The Last Single Maverick

She realized he was speaking from personal experience. “How old were you when your dad died?”

“Jackson and I were six.”

“So at least you knew him, your dad.”

“Kind of. He was always working, making his mark on the world, you could say. But yeah, we all looked up to him with stars in our eyes. We felt safe, just knowing he was our dad. He was one of those guys who really fills up a room. Rose always claims it was worse for her than for us boys. She never knew him—well, at least she doesn’t remember him. She was two when he was killed.”

“Same age I was when my dad left. And I don’t remember him either. All I have is the… absence of him.” She pulled away enough to meet Jace’s eyes. “You really don’t need to hear this. You’re sweet to be so understanding, but it’s old news and it’s got nothing to do with you.”

He reached for her, pulled her back down to him. She started to resist, but then, well, why not, if he was willing to listen? She gave in and sagged against him, settling her head against his shoulder again—and yeah, she’d promised herself she would never cuddle up with him. But this wasn’t cuddling. This was only leaning. And there was nothing wrong with a little leaning when a girl needed comfort from a friend.

“Keep talkin’,” he said. “What’s your mom’s name?”

“RaeEllen. Her maiden name was Louvacek, but she kept my father’s name, never changed it back. She always said she only wanted a good guy to stand by her. But I don’t think she went looking after my dad left. It was like she… gave up when it came to men. She never dated when I was growing up, not that I can remember. She worked at Safeway, eventually moving up to managing her own store, which she still does to this day. And she took care of me. She was a good mom, a strict mom. And she always wanted the best for me. To her, Kenny seemed like a dream come true.”

“So for some reason, she decided she could trust the cheater?”

“He was always good to her—kissing up to her really, it seems to me, in hindsight. When she would have us over for dinner, he would bring her flowers every time and fall all over her praising her cooking. And she knew how well he was doing at work, getting promotions, one after the other. She just… bought Kenny’s act, hook, line and sinker. She refuses to believe that the thing with Kimberly even happened. Kenny’s convinced her that I’ve blown an ‘innocent encounter’ all out of proportion.”

“Convinced her? You’re saying she’s speaking to him, after what he did to you?”

“Because she doesn’t believe he did anything bad, I guess she figures she’s got no reason not to speak to him.”

“She’s your mom and I won’t speak ill of her. But I will say she ought to get her loyalties straight.”

“Hah, I wish. When it comes to Kenny, she’s got on her rose-colored glasses and I’ve yet to convince her she really needs to take them off. I try to see it from her point of view. She finally decided to give another man a break, to trust Kenny—for my sake. And now she just can’t bear to admit she got it wrong again.”

“I guess it’s understandable,” Jace said. “But still. You’re her daughter. She should be backing you up.”

“Yeah, I wish. You know how I told you I had doubts about Kenny before I caught him with Kimberly?”

“I remember.”

“Well, I went to my mom and confided in her. I told her that Kenny wasn’t the guy I loved anymore, that sometimes I felt like I didn’t even know him, he was so different from who he used to be. She was the one who convinced me my fears were groundless, that I only had a very normal case of pre-wedding jitters, that Kenny was a wonderful man and it was all going to be fine.”

Jace touched her hair again, gently, an easing kind of touch. “So your judgment about the guy was solid. And your mom couldn’t—and still can’t—let herself see the truth. I’m betting she’ll get the picture in time.”

“I hope so.”

“And the main thing is that you didn’t go through with it. You had the guts to turn and walk away. You’re a strong woman. And you’re going to be fine.”

Joss could have stayed in Jace’s arms all night. But she’d had her head on his shoulder for several minutes now—too long really. She needed to pull herself together, no matter how good it felt to lean on him.

She sat up and retreated to her end of the sofa. That time, he didn’t try to stop her, and she was glad that he didn’t. If she was going to have a man for a friend—even just for a week—it was nice to think he was the kind of guy who would know when to put his arm around her.

And when to let her go.

“Mostly,” she said, “I think I’m doing pretty well, you know?”

He gave her a slow nod, his dark eyes steady on hers.

“I tell myself I’m getting past what happened last Saturday. But every time my mom calls, she just brings the whole mess into painful focus all over again. Her blindness to the reality of the situation makes me see way too clearly what a huge mistake I made.” She held up her thumb and forefinger, with just a sliver of space between them. “I got this close to marrying a guy who cheated on me on our wedding day—and with my own cousin, no less.”

“But you didn’t marry him. Focus on that, Joss.”

She braced her elbow on the sofa arm and rested her chin on her hand. “You’re right, I didn’t. But I did quit my job for that rotten, no-good cheater. I gave up my cute apartment. When I go home, I’ll be starting all over again.”

“Maybe you can get your job back.”

“Maybe I can. We’ll see.” She straightened her spine. What she wanted right now was a long bath accompanied by an equally long, totally self-indulgent crying jag. “Thank you for listening—and I need to stop whining.”

He gave her a slightly crooked smile. “I have the strangest feeling you’re giving me the boot.” He picked up his beer from the coffee table and downed the last of it.

“It’s only, well, lately talking to my mom really brings me down.” She tried to think of something snappy and charming to say, so they could end the evening on a happier note. But right then, she was all out of snappy, totally bereft of charming.

