The Corner of Heartbreak and Forever (Sweet with Heat

by Addison Cole

  A chill ran through Reed, imagining Frank’s arm on a hot grill, his skin burning.

  “I didn’t even feel it at first,” Frank said. “She’d fallen into my arms, and neither of us realized what had happened. I was too swept up in Lily’s smile. That woman mesmerized me.”

  “But the pain.” Reed winced. “That must have been awful.”

  “It was pretty horrible. But your mother learned to look after the burns. She took good care of me. And if I had to do it a hundred times over, I would to save her the pain. Even now, knowing about that other man, I’d still do anything for her. That’s what love is, but you know that.” Frank glanced at the house. “Where’s Grace? Did she change her mind about meeting me?” Sadness rose in his eyes. “It’s okay if she did. I understand.”

  “No. She didn’t change her mind. She had to go back to New York to take care of a few things.”

  “Back? She doesn’t live here?”

  “It’s a bit complicated. She lives in New York City.” Reed explained their living situation to him.

  “I have no business advising anyone in the ways of love, but why are you still here?”

  He’d asked himself that a hundred times over the last fifteen minutes, but he was afraid the truth might make Frank feel guilty, so he said, “I have commitments.”

  “Commitments.” Frank shook his head. “Whatever commitments you have, and whoever they’re to, are they more important than the woman you love?”

  “No way,” Reed said angrily, even though he knew his anger was misdirected, and the truth came out despite his efforts to hold it back. “And because I’ve only just found you and I want to get to know you. I don’t even know where you’re living. From what you’ve said, you don’t have anyone else, and…” You don’t have much time left. “I think it’s important to be here for you.”

  “I truly appreciate that, Reed. It’s very honorable,” Frank said. “I live in New Jersey, and there’s not much else to tell. But you’ve given me what I needed, which was to make sure you knew the truth before I left this earth. But what you need is on her way to New York. Don’t let our past hinder your future.”

  Reed’s pulse ratcheted up. “But you’re only here until Monday.”

  Frank shrugged. “And then I’ll be in Jersey, a few hours away. I don’t claim to know much about you, but if that pinched expression and those fisted hands are any indication, you’ll likely kill someone before Monday if you let your gal get away.” He picked up the bouquet from between them and handed it to Reed. “Go, before she gets too far.”

  Adrenaline sent Reed to his feet. “You don’t mind?”

  “Heck no. Go.” Frank rose beside him, a wide smile in place.

  They stood awkwardly looking at each other, and Reed could tell that like him, Frank wasn’t sure if they should shake hands or hug. They both leaned in, then pulled back. Reed thrust out his hand, and when Frank accepted it, Reed pulled him into an embrace.

  “Thank you, Frank. Thank you for coming back to tell me the truth and for kicking my butt out of here.” As he ran to his truck, he hollered, “Leave your number for me at the hotel. I’ll be in touch.”

  Reed sped out of the driveway, determined to be with his girl.

  GRACE UNHOOKED THE gas pump and stuck it in the tank, cradling her phone against her shoulder. She and Sophie cursed blue streaks about her having to leave town early and miss Sophie’s baby shower. Realizing she was nearly out of gas had sent Grace into another hateful rant.

  “I swear, Soph, I’m going to wring Keagen’s neck. He’ll never want to work on one of my productions again, and I don’t care. I don’t want to work on another production again!”

  “You don’t mean that,” Sophie said. “You were having so much fun with the community play, and you’ll fix this thing up like you always do. Your investors will be happy, Keagen will obey your commands but always be a jerk, and then you’ll come back to Reed.”

  “And then what? Then I go back to the city again, and he’s here? And what if we want babies? What if we miss each other too much and…” She struggled to keep herself from crying again.

  “Grace, you’ll figure it out.”

  “What is it about everyone thinking we’ll figure things out? That doesn’t just happen. It takes planning, and you know plans never go well. What if I miss the birth of your baby? Brindle’s going to Paris in a few weeks, and I won’t be there to say goodbye.” Tears sprang from her eyes again. How had she left all those years ago? It felt like leaving the most important pieces of herself behind. She yanked the gas pump from the tank and spilled gasoline all over her clothes. “Darn it! I gotta go. I just…Ugh! Love you, Soph. I’m a mess. I’ll call you later.”

