappointed that I was just a girl.”

Lucas frowned. “But your brother…”

“He was the second miracle baby,” Alaina said. “My mother wasn’t supposed to get pregnant again. Except somehow, she did.”

“And she was fine, health-wise?” Lucas asked. Alaina wasn’t being forthcoming with the details and he didn’t think it was his place to pry, so he kept the question vague.

“Yep. Probably could’ve pushed out another four.” She rolled her eyes. “Shows how much doctors know.”

Lucas just nodded. “So what did you do?”

“About my baby brother?” she asked, wrinkling her nose.

“No,” he said with a smile. “After your dad kicked you out.”

Her confusion cleared. “Ohhhh, right. I bought a piece-of-shit RV on Craigslist. Got it for less than a thousand bucks.” She smiled. “His name was Harvey.”

“You named your camper?”

“Of course.” Her eyes lit up with amusement. “I was moving in with him. Well, into him, I guess.” She leaned toward him, the smile on her face widening. “And do you get the name? Harvey the RV?”

Lucas couldn’t help but smile. This was a side of Alaina he hadn’t seen. She wasn’t just beautiful and sexy, smart and sassy. She was fun…and she was damn funny to boot.

He liked it. A lot.

“So where did you and your boyfriend live?”

Her brow furrowed.

“Harvey,” Lucas reminded her with a grin.

Her expression cleared and she giggled again, an infectious sound that reminded him of sleigh bells. “Oh. I parked him at Louanne’s. She offered to let me plug in there, free of charge.”

That sounded exactly like something Louanne, the owner of Lulu’s and general mother hen to everyone, would do.

“So I lived there for a year and did a bunch of odd jobs around town. I worked the coffee shop a couple days a week, did daycare over at Sunny Dayz, and then picked up some jobs painting houses and doing roofing in the summer months.”

“You know how to roof a house?” Lucas was impressed.

“I know how to hand supplies to the people who roof a house,” she clarified with a wink. “But yeah, I installed some tiles. It’s not hard as long as you don’t have a fear of heights.”

Lucas didn’t think he did, but he wasn’t about to go around scaling walls to find out.

“And then what?” Lucas asked. “You said this was the first house you bought.”

Alaina looked around, and the pride she felt was evident.

“It was,” she said. “I bought it for ten grand.”

Lucas almost spilled his wine. “Ten grand?”

She nodded. “Foreclosed houses can be really cheap, especially if they’ve been sitting for a while and the bank just wants to unload it. So I bought this place with the money I’d saved and then took out loans to get it fixed up. Took me a few months, but I sold it for a profit.”

He had to know. “How much profit?”

Her smile was almost wicked. “I cleared thirty by the time everything was said and done.”

Lucas let out a low whistle. “Thirty grand?”

“Yep. I took that money and bought my next house. Flipped that one for an even bigger profit. And I’ve been going strong ever since.”

“I take it you’re doing well?” This was obvious, but he wanted to keep her talking. He could listen to her all day.

She laughed. “Better than I ever hoped for. If someone had told me that I’d have a six-figure savings account before I was thirty, I would’ve told them they were crazy.”

“That’s incredible,” Lucas said. And he meant it.

Alaina had taken a risk and she’d worked her ass off to make things happen. Pride blossomed inside of him as he stared at the strong, beautiful woman sitting next to him. He’d never met someone so determined, so relentless in her pursuit of success.

“So now I own three properties that I rent out,” she said. “And I own this one as my home.”

“You have rentals?”

She nodded. “The market was a little soft a couple of years back and I was having a hard time moving houses. But the rental market was tight here in Aspen Falls, especially with the college students. The money my renters pay covers the cost of the mortgages on the houses and then some.”

Lucas shook his head and drained his wineglass.

“What?” she asked with a frown. “You don’t approve?”

“Hardly,” he said. “I wish I would’ve thought to do it.”

She snatched his wineglass from his hand and stood up, swaying a little as she did so. “It’s never too late to start.”

“It is if you don’t know which end is which on a hammer.”

“Oh, please,” she said as she headed into the kitchen. He watched her as she walked, the subtle sway of her hips, the way her hair bounced on her shoulders. He might’ve mistaken her for a girl at first, but she was definitely all woman.

Her voice was faint. “I bet you’re a handy kind of guy.”

She would be wrong. Okay, so he’d exaggerated his handyman shortcomings—he could use a hammer, for Pete’s sake—but more complicated do-it-yourself projects? He’d just as soon hire someone to do it. And the organization skills needed to juggle house purchases and rental contracts and contractors? He shuddered.

He was definitely not cut out for that line of work.

She returned, handing him his glass. A little of the burgundy liquid sloshed to the floor, and she covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a giggle.

“Oops.”

“How much have you had to drink?” Lucas asked her.

“Not enough.”

“You drink often?”

“Hardly ever.”

“Then why tonight?” he asked.

She thought for a minute. “Why tonight?” she repeated. “Why not?”

It was a fair question, and Lucas realized he didn’t have an answer. Alaina was a big girl, a grown woman perfectly capable of making her own decisions.

He tried to steer the conversation back to her business. Because if he didn’t, he couldn’t predict what territory he would veer into.

“You have a good thing going,” he said as he surveyed the room they were in. “I bet your dad is proud of you now.”

Alaina snorted. “Hardly.”

“How could he not be? With everything you’ve done, everything you’ve built for yourself?”

“That’s the point,” she said with a wry smile. “I did it. Without him. It kills him that I didn’t need him, that I was able to do it all on my own. And he’ll never forgive me for that.”

Lucas wondered how much of that was true and how much was the alcohol—and her emotions—staking out that position.

“Well, if a strained relationship is the cost of having a business you love, then maybe it’s worth it,” he offered.

Her expression sobered and she glanced down at the floor. Lucas wondered what he’d said to change the mood so quickly.

“What?” he asked, concerned.

“There was another cost,” she whispered.

He waited.

She looked up at him, her eyes glistening, her cheeks even rosier, her lips pressed together. She looked so fragile, so damn beautiful. His heart skipped a beat.

“It cost me something else,” she said. “Something I can’t replace.”

He knew what she was going to say before she even spoke the words.

“My brother.”