“Hmm, that’s new,” Truth muttered as she drove pass a large billboard with the words “The people of Cedar Bend welcomes you” scrolled prettily across. It had only been a year and yet everything felt so…different.

She trained her eyes on the long stretch of road, trying not to lose her resolve. Coming back to the small town she had vowed never to return to felt like a betrayal to herself. Yet, staying away for so long felt like an even bigger betrayal to Danny.

Jackson needed her, and she owed it to Danny to make sure his brother was okay.

Liar.

She could hear Jackson’s voice as vividly in her head as if he were sitting beside her. She wrestled with the truth of why she was really returning to this bleak, small town. She had very little happy memories of the place. She had followed her husband here and had lost him in just a few short months. There was nothing for her here.

The last few days before she had left Cedar Bend, he had unapproachable. She had secretly hoped they could learn to lean on each other for support, but he had remained shut off from her and everyone around him. In the end, she had known it was time for her to leave and so she had without even a goodbye from him.

Yet, one phone call from him and she had come back running.

She shook her head at herself. “I hope you know what you’re doing, girl.”

I should’ve never let you go…

Truth replayed Jackson’s slurred words in her head again. The words had been a bit muffled, but she recognized the rich baritone of his voice. He could have been drunk for all she knew, but something in the way he had spoken those nearly inaudible words had made the hairs on her arms stand.

You should have been mine, Truth. And Danny, he should…

That’s when his words had stopped, and she hadn’t been able to get another response from him. He wasn’t answering her calls or returning her messages and for her peace of mind, she had to come see him.

As Truth drew near to Jackson’s home, a knot began to form in her belly. She spent the past year avoiding any contact with Jackson, and he had done much of the same. Though she had hated how things had parted between them, she had been glad for the distance, almost relieved. Seeing Jackson in pain had been just as hard for her to watch then she had imagined, and she had her own grief and guilt to contend with.

But now that the pain of losing Danny had eased a bit, she could face Jackson again. Whether he still despised her, and blamed her for Danny’s death, she knew she couldn’t go on without making sure for herself that he was all right.

Jackson is the greatest guy I know, but for whatever reason, trouble seems to just follow him.

Truth remembered Danny’s words about his older brother, spoken so affectionately. Despite Jackson’s many flaws, Danny loved his brother and had looked up to him. Regardless of what Jackson thought of her, she couldn’t completely turn her back on him now.

She owed it to Danny.

It took another half hour before Truth pulled up to the dirt lot of the secluded one-story home. She inwardly winced at the sight of the place that had been her home for a few short months. The lawn was overgrown with weeds, what little grass was left was dead from thirst and neglect, and the baseboards of the house was covered with dirt and grime.

For a moment, Truth wondered if Jackson had abandoned the place but then again, his pick-up truck was parked in front of the house. It was just as filthy and, with the grass and weeds stretching up along the tires, it looked as if it hadn’t been moved in weeks. Maybe even months.

Truth pulled up beside the truck and hesitated before shutting off the engine. She was taking a chance that he was even home, much less still living here. Though she tried to think of a reason why Jackson would let his family home fall under such conditions, she couldn’t think of any.

“You made it this far…”

You can’t turn back now.

Afraid she would lose what little resolve she had, Truth got out of the car and climbed up the short porch steps. In front of the door was a stack of mail being held down with a rock.

“What in the world is going on here?” she muttered to herself.

With a small frown, she picked up the bundle and stuffed it in her purse. Taking a deep breath, she raised her fist and gave the door several hard knocks.

There was no answer.

She knocked again and waited but there was no response. Truth leaned to the side and peered through the windows. The blinds were drawn, and she couldn’t see a thing inside.

Truth pulled out her cell phone and instantly dialed Jackson’s number. It also went unanswered. She hung up and looked around again, not sure what to do next. She tried the door knob and wasn’t surprised to find it locked. She thought about the key she had left behind when she had moved out last year and almost wish she hadn’t. Then again, she had never anticipated stepping foot back here.

She walked back to her car and leaned against the hood. She would give him one last call and if he didn’t answer, she was calling the police to do a wellness cheek.

As the phone started to ring, Truth waited for the automated voice message to pick up.

“What, damn it?”

Truth was so surprised by the low, angry growl that filled her speakers, she nearly dropped the phone. “Jackson?”

“Who’s this?”

There was a slur in his words that Truth couldn’t pinpoint. He could have been asleep or drinking, though either scenario were preposterous since it was two o’clock in the afternoon.

“Jackson, it’s me. Truth.” There was a long pause and for a moment she thought the connection was lost. “Hello?”

“What do you want, Truth?”

She jerked in surprise by the abrupt, emotionless question. “I just wanted to check in on you. I got your…message the other night. You didn’t sound like yourself and I was…worried.”

“Well, I’m still alive so no need to concern yourself.”

She pursed her lips. Sure, he was physically all right, but she couldn’t be certain how he was doing emotionally or mentally? From his obscure voice message, he didn’t sound like he was coping very well at all.

“Jackson, where are you right now?”

“In bed. Why? Wanna join me?”

“Stop being an ass,” she snapped. “I’m trying to have a civil conversation with you.”

He mumbled something, and she decided to take it as an apology.