He rose. “It’s the great thing about a best friend. Even a best friend for a week. You don’t have to explain anything. All you have to say is good night.”

Jace thought about Joss all the way out to Jackson and Laila’s place.

He hoped she was okay. And he hoped he’d done the right thing by leaving when she asked him to.

What else could he have done? She’d had that look. Like all she wanted was to get into bed—alone—and pull the covers up over head. He’d figured the best thing he could do for her right then was to get lost.

Jackson and Laila had ten beautiful, wooded acres with a big two-story farmhouse, a barn and a paddock where they kept a few horses. When Jace pulled up in front of the house, the lights were off upstairs. But through the shut blinds of the front room’s picture window, Jace could make out the faint glow of the flatscreen TV. He figured he would find his brother in there, channel-surfing, waiting up.

Jace was right.

Jackson sat in his favorite recliner, the mutt he and Laila had adopted from the animal shelter snoozing at his feet. Jace entered the room and Jackson turned off the TV. “Beer?”

“No, thanks.” Jace dropped into the other recliner and popped out the footrest. “Good party at the Rib Shack.”

Jackson grunted. “Ethan get after you?”

“Yeah.”

“He thinks he’s going to talk you into coming in with us.”

“It’s not gonna happen.”

“Yeah.” Jackson set the remote on the table by his chair. “I told him that. More than once. But you know how he can be when he gets an idea in his head.”

Jace closed his eyes. He felt comfortable. Easy. It was always like that with him and Jackson. Even when they fought—which they used to do a lot when they were younger—there was a certain understanding between them. They didn’t need a lot of words. They just accepted each other.

The mutt’s collar jangled as he scratched himself. The dog’s name was Einstein. He wasn’t much to look at, but Jackson claimed he was really smart.

Jackson said, “You know, I thought you said you’d sworn off women. But you’re in Thunder Canyon barely twenty-four hours and already you’ve got a girl.”

“No, I don’t.” Jace gave the denial in an easy tone, knowing his brother wouldn’t believe him.

“Shame on you, Jason. Lying to your own twin brother.”

“Joss is great. I liked her the first minute I saw her. But it’s not like that. We’re just friends.”

Jackson chuckled. “Yeah, and if you think I believe that, I’ve got some oceanfront property in Kansas to sell you.”

“I mean it. We’re friends. She’s here for another week. I’ll be hanging around with her if she’ll put up with me, but nothing’s going to happen between us.”

“Hey, whatever you say. I’m just glad to see you taking an interest in a woman again. And she seems like a great girl to me. Laila liked her, too. So did Ma.”

Jace made a low noise that could have meant anything and hid his smile. His family—including his twin—were all so predictable. He showed up with a woman at his side, and they couldn’t believe there was nothing but friendship going on.

Which suited him just fine.

Jackson spoke again, gruffly this time. “And it’s good, that you came back to Montana finally.”

Jace knew he’d hurt his brother’s feelings by not coming to Thunder Canyon over the holidays—and worse, he hadn’t been there for Jackson and Laila’s Valentine’s Day wedding.

Time to try and get that behind them. “I’m sorry, Jackson, that I didn’t come for the holidays when you invited me. And missing your wedding? That was the worst. I know it was wrong of me not to be there.”

Jackson didn’t answer for a full sixty seconds at least. Finally, he grunted. “I was pretty miffed at the time—especially that you didn’t show to be my best man. But I’m over it.”

Jace confessed, “I didn’t know my ass from up for a while there. I didn’t come at Christmas because of Tricia.” He said her name and waited to feel miserable. Instead, he realized, he felt perfectly okay. Apparently, he really was putting all that behind him. “The last thing Tricia said she wanted was to ‘head for the sticks over the holidays’—her words, not mine. I didn’t even argue with her. I was gone, gone, gone. It was ‘Whatever Tricia wants, Tricia gets,’ as far as I was concerned. And then it all went to hell. For a couple of months after New Year’s, I was operating strictly on autopilot. I went to work and I went home. Then you and Laila decided you wanted a Valentine’s Day wedding. I was a mess. I just wasn’t up for it.”

“Sounds like you’re better off without Tricia Lavelle.”

“I am. A lot better off. I see that now. But at the time, I was one-hundred-percent certain it was the real thing with her. You know how I’ve always been. Not a guy who ever gets serious over any woman. So when I actually thought it was love, I went for it. All the way. How wrong could I get? It was a rude awakening when it ended, let me tell you.”

“Rough, huh?”

“Bad love will do it to you every time—not that it was love. Not that I even have a clue what love is.”

Jackson slid him a cautious glance. “The whole family kind of wonders if you’re really over her yet.”

Jace tried to picture Tricia’s face in his mind. Somehow, the image wouldn’t quite take form. And then he thought of Joss—her great laugh, how much fun it was just to talk to her, those big brown eyes and all that gorgeous cinnamon-shot coffee-colored hair. He had no trouble picturing his new best friend at all. “Oh, yeah,” he told his twin. “I’m over Tricia. I’m ready for a brand-new start.”

Jackson chuckled. “Good. You quit your job and you don’t want to live in Midland anymore, so it looks to me like a new start is exactly what you’re going to get.”

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