Tessa woke up just after seven the next morning, a first for someone who was usually up and at work by that time. But after her first six hours on dad duty last night, she’d earned the extra time in bed.

She had been certain that her brothers were exaggerating about her dad’s stubborn reticence to accept help, but after fighting him to do the stretching exercises his doctor prescribed, stopping him from doing his Sunday night tour of the farm on crutches that were bound to fumble over the gravely path that wound around the farm, and catching him—literally—as he tried to kick a basket of clothes down the hall in an attempt to do his own laundry, she’d been exhausted from her efforts.

She lingered in bed another moment, relishing the feeling of being home again. Enjoying the light that poured into her room through the light lavender gauzy drapes she’d chosen when she was fifteen, and the softness of the old quilt that had once been her mom’s as she brought it up close to her face, almost imagining she could still smell her mom’s scent.

The house was quiet, but from the sound of machinery outside the windows, the activity on the farm was going strong. She listened, trying to see if she could discern the whereabouts of the household, one inhabitant in particular who might be lingering about, but after a few minutes of complete quiet, she was certain the second floor was absent anyone but her.

Well, she wasn’t going to hide in here all day. After throwing the covers off, she grabbed a few things and headed to the bathroom to shower.

“Morning, Dad,” she said half an hour later as she slunk down the stairs and found him sitting in his easy chair reading the morning newspaper, something that was comforting in its tradition. She kissed him on his bristly and still unshaven cheek and headed to the kitchen to fix a quick cup of tea. “How long have you been up?” she called out.

“Usual time. Just after five.”

“Everyone’s already up and out of the house, I take it?” she asked, hoping she sounded only mildly interested in the answer.

“For a couple hours now.”

That was something of a surprise to her since she would have thought rock stars like Dylan would be in bed until at least noon. She leaned against the doorway as she dipped the tea bag up and down in the hot water. “Are you hungry? Can I fix you anything?”

“Finn made breakfast first thing before heading out. Actually”—he paused and scratched his head as if it was only occurring to him—“I was thinking that maybe I could join him out in the fields for a little while. Make sure everything’s on schedule for—”

“Not going to happen. You’re only five days post-surgery and you need to be sure you don’t do anything that would risk you falling and injuring yourself. Besides, you have your first visit from the physical therapist today, and we don’t want you to be too tired to actually do the exercises you need to strengthen that hip.”

“I have to have something to do with all this time on my hands. I’m not an invalid. A little sun on my face would be good for me.”

She studied him, aware that, for a busy guy like her dad, staying anywhere stationary for any period of time had to be painful. “How about we see what your therapist says today? If she gives you the thumbs-up, then I won’t stop you.”

He grunted and turned his attention to the paper, his bifocals low on his nose as he peered down. For a man now in his early sixties, she had to hand it to him for still being something to look at, knowing that many of the women in this town had been hoping he might finally turn an eye in their direction in the years after her mom died.

His dark brown hair had wafts of gray strewn through especially around the brows, but it was still thick and wavy and something men half his age would envy. His face had always been handsome, and her brothers had been lucky on that end to have inherited his better traits, like his stubborn but strong jawline and well-formed facial structure, not to mention the strapping physique that came from growing up on a working farm and laboring under the warm California sun. It had also made her own childhood doubly challenging since she’d struggled to distinguish between the girls who were sincerely interested in being her friends and those who were more interested in dating one of her brothers.

Her dad shifted in his seat as if trying to get comfortable, flinching as he did.

“Have you had any pain meds today?”

He continued to read. “The pain is nothing I can’t manage.”

“At least let me get you a fresh ice pack. And maybe some Tylenol.”

“If you insist.”

She went back to the kitchen to retrieve ice and medicine, only to find when she returned that he’d nodded off in the chair. Quietly, she slipped back into the kitchen and put the ice back into the freezer. When he woke up, she could give him everything, but for now, he could probably stand the rest.

With some time on her hands, Tessa retrieved her work bag and laptop and took up a post at the kitchen table. It was insane the number of emails she accumulated when she wasn’t obsessively checking and reading them as they came in, and it took her more than half an hour to sift through the ones she had in order of priority.