“If you’re home right now, why didn’t you answer the door?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’ve been knocking on the front door for about five minutes now. Why didn’t you answer?”

“You’re here?”

She looked up at the house again. “Yes, I’m standing right outside.”

He cursed then suddenly the call was disconnected. Truth stared down at her phone, confused. She waited a few seconds for him to call her back. When he didn’t, she pushed away from her car and started toward the house.

Before she could reach the first step of the porch, loud barking came from inside. It was loud and deep and vibrated around her. She froze and stared at the door, horrified by the booming sounds coming from behind it.

As the noise grew closer, Truth began to inch away, barely registering the bag that had slipped from her shoulders. She didn’t stop until she was once again pressed against the hood of her car.

Suddenly, the front door swung open and a massive dog bolted out. Truth shrieked as it came charging toward her, and she scrambled on top of the hood of her car. She stared in dismay as the large fawn colored dog planted its enormous paws on the edge of the car and continued to bark at her. The car bounced violently on its tires and Truth held on for dear life as the dog continued shaking the air around her with its loud barks.

“Daisy! Get back here!”

It took Truth a moment to register Jackson’s harsh command, but when she did she realized he was calling out to the giant dog.

Daisy?

Truth’s gaze remained fixated on the large animal barking voraciously at her. This beast was a far cry from a delicate flower.

“She’s harmless. I promise.” Jackson released an ear-piercing whistle and Daisy instantly quieted.

Truth tore her gaze away from the dog and brought them up to Jackson’s. He stood on the porch, supporting himself on a pair of crutches. Besides the sunken fatigue around his eyes and his unusual pallor, he was as big as she remembered, yet looked more wild and feral than the dog trying to climb on top of the car with her. He was shirtless with only dark gray boxers on and was in desperate need of a shave and haircut. But what really drew her attention was his left leg and the thick white cast that started from his knee and stopped just above his toes.

“Come here, Daisy.” The dog turned and bounded up the stair to where Jackson stood. “Good girl. Stay.”

Truth watched with fascination as the dog sat back on her haunches. Jackson was already a tall man, yet the dog’s broad head nearly cleared his chest.

“You can come down now,” Jackson said. “She won’t bite. She’s just excited to see you again.”

“Again?” Truth stared at the dog, incredulous. “I’ve never seen that dog in my life!”

His lips curved slightly with amusement. “I think you just hurt her feelings. My sweet girl isn’t that forgettable, is she?”

Truth frowned at him then glanced back down at the dog. Her wide pink tongue hung out of her mouth and a fat drool splattered on the porch. Suddenly, realization hit her, and her mouth fell open.

“Little Monster?”

“She goes by Daisy now.” Jackson smiled down at the dog and scratched behind her ears. “She’s not so little anymore, but she still has a little bit of monster in her.”

Truth continued to stare at the dog she remembered holding in her arms. As she scrambled down from on top of the car, Daisy’s ear’s perked up. Truth gingerly made her way to the pair, still bemused. She was nearly the same height as Daisy.

“What happened to her?”

“She grew up.”

“But it’s only been a year… How is it possible she grew five extra feet in one year?”

Jackson shrugged. “She’s an English mastiff. That’s what they do. They get big.”

Truth reached out to pet her, but Daisy licked her hand before she could. Truth laughed and shook away the excess moisture.

“Hello to you too, sweetie.”

“Looks like she really missed you.”

“I missed her too.”

She glanced up at Jackson then and found his dark, penetrating gaze unnerving. She wanted to know just how much he had missed her. But then that would be foolish of her to think that he even had.

Truth brought her gaze down to him injured leg and stared pointedly at it. “And what happened to you?”

“I got hit by a car.”

Truth head snapped up and once again her mouth fell open. “What? When?”

“About two months ago. It’s no big deal.”

“No big deal? Are you crazy? You could have been killed! Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Why would I?”

“Because we’re family now and—”

“Truth, we barely know each other and the one person we both cared about is…” The muscles in his jaw flexed. “You don’t have to feel obligated to keep in touch with me, and you certainly don’t have to check up on me.”

His easy dismissal hurt, but Truth simply stared at him, letting the awkward silence fill the space between them. It was true that they didn’t really know each other, but that didn’t change the fact that he was her husband’s brother and in need of someone to be here with him. She may not be the person he wanted around, but from what she can tell, she was all he had.

They were both all each other had.

“Whatever you might think, Jackson, I didn’t come all this way out of some sense of obligation. I was genuinely concerned about you and now I can see just how right I was to be.”

“Well, I’ve been managing just fine without you, so thanks for dropping by but I don’t need you here.”

Truth lips tightened with annoyance. He was barely taking care of himself, much less his home. He may not want her here, but he certainly needed her.

“All right.” She stooped down and picked up her bag where she’d dropped it. Digging into her purse, she pulled out the large stack of letters and handed it to him. “Well, I picked up your mail for you.”

Jackson shifted his weight to one side and reached for the letters. Before he could take them, she let the letters fall from her hand.

“Oops. Sorry.”

For the first time, she saw genuine surprise in his dark eyes as he stared down at the letters before he brought his gaze up to hers. When she made no move to retrieve them, his expression hardened.

“Aren’t you going to pick those up?”

She cocked a brow. “I thought you could manage without me.”