I slammed the lid of my truck’s tool box, wrapping up another full day of work on a Saturday. With my hand on the handle to open the driver’s door, I heard Dan’s voice bellowing behind me.

“Hey, boss! We still on for poker tomorrow night?”

I stopped, looking back to see him running in a slow jog toward me, coming to stop a few feet away.

“Yeah, Grams is keeping Lily for the night at her place.”

“Need me to bring anything?”

“Wouldn’t turn down extra beer if you brought it.”

“You got it. See ya then.”

I opened the door, getting into the truck and checking my cell phone for messages. There was one from Grams saying to pick Lily and her up at the Davis Farm. I pulled onto the main highway, heading out of town in that direction.

I hadn’t spoken to Lottie since last night. I spent the rest of my evening talking myself out of waking up Lily and driving over there. The thought of Billy being there on Friday night, helping her with things, ate at me nonstop.

It was my own damn fault for being a dick and trying to distance myself from her. I knew he’d jump at the chance with my absence. It was why when I saw him the other day, I let him know in very few words he was to keep his hands off when it came to Lottie. Yet, he was still at her house last night, no doubt using that time to get closer to her. Any man would.

It wasn’t easy putting that space between Lottie and me. But it was harder knowing I was still in love with her. And even more in love with the woman she’d become. It didn’t matter. In a few days she’d be disappearing from my life again. And there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it. She saw what we had only as a summer fling. Nothing more.

I climbed Lottie’s front steps that still needed staining, making a mental note to pull some guys together to finish the updates on the exterior of the house. Lifting my hand to knock on the screen door, I heard the joyous chatter of the three women I cared about most.

I opened the door without knocking, walking in, following the sounds of their giggling voices. They were huddled around the new island, a plate of sugar cookies being shared between them. I stood silently outside the doorway, leaning against the wall, watching. Searing the vision before me into my memory.

I’d been doing that a lot lately when it came to moments with Lottie—while she slept with her hair splayed across the pillow, how she bit the tip of her pen, deep in thought, while she worked on her laptop, how she let herself go when she rode Apollo and thought nobody was watching. They were ones I never wanted to forget. Ones I’d be desperate to live again once she was gone.

Grams was the first to notice me. She didn’t blow my cover. She just gave me a sly wink and went back to laughing with the girls. I wasn’t so lucky when Lily caught eye of me.

“Uncle Tuck!”

She jumped off her stool, running toward me, tugging at the hand she latched onto, pulling me into the kitchen with them. I lifted her, placing her on the stool she’d been seated at, kissing the top of her head in greeting. I kissed Grams’ cheek next, making my rounds. I stepped toward Lottie, then hesitated, standing awkwardly in front of her, wanting to kiss her. Unsure whether I should. With present company aside, I would have without thought. She was looking too damn irresistible as always.

Lottie picked up the plate, shoving it in the small space between us. “Cookie?” Her voice was nervous, cheeks pink.

“Sure.” I grinned, picking one up.

“Grams and me made ’em,” Lily added proudly.

I took a slow bite, still staring at Lottie, exaggerating their tastiness for my niece’s benefit. Maybe the moans were somewhat for Lottie’s. As well as the slow swipe of my tongue along my lips. I winked with a smile, just to rub it in as I watched her eyes and body heat up further.

“Lily, why don’t we say our goodbyes and head for the truck,” Grams interjected, hurriedly trying to usher Lily from her stool.

“Aww, man, can’t I stay and help Lottie paint?” Lily held her ground, refusing to budge.

“Another time, dear.”

“When?” She wasn’t going anywhere without a firm date.

“Well…” Grams looked at me for help.

I shrugged and all eyes went to Lottie.

“Oh…well…I…hmm.”

I was tempted to let Lottie sweat a little longer. She looked too damn adorable as she struggled to come up with an answer.

“Tuesday,” I finally stated.

“Tuesday,” Lottie repeated, confirming my response. “We’ll have a paint party.” She smiled over at Lily.

“With pizza?” Lily negotiated.

“Yes, with pizza.” Lottie let loose an unrestrained laugh, her eyes fondly on my niece.

“And a pajama party afterward?”

“Oh. Well, that I’m not sure about.”

Lily gave her the signature pouty lip with her big, green eyes wide and pleading. That lip and those eyes would bring the toughest man in the world to his knees. It often did me. Lottie never stood a chance.

