Lisa Jordan - Season Of Hope

“Victoria.” Her name slipped passed his lips in a mix of a whisper and a gasp. He swallowed and reached down to scoop up the furry animal begging for attention.

Victoria’s clover-green eyes tangled with his. She set down the child, who gave Jake a shy glance before running into the other room.

Poppy wiggled in Jake’s arms, and he set the dog on the floor so she could chase after the little girl.

Victoria’s manicured fingers smoothed the top of her sleek head and toyed with the ends of her caramel-colored braid resting in front of her left shoulder like one of his niece’s Disney princess dolls. She wore a pink sundress that complemented her creamy skin and white strappy high heels. She crossed one foot over the other and lifted her hand. “H-hi, Jake.”

So maybe she wasn’t as confident as she appeared.

Good.

He didn’t need to be the only one feeling like he’d been kicked in the gut.

She smiled, creasing the dimples in her cheeks that could charm an ornery bull.

But not him.

Not anymore. He was immune. Had to be. His only protection against the devastation she was capable of causing.

With hands laced tightly in front of her, Tori looked at him with the soulful eyes that cinched his insides.

Give me strength.

He stuffed a hand in the front pocket of his faded, muddy Levi’s and dragged the other through his hair that was about two weeks past needing a trim. He spiked a finger on a stray piece of hay. Feeling the effects of being awake since 4:00 a.m., Jake forced out a breath.

Claudia watched them with puckered brows and narrowed eyes. “What’s going on? You two know each other?”

Jake shot a look at Tori, who dropped her gaze to the floor, then looked at her aunt. “We met years ago when I worked at the NCO club on base where Kendra—” she waved a hand toward Jake “—and Jake had been stationed. I spilled a tray of drinks on him and he was a perfect gentleman about it, helping me to keep my job.”

That’s it? That’s all she was going to say? What about—

Claudia swatted his chest. “You never mentioned you’d met my beautiful niece.”

“I didn’t know she was related to you until now.”

“Small world, huh?”

And getting smaller by the second...

“Something like that.” He turned to Tori. “So, Victoria, what brings you to Shelby Lake?”

Before she could reply, Claudia pulled out a chair and tugged on Jake’s arm. “Jake, have a seat. I need to talk to you.”

“Me, too, but I’d prefer to do it privately.”

“Okay, but hear me out first. Since it involves Tori, too, I’d like her to stay.” Instead of sitting, Claudia opened a bottom cabinet near the stove and pulled out a small frying pan. She grabbed a carton of eggs from the fridge and set them on the counter. “Want some breakfast, Jake?”

Jake caught her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I’m fine. Really. Can we talk? I need to get back to the farm.”

“Of course.” She smiled, then caught the corner of her lip between her teeth. Reaching for the half-empty coffeepot, she refilled his cup. “Let’s sit.”

Tori pulled out a chair across from his, her expensive designer perfume wreathing him, jostling more imprisoned memories clamoring to be freed.

Feeling trapped, Jake had no choice but to oblige. The quicker they talked, the faster he could retreat to the farm.

Claudia sat between them, folded her arms on the table and looked at Jake. “I know why you’re here.”

“You do?”

“Yes, and it’s not what you think.” She covered his hand. “I’d never go back on my word, especially with your family.”

“Then what’s going on? When I stopped by the feed store, Gwen said your land had been sold.”

“That woman needs to find better use of her time than spreading rumors and half-truths. After Dennis was diagnosed with cancer, we needed money for medical bills. Owning a business had its perks, but health insurance...well, that’s a different kind of animal. I went behind my husband’s back to see my brother, Frank. We haven’t been close for many years, but I had no other choice—Dennis was my world. I sold the land and the house to Frank with the condition I’d have first option to buy it back should he choose to sell.”

Jake clenched his teeth and forced himself to stay calm. “You should have come to us. We could’ve worked something out.”

Claudia cupped his cheek and shook her head. “With all you guys have been through with losing your mother, your dad’s back surgery and rebuilding the farm after the tornado nearly destroyed everything? You had enough on your plate without my problems, especially after Tuck lost his wife... No, I couldn’t burden you with this.”

“But you’re family, too.”

“I just couldn’t, okay? Besides, Frank came through for me. Dennis and I stayed on Holland Hill until he became too ill to keep up with the mowing and house maintenance. Moving into town allowed us to be closer to the hospital. In the year since he passed, I’ve been buried in grief and paperwork to get his life insurance checks. But before I could buy back the property, Frank passed away from a heart attack. Two months ago.”

“I’m sorry.” Jake glanced at Tori, who kept her gaze on her untouched coffee mug and traced the rim with her finger. “So that means...”

She looked at him, her eyes sad, yet almost...determined. “I own the property.”

“You’ve got to be kidding.”

“All of my father’s assets have been divided between my sister and me. I’m now the owner of the house and property Aunt Claudia mentioned.”

Jake jumped to his feet and paced. “Claudia...”

“When Dennis and I bought your grandparents’ property after they passed away, we promised to give your family first dibs if we chose to sell it so it would never be sold outside the family. And it hasn’t. So my promise is still intact.”

Jake jerked a thumb toward Tori. “She’s your family. Not mine.”

Not anymore.

He ground his teeth together and forced breath into his lungs, then jerked his attention back to Tori. “I’d like to make an offer to buy that land.”

She shook her head. “It’s not for sale.”

“What are you going to do with it?”

“I’m going to live there.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“I am.”

Claudia draped her arms around the two of them. “See? There’s a silver lining in all of this. With the two of you being neighbors, I have the feeling you’re going to hit it off right away. Oh, and not only that, but Tori can help you get your Fatigues to Farming project off the ground. She works in public relations.”

Claudia couldn’t be further from the truth. Jake needed that land to make good on a promise made years ago and to fix what he’d broken. He’d figure out another way because living down the road from Tori was something nightmares were made of.

And to work with her? Yeah, right. Forget that.

How was he supposed to survive being neighbors with the woman who didn’t have the guts to face him when she ended their brief marriage six years ago?

* * *

Fresh starts came with a price. And Tori was about to pay hers.

If she’d taken two minutes to do some research before coming to Shelby Lake, she wouldn’t have come face-to-face with the biggest regret of her life. How could she have forgotten where Jake was from?

The last six years had done little to detract from his good looks...or temper his anger.

Could she blame him, though?

What’d she expect? For him to take her in his arms and beg her not to leave again?

In her dreams, maybe.

Tori had no one to blame but herself. And she had to live with the consequences.