There was nothing about spring in Austin that Amanda didn’t like, especially this year. She’d seen Derek at least once each month since New Year’s Eve, the bluebonnets that covered the state were stunning, and Jenna was back from LA.

“I know I keep saying it,” Amanda said to Jenna as they sat at a table by the window in The Fix, “but I’m just so ridiculously happy you’re back. Even if the reason does suck.”

Jenna had moved to LA a while back to take a job with a marketing company. That whole situation had been a massive fail, and now she was back. A fact that made Amanda positively giddy.

“It did suck,” Jenna admitted, taking a sip of her Loaded Corona, a specialty at The Fix and one of Jenna’s favorites. “I ended up broke and coming home with my tail between my legs.”

“You came home,” Amanda said, leaning over to put her hand on Jenna’s. “That’s the important part. Besides, look at you now. A partner in The Fix and doing the exact job you wanted to do. Marketing and Event Planning. I think you must have some pretty good karma clinging to you, my friend.”

At that, Jenna smiled. “It is pretty cool. And completely unexpected. I still can’t believe it.”

“Can’t believe what? That Reece and Brent would pull you in? The three of you are like the planets, the sun, and the space between. A unit, you know? Of course they wanted you in. Especially when they need you to do the marketing. That’s not their thing—Reece is all about management and Brent’s deal is security—and it’s sure not Tyree’s.”

Tyree Johnson was the original owner of The Fix on Sixth. And Amanda felt like a complete idiot for not realizing that the place was in financial trouble. But apparently it was—and continued to be—because even though Tyree had taken on three partners in Jenna, Brent, and Reece, he’d still publicly announced that unless The Fix was firmly in the black come New Year’s Eve, then he’d sell the place. And Amanda knew the market well enough to know that the most likely buyer was Bodacious, a corporate chain bar that not only had an infantile business model, but also served truly crappy food and watered down drinks.

Brent and Reece had bought into the partnership, providing working capital for the rest of the year. And Jenna had come in on her skills alone. But she’d already proved her worth as far as Amanda was concerned. “The Man of the Month contest really is brilliant,” she told Jenna. “And it was all your idea. Although I think I provided some wisp of inspiration.”

The competition centered around hot men vying for a slot in a calendar. Which mean that soon there would be shirtless men on stage. Which meant more women in the bar. And that meant more drinks sold.

Ergo, the brilliance.

Jenna laughed. “I just hope I can pull it off.”

The contest was still in the planning stages, with the first competition a few weeks away. “It’ll be a huge success. You’ll see.”

She leaned back in her seat, then took a sip of her Jalapeño Margarita. “And the rest?”

Jenna’s eyes widened. “What rest?”

“You and Reece. You’re really going to tell me nothing’s going on?”

Jenna rolled her eyes. “Yes. I’m really going to tell you that. He’s my best friend. Since childhood. End of story.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Please drop it.”

“Fine.” Amanda had pulled that thread before, and she’d undoubtedly pull it again. She could let it go for now.

“How about you?” Jenna countered. “You’re dating someone, aren’t you?”

“Oh, please. No.” Amanda fought the urge to cross her fingers under the table. “You know me better than that.”

“Yup, I do. And you haven’t been talking about your conquests nearly as much since I got back. So, what? Do you have a guy tucked away in your attic somewhere?”

“Actually, yes. I take him out and dust him off about once a month.”

“I’m serious,” Jenna said.

Amanda blinked at her friend, the picture of innocence. “And you think I’m not?”

“Fine. Whatever.” She finished her drink. “Another?”

“Sure,” Amanda said. For a second, she thought about telling Jenna the real truth. About the man whose presence she craved. Who made her feel special and even loved.

But she didn’t. The feelings were true, but they were scary. And acting on them meant change. And right now, between her and Derek, she didn’t want anything to change at all.

---

“It’s been way too long since we’ve gotten together,” Derek said, his eyes meeting Landon’s in the locker room mirror. They’d just finished a killer game of squash, and they were both dripping with sweat. “Hell of a game, though.”

“Right on both counts.” Detective Landon Ware and Derek had been having drinks at The Fix On Sixth the night that he met Amanda. They’d met when Landon was working in the Dallas Police Department ten years before and had been assigned to investigate a suspicious death in one of the Dallas Winston Hotel’s rooms. Murder, it turned out. A wife who’d poisoned the engraved water bottle her husband took with him to work, because she was certain he was having an affair. She was right. And the husband and the mistress had died in the penthouse.

“You’re still seeing that cute girl you were checking out last year?”

He nodded. “Hard to believe it’s been that long.”

“Time flies,” Landon said. “You two must be serious.” Landon was a strong man, and he looked it. Not huge, but a solid block of muscle, covered by a layer of tattooed, black skin. But he had exceptionally kind eyes, and it was Derek’s theory that the combination was what made him such a great detective. Everybody talked when Landon was in the interrogation room.

Just like Derek was talking now. “I think we are. Hard to know.”

“Is it? I haven’t really dated much—not since that shit with Vanessa—but I seem to recall the question being a little more clear cut.”

