Aly looked at her cell phone. Mitchell promised he would call on his lunch break, but it was after two now and she hadn’t received any messages.

She resisted the urge to send her forgetful fiancé a text. He was busy. She knew that. Although, according to Mitchell he was always busy. He had been too busy to taste wedding cake samples. He had been too busy to meet with the florist. And he was too busy to listen to the bands that had sent in demo CDs for the reception.

Aly knew it wouldn’t always be like this. It couldn't be. After the wedding he would have more time for her. He worked for a demanding pharmaceutical sales company and his job kept him on the road majority of the time. He had to travel across half of Washington. St. Claire certainly didn’t have enough doctors to keep a thriving client list. If she wanted to stay and run the inn the only way was for Mitchell to travel.

She stared at the gorgeous ring on her left hand, the diamond glinted in the light. The night he had proposed she thought her life was finally complete, she had felt...relief. But things didn’t change then. The next day, he was on the road again at the crack of dawn as if nothing was different. Things would change after the wedding. She knew it.

Aly didn’t hear the chime ring over the front door, signaling a visitor. She was too transfixed looking at invitation fonts and save-the-date ideas online.

But she heard the distinct sound of someone clearing their throat and jumped.

At first she thought she had imagined him. Men like that didn’t walk into the Long Pine. Holy shit. He was tall and built like one of the massive mountains bordering town. She tried not to gawk at his wide shoulders and broad chest. He had a close cropped haircut, but the stubble on his jaw filled in with a rough shadow. His dark blue eyes swirled with shades of cobalt.

“Can I help you?” Aly quickly closed the screen of the laptop.

He seemed confused or lost. Possibly both. He stared at her, his eyes narrowing and sparking all the bits of blue. She noticed how his chest shuddered with each breath he took.

“S-sir?” she stammered. Why was she so nervous.

“Yeah?” He looked almost wild as if he was trying to escape from something, but she couldn’t imagine what.

“Do you need something? A reservation?” She knew she was engaged, and Mitchell was the only man for her, but she couldn’t stop staring at the stranger. She hadn’t decided yet if there was anything wrong with looking at him.

“I do.” He took a step closer to the counter. “I need a room for the night.”

“All right.” She scanned the list of available suites. “Only one night?”

He nodded as if in slow motion. “I’m waiting on my bike to be repaired.”

“Ahh, Glen’s working on it for you?”

“How did you know?”

She smiled. “There’s only one mechanic in St. Claire and everyone knows Glen.”

“Oh right.” He stepped closer to the desk.

“What’s wrong with your bike?” she asked.

“I’m not sure exactly. There was smoke and a definite oil leak.” He rubbed the side of his face.

“He’ll figure it out. He’s the best mechanic in town.” She smiled at him, turning for the box where the room keys were stored. “Here you go.”

He took the key from her, but she noticed his eyes darken even more as they locked on her engagement ring. She could have sworn she heard a rumble come from his chest. It was the closest thing to a growl she’d ever heard from a man.

“Something wrong?” she asked. She realized she was practically breathless.

He snatched the key, shoving it into his pocket. “What’s the room number?”

“You are on the top floor. It’s room 401.” She didn’t know why she felt the sudden urge to cover up the diamond ring. She tucked her hand behind her back. She’d never done anything like that before. If anything, she loved to show it off any chance she got.

He slid a credit card across the counter. “How much?”

Aly punched in the room number into the system to reserve it. “Wyatt Lincoln,” she murmured while she typed. She saw the flag in the corner of the card. “Are you in the military?”

“Why?” His voice was gruff and low. It was the sexiest voice she had ever heard.

“We offer a military discount, that’s all.”

“I don’t need a hand out.”

Her cheeks flushed as she explained. “It’s not a hand out. It’s only 10%, but it’s something we like to do for our service members.” She felt the hair at the base of her neck starting to prickle. The longer he stared at her, the more she was starting to react.

