Luke had grown up in and around Pine River. It was where he’d gone to school, played football, fallen in love.
He pulled onto the shoulder at the intersection of a rural road that led to the family ranch. He debated driving the eight miles up, but thought it was probably more important to talk to his father first. As Luke pulled out onto the main road, a little Honda turned onto the ranch road, and behind it, a truck hauling Port-A-Johns. Odd. There was rarely any traffic on this road—just the ranchers who lived out this way. Maybe old man Kaiser was finally going to build that new house his wife had talked about for years.
He drove on down to the valley floor, coasting into Main Street. Two rows of western-style wooden buildings faced each other along one long strip. The business names were all designed to appeal to tourists: Grizzly Lodge and Café and Rocky Creek Tavern.
Luke stopped at the Blue Jay Grocery and Tackle Shop.
The grocery portion of the shop was small and close, and carried only essentials like toilet paper and milk. If a person needed more than basics, they could drive out to the Walmart on the old Aspen Highway.
Luke walked back to the junk-food aisle and squatted down to have a look. Cookies, that would do. He grabbed two boxes. What he didn’t eat, he knew Leo would. He picked up some tortilla chips and salsa, then swung by the cooler to pick up a twelve pack of Coors, because he had a feeling he was going to need it.
With his booty paid for, Luke walked outside, his keys jangling in his hand. He hadn’t quite reached the Bronco when he heard someone call his name.
He turned around, felt the shock and glance of pain at once.
“Luke Kendrick,” the woman said. She smiled, and it went through Luke like it always had, sloughing off the years that had passed as it sank deeper into him.
“Julie Daugherty,” he said. How long had it been since they had split? Three years? Maybe not quite. Julie was the woman Luke had intended to marry. She was the woman he’d bought the ring for, had gotten down on one knee for, the whole nine yards.
She was the one who had broken his heart.
“What a surprise,” she said, walking cautiously forward.
She looked as gorgeous as ever, her blond hair cut stylishly short, her figure trim and athletic, only a few months past bearing her first child. “How are you?” he asked.
“Good,” she said, and stopped at his bumper, her gaze flicking over the Bronco. “Still running, huh?”
“Better than ever.” Luke turned to look at his Bronco, but a movement caught his attention. It was a tiny car with a donut spare driving slowly past. Blue Eyes was leaning forward, squinting up at the signs above his head.
“You look good,” Julie said, not noticing the car. “But then, you always did.” She laughed, and touched her earring. It was a simple but familiar gesture that took Luke back a few years. They would sit on the porch swing out at the ranch, talking about everything and nothing, and she would idly play with her earring.
“Thanks,” he said. He didn’t know what more he should say. All he could think was that if everything had gone according to plan, he and Julie would be married, and her child would be his. If it hadn’t been for Mom and Leo—
“Are you still in Denver?” she asked.
“Yep. I just came home to check in with Dad and Leo.”
Julie nodded. She smiled coyly. “Girlfriend?”
He hated that she felt she had the right to ask. He shrugged. “Sometimes.”
She laughed. “I bet you have them falling at your feet, Luke. So how is Leo? I haven’t seen him around.”
Luke’s breathing hitched a tiny bit. “He’s good,” he lied. “Doing great. And Brandon?” he asked, referring to her husband, although he could care less how that ass was doing. Did he hope it, or did a slight shadow glance over Julie’s face when he asked about her husband?
She shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans. “He’s a proud papa.” She didn’t say more than that. They stood there, looking at each other, maybe looking past the weeks and months and years since it had ended between them.
Fortunately, Luke was saved from saying something stupid or inappropriate by the little car, which caught his attention once more. It drove by again, but in the opposite direction.
“Well,” Julie said. “Tell your Dad and Leo I said hello, will you?”
“Sure.”
She smiled warmly. “It was really good to see you, Luke. Really good.”
There was something in her voice, something he didn’t quite understand, but that he felt in his gut. He stood there a moment too long; he could feel himself softening. Luke made himself move first. “You, too, Julie.” He turned around, walked to the driver side of his Bronco.