Catronia Wilde regarded Avery Dawson with a mix of longing and a need to bash his head in. The man drove her crazy, and not the fun kind of crazy. More like the kind of crazy that might get her arrested.

How dare he judge her? He was the one, who after getting her mostly naked, never called her again. He’d gone out of his way to pretend there was nothing between them when the heat had been nuclear.

No man treated her like that.

She was a damn goddess, for heaven’s sake. She was named after her great grandmother, and she’d been a hell of a woman. Great grandma and the man she chose for a mate had homesteaded twelve hundred acres of Alaskan wilderness back when Alaska had been a territory. She’d carved out an existence when women in the bush were scarce, and the men who mined and hunted here were more dangerous than the bears and wolves.

Cat sighed. Why did she feel the need to parade her dates in front of Avery every chance she got? At some point her I-don’t-give-a-shit needed to kick in.

Todd Ellis leaned over and suggested, “Are you sure I can’t talk you into going back to my place?” The words had been said low enough that Avery shouldn’t have heard from where he mixed drinks from the other side of the bar, but by the tightening of his shoulders, she knew he had.

Did she agree to return to Todd’s place just to get back at Avery? But then who was she really getting back at? Besides, Todd was her boss, and sleeping with one’s boss was never a good idea, and it certainly wasn’t right to sleep with someone out of revenge.

“I’m sorry, Todd, I need to make an early night of it. I have yoga class at five-thirty in the morning.”

“You should talk to your boss about those ungodly hours he makes you work,” he teased.

“Maybe I’ll do that,” she murmured. This was getting old. While she enjoyed Todd’s company, he wanted to move their relationship a lot faster than she did. To be honest, she wanted to end this relationship and planned to quit her job. She’d already made strides on the latter and knew she was dragging her feet on the former because she enjoyed needling Avery.

How childish was that?

“We need to talk,” she began, picking up her club soda and lime. “Looks like a booth just opened up.”

The Pump House was packed this Friday night just like every Friday night. Avery did a fair amount of business in Heartbreak, Alaska. Heartbreakers made the Pump House their spot, and since the only other bar in town was the Ticker Tavern—offering their clientele a steadier menu with a side of strippers—the Pump House was more pub house friendly and the patrons didn’t have to worry about added creepy-crawlies in their food.

Todd picked up his microbrew and followed her to the booth. When they sat down, he asked, “Is there something going on between you and Dawson?”

She almost sipped her drink. “No,” she blurted out too loudly. “Why would you ask that?”

“Just the thick tension whenever the two of you are breathing the same air space.”

“We went out a few times a couple of years ago. He’s still not over me,” she lied. She was the one who couldn’t seem to move on.

Todd gave her that shimmering smile that had all the customers of Heart Springs Eternal Spa and Resort signing up for whatever treatment he suggested. He ran a finger down the side of her face. “Now that I completely believe.”

Sucker, she wanted to say, but sipped her club soda instead. “I need to talk to you.”

Todd sat back against the padded booth. “This sounds serious.” Slowly he drank from his glass, wiping his mouth of foam when he set the beer back on the table.

“I’ve decided to open my own business, which means I’m leaving Heart Springs, but I’ll help out until you find a replacement for me.”

He stared at her for a moment. “What kind of business?”

“A new age shop where I’ll sell natural remedies, healing crystals and stones, homemade items, that sort of thing. I’m calling it the Mystic Heart.”

“A place you’ll also teach yoga?”

“Uh, yes.” Why had his eyes hardened at her answer?

“You can’t do that. You signed a contract with a noncompete clause when you were hired at Heart Springs Eternal.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Read your contract.” He sipped his beer again. “Starting a business like that in a town of less than four thousand is financial suicide. You need to rethink it.”

Wow, way to dash my dreams. “I’ve done the research and Heartbreak is prime for a business like mine. Most Heartbreakers prefer natural remedies and locally homemade items. Plus, this town has an artistic, hippie vibe the tourists love and my shop will fit right in. This isn’t a spur of the moment decision.”

He seemed to realize he’d misstepped and changed tactics. “Catronia, you’re a smart woman. I have no doubt that you’ve done your homework. But I’ve been in business a long time and the risks of going out on your own are many. Some you won’t even see coming.”

Like her current date stomping all over her dreams. Her instincts of not seeing him anymore were right on target.

“Those are my risks to make, aren’t they?”

“I hoped we could move our relationship into something more permanent.”

He wasn’t suggesting marriage, was he? Good God, she hoped not.

“What kind of permeance?”

“Moving in together.”

“We haven’t even slept together yet and you want to move in?”

“I’d hoped the sleeping together would be rectified tonight.” He gave her that boyish grin, which teased her into agreeing to going out with him in the first place. It lost all its effect on her now.

“Yeah, that won’t be happening. And I won’t be moving in with you either. We aren’t right for each other, Todd.”

“Why? Because I pointed out some hard truths about your ridiculous idea of opening this Magic Heart crap?”

“Mystic Heart.” You son of a bitch. “And no, that’s not the whole reason, but it definitely plays a part. I think you want a woman you can mold. That isn’t me.”

“You’re making a mistake, Catronia.” Todd drained his beer and stood. “I’ll take you home.”

“No need. I know the way.”

“Fine, and I won’t require a two-week notice from you. Clear out your things tomorrow.” He grabbed his coat and stomped off.

She watched him plow through the crowd.

Wow, had she dodged a bullet.

Avery showed up from out of nowhere, slinging a white bar cloth over his shoulder. “Broken another heart, Cat?” Avery asked.

“They’re dropping like flies at my feet,” she murmured into her club soda.

“For what it’s worth, I’m glad you gave him the boot.”

“I didn’t know you cared,” she responded syrupy.

“I care.” He turned away and she thought she heard him say, “Too much,” under his breath, but she had to be mistaken. A man didn’t treat her like he had and confess to caring. She watched him walk away from her, hating that she still had feelings for him.

She needed to swear off men. Lord knew, mass dating them hadn’t worked to forget about the one who had gotten away, or given her away. She still didn’t know what she’d done to scare him off. She thought they had something special. That he was the one.

Just went to show she sure could pick them. It was time to concentrate on her and her future. Men just mucked up the works. Opening her own business was where she needed to put her passions.