She was still working when the doorbell rang, announcing the arrival of her dad’s physical therapist. After getting the two of them settled into a space in the living room that had been adapted to allow room for any exercises her dad needed, Tessa made a bid to get out of the house.

“If you’re okay, I’m going to run out to refill your prescription and get a few things at the market,” she said to her dad.

“I’ll manage,” he said irritably.

“We’ll call you if we need anything,” the physical therapist assured her, not seeming to be bothered by her patient’s demeanor.

Tessa nodded and gave her dad a warning glance before returning to the kitchen to pack her work away. The back door opened just as she grabbed her phone, and Finn and Dylan walked in.

“Look who finally joined the living. You city girls sure like to spend your time in bed,” Finn said, grabbing glasses for him and Dylan from the cupboard.

She ignored him. “I’m running into town if you could keep an ear out for Dad. He’s with his therapist now.”

“Sure,” Finn said, chugging his water as Dylan leaned against the counter.

It was hard not to appreciate the sheen of sweat that glistened over Dylan’s tanned forearms, the highlights that working out under the sun weaved into his dark blond hair that was all disheveled and messy.

“Actually, I was about to head to town myself,” Dylan said with that smooth, drawling country-boy voice. “I have an appointment with your old employer. Why don’t I give you a ride in? No sense in both of us driving separately.”

Sit in a car alone with this guy? Not going to happen. “That’s okay. Like I said, I have a few things to grab while I’m there and I don’t want to keep you waiting. I’m sure you have a busy day scheduled.”

“Nothing’s on my schedule for the rest of the day. Besides, I could use the company.”

Crap. She had no more excuses, and to continue to decline would only invite her brother’s curiosity, who was already eyeing her as he finished his water. She nodded. “All right. But we probably should get going so I can be home by the time Dad’s therapist leaves.”

“I’m ready if you are. I’ll drive.”

“Fine.” She led the way, stopping on the porch as she looked around, not sure what vehicle she was actually heading toward since the only ones there were her Subaru, Finn’s Jeep, and the old Ford Truck at least ten years past needing a paint job. The same Ford where Dylan was opening the passenger-side door for her.

“You’re kidding me,” she said, her mouth hanging open. “This is what you’re driving these days?”

He grinned. “I’m nothing if not humble.”

Right. “So what kind of business do you have with Jasper anyhow?” she asked when they left the dirt road and turned out onto the highway, the radio softly playing a random country music station.

He didn’t immediately respond, instead keeping his eyes on the road. “Just some personal stuff.”

Helpful. It only served to increase her curiosity. But she knew that when he got that look on his face, he wasn’t ready to open up. Not yet.

“Good old Jasper,” she mused instead and stared outside at the hillside, a tapestry of rich colors as expected for October and the full swing of the harvest season. “Can’t believe he’s still in business after all these years.”

When she was sixteen years old and needing a part-time job that didn’t involve wading in six inches of manure-infused soils while plowing, planting, pruning, or ultimately helping in the harvest of the farm’s various crops, Jasper’s law office had been a great escape. She’d also found the work surprisingly fascinating. Being a small-town attorney, his practice ranged from handling the range of quiet to dish-shattering divorces of many of the town’s inhabitants, writing up wills and real estate contracts, even defending the Fossie brothers when they were cited for lewd and indecent behavior after mooning the town’s little league team after the playoffs. She never knew what would be his next case, and he was always willing to let Tessa learn and go as far as she could before taking over the reins.

It was that appreciation for the law that had given her some grounding, something new to aspire to that dark day when Dylan Jamison rejected everything she had to offer him and walked away. She’d left childhood dreams in the past and settled for reality. And she’d been perfectly happy with reality.

Until she found herself sitting next to the guy who still seemed to possess half of her damaged heart, who she hated with the fire of a million burning suns and yet couldn’t stop staring at his fingers tapping gently against the steering wheel in tune to the song playing on the radio, and she was left remembering how it had felt for a blissful moment to have them touching her and holding her and making her feel…everything.

