“This isn’t a date. Shop fidgeting. It’s not a date,” Karly mumbled for the fortieth time.

She opened the door to Mad Jack's bar and walked into the crowded pub. Spotting Mara, she headed toward the stage, but Jenna caught her attention.

“Karly, you look awesome.” Jenna leaned in for a hug. “Ready for your big date?”

This town is way too small. “Hey, lady. Looking good yourself.”

“Where have you been? You haven’t stopped by lately for your double-fudge or pecan nuggets.”

“You know what running a business is like. Every second of the day gets eaten up with a thousand different things.”

Jenna reached up to play with Karly’s gold loop earrings. “Love these, and look at you, sporting your skinny jeans, all tight and sexy. And you’re wearing my favorite boots. Very nice.”

She wiggled her toes in her western ankle boots. “Haven’t worn them in a while.”

“They’re just the thing you need to wear to get laid.”

Karly choked. “What did you say?”

“You heard me. Thad’s in the back looking all scrumptious. Word is you two have some catching up to do. I hope you wore your good undies.”

“It’s not like that. We’re learning to be friends. That’s all.”

“Friends. Uh-huh.” Jenna leaned in and lowered her voice. “If he doesn’t have his hands all over you by the end of the night, stop by the bakery tomorrow. I’ll load you up with sympathy treats.”

“That won’t be necessary, ’cause this isn’t a date.”

Jenna stepped back with a wave of her hand. “Whatever you say. Either way, you look scrumptious.”

“Thanks. How is your bakery doing?”

“Business is booming.” Jenna’s face got that happy puppy look Karly loved. “Grant’s helping with the marketing and running the store, which gives me a lot more time to do the creative stuff.”

“That’s wonderful. I’m so happy for you.”

The envy bug sneaked in and nipped her with a sting of jealousy.

“We should catch up soon. I’ve missed seeing you. You should come over for dinner. Grant is working on a new meat rub for wild game.”

Jenna’s face reminded her of one of the cupcakes in her cases, teeming with gorgeous, sugary bliss. “That sounds fantastic.”

Jenna bit her lip and hesitated. “If you want, we can make it a double date.”

A loneliness choked off her air. Mara, Kym, Ashley, Jenna—all her friends had found their happily ever afters. She couldn’t go there. Fate had mapped out her future. She’d had her one chance at motherhood and blew it. Life wouldn’t include wedded bliss.

She forced her face into the bogus smile she’d perfected for her mom, and anyone else who suggested matrimony. She couldn’t let anyone see the excruciating pain of never being able to go there. Her dreams to marry, make a home, raise kids, had been obliterated even before she graduated from high school.

She pushed the searing hurt back. “Let me think about it. If Thad’s busy, can I come alone?”

Jenna grabbed her hand. “Of course. Any of your friends are welcome.”

Her friend's sentiment placed a temporary Band-Aid over the wound. “Sounds good.” She turned toward the stage. “I had better wish Mara luck before her set starts.”

“Yes, of course. See you soon.”

“Soon.” She reinforced the phony smile and made her way through the tables to the stage.

“Are you all ready for your set?” Karly scanned the roomful of locals eating appetizers and watching sports reruns. “It looks like you drew a big crowd tonight.”

Mara pulled her guitar closer to her chest. “Don't say that. I'm already nauseous. I’m good at pretending I’m only singing to a few.”

“You sing here every week. How can you be nervous?”

“You get up here and pour your heart and soul into a piece of music, and then have to listen to some stranger criticize your work. There's always one in every crowd.”

“There must be some ordinance against being mean. You’re Joe’s soft spot. Have him arrest them.”

“Yeah, like that will happen.”

Karly leaned back to see around a few bodies. “If I'm not mistaken, that's the sheriff at the end of the bar.”

“Yeah, he managed to get the night off. Brianne is doing a sleepover at my sister-in-law’s place, so maybe I’ll get lucky tonight. This is our date night. We haven’t been able to have one for awhile.” A smile stretched like sweet taffy across her face. “He showed up a few minutes before Thad. Maybe it’s your lucky night, too.”

Karly’s stomach did that wonky whirl again while she surveyed the crowd. “Speaking of Thad, I’d better go find him. Jenna said he’s back by the exit.”

That nervous, jittery feeling made her reach for her phone to have something in her hands to play with. The jitters started soon after her morning coffee, and had lasted all afternoon, especially while she tried on outfit after outfit, none of them creating the casual yet sexy look she wanted to convey. This wasn’t a date, but it didn’t mean she didn’t want to make an impression—remind Thad of what he left behind.

Mara placed a hand on her forearm. “Would you do me a favor?”

“Of course. What can I get you?”

“I’d really like my business partner to have fun tonight. No thinking about work, or the past, or anyone but you. You’re always thinking about taking care of your animals and volunteers and business, and tonight? Tonight I want you to think about yourself.”

Wow. Didn’t see that coming. “I’ll try.”

Mara squeezed her arm. “Now go find Thad.”