“Sure. Okay. With a pajama party afterward.”

“Yes!” She clenched her fists and bent her elbows, thrusting them backward at her sides in victory.

She jumped from her stool, running to Lottie as Grams slowly rose to her feet. Lily clung to Lottie’s waist with her tiny arms, giving her a quick hug.

“Bye! See ya Tuesday!”

She did a half jog, half skip out the door, headed for my truck. Grams gave Lottie a hug and my cheek a pat. I reached in my pocket, handing her the keys to my truck so they wouldn’t be waiting in the summer heat.

Once the two of them were gone, I turned my eyes back to Lottie.

“So.” She smiled beautifully.

“So.” I grinned stupidly.

“Dinner?”

“Dinner.”

She laughed.

And my determination to put some space between us went out the damn window.

“How about Monday night?” I offered, stepping closer so our bodies touched. I slid my hand under her hair, resting it at the base of her neck, preparing to do the one thing I wanted to since the moment I laid eyes on her.

She nodded slowly, her lips already separating, ready and willing. I dipped my head, barely brushing my lips against hers, torturing us both as I reminded myself not to get carried away with my grandmother and niece waiting in the car for me.

When I pulled back, she whimpered, her own pouty lip and pleading eyes working me over. I chuckled, giving her one more kiss with a little more fervor and then forced myself to stop before my strength went to shit.

“I’ll see you Monday night, sweetheart.”

She nodded absently, the tips of her fingers touching the spot on her lips where mine had been. I forced myself to walk away.

“Wait.” Her brow furrowed. “I won’t see you tomorrow night at Grams?” she asked, her mind finally catching up after our kiss.

I shook my head. “I have poker with the guys.”

“Wow…” She relaxed a hip into the counter. “You guys still doing that?”

I chuckled at the tradition we started when we were fifteen, thinking we were men playing cards while getting our first taste of beer. Back then none of us had much money and were barely learning how to bluff. Now it was less about the money and more about just needing a guy’s night.

“Yeah. Not weekly like we used to. Only once a month, since everyone has families now except Derek and Dan.”

“Dan?”

“Yeah. You haven’t met him. He moved to town years ago when I hired him as a foreman. Good guy. Hard worker.”

“Can’t wait to meet him.” She smiled sincerely.

I reciprocated her smile. “I’m sure you will soon.” I swept my eyes over her one more time before turning away, leaving her alone in her kitchen, wishing I didn’t have to.

* * *

“So…what’s the deal with you and Lottie?” Derek asked as he dealt the cards.

I shrugged, taking a pull from my beer bottle. I wasn’t discussing Lottie and me. There wasn’t much to say. I had no idea where we stood—where I stood with her. It was none of their damn business anyway.

“Who’s Lottie?” Dan looked up from his hand.

“An old friend,” I responded quickly before Jimmy and Derek could.

“More like an old girlfriend.” Jimmy smirked under his breath as he studied his hand.

I glared at his lowered head.

“Is this the same friend you took off work to help?” Dan pushed a couple chips in the middle of the table to start the bid.

Jimmy and Derek both looked up from their cards, their eyes focused on me. I hadn’t told them about helping Lottie out with her house.

“Are we going to play cards or gossip like a bunch of women?” I threw my own chips on the pile, ignoring all their stupid smiles as they exchanged knowing glances with each other. Assholes.

“Wait a minute…she’s the one everyone is talking about around town, right? The one who owns the old Davis Farm now?”

“Yep. That would be the one and only Lottie Dottie.”

“Really? Enough with that damn nickname,” I warned, my irritation growing.

“Sorry,” Jimmy apologized with a shrug of his shoulder. “Old habit.”

“What’s the deal with the nickname?”

“Nothing. Just drop it.” If these assholes didn’t change the subject soon I was going to snap. That nickname triggered more memories from the past I’d like to forget about.

“Got it, boss.” Dan snickered. “You must really like her if you’re this defensive about her.”

Derek and Jimmy both chuckled with him. I was the only one not finding this conversation amusing.

“Fucking whipped is what he is… Remember the first time he finally admitted to us he liked her?” Derek slapped Jimmy’s shoulder with the back of his hand. “We both already knew he had a thing for her. He was whipped even back then.”

“Yeah, we were fifteen and got drunk on that case of Keystone Wes hooked us up with.” Jimmy laughed.