“I’ll pass.” He reached for the credit card, stuffing it back in his wallet.

“I already applied it.” She smiled.

“That’s wasn’t necessary.”

“My uncle was in the Army and my grandfather always gave discounts, so did my father. And so do I.”

She processed the reservation and printed a receipt for him. It was the first time she could think of someone arguing about a discount at the inn. Most customers came in with coupons or codes they wanted scanned from their smart phones and they usually tried to negotiate for an even higher discount than what was offered.

“We have a delicious continental breakfast that starts at seven, It’s complimentary for all guests. And if you need anything else, just let me know. I’m Aly.”

“Aly?”

She nodded, unsure of why he said her name the way he did, as if he were practicing how it would sound on his tongue. It shot an unexpected wave of sensation through her.

“The elevators are over there.” She pointed to the small bay directly across from the desk.

“Thank you.” He gave her a nod and then slung his battered pack over his large shoulder and walked toward the brass doors.

She couldn’t stop staring. It was as much involuntary as it was necessary. His shoulders almost touched each of the doors as he stepped inside.

The doors closed behind him and for a moment Aly forgot she was trying to choose invites and save-the-dates. She blinked hard then opened her screen again.

“Mitchell, Mitchell, Mitchell.” she whispered to herself. Saying his name reminded her there was another man she should be thinking about.

5

In the elevator he exhaled loudly and pressed the button quickly to shut the heavy doors. Her name was Aly and she was incredible. He repeated her name over and over in his head until the soft ping indicated he had arrived to the fourth floor. He distractedly slid the metal key in the lock and turned the handle.

He took another deep breath, trying to steady his sudden need to go back down to the front desk and see her again.

In one instant, his body felt like it had came back to life at the sight of her. Her beautiful long waves of auburn hair. Her soft chestnut eyes. Her genuine smile. He felt warmth and an immediate want to connect with her. His entire body had seized when she looked in his eyes. Aly was gorgeous, sexy, and fucking engaged. Of course she was.

The instant he saw the ring, he had been seized with another feeling. One of surprisingly strong jealousy. Someone else had claimed his newly found treasure. Someone else had been lucky enough to meet her first.

He picked up a glass from the drink tray and threw it against the wall. It crashed, shattering against the wallpaper.

He knew he was being ridiculous. He didn’t know anything about her. He didn’t know why she was in St. Claire, or why she was working at the front desk. He didn’t know why his damn bike broke down here, and why Glen had sent him to this inn. He did know that he didn't believe in fate or anything crazy like that.

There were guys in the desert who held on to ideologies that go them through the worst times. Dark times. When life was hanging on by a thread. That had to find a reason and a purpose, but Wyatt didn’t. He never believed in anything. Life just happened. So he wasn’t about to try to attach meaning to Aly. It was pointless.

He sat on the edge of the bed, folding his hands together.

Two hours ago he had been riding, putting miles behind him and the career he had just left. He had been searching, restless and tired. He wanted something to quiet his soul. Still the ghosts he saw when he closed his eyes. They were always there, reminding him he had survived. The ghosts filled his nightmares, haunting his sleep.

He awakened in a cold sweat. The fear chilling his spine. The ghosts whirling through his dreams even when he was awake.

He didn’t deserve peace. He didn’t deserve happiness. And he sure as hell didn’t deserve to live happily ever after with a woman like Aly.

He buried his head in his hands. Damn it. He shouldn’t even be alive. He had escaped death. Maybe this was the price he had to pay for it. A life without peace. A life without solace. A life without a partner.

Being a Green Beret had prepared him to survive unimaginable tests and overcome extreme obstacles. He could go without food, water, and little to no sleep. He could tolerate 125 degrees of dry desert heat, and the negative degree winds of polar cold. He had been trained to handle everything. Except meeting her.

Climbing on his bike tomorrow and riding away from this woman he didn’t even know wouldn’t be harder than the torture he had been through. He didn’t deserve her and it looked like she had already found someone that did.