“Jaye Colfax.”

Velvet’s heart nearly jumped out of her chest. What was Jaye doing here? How had he found out where she lived? Drawing in a deep breath, she tried to calm her erratic heartbeat. Glancing down at herself, she was glad she hadn’t changed out of the slacks and blouse she’d worn to her dentist appointment that day. With slightly trembling hands she opened the door.

The porch light illuminated his features, and she went still, taking in just how handsome he was. Jack Colfax, Jr., known to his friends as Jaye, stood there looking simply gorgeous, from his head to his toes and every part in between.

“Jaye. What are you doing here?”

“May I come in, Vel, so we can talk?”

Hearing her nickname, which nobody in Catalina Cove used, gave her pause. Her best friend called her that all the time, but hearing Jaye say it brought a lot of memories rushing through her mind…and her body.

“Vel?”

She could easily say no, he couldn’t come in, and they had nothing to talk about. She had put distance between them for a reason.

She could tell him just what she thought of him but knew that wouldn’t be a smart move. He was the new banker in town and agitation between them could call for awkward moments she’d rather not deal with. If nothing else, they needed to talk about the best way to handle things since nobody in Catalina Cove knew about her and Jaye’s past.

“Yes, please come in,” she said, stepping back.

When Jaye crossed the threshold, her gaze roamed over him. He was six foot two, but he appeared taller than she remembered. He was dressed in a tailor-made suit, one that fit his toned body to perfection.

Regaining control of her senses, she closed the door and repeated her question. “What are you doing here, Jaye?”

“I think we need to talk.”

Yes, he’d said that, and they had—and it had gotten them nowhere.

“It was rather startling seeing you the other night at that town hall meeting,” he said.

She shrugged. “You mean you didn’t deliberately buy Barrows Bank when you discovered this is where I was living?” she asked coolly.

“Is that what you believe?”

She chuckled and shook her head. “No,” she said honestly. “It’s not in your makeup to care enough for any woman to go to that much effort. I know you being here was just a coincidence neither of us counted on. I’m sure you were hoping never to see me again.”

His brows pinched with irritation. “Have you forgotten that you left me and not the other way around? And without letting me know where you were going.”

“You sound pissed. Why? I gave you your freedom.”

“I don’t recall asking for it.”

No, he hadn’t. He would have been perfectly fine letting things continue as they were. An affair that led nowhere but to the bedroom. It never dawned on him that perhaps she wanted more. Maybe it had dawned on him, but he’d made it clear he would never fall in love with any woman. It had taken her three years to accept that she couldn’t change his mind about loving her.