Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

MATTHEW

J essica’s eyes widen and her nostrils flare. “The fuck he is.”

Richard slams his hand down on the desk with a loud thump, causing both Jessica and me to flinch. “Now, I’ll have none of that language in here. Clean up your mouth, young lady.”

Jessica pushes to her feet and mimics Richard by slamming her own hand on the desk. Her response is so very Jessica, and I can’t help but smile. She looks just like the fiery, hot-tempered girl I met almost twenty years ago. My stomach twists into a knot from seeing her like this. God, I’ve missed her. “This is my office, and if I want to say fuck, I’ll say it all fucking day long.”

Richard winces at her response, and my smile turns into a laugh. Jessica always had a temper. Seeing her this mad reminds me of why I fell in love with her in the first place. I didn’t enjoy being on the receiving end of that temper, but man did I love watching her passion build until she unleashed it on whoever was pissing her off. Her cheeks always pinked, and her dark blue eyes turned a deep turquoise blue just like they are now.

It’s been five years since I last saw her, and she was angry then, too. Not surprisingly, it was my fault then, same as it’s my fault now. But at least she’s taking it out on Richard and not me.

For now.

I take this moment to really look at her. Jessica was always beautiful, but she’s even more gorgeous than she was when we were kids. Her blond hair is longer than she’d kept it before. She always wore it at shoulder’s length, but now her curls fall in loose waves down to her elbows. I like it long. It’s sexy.

And fuck, those curves. I always loved admiring her body, but she’s all woman now. And her form-fitting sundress highlights everything about her that’s changed. Her full breasts, narrow waist, round ass, and curvy hips are perfection.

The only thing missing is her captivating smile. When this woman smiles, angels sing. Jessica’s smiles have to be earned. She doesn’t give them to just anybody. There was a time when I knew exactly what to do to draw that smile out. Be it ice cream, horseback riding, or making out on the big rock by the creek, I could make my girl smile. But bouquets of wildflowers—wild just like her heart—were her favorite. Anytime she was upset all I had to do was pick her wildflowers and her face would light up.

What I wouldn’t do to see that smile again. But something tells me that’ll never happen. I’ve exhausted all my chances with her. I even received borrowed chances and managed to fuck those up, too.

She turns her angry stare to me, and my smile drops. “And what are you laughing at?”

I toss my hands in the air and retreat slightly. “Just enjoying watching you put Richard in his place. That’s all.”

“Well, you can enjoy the memory of this from home. Why don’t you just turn around and leave. This doesn’t concern you.”

“Now, Jessica,” Richard says. “This very much involves Matt. Like I said, he’s in negotiations to buy the house and barn. We can’t go back on that deal now. He’s already signed the papers.”

“But you said Uncle Jimmy didn’t sign. Therefore, there is no deal. Not to mention, he can’t sell the house or any other portion of the property without mine or Ryan’s consent.”

Richard shuffles some papers around on the desk until he finds the folder he’s looking for. He pulls out a sheet and hands it to Jessica.

“What’s this?” she asks.

“Just read it.” Richard snaps, his patience running thin. If he isn’t careful, he’ll piss Jessica off to the point we’ll never see reason with her .

“Richard,” I warn. Both of their heads snap in my direction. The death glares coming at me had me stepping back a few steps. But I hold my eyes on Richard. “Have a little compassion here. She did just lose her uncle.”

His shoulders relax and he drops his head on a sigh. “You’re right. I apologize. But none of this should be a surprise to you. Jimmy assured us he talked to you about this, and you agreed. We only needed one signature on that consent form, and Ryan provided it without question.”

Jessica’s eyes scan the form, tears welling up in her eyes. “I don’t understand,” she whispers.

Her tears break free and stream down her cheeks. My arms ache to reach out for her. I never could stand to see a woman cry, especially not Jessica. Lord knows, I’ve made her cry enough to last two lifetimes. Knowing that I’ve contributed to her current tears, even a little bit, is killing me.

My own anger builds as I realize Jimmy lied to me. He never told her about selling me the house. This isn’t something she’d forget. I should’ve known when he said he got Ryan to sign the agreement instead of her. I thought it was odd, but he said Ryan was close by for a game and he was seeing him anyway.

She drops the paper on the floor and falls back into the chair. “Are you saying my brother agreed to selling the house?”

Richard nods. His simple response causes a sob to escape her. I can’t stand here and do nothing. So, I rush to her side, and kneel down next to her. “Jess, Uncle Jimmy told me you knew about the sale and were fine with it. Had I known otherwise, I never would have moved forward with it.”

