Stacey lifted her gloved hand and knocked on the door, her breath fogging in front of her mouth. She tugged her coat collar higher around her neck and stamped her feet while she waited.

The door swung open and Brad grinned at her. “Come on in.”

He helped her carry her things inside. She’d managed to pack everything into a dozen boxes and a few bags. Everything she owned fit on the front porch of her brother’s ground-floor apartment. “Thanks for letting me stay with you, Brad. I promise I won’t be here forever – it’s just until I get back on my feet.”

He chuckled. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it.” He lugged the last bag into the spare bedroom, one he obviously used just for storage, and dropped it in a corner. “Sorry I don’t have an extra bed, but the sofa pulls out.”

She shrugged. “It’s fine. I’m just glad to have somewhere to stay. Thanks for helping me move my furniture into that storage unit yesterday.”

He shut the door. “You’re welcome. It definitely wouldn’t all fit in here.”

She rubbed her hands together, breathing on her gloves in an attempt to warm them. “Phew, it’s cold out there.”

“Sure is. I’m just about to shower and head to work. Want to ride to the office together?”

“I’ll just try to arrange this mess a little so it doesn’t look … oh, who am I kidding? There’s no way to make it look decent with all these boxes. Yes, I’ll take that ride.”

The drive to Jax’s house was familiar in a nostalgic way. Stacey liked the feeling. There’d always been something warm and inviting about Greens’ house that her own home never offered. His parents had ready smiles that gave her a feeling of being wanted and special, melting the hard edges of her heart a little each time she visited.

The doublewide trailer where she’d spent her childhood had been cold in more ways than one. Her bedroom was her sanctuary, and she’d regularly hidden there to ride out the tide of anger and abuse that welled up from her parents’ gin-soaked throat in tirades against each other, Brad and her. But at Jax’s house any shouting was either preceded by a touchdown on TV or followed by laughter, and disagreements ended quickly in a forgiving embrace. She figured it had something to do with their faith, but it took years to finally set foot inside their church.

Jax was standing in front of the house waiting for her, typing something on his phone. When he saw her, he shoved it in his pocket and waved.

She climbed out, surprised at how her heart leaped at his smile. Hadn’t she buried those feelings long ago? It was pointless to love someone who’d never love you back. “Ready to find your dream home?” she asked, fighting the jitters that filled her stomach.

“Ready,” he replied. “I’ll just tell Mom I’m leaving.” He jogged to the front door, poked his head in, called out goodbye and headed for her car.

“How’s your mom doing?” she asked as they settled into their seats and buckled their seatbelts.

He sighed. “She’s okay, I guess. Sometimes I think she’s in denial, pretending everything’s okay and Dad will be back soon. Then I see her slump with the realization that he won’t, and she goes into a kind of stupor where she just stares and doesn’t talk except to mumble thanks when we offer her a drink or something to eat.” He ran a hand across his face and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment.

Stacey’s throat ached. She missed Pastor Green as well. The weekly service at the little Baptist church had become a lifeline for her, a tool to push back the pain of everything going on in her life. He always had a word of encouragement for her. Often, after a particularly bad week, she’d go to the front of the church after the service and he’d pray for her, his hand on her shoulder. She knew he wasn’t her father, but she couldn’t help wishing he had been. And now he was gone. It was hard to accept, so she couldn’t imagine how his son must feel. “I’m sorry.”

He nodded. “Thanks.”

“Just from my own experience … it’ll get better. Easier. At least a little. When my dad died, I didn’t think anything would ever be okay again. Even though he wasn’t the best dad in the world, he was still my dad. But gradually, you get used to it.” It was hard to find the words to say, though she felt she had to say something. What would bring comfort? “I miss him too. Not as much as you, of course, but …” She turned the key and the car purred to life. “… he was always so kind to me.”

Jax smiled, his eyes meeting hers for the first time that day. Their blue depths locked on hers and sent a thrill rushing through her veins. She wanted to know that part of him, the part he kept hidden behind those eyes that no one else got to see. She’d caught glimpses throughout their childhood, but it had been so long and he’d never connected with her the way she’d hoped he would. His friendship with Brad had allowed her insight into his hidden depths. It was like she knew him, but he didn’t know her.

“Thanks, that means a lot,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. He rubbed his eyes again and stared out the window. “I wish …”

“What?” she prompted.

“I wish I’d told him how much he meant to me.”

“I’m sure he knew.”

“Yeah, I know. I’ve told him I loved him so many times, but lately … I’ve been so busy with my new life in Atlanta, I didn’t give him my time. I didn’t tell him just how much he impacted me and how his character and faith shaped the man I am. That’s what I regret most.”