  She ended the call and ran into the gas station to try to wash the stench from her clothes. In the bathroom, she scrubbed at the stains. “I should show up in cutoffs and boots.” She scrubbed harder, but the paper towels left residue on her shirt. She lifted the wet fabric to her nose and sniffed. She smelled awful.

  “Forget it.”

  She stormed out to her car and threw it into drive. As she waited for cars to pass so she could pull out onto the road, she thought of Reed and her family. You’ve been in control of your life way too long. Tonight you’re one of us again, like it or not. We miss you, Gracie. Give us tonight. Please? Her sisters’ voices drew more tears. She gripped the steering wheel tighter, thinking about Nana and the girls and their excitement about the play. Her mind traveled to Reed and the night they’d watched the movie at the Majestic. This would never happen in the city.

  She looked at her gorgeous ring, the exact design she’d fallen in love with years ago, and her heart felt full to near bursting. She thought of the prom and Reed’s perfectly romantic proposal, how the community welcomed her, and she knew what she wanted—what she had—to do.

  “That would never happen in the city,” she said as she distractedly pulled out of the parking lot. She heard the sound of screeching brakes and screamed as a truck barreled toward the side of her car. She went for the gas, but hit the brake, and her body jerked forward against the steering wheel. She slammed her foot on the gas as the truck fishtailed, the back end nearly smacking into the rear of her car just as she sped across the road. She swerved onto the curb and slammed on the brakes, gripping the steering wheel so tight she wasn’t sure she could let go. Then her door opened and Reed was there, pulling her into his arms, fear blazing in his eyes as he ran his hands all over her, checking to make sure she was whole.

  “Baby. Are you okay?”

  “Yes,” she said, nearly frozen in shock. “No. I’m not okay. I can’t do this,” flew from her lungs. “Ten years was a long time. I don’t want to do it anymore. I don’t want to be apart. I’ll move back. I need to be with you.”

  He clutched her to him as if he would never let her go. “No, Gracie. I’ll back out of the Majestic deal and go to New York. I can work anywhere, but you have a life there.”

  “No! Keep the Majestic! I’ll invest in it. We can both put our talents to work and bring it back to life together. My life is here, Reed, with you and my family and Sophie and the girls and…” She gasped a breath. “Cowboy boots and ‘y’alls’—” Sobs burst from her lungs as she crumpled against him, and Reed was right there holding her up, her strength, her love, her forever.

  She gazed into his midnight-blue eyes as tears slid down her cheeks, and she said, “So much for easy and doable.”

  A crooked smile lifted his lips. “We’ve never been easy, but we’ve always been doable.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  GRACE AWOKE WITH a start and bolted upright. She clung to the blanket, listening intently for whatever had woken her. She thought she knew every sound her and Reed’s house made. She’d moved back for good two weeks ago, after handling the issues with her last off-Broadway production, which thankfully went smoother than she’d thought. She heard the creak of the stairs, and her heart seized.

  “Reed!” she w
hispered urgently, shaking him by the shoulder. “Reed! Get up! Someone’s in the house!”

  He rolled over, and his arm circled her waist. “It’s the wind, baby. Go back to sleep.”

  The stairs creaked again, and she grabbed his arm so hard her nails dug into his skin. “Reed! That’s not the wind!”

  Whispers came from the hall, and Grace’s pulse raced. She snagged her phone from beside the bed. “I’m calling nine-one-one!” The bedroom door flew open and she shrieked, dropping the phone to the mattress.

  All her siblings barreled into the room, laughing hysterically. Reno hugged Amber’s side. “Woof!”

  Grace’s hand flew over her racing heart. “Oh my gosh! What are you doing here? How did you get in?” She looked at Reed, who was lying beside her grinning like a fool. “Ugh! You let them do this?”

  “Who am I to stand in the way of tradition?” He blew her a kiss, and she rolled her eyes.

  “Hoodie?” Sable said in Reed’s direction.

  Reed pointed to the closet. Grace glowered at him, and he chuckled.

  “Nat’s play is tomorrow,” Morgyn said, pulling Grace’s arm and dragging her from the bed. “And then there’s the community play.”