“Guess Jasper loves what he does. Makes it all the more rewarding,” Dylan said, bringing her back to the conversation. “Don’t you feel that way about what you’re doing?”

Tessa thought about doing what she was doing for the rest of her life, and she couldn’t strum up the same emotions. She always thought the work she was doing now was just temporary. Putting in the time and effort until she could move up to bigger and better things. “I will, eventually.”

She sensed his gaze on her but she kept her attention outside the truck.

“I meant to ask you. What happened to your art? I remember a time when your art was everything to you. You could spend hours in front of a canvass, lost in the moment as you tried to capture a scene or a feeling. Hard not to notice that none of that seems to be part of your life anymore.”

“There are a lot of things that aren’t a part of my life anymore. That’s what happens when you grow up. You leave those childhood dreams and foibles behind.”

“Didn’t think it was a foible, not for you.”

“And how would you know?” she asked, her tone sharper than she meant, but she couldn’t seem to pull it back. “You don’t know me. You don’t know what I value in life, not anymore.”

He nodded, appearing contrite. “Okay. Sorry, didn’t mean to overstep.”

She didn’t want to talk about that part of her life. Sure, there were times when she caught the sun hitting the bay in the early evening and she wondered how she would capture the colors, what shades she’d blend to get the light just right. Or she’d be sitting on the couch, chatting with her roommates, a pencil in her hand, halfway through a sketch capturing the expression on Quinn’s face as she prepared for her next trial, or Anna as she tried to get a sentence just right on a story, before she knew what she was doing. But she never got carried away enough to pull the brushes and oils out again. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bite your head off.”

He touched his head. “Still intact. I’m not as sensitive as I might seem.”

“Seems so,” she said, her eyes drawn to that darn bicep again. Biceps that, now that she thought about it, seemed oddly unadorned. “How come you don’t have a myriad of tattoos all over you? Isn’t that par for the course for rock stars?”

He shrugged. “Haven’t found anything worth inscribing permanently on my body.”

She studied him, a memory coming back of Dylan hiding for more than two hours from his aunt because he refused to get his vaccinations, necessary for his first day of junior high. It took signing him up for guitar lessons to get him to finally relent. “You sure it doesn’t have anything to do with your fear of needles?”

He smiled over at her, his brown eyes warm. “Forgot how much you could remember. But like I said, if I found something worth inscribing, I’m sure I would be able to handle it.”

She smiled. “Oh, of course.”

On the radio, a familiar tune started playing, and a strong female voice that they both had to recognize started to play. She glanced over to Dylan, curious to see his reaction to the sound of his ex-girlfriend’s voice. But his face didn’t give anything away as he continued to drive.

“We can change the station if you want,” she volunteered.

“Doesn’t bother me.”

Tessa thought about their conversation the other night when she’d pretended she didn’t follow his personal business, using her friend’s fandom as her excuse for knowing about his breakup, but she knew very well that wasn’t the case. She had needed to know what happened between them, especially after months of seeing their happy faces smiling at her from the pages of People and all the other celebrity magazines, with the conjecture that the two were soon fated to be heading down the aisle.

And now, she could find out. Even if just to appease her roommates’ curiosity. “Roxie seems pretty nice. A tad high maintenance, but nice.”

He laughed. “Yeah. You could definitely call Roxie high maintenance.” He glanced over at her. “So what do you want to know?”

“Is it true you two were practically engaged?”

“That’s what my agent and everyone else would have liked you all to believe, but no. We weren’t that kind of a relationship.”

That was an odd thing to say. “That kind of relationship?” she repeated. “What kind were you? Because from the photos I saw, you two seemed to be pretty close.” Oops. She’d revealed too much, but fortunately he didn’t seem to notice.

“Sure, we dated. It was a good fit at the time. We both wanted the same thing, both were focused on our careers, and we didn’t take anything too seriously. Until suddenly she did, and when I didn’t give her the response she liked, she decided to punish me for it.”