A lump formed in her throat as she backed out of the driveway. His words resonated in her and brought to the surface feelings of love, pain, longing – her chest ached with it. They drove to the first house in silence. Stacey flicked the radio on and let the music cover her discomfort. She’d never been good at discussing feelings, other people’s or her own.

As she pulled to the curb, she changed the subject. “This house is very close to the center of town – walking distance from most of the restaurants and stores …” Her voice slowed and her eyes narrowed. Up ahead she could see a small group of people scurrying their way.

“Is that a camera?” asked Jax, one eyebrow raised.

It was. A posse of media approached. Stacey and Jax climbed out of the car and hustled to the house. She was glad it was unoccupied so they didn’t have to wait on the porch for someone to answer the door. She had it unlocked in moments and they ducked in and shut the door behind them.

“What’s going on?” asked Jax. “Did anyone know we were looking at this house today?” He frowned and set his hands on his hips, peering out one of the small rectangular windows beside the door.

“I only mentioned it to the owners … oh.” She bit her lip. In hindsight it hadn’t been her best idea, but she’d been so excited to have her first client she’d gotten carried away.

He shrugged. “I guess they couldn’t keep it to themselves. I just don’t understand what they want from me.”

“You’re a big deal around here. They probably want to get a shot of you, maybe a sound bite for the local news.”

He rubbed his face. “Ugh. This is just not something I want to deal with right now. When I’m in Atlanta, I expect some press, but usually they wait until we finish practice, or after a game. This is just ridiculous.”

“You’re a star now. It goes with the territory.” She sighed and smiled weakly. “Want to take a look around the place?”

He nodded. “But I can tell you right now, this won’t work. I need something out of the way – I can’t have press on my doorstep all the time. A bit of privacy …”

“Maybe a gated community? We have a couple of new developments now.”

“That would be perfect.”

They looked around the house anyway. It was an older building and had been carefully restored with a modern kitchen, bathrooms and paintwork. Stacey loved old houses – they had so much character and history. And it gave her an opportunity to see what Jax liked and didn’t like before she wasted his time on anything else unsuitable. She was discovering that she knew more about real estate than she’d realized – all the things she’d learned when she first sat the realtor exam came back in a flash.

And even though she’d fought the idea of becoming a realtor, houses were a passion of hers. Given her interest in engineering, she’d always paid attention to how they were built. Design, strength, precision and craftsmanship were things she could admire, and she’d spent many an hour wandering the streets of Ardensville and flipping through real estate advertisements dreaming of one day owning her own little patch of North Carolina. Or better yet, helping design a structure that would stand the test of time the way this house did.

By the time they were done, she knew he liked modern kitchens. He loved the idea of a big backyard with a treehouse-ready tree and room for a rope swing. That he was already thinking about having children made her heart skip a beat – though, she kept reminding herself, it had absolutely nothing to do with her.

As he opened the front door to leave and waved her through ahead of him, his arm brushed hers, sending goose pimples over her skin in a mad dash toward her heart. Her cheeks warmed and she stepped out with a smile.

“Are you dating Jax Green?” shouted a young woman, a microphone in her hand which she shoved at Stacey’s face. The mic bore the logo of CW22, one of the local stations. Stacey grimaced and took a step backward.

“No comment,” Jax responded behind her. He put a hand on the small of her back and gently pushed her forward again.

She shook her head as other questions were fired her way and did her best not to step on anyone as she and Jax scurried for the car. She climbed in, started it up and, as soon as Jax’s seat belt was fastened, accelerated away from the curb. Only then did she release the breath she’d been holding and lean her head back against the headrest. “Wow. That was crazy. For Ardensville, that was really insane.” She laughed and glanced at Jax.

He was staring at her, his eyes troubled. “I’m sorry about that. I know it’s not something you signed up for – you’re just trying to do your job.”

She chuckled. “Oh please, it’s exciting. I never have this much fun. My days are usually so boring even a sneeze is a highlight.” He laughed out loud, and the unexpected sound cheered her. She grinned. “Don’t worry about me. I can handle a little media attention.”

“You’re funny.”

She raised an eyebrow. “I can be, I guess.”

“I didn’t know that about you.” He studied her as if seeing her for the first time.

“Mr. Green, there are a lot of things you don’t know about me. The sum of your knowledge probably involves my playing with Barbie dolls, which by the way I have now given up for good – I was too old for them then and I’m definitely too old now. Although I may or may not have them packed away in one of the many boxes currently cluttering my brother’s spare room.”