“I’m pretty sure nothing is clear cut where women are concerned.” He sat on the bench and pulled on his shoes. “I’m out of here. I’m actually meeting her in an hour. A work free Saturday for both of us.”

“Give me a call when she doesn’t have you tied down.” Landon winked, then tossed his locker key and caught it. “We’ll have a rematch.”

“You got it.”

Derek showered and was out of the gym in record time. He waved to the owner, Matthew Herrington, then stepped out into a gorgeous spring day. He headed down Congress toward his condo, pausing only when he saw a familiar face coming toward him.

It took him a second, but he finally recognized the tall man with dark hair and movie star looks. “Parker? Parker Manning.”

He saw the confusion on Parker’s face, then the recognition as Parker shook his head in surprise. “I almost didn’t recognize you,” Derek said. “It’s been, what? Ten years?”

“About that. I’m not even sure where I saw you last.”

“Something to do with our parents, I’m sure.”

Both Parker and Derek came from families with Texas money that was sunk deep. The Manning family with their oil and gas roots, and the Winston family with ranching and the hotel chain. And despite popular opinion, the high roller club in Texas wasn’t overflowing with members. Most anyone with that kind of portfolio knew everyone else, and Parker and Derek had spent many afternoons together at country clubs and other watering holes for old Texas money.

“Are you living here now?” Derek asked Parker. “I thought I’d heard you were in LA.”

“Was. Just moved to Austin. Well,” he amended, “my company’s been here for awhile, but I just made the move myself.”

As he spoke, he was looking over Derek’s shoulder, and he took one long step to the right, which put him behind Derek. Then he slipped into the shadows of a nearby building’s entrance alcove.

“Problem?”

Parker shook his head. “I know that woman.”

Derek glanced over his shoulder at a woman with long dark hair and cat’s eye glasses, then looked back at Parker. “Bad breakup?”

“Not exactly. Let’s just say I want to stay off her radar for awhile. I think she needs some space,” he added, obviously in response to Derek’s questioning expression.

“Looks like you’ve become quite the gentleman.”

Parker’s lips twitched. “It happens. So what’s up with you?”

“Work. Travel. I did just close a deal to purchase a small motel to renovate.” The owners of the South Congress Motor Inn had finally accepted the offer, and Derek couldn’t wait to get the Winston Boutiques division up and running.

His phone rang, and he frowned when he saw that it was his assistant. “I need to take this. It’s either an emergency or I’m going to have words with my assistant.” She knew he preferred text or email on the weekends. Calls were strictly for crises.

“No problem. We’ll catch up soon.”

“Absolutely,” Derek said, then connected the call. “Elizabeth? You know it’s Saturday.”

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Winston. But Mr. Ingram’s father just called. He wanted you to know that Jared tried to commit suicide.”

---

It took a few hours and a half dozen calls, but Derek finally managed to piece the story together. His friend had tried to OD on pills, and he was currently in a private hospital in Vermont for recuperation and psychiatric evaluation.

Derek was scheduled to fly up there first thing in the morning.

Now, he stretched out on the couch, not doing a damn thing except waiting. Not for tomorrow, but for Amanda. She was due any minute, and though his first instinct had been to cancel their date, he hadn’t done so. He’d kept silent because the only thing that he was certain about in this crazy day was that she was the person he wanted to see.

A moment later, he heard the keypad beep. She entered, started to flash her bright smile at him, then faltered.

“Derek? What’s wrong?”

Immediately, a wave of guilt crested over him. He hadn’t cancelled the date because he wanted to see her. But did he really have the right to bring her down, too?

“It’s fine,” he said, pushing himself up onto his elbows. “I should have called. I’m not really good company today. I don’t want to ruin your Saturday, too.”

“Hmm.” She dropped her purse on the entry table, then came to kneel in front of him. She reached over and felt his head. “You don’t have a fever.”

“It’s not that.” He took her hand, deciding he should tell her. “Jared tried to kill himself.”

She froze. “Your friend? The one you told me about from boarding school?”

He nodded.

“Oh, God. Derek, I’m so sorry.”

“I don’t want to lay this on you, too. You should just go. I can—”

“No,” she said, her voice firm. “Now scoot over.”

He didn’t have the motivation to argue, so he scooted.

She slid onto the couch next to him, then pulled his head down against her. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not really. He’s a good friend, and I love him, and part of me thinks I should have seen it coming.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“I know that, too.”

Their eyes met, and the concern he saw on her face made him feel cherished. He wished Jared could have felt that way.

“There is one thing.”

“Whatever you need.”

“I’m so tired.”

“Well, then close your eyes and go to sleep.”

“Will you stay?”

“Derek, yes. Of course. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Thank you.”

“Shhh,” she murmured, stroking his hair. “Just close your eyes and drift.”

And so he did, trying to wrap his mind around the entire day. But he couldn’t. All he could process was the fact of Amanda. He’d tried to push her away. She’d stayed anyway.

Now here she was, when he was raw and exposed. Shattered and confused. Basically a mess.

And all he could think was, thank God.