“It’s true then?” she asked, her eyes bugging out of her head. “She and that guy hooked up?”

He gave her a side-eyed glance. “If the scene I walked in on was any indication, then yes.”

“Oh. I’m sorry. That must have been awful for you.”

“It definitely didn’t do my ego any good. But I think my agent had the hardest time with it. Roxie Mann definitely brings with her drama and attention, thanks in no small part to her massive social media following. Can’t say I miss the limelight that followed our every move when we were together. It’s kind of peaceful once you’re out of that world. Being here in Blossom Falls these past couple of weeks has helped me maintain a low profile, much to my agent’s chagrin. He’s on my case to show up at her final show in LA in a couple weeks, as we’d planned before the breakup.”

“He wants you back together, despite what she did?”

“I don’t think he cares if we reconcile or not. He wants the feeding frenzy that will descend on us as people wonder if we have. It’s all about selling me and that next album. But I can’t fault him for that. It is what I pay him for, keeping his eye on the crap I don’t have the stomach for. And how about you?”

“What about me?” she asked, playing dumb, since she had some suspicions what he meant.

He gave her a look that told her he didn’t buy it. “No boyfriend waiting for you back in San Francisco?”

She gazed out the window, remembering her conversation with Eric from the other night. “No boyfriend.”

There was a pause and she sensed him studying her. “Any strong contenders over the past ten years?”

Strong contenders? She thought about Eric, and Josh and Rick before him. All nice guys, but there just didn’t seem any point in pursuing anything, not with her busy schedule. She shrugged. “My schedule doesn’t really provide a lot of time for dating. Maybe in a couple of years, once I’m more established, I’ll have the luxury of long, leisurely weekends with someone.”

“You sound about as bad as me,” he said.

“Oh, no. You date, all right. I’ve seen the photos to prove it. You just can’t bring yourself to commit.”

“Is that right? I didn’t think you followed that kind of stuff.”

Busted. “It’s hard to miss when it’s staring at you in the checkout at the grocery store.”

“Sure,” he said, slowing the truck as they neared an open parking spot in front of Cooper’s Market and pulled in.

After unbuckling, she climbed out, meeting him on the sidewalk. “I don’t think I should be too long,” she said. “I just have to run to the pharmacy first and then pick up a few things at the market.”

“No worries. I don’t know how long I’ll be at Jasper’s, but if you finish before me, you should come by. I bet Jasper would love to see you.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” With a wave, she turned to go, pausing for a moment to watch as he headed down the sidewalk, following his progress longer than she should have. Ten years ago, he was still growing into the man he would become, his slim build sinewy but strong. And now… He was definitely doing something right.

She remembered the straggly, stubbly growth that he’d proudly let grow out on his chin when the first rush of testosterone hit around sixteen that today was full and thick and glorious and made her wonder if it was as soft as it looked. Not a full beard yet, but the growth of someone who was taking a break from the world.

A group of young teenaged girls stopped in their tracks as they saw Dylan before racing forward with their phones. He stopped to greet them and leaned in as they appeared to take a selfie then continued on his way.

She shook her head. If that was his idea of low profile, then she could only imagine what it would be like to be high profile.

A minute later, she walked into Harry’s Pharmacy. It had been in Blossom Falls since before Tessa was born, having become an institution to the town for decades. She remembered coming here with her mom and being offered a lollipop after waiting patiently for whatever prescriptions were being filled.

Virginia Henley was at the counter today, finishing up a sale when she saw Tessa. Her face brightened into a smile as she greeted her. “Why, Tessa Montenegro! You’re looking so darling these days. I love your haircut. How are you?”

“I’m doing fine, Virginia. How are you?”

“As well as you could expect. You did hear that Curtis and I divorced last year? Leaving me a free agent again. How is your dad doing? That was a nasty accident, and I’ve missed seeing that handsome face of his around here. Not that I don’t appreciate seeing those fine brothers of yours coming in here, but your dad always had his charming ways.”