When she looks up at me, all I see is pain and hurt in her eyes. “But that’s my house. It’s all I have left of them.”

I reach for her cheek to wipe her tears when Richard speaks. “Jessica. He’s already been—”

“Richard,” I hold my hand in the air, “you’re not helping.” I turn back to Jessica. She looks like she’s going to completely shut down. “Jess, I’m so sorry you found out this way. I really did think you knew.”

When she doesn’t respond to my words, I take her hand in mine. As soon as I touch her, a spark ignites in me and every feeling and emotion I’ve had for her rushes to the surface. My entire body warms, and all I can think about is kissing her.

Because her soft lips are everything. From the very first kiss, her touch ripped me apart before she put me back together and made me whole. I squeeze my eyes shut and drop my head as the constant pain that lives in my heart bites back. I’ll never feel that whole again. I made sure of that when I fucked up and married another woman.

It doesn’t matter that Emily’s gone and I’m a widower. It doesn’t matter that my marriage ended before my first anniversary and my wife was now in the ground. There aren’t enough ways in this world to apologize to earn Jessica’s forgiveness. I’ve caused her too much pain.

When I open my eyes, she’s staring at the emptiness in front of her. Her eyes are full of turmoil and pain. I squeeze her hand. “Jessica, please talk to me.”

Her eyes shift to our joined hands, and she tenses. She’s in shock, and I don’t think she realized I’m holding onto her until now.

She pries her hand from mine and pushes me away. I fall back and have to catch myself with my arms to keep from falling on my ass. I only held her hand for a moment, but it was enough to wake my body up. I already miss the feel of her and want her hand back in mine. I want her body close, to feel her breath brush across my skin.

She pushes to her feet and steps back, putting as much distance between us as this small office will allow. “No. This is not happening. It’s too much. I need you to leave. I can’t be near you. Not after everything you’ve done.”

Her words sting, but I don’t blame her for how she feels. I wouldn’t want me around either after everything I’ve done. I made her promises I didn’t keep. And then I married someone else.

I stand, and put as much distance as I can between us without actually leaving. “Come on, Jess. Can we just talk about this? Please.”

Her head snaps up. Every ounce of her anger is directed at me through her eyes like highly tuned lasers. “There’s nothing to talk about. You and I are done. We’ve been over for years, and nothing is going to change that. I suggest you go find a different house to buy. ”

“But he’s already living in the house.” I cringe at the sound of Richard’s voice. That fucker has zero tact.

“Richard.” I glare at him. “Will you shut it? You're not helping here.”

“What’s he talking about?” Jessica’s voice sounds so small and wounded. A fresh stream of tears run down her face.

“Baby, please. Let me—”

“Don’t call me baby,” she yells through her tears. Fuck . I didn’t even realize I’d said it. She’d been my baby for so long, the pet name rolled off my tongue like it’s still true.

She steps forward and shoves me back against the wall. Her hands are balled into fists, and she pounds against my chest. I let her. I deserve anything and everything she throws at me. It’s not like she can hurt me anymore than I’ve already hurt myself.

“You lost the right to call me that a long time ago. In fact,” she pokes me in the chest with her finger, “don’t talk to me at all. I didn’t come home to see you.” Her voice cracks, and her tears turn to sobs. It’s killing me not to hold her and wipe those tears away. “Stay away from me.”

She turns on her heel and rushes out of the room before I can respond. I know I should let her go, give her the space she’s asking for, but like the dumbass I am, I follow her.

By the time I make it out of the office, she’s halfway across the tasting room and heading out the front door. I pick up my pace and jog after her.

I catch up to her just as she opens her car door. “Jess, can we talk about this?”

“No, we can’t.” She hops into her car and slams the door shut before I can say another word.

I lightly knock on the glass, but she doesn’t look at me. “Please, Jessica. I’m begging you.”

She throws the car in reverse and peels out of the parking lot. She’s halfway down the road and out of sight before I can even catch my breath.

I hit my hat against my thigh and run my fingers through my hair before I put it back on. I didn’t expect this first meeting to go great, but I at least thought she’d talk about it. Then again, I didn’t get anything less from her than I deserved. I probably deserved worse.

I head to my truck with my head hung low. If she refuses to sell the house, I’m screwed. I’ve built my life around that house. I run my veterinary clinic out of the barn, but my business is the least of my worries. If I’m forced to move, my business will recover. That’s not what I’m worried about. It’s my baby girl’s home, too. It’ll break her heart if we have to move.

Just before I reach my truck, it dawns on me the direction Jessica drove.

“Fuck.” I run the last few steps to my truck and start it up before I even shut my door.

She’s headed to the house.