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Chapters (85)
  1. BOOKS BY LOUISE BAY
  2. ONE
  3. Rosey
  4. TWO
  5. Byron
  6. THREE
  7. Rosey
  8. FOUR
  9. Byron
  10. FIVE
  11. Rosey
  12. SIX
  13. Byron
  14. SEVEN
  15. Rosey
  16. EIGHT
  17. Rosey
  18. NINE
  19. Byron
  20. TEN
  21. Rosey
  22. ELEVEN
  23. Byron
  24. TWELVE
  25. Rosey
  26. THIRTEEN
  27. Byron
  28. FOURTEEN
  29. Rosey
  30. FIFTEEN
  31. Rosey
  32. SIXTEEN
  33. Byron
  34. SEVENTEEN
  35. Rosey
  36. EIGHTEEN
  37. Byron
  38. NINETEEN
  39. Rosey
  40. TWENTY
  41. Rosey
  42. TWENTY-ONE
  43. Byron
  44. TWENTY-TWO
  45. Byron
  46. TWENTY-THREE
  47. Rosey
  48. TWENTY-FOUR
  49. Rosey
  50. TWENTY-FIVE
  51. Byron
  52. TWENTY-SIX
  53. Rosey
  54. TWENTY-SEVEN
  55. Byron
  56. TWENTY-EIGHT
  57. Rosey
  58. TWENTY-NINE
  59. Byron
  60. THIRTY
  61. Rosey
  62. THIRTY-ONE
  63. Rosey
  64. THIRTY-TWO
  65. Byron
  66. THIRTY-THREE
  67. Rosey
  68. THIRTY-FOUR
  69. Rosey
  70. THIRTY-FIVE
  71. Byron
  72. THIRTY-SIX
  73. Rosey
  74. THIRTY-SEVEN
  75. Byron
  76. THIRTY-EIGHT
  77. Byron
  78. EPILOGUE
  79. A month later – New York City
  80. 14 months later - Star Falls
  81. MR. MAYFAIR
  82. Beck
  83. Beck
  84. Stella
  85. BOOKS BY LOUISE BAY

I shake off the thought. I probably won’t see him tonight. He’s going to be busy. And am I really going to head to Grizzly’s on my own? Last time I was there, I was wearing a dirty wedding dress. I’m not sure I’m ready to show my face there again so soon—or ever.

TWENTY

Rosey

I hear Byron’s truck pull up in front of the cabins just before seven. I spot him out of the window and try to ignore the flutters of god-knows-what in my stomach. I need to get perspective. This man is just the guy next door. Someone who knows his way around a woman’s body. Someone who happens to be my boss. And it’s not like he’s pulled up to see me. He lives next door.

My laundry is finished and my bed, in the corner of my living room, looks super cozy. I go to the refrigerator to pull out the milk for cocoa, when I hear Byron’s footsteps coming up the steps to my porch. My stomach lifts higher and higher with each step.

He raps on my door, and I call out for him to come in.

“Hey, how are you doing?” he asks as he appears. “Sorry, I lost track of time and realized just now that you didn’t have a key to my cabin and—how is this place doing?” He comes in and shuts the door. I feel the pull of him so deeply, it’s like he’s the moon and I’m the sea. His hair is mussed, and I have to hold myself back from reaching up to rearrange it with my fingers. I have to stop myself from circling my arms around his waist and drinking in his cool, fresh scent.

And then I remember who he is. Who I am. How things are… uneven. Difficult.

“I’m good. Someone had my roof fixed, so thanks for that.” I hold his gaze, waiting for his reply. I’m grateful, but I’m also wary. He didn’t talk to me about it. He just went ahead and did it. I’ve spent my life being told what to do and what’s expected of me. I don’t want to slot into someone else’s way of doing things anymore.

He shrugs. “Mike and Beth don’t have much money. I knew they’d do the repairs themselves and it would take a couple of days, but they’ve probably got damage to their place they need to focus on. I figured it would be easier and better just to get it done.”

He did it for Mike and Beth, not me. Why didn’t I see that before? The muscles in my jaw unclench. I breathe a little more deeply. He’s not trying to take over or exert his control. He was just being kind to a couple without much money.