Stationing himself next to the exit made sense. He always hated crowds. And people drinking always reminded him of his dad, and made him want to stay out of the way. Karly squeezed Mara’s forearm. “Good call.” Karly leaned in for a quick hug. “Stop being nervous. You’ll be great. I’ll be back in a bit.”

Passing the pool tables and dartboard lanes, she nodded and waved to friends, but kept going.

Then her breath stalled.

There you are.

He sat very still. Silent. Waiting.

This is a bad idea. Turn around. Leave.

Her body wouldn’t listen. He sat in the booth, one arm on the table, the other across the back of the leather booth. His faded blue, long-sleeved T-shirt showed off his muscular chest and arms, and she wasn’t the only woman in the bar who’d noticed. But the look on his face when he saw her said she was the only person who mattered.

She glanced at the table. “Did you order a drink?”

“I’m good.”

His gaze started at her reluctant smile and continued down her lace-trimmed tank, and past her faded jeans. His mouth curved slightly with a knowing smile—he was fully aware she’d dressed for him.

“Well, I need one.” A petite blonde stopped by their table. “Carrie, would you bring me a shot of the house tequila, and some chicken nachos with a side of guacamole? Oh, and a couple of plates. We’ll share.” She slid into the booth before she lost her nerve.

“Thad, would you like anything?” Carrie wrote down the order on a pad then looked directly at the gorgeous man.

Startled, he shook his head. “No. Thanks. Just water for me. It looks like I’ll be driving.”

Carrie smiled in the notice-me kind of way, and Karly considered yanking on the girl’s ponytail. How rude. Carrie shoved a couple coasters and silverware packs on the table, and dangit if she didn’t lean in just enough for anyone who was looking to get a full view.

Karly kicked Thad in the shins.

“What?”

“You know what.”

She slowly unwrapped her napkin, biting back the dozens of things she wanted to say. “One shot of tequila won’t get me drunk.”

“Isn’t there a song about tequila and clothes falling off?”

The Joe Nichols song rolled through her head. “Don’t try to be funny. It doesn’t work.”

His chuckle annoyed her, but only because she wanted to laugh along with him. She studied the crowd, trying to avoid the happy, tingly warmth invading her system.

“Who was that?” He pointed to the waitress. “How did she know my name?”

A jealousy spider crawled under the table and started nibbling on her toes. “That’s Carrie Robertson. Judge Robertson’s daughter.”

“That’s little Carrie? Is she old enough to be serving liquor?”

“She just turned twenty-two last month.”

“Really? I never thought I’d say this, but even the cheerleaders look young.” The jumbo screen reporting sports highlights caught his attention, but only briefly.

“You and I are the same age.” Karly’s statement drew his gaze. “Do I look old to you?”

“No. You look like a four-layer cake. Scrumptious. Edible. Too much to eat in one go. You need to be savored.”

A slow, erotic heat rolled up her legs and ignited a fire in her belly. She hadn’t been fishing for compliments, but doubted any guy on the planet could top that one.

Not knowing what to say or think or do, she ignored him and started to climb out of the booth.

“Don’t go. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

She chided herself for giving him mixed signals, and being so wishy-washy. It had been a long time since she’d felt comfortable with anyone. He fit her like a nice, comfortably worn pair of jeans—snug in all the right places.

But she could never give him a family. Kids. He wanted children. Always had. But did he still? She wanted to ask. Wanted to tell him. But why? It wasn’t like they were going to get married. Heck, she didn’t even fully trust he wouldn’t leave again. “I don’t know what to do around you anymore.”

“It’s that baggage thing again, isn’t it? I still think we should have a garage sale, sell the whole lot for a buck. It isn’t doing either one of us any good.”

Her shoulders eased. “These past few weeks...seeing you, being with you. I didn’t even realize how much I’ve missed just being able to hang out with someone without being judged.”

“I get what you mean. Transitioning out of the military has been hard. People seem to have expectations I’m not sure what to do with.”

“You must miss your friends.”

He straightened his napkin flush with the table, then stared at his silverware. “That, and I miss the adrenaline rush. Being out there. Being on edge. Worrying about only one thing…keeping everyone alive.” He refused to look at her. “I crave it,” he murmured. His thumbs started pounding a nervous cadence on the table, and his face flushed.

“A lot of guys sign up for the reserves,” she offered as a solution.

He shook his head. “I’m done with the military, or more accurately, the military is done with me. The reserves would drive me nuts. If I went back, I’d go back as a contractor.”

I figured you would leave again. A corset of fear squeezed her chest. “You would do that? Sign up to be a contractor? Isn’t that dangerous?”

“It’s good pay.”

“I’m sure it is, but you joined the military the first time because you were wanting to escape from your life here. I worry that you won’t ever have a life if you keep running. You used to dream about building a cabin, training dogs, hunting, climbing the fourteeners in the state. What happened to those dreams?”

“Here you go.” Carrie set the food and Karly’s drink on the table. Karly reached for the shot and downed it in one go. The alcohol burned its way down to her toes. She plunked the inch-tall glass down on the table.