“The only thing I remember from that night is old man Davis about to shoot your ass with his shotgun when you woke him up throwing rocks at his window instead of Lottie’s,” I added, joining the conversation, the memory making me laugh at how scared shitless Derek had been when our drunk asses realized we had the wrong room.

“Yeah, well, at least I had the balls to do it. You two were too chicken shit. And how did you not know which room was hers anyway?” Derek looked at me.

“I did. I just thought it would be funny watching your dumb ass get shot.” I smiled smugly.

Jimmy leaned back in his chair as he laughed loudly, clutching his stomach. Dan smiled, shaking his head while chuckling quietly.

Derek threw his cards face down, pushing away from the table. “I’m out. You assholes want another beer?” He stood to his feet.

Jimmy and Dan both raised a hand.

“What’s wrong, princess? You can dish it, but can’t take it,” I goaded him some more, all of us laughing as Derek flipped me the bird over his shoulder, walking to the fridge.

* * *

Derek and I sat in my driveway on the tailgate of my truck, finishing up the last of the beer. Dan and Jimmy had left earlier after our poker game ended. We talked about sports and random stuff, until our conversation hit a lull. The two of us drank in a comfortable silence, staring out at the dark, empty street in front of us.

“Are you really not gonna fill me in on what’s happening with Lottie?”

I chuckled. “It’s killing you, isn’t it?”

“No…maybe a little.” He shrugged.

“It’s been a while since we’ve hung out. I forget how sensitive you are.”

“Fuck you. And whose fault is that? You’re the one always working.”

“Yeah, well…sorry, honey. Someone’s got to put food on the table and fund your shopping habit.”

His fist jabbed me in the shoulder, both of us chuckling. When our laughter fell silent, he took another drink of his beer, looking back at the street. “Just be careful. I don’t want to see you go down that road again.”

I picked up and flicked a pebble I found lying in the bed of my truck. I watched it bounce down the concrete drive, until it rolled into the street. “Yeah. I know, man. Not sure how much choice I have in the matter…never really have when it comes to her.”

He nodded. I wasn’t sure if he truly understood. But he let it go. “You going to Aaron and Leighton’s cookout?”

I remembered getting some kind of email invite from Leighton for their annual summer cookout. I figured Lottie would likely be attending, if not willingly then by force. There was no way Leighton would let her miss it.

The whole town was basically invited every year. It was held in their barn. It was more of a town dance than a backyard cookout. They always hired one of the local Texas country bands to come play cover songs.

I hadn’t planned on going this year. But now thinking about Lottie being there, ripe for the taking, made me change my mind.

“Yeah. I’ll be there.”

He stood from the tailgate, swallowing the last of his beer. “I guess I’ll see you there then, man.” He shook my hand, leaving me to finish off the last of my beer alone.

* * *

I showed up at Lottie’s earlier than planned on Monday, wanting to check in on my crew as they worked. They were tearing out the carpet today, so we could inspect the original hardwoods. I was hoping they were in good enough shape to restore and refinish with only the need to replace a few boards like I’d done in the kitchen. After seeing how good of a shape the kitchen floor was in, I was betting on the rest of the house being in the same condition.

I walked in and the crew was hard at work. All the carpet and padding had already been removed. They were now busy with pulling out all the tack strips along the edges. I walked through each room, finding I’d been right. The floors were in great shape.

After speaking for a few minutes with the guys on what I wanted done, I went in search of Lottie. I found her on the back porch with her laptop in hand, a stressed look on her face as she stared at the screen in front of her.

“Everything okay?”

She jumped, a hand flying over her chest.

“Shit, Tuck. You scared me.” She closed her laptop quickly.

I chuckled walking to her, bending over to give her a quick peck. “Sorry.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I came to check in on the guys, and I was pretty sure you promised me dinner tonight.”

She set her laptop aside, standing so we were toe to toe with her arms snaked around my waist.

“I did. It’s in the crockpot now.”

“Crockpot?”

“Yep.”

“Not sure that counts.”

“Counts in my book, buddy. Besides”—her hand found its way below the hem of my shirt, making a slow crawl up my abs—“this leaves us more time for other things.”

“Other things?” I raised an eyebrow, my grin growing wide with the mischievous glint in her eyes.

“Mmm-hmm,” she hummed as she started to press those fucking beautiful lips against the skin of my throat.

“And what are these other things?” I pulled her hips against my growing bulge.