He had? Her dad was more a curmudgeon than a charmer, but she nodded as if she agreed. Virginia Henley was somewhere in her late fifties and, even before she and Curtis split up, had always had a thing for her dad. “Speaking of whom, I understand you have a couple of his prescriptions ready to pick up?”

“We sure do. Hold on a second,” she said and walked over to the shelves and started scanning items. “Did you hear about Claudia Nunn?”

Claudia? That was a name from the past. “No. What about Claudia?” Tessa asked.

“It looks like, after all these years, she’s going to be forced to close up that art studio of hers. The gas company has been wanting to update some of its pipelines and has decided the path of the new pipes needs to go right where the studio is located on the back corner of her property. Something domain is what they call it.”

“Eminent domain,” Tessa corrected. Something a government entity could legally do if they deemed the taking of the land served a public interest.

Probably somewhere in her sixties by now, Claudia had always been one of the town’s artsy hippies who made the place more unique, friendly, and eccentric. She’d offered community art classes for decades in a large shed in her backyard that she’d restored into something of an art studio. It was where Tessa had first held a paint brush, first heard the encouragement and nurturing she needed from an impartial observer that led her to believe maybe she had some talent. She owed Claudia a great deal in offering the one medium that had helped Tessa express her angsty teenage emotions as she grew up.

“That’s terrible. Do you know if she’s fighting it or if she has an attorney at least?”

Virginia brought the two bottles forward and started ringing them up. “I expect she’s probably been in touch with Jasper. He handles most things like that around here, as you probably remember.”

She did, of course, which was why working for the man had always been so interesting. Unlike now, when she could pretty much run rote on the steps each project was going to take, with few variances.

The door opened and Tessa glanced over to see the gaggle of girls who’d nearly mobbed Dylan earlier. They stopped at the front counter, where Harry’s Pharmacy always stocked a wide array of candy and locally made treats, their excited voices impossible not to hear.

“Can you believe that he’s still here?”

“And smoking hot. I wonder if he has a girlfriend, like one of those supermodels he’s always photographed with. Do you think he and Roxie will get back together?”

“That’s what I read. Maybe she’ll come and visit him here!”

That was Tessa’s cue to exit. “Thanks, Virginia.”

“No problem, sweetie. And you be sure to tell your Dad hello for me.”

“Sure will.”

Dylan stared at the paper in front of him, not sure he was reading the results correctly. He glanced up at Jasper, who was sitting across from him. “And how accurate do you think this is?”

“Well, it’s not as accurate as, say, a paternity test. But there are shared markers that indicate a strong likelihood that you and this little gal are related. It’s up to you to decide if that’s enough.”

“Did they get a copy of this report?”

“Delivered this afternoon,” Jasper said.

A little sister. He still couldn’t wrap his head around it. His entire life, he’d always felt a little lost, a little lonely, even after his aunt took him in and he became close to the entire Montenegro brood. He knew he would never have the same shared life experiences that, say, Tessa and Finn had, something he was always envious of. With a dad who’d taken off on him well before he’d ever formed a memory of him and a mom who was only devoted to her next hit until she overdosed, leaving him an orphan at twelve, he’d figured he was and always would be alone.

At least until that August night when a spunky red-haired girl with more determination than smarts had tracked him down. He hadn’t quite believed her. Not until she showed him the picture.

The bell at the front door of Jasper’s office jingled, bringing him from his thoughts, and he heard the receptionist greet the newcomer. Tessa was here already? How had time gotten away from him so quickly?

“Can we keep this between us?” he asked the attorney, even though he knew that, attorney-client privilege or not, Jasper would never betray his trust.

“I’m not telling a soul.”

“You’ll work up that contract for me? I want to make sure they’re provided for.”

“Of course, Dylan. As to the other matter, I’ll start digging to see who holds the current title to the Wallace place.”

“Thanks,” Dylan said, coming to his feet and following the older man out of the office and into the reception area, copies of the DNA test clamped in a folder in his hands.