“Do you want another?” Carrie asked.

Karly met Thad’s gaze. The desire for another drink was deflated by his assumptions swimming in his eyes. “No. Water will do. With lemon, please.”

When Carrie walked away, Karly pushed the nachos in his direction. “Then again, there is something to be said for not growing old, for throwing yourself in front of bullets, and almost getting killed by a bomb. You’d never go bald, or have the need for glasses or dentures.”

“Karly?”

“Don’t mind me.” She waved a hand in front of her face, trying to shake away the conversation. “It’s just I get these dreams. It’s like a thriller movie, or maybe more like a horror film. You’re always in them. Always in some kind of fight for your life.”

The tequila worked its magic and kicked in the numbing process. Too bad she couldn’t have a second or third to complete the job, because there was no way she could allow him to take her home, and she desperately wanted to feel his arms around her, remind her what life used to be like.

“Want to play some darts?” She stuffed a big bite of the cheesy chicken mess into her mouth, then licked her fingers. “Do you still like to play?”

“I do.” He selected a chip, but managed to put it in his mouth in a far more dignified manner.

The delicious warmth of the shot, plus a load of carbs, did amazing things for her confidence. “Why don’t we play? If I win, you wash the dogs for a week.”

A slow, sensual smile crossed his face. “I think you can do better than that.” He licked his thumb and then picked up his water glass for a long swallow.

“Okay. If I win, you have to update my website and do that social media stuff you were talking about. For free.”

Thad released a slow laugh and stole the nacho chip she was aiming for, right before she picked it up.

“What do I get if I win?”

She scooped up a dollop of guacamole with a new chip. “Your choice.”

“My choice? Karly, when it comes to you, I’ve never had a choice. You stole my heart in grade school, but I was too stupid to figure it out until we were in junior high. By high school, I was doomed.”

“Doomed. Huh. That pretty much describes what we had. We were two kids fighting the world together.”

“Our parents sure didn’t make life easy.” He licked his fingers one at a time before pulling his napkin out from under his silverware. “I loved you. Hell, I still love you, but this,” he waved his hand back and forth between them, “whatever this is…isn’t working. You keep pushing me away, for reasons I’m not totally sure of, and I’m not…”

“Not what? Good enough? Is that what you were going to say? I hope I haven’t given you that impression.” She set her forearms on the table and leaned in. “The reason we can’t be together has nothing to do with you.”

He stared at her for a long moment. “It sure feels like it has everything to do with me.”

“There are good reasons we can’t go back.” I don’t trust you to be here when I need you.

“I need to know what is so terrible that we can’t start over.”

She shoved the plates back and then shifted her gaze to meet his, surprised to see a glint of hope on his face. “Fate deals some interesting cards.” She watched the muscles in his jaw pulse, and studied the eyes that missed very little. “I need to tell you something.” She reached across to him just as a shadow fell across the table.

“Karly. Thad. You need to come with me.” Sheriff Joe’s official duty tone of voice sure didn’t produce warm fuzzies.

“Is everything all right?” She sat back against the leather fabric, questions and worry clouding her mind.

“I just got a call. Several, actually. Someone’s released your animals. They’re running all over town.”

Karly shoved out of the booth and rotated in a circle, not sure what to do first. “Do you think this has something to do with the break-in?”

Joe shrugged, his eyes narrowing, becoming cold. “It might. I’m heading over there now. Ernie’s already there.”

“I’m coming.” Thad stood and rested his hand on the small of her back. The soothing support calmed the explosion of adrenaline galloping through her system.

“Sheriff,” Thad leaned closer, “if your dispatcher can relay the incoming calls from residents to our cell phones, Karly and I will pick up the animals. It will only take us a few minutes to strap kennels into our truck beds.”

Joe gave Thad a nod. “The military taught you to think on your feet.”

“I know how to prepare, plan, and engage. With help and an organized plan, we should be able to get all the animals back safely.”

“Sheriff?” Chase Daniels appeared from the pool area. “I just heard what happened. I’ve got a truck. Need some help?”

“Do you know how to catch a dog or a few cats?” Joe raised a brow.

Chase chuckled. “I’ve got some buffalo jerky. That should do the trick.”

“Unless someone wants to order a dozen hamburgers to go,” Thad added. “Everyone loves Mad Jack’s burgers—dogs and cats included.”

For a few seconds, there was silence as the four of them looked around the circle, then Joe started to smile, then Chase, then Karly.

“Let’s get started.” Joe turned toward the exit.

The uninhibited confidence on Thad’s face made her melt. At that moment, he just about dissolved all the reasons she had for keeping him at a distance, except for the one. The one, insurmountable reason. He’d hate her when he learned what happened.

She needed to concentrate on her animals, and their safety. A cat might get hit by a car, or a dog drown in the river, or never being able to find the rodents. She was responsible.

Whoever was behind sabotaging her business was doing a good job, but she wouldn’t allow them to hurt the innocent.

The animals were her responsibility.