Jax chuckled. “Why are they cluttering Brad’s spare room?”

“Oh, I’m living with him – at least for a little while. My landlady just up and decided to move to Florida to retire. The nerve of her – can you believe it? Mrs. Aggie Welling says she wants warm sunshine, beaches and to be nearby when her first great-grandchild is born. She’s going soft, I say.” She grinned and let her eyes leave the road for a moment to catch Jax’s beaming smile and sparkling eyes.

“So you’re staying with Brad for …”

“Not long. Just as soon as I get a few things sorted out and find somewhere to go, I’ll be out of his apartment and into something … well, likely smaller and much more disgusting, but it’ll be mine, all mine. And that’s what matters, right?”

He laughed. “Absolutely. And now that you’re a realtor, you’ll have your pick of places to go.”

“Yes, I hadn’t even thought of that. I’m still new at this realtor thing. But of course, I’ll make sure to get you the best possible deal on your dream home, whenever you find it. I may not be experienced, but I’m very determined.”

He laughed. “Oh, I’m sure you are. I’m not worried about that at all.”

Everywhere they went that day visiting houses, there were more and more people waiting for them. It seemed news of Jax’s house hunt had spread throughout Ardensville. By the time they reached the last one they were both exhausted, and as cars pulled up around them and folks climbed out and hurried toward their vehicle, Stacey sighed. “Are you sure you want to see this one? It’s the last on my list.”

Jax’s eyes narrowed. “Yes, I want to see it. You went to the trouble of finding it for me and I’m not going to let a little crowd stop me. Besides, I still haven’t found one I love. I’m determined to discover the perfect place – I won’t settle for less.”

Stacey’s eyes widened. Maybe that’s what made Jax successful and kept failure at her door – he wouldn’t accept anything less than what he’d set out to achieve. He wouldn’t stand for anything but success, whatever venture he was in. Had she accepted failure in her own life? Was it her own fault things didn’t happen the way she’d hoped and dreamed?

She shook her head. But how could she have done any differently? She’d done her best in school, but had been forced to balance it with keeping Momma out of trouble and her own head on straight. Maybe without all that distraction, her grades would’ve been higher and perhaps she could’ve gotten that scholarship to Duke, or at least had the energy to develop a backup plan – N.C. State or Elon or East Carolina.

Well, no point griping about it now. That was all behind her. Now she was a realtor and she had a celebrity client wanting to buy the perfect house for him. She just hoped this was it, since she had no more to show him and the crowd outside the car was getting out of control. There must be about thirty people following them at this point.

She rolled down the window and leaned out to speak to the security guard seated in his little rectangular box just outside the gated community. “Hi, Stacey Murphy from Murphy Realty. I’m here to show 1272 Broughton. I called earlier …”

“Lemme just check my list,” replied the guard, scratching the black beard crawling up his neck.

She turned to Jax. “Maybe you should say something.”

He frowned. “You mean to the security guy?”

“No, the press. Smile, tell them it’s great to be home, sign something. I don’t know – you’re the celebrity. Give the people what they want.”

He chuckled. “Okay, if you’re fine with it. I just didn’t want to hijack your plans.”

“I’m fine with it.” She braced herself and climbed out of the car. Jax exited the other side of the vehicle and was immediately surrounded by noisy fans and media. Stacey noticed, not for the first time, that most of his fans seemed to be young women in their twenties. She frowned – there was definitely a theme. Jax gave the nearest camera pointed at him the spiel she’d suggested. Her heart swelled a little with pride – he’d taken her advice. Generally speaking, people didn’t listen to her. This was something new and she liked it.

When he turned back toward the car, a young woman tugged his arm and pointed to Stacey. “Is she your girlfriend?”

Jax frowned. “Uh, what?”

The others joined in now. “Yeah, are you dating?” “Are you single?” “Would you go out with me?” Their staccato questions seemed to overwhelm Jax. He stumbled a few steps back as they descended on him.

Stacey shook her head and hurried to help him. She looped her arm through his and shot the women as smug a look as she could muster. “Yes, of course we’re dating. He’s taken, ladies!” She opened the passenger door and helped him into the car, then hurried around to her side and jumped back in. She looked over her shoulder at the disappointed faces and empty stares and chuckled. “I think I’ve broken a few hearts. Sorry about that.”

“No, that’s great. Look, they’re already leaving. I think that’s just what they needed to hear to leave us alone.”

The guard opened the gate for them and Stacey drove through, leaving the dissipating crowd behind them.