“Tessa Montenegro,” Jasper said in obvious delight as he greeted his past ingénue, who was seated at a chair near the entrance. “What an unexpected surprise. What brings you to my office today? Did you finally decide to accept my open invitation to turn your back on the big city and come home to our little piece of heaven to work?”

“You’d be the first person I’d come to, Jasper,” Tessa said and smiled broadly before getting up to give the old man a hug, standing on tiptoe as she did so.

Hmph. Not quite the homecoming he’d received. Not that he could blame her, he supposed, since she’d been nearly naked at the time. A thought that brought an immediate smile to his lips despite his somber mood.

With her attention on Jasper, Dylan had an opportunity to study her unobserved. Her dark chin-length hair waved around her head, more tamed now than after her long car ride yesterday, giving her the appearance of sweetness with undercurrents of sexy. Full lips that he remembered feeling so soft and enticing under his even to this day swept wide into a smile that brought out the warmth in those green eyes.

“That’s right. I heard about your dad’s accident. How’s he doing?” Jasper asked.

“He’s on the mend but still as stubborn as ever. Which is why I guess they called me. They were all kind of hoping I could sweet-talk him into being a more…flexible patient.”

Jasper chuckled. “Well, you do have your ways. I’m sure that your dad is happy to have you back, regardless of the reason. Will you be here long?”

Her eyes jumped over to Dylan for a moment and quickly back to Jasper. “A week if I’m lucky. Just enough time to allow Dad to get a little firmer on his feet and get his doctor’s clearance at his visit next Monday. Actually, there was something I wanted to ask you about. I was over at the pharmacy earlier and Virginia mentioned that Claudia Nunn was losing the art studio. Something about the gas company needing the land for some new pipelines.”

Jasper’s face grew serious. “Afraid so. It will be a shame to lose that space after all these years.”

This was news to Dylan. “Doesn’t seem really fair,” he said. “They can do that? Just come in and take her land without her having any say?”

“If it’s for a necessary public purpose, they can,” Jasper said. “But don’t worry yourself about it. Claudia has since made peace with it. In fact, she’ll end up with a tidy sum based on the recent appraisal we commissioned. Just have to come to an agreement on the final numbers with the gas company.”

“You know,” Tessa said, “I’m not an expert, but my practice does focus on real estate transactions. If you feel like running any legal arguments past me, maybe I can help.”

“I think we’re past that. But I can pass on your offer to Claudia next time I see her if you like.”

Tessa nodded, not looking any more satisfied with Jasper’s answer than before, even as she pinned a smile on and waved good-bye, promising to come see Jasper before she left town.

They were quiet as they reached the sidewalk again. “It really bothers you about Claudia, doesn’t it?” he asked.

“It’s just that the studio gave me and so many other kids so much over the years. It’s a shame that the town is going to lose such a treasure.”

“I wasn’t very good at the art stuff when Aunt Daphne signed me up, but it was the first place I ever heard classical music like Debussy and Mozart, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky. Not to mention Dylan, the Beatles, and Simon and Garfunkel.”

“I remember,” she said softly, the warmth in her eyes as she studied him making his breath catch before she turned away.

“Who knows,” he said, wanting to cheer her up. “Maybe something will pop up in the community that will offer the same opportunity. I mean, if Blossom Falls can host a yoga studio and an artisan cheese shop, then there’s hope for a musical art studio.”

She smiled. “It’s crazy how things can change and yet somehow stay the same, isn’t it?”

Her smile was infectious, and he wanted nothing more than to steal a little more of her company, even for just a few minutes. “Why don’t we stop at the cheese shop, maybe sample a few flavors? I hear they have a frozen custard counter.”

Tessa paused, looking ahead to the aforementioned store. The smile on her face slipped away, and something changed in her mood. A coolness that seemed to overshadow the moment as she shook her head. “Sorry. I should get back to my dad. Not to mention I have a couple of bags of frozen items melting inside the truck.”

“Some other time then.”

“Sure. Some other time,” she said in a manner that told him not a chance in hell.

Probably for the best. As she said, she’d be gone in another week, and they’d both get back to the normalcy of their separate lives.