“Dessert, for one…” Her tongue was now doing her dirty work.

I hissed between my clenched teeth, the woman pushing me to my breaking point.

“Would you like me to give you a sample?” she taunted me some more.

“Not unless you want to give these boys a show. Because, sweetheart, your dessert isn’t anything I can just have one taste of.” I nipped at her ear.

She pulled away, laughing. “That’s too bad, cowboy. I guess we’ll both just have to wait until after dinner then.”

I smacked her ass as she strolled away from me. She squealed with the sharp sting, narrowing her eyes playfully over her shoulder.

* * *

We lay in her bed after dinner. I’d say it was because it was the only furniture in the house, but the truth was we’d end up in there regardless. I held her close, my arm crooked around her as her head rested on my chest. My one free hand played idly with her fingers—tangling and untangling—over my stomach.

“What are you thinking about?” she asked, her voice soft and soothing with no expectations.

“You,” I admitted.

Her head lifted, her eyes on mine, her teeth chewing her bottom lip nervously.

“Do I want to know?”

I exhaled a heavy breath. “I’m not sure.”

She waited a bit, studying me before laying her head back down. The silence stretched between us awhile longer.

“I’m sorry, Tucker.”

My hand stilled this time with her words, my hold still tight on her.

“I shouldn’t have left the way I did. I should have told you about the baby sooner.”

I lifted our clasped hands, kissing the underside of her wrist before rolling us so we lay on our sides, facing one another.

I pushed her soft, red curls aside, slipping them behind her shoulder. “I’m not gonna lie and say I’m not still upset about that, Lottie. That I don’t wish you would have…but not for the reasons you think. I would have been there for you, babe. That’s not something you should have gone through alone.”

“I know you would have… That’s what I was afraid of. You’ve always been there for me, Tucker. You were always my safe place. My home. But that’s exactly why I couldn’t tell you. Or say goodbye. I wouldn’t have been able to leave. It was hard enough leaving you the way I did, knowing you’d move on with someone else. That you’d be happier with someone else.”

I lifted to my elbow, running a hand through my hair, frustrated and angry at how messed up her view of our relationship was. She had no fucking idea what she meant to me. I never got over her. And I was damn sure at this point I never would. She watched me as I struggled silently with her words.

“I want more, Lottie. And not with anyone else. I want more with you.”

I gave her my truth. It was the only thing I could do at this point. I couldn’t keep pretending what was happening between us was just a fling—just sex.

It was more than that for me. And if things were going to continue, she needed to know. We should’ve had this conversation long ago. But I was desperate to take whatever I could get from her. Too afraid she’d give me nothing if I told her the honest truth. But I couldn’t lie to her or myself any longer.

“Tucker.” She sighed, rolling to her back to look at the ceiling. “We can’t keep living in the past. I’m not that same girl and you’re not that same boy.”

“That’s not what I want. I want to know you again. I’m asking for you to give this a chance. To consider a future.” I gently gripped her jaw, turning her eyes back to me, stroking my thumb back and forth along her smooth skin. “Don’t pretend you don’t feel what’s between us, Lottie. It’s not something you can deny.”

“I don’t know that I can promise you what you want, Tucker.”

“A chance…that’s all I’m asking for right now. We can figure out the rest as we go.”

I lowered my hand from her face, holding my breath as I waited for her answer. Praying for God to answer my prayers. The woman before me was the only one I would ever ask for. Ever want. Ever love. Ever belong to.

When her head slowly began to nod and her smile began to grow, my heart about leapt out of my damn chest, unsure if what I was seeing was my imagination or the real deal.

I growled, claiming her lips. She giggled through our kiss as I crawled over her, intent on laying claim to every inch of that unearthly body of hers for the rest of the night.

“You just made me the happiest man on earth, sweetheart.” I pushed up her shirt to reveal those tits she liked to torture me with. I pushed her bra aside, cupping one while taking it into my mouth.

“Tuck,” she gasped, her hands already working at my pants. “I still have a job I need to go back to.”

Another gasp as I sucked on that sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder.

I lifted my mouth from her body, so I could see her face. “I know, babe. I’m not asking you to change your life for me. One day at a time. We’ll figure it out.”

This time it was her taking charge. Her fingers dug into my scalp as she pulled me back down to her mouth, both of us desperate for the connection. I spent the rest of the night reconnecting us in every way imaginable. Bending, possessing, worshipping her in every way I could.