  Nat had done a fabulous job on the rewrites, and Nana and the girls had done a spectacular job of casting—and expediting—I Ain’t No Cinderella in Grace’s absence. She was excited to see the results of everyone’s hard work.

  “And your wedding is right after that,” Amber reminded her.

  As if she could ever forget the most anticipated day of her life? Neither she nor Reed wanted to wait to get married, especially since Frank wasn’t doing so well and they wanted him to be at the wedding. They still had a ways to go before all the awkward moments were gone, but Grace was beyond thankful that Frank and Reed would have at least some time to get to know each other.

  “And I leave for Paris the next day,” Brindle chimed in. “We have to go tonight.”

  Pepper stood by the door in a pair of jeans and cowgirl boots, arms crossed, her golden-brown hair piled up on her head in a messy bun. She’d gotten into town last week, and the girls had dragged Grace’s butt out of bed then, too. We have to! It’s Pep’s first night back!

  Pepper lifted her foot to show Grace her boot. “I gave in. There’s no stopping these fools.”

  “Grace will probably get pregnant on her honeymoon anyway,” Brindle said. “And then she’ll be locked down tight like Sophie and have to miss our nighttime prowls.”

  Grace smiled thinking of having little Reeds running around. She wasn’t ready for that quite yet, but she could love up Sophie and Brett’s precious baby girl. She hadn’t missed her birth after all. Sweet Brenna was born three nights ago, and Grace and Reed were right there waiting to greet her.

  Axsel put an arm around Pepper’s shoulder and said, “At last y’all included me this time.” He looked at Reed, who was pulling on a pair of jeans, and said, “I swear, it’s like a chick club.”

  Sable came out of the closet and ran her eyes down Grace’s tank top and boy shorts. She tossed her a hoodie and said, “Cute boy shorts, Grace! Put that on.” She turned her attention to Axsel. “If it were a chick club, you wouldn’t be here. Chick clubs do their nails and hair and stuff. You want to see the firemen’s two a.m. calendar photo shoot as much as the rest of us.”

  “Darn right I do,” Axsel said with a big smile.

  Grace laughed as she pulled on the hoodie, but she had a feeling no one wanted to see the calendar shoot as much as Sable wanted to get an eyeful of Chet Hudson.

  “Maybe I can stay here since my man is ready, willing, and able, and perfectly willing to climb back into our beautiful new bed.” Grace smiled flirtatiously at Reed. “I’m sure Reed won’t want me checking out firefighters anyway.”

  “Go, baby. I’m secure in my manhood.” He leaned across the bed and hauled her down, kissing her so hard her entire body flamed. “Besides, I’m meeting you there. There’s a bonfire after the shoot. You. Me. Making out beneath the stars. Be ready.” He swatted her butt and lifted his chin toward Brindle, who was holding up Grace’s cutoffs and the embellished cowgirl boots Morgyn had made for her. “Best get going, pretty girl. You don’t want to miss the Montgomery ruckus.”

  Amber offered Grace a hand and pulled her to her feet. “We’ll have fun, Gracie. This is the last time you’ll see the calendar shoot as a single woman.”

  “Only in Oak Falls would firemen come from two different towns and do a calendar shoot in the middle of the night,” Pepper said.

  As Grace pulled on her cutoffs, surrounded by the people she loved most, her gaze caught on Reed. His loving eyes and boyish grin sent her overjoyed heart into a tailspin as she said, “Exactly, Pep. Only in Oak Falls. And I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

  Ready for More Sweet with Heat Romance?

  Meet the Weston Bradens!

  If you love big-family romances with fiercely loyal heroes and smart, sassy heroines, you’ll adore the Bradens. Fall in love with Treat and Max in A Love So Sweet.

  Treat Braden wasn’t looking for love when Max Armstrong walked into his Nassau resort, but he saw right through the efficient and capable facade she wore like a shield to the sweet, sensual woman beneath. One magnificent evening together sparked an intense connection, and for the first time in his life Treat wanted more than a casual affair. But something caused Max to turn away, and now, after weeks of unanswered phone calls and longing for the one woman he cannot have, Treat is going back to his family’s ranch to try to finally move on.

  A chance encounter brings Treat and Max together again, and it turns into a night of intense passion and honesty. When Max reveals her secret, painful past, Treat vