Chapter 1 #2
“Just because he broke your heart when you were sixteen, doesn’t mean he’ll break your heart again.”
Dustin had broken her heart that last summer she’d vacationed with Aunt Bev, Uncle Mike, Franklin, and Whitney at Healing Springs Ranch, a luxury ranch owned by the McQuaid family and situated in a beautiful part of South Park.
She’d been head over heels for Dustin since the first summer she’d met him when she was only ten and he was twelve.
Every summer after that, she’d loved him more.
The year she’d turned sixteen, when she’d gone for their annual week at the ranch, she’d told herself she would confess to him that she cared about him, that she wanted to date him, and that they could figure out a way to make a relationship work, even though Healing Springs was a couple hours from her home in Englewood.
From the start of that particular week, he’d been different, all grown-up in a way he’d never been before. He was just as hot, maybe even hotter because he’d grown taller, filled out, and was more mature and masculine.
But instead of hanging out with her and Franklin and Whitney and joining them on their adventures, he’d been aloof and had acted more like an employee than a friend.
She’d been confused, but she’d done everything she could think of—with Franklin and Whitney’s help—to get his attention.
Finally, two nights before their week was up, she’d been able to be alone with him.
She’d made a point of kissing him and then telling him she cared about him and wanted to date.
She’d expected him to at least consider the option and hadn’t been prepared for him to tell her he’d enlisted in the Army and was leaving in a month for basic training in Georgia.
She’d told him that didn’t matter, that they could have a long-distance relationship.
But he’d replied that after basic training, he intended to join the elite Army Rangers and wouldn’t have time for a relationship.
Then he’d told her she was too young anyway and would eventually find someone else.
When she’d parted ways with him, she’d cried and hidden in their cabin for the last part of their vacation.
After they left, she’d decided she never wanted to see Dustin McQuaid ever again.
And she hadn’t. Over the past nine years, she’d done her best to weed out of her heart every last feeling for him she’d ever had.
“It was a childhood crush,” Franklin said. “You’re both adults now, and the past is in the past.”
The past is in the past was her mantra, and Franklin knew it.
She leveled a pointed look at him.
His lips curled up into a sly smile. “You know I’m right. You’re an adult and he’s an adult, and you can’t hold something against him that happened when you were both kids.”
“True.” Or at least she wanted that to be true.
Why, then, did just the mention of Dustin’s name bring back all those painful memories?
It was interesting that she was having more of a reaction to Dustin’s long-ago breakup—if it could even be called that—than she’d had to splitting ways with Parker last month.
When Parker hadn’t been there for her in the days following Daddy’s death, that had only confirmed what she’d known for some time—that their relationship wasn’t what she needed, just like most of the relationships she’d had over the years.
“Besides,” Franklin continued, “you probably won’t need Dustin long. I’m putting pressure on the police and the investigative unit in Boulder to figure out who this stalker is so that we can put an end to the threat.”
“Let’s hope they find the person soon enough.”
“In the meantime, I want the best available protection for you.”
“I appreciate that.”
“The best happens to be Dustin McQuaid.”
Another protest swelled inside her, but she swallowed her objections. “Okay. I’m sure everything will work out just fine with him too.”
Franklin’s eyes turned tender. “That’s my girl. Always trying to make the best of things.”
She smiled at him. “So when is Dustin getting here?”
Franklin pulled out his phone. “Soon. Hopefully today. I’ll call his agency again right now and inform them Dustin is the only man we want.”
At the prospect of seeing him again, her heart gave an extra beat—even though she didn’t want it to.
In small ways, she’d secretly kept up with the McQuaid family over the years. It was hard not to because one of Dustin’s older brothers, Brock, had become a famous country music star and was constantly in the news—most recently for getting engaged to supermodel Venus Vargas.
Dustin’s only sister, Emberly, had also been in the news earlier in the year for getting married to a European prince. Apparently, she’d moved to his country and was happily married and already expecting a baby.
Silver hadn’t heard if Dustin was engaged or married or dating anyone.
And it didn’t matter. His personal life and his relationship history weren’t important.
When he got to the Double H, she would treat him like she would an employee.
Because that’s all he would be. An employee hired to do a job. Nothing more, nothing less.
Now if only she could convince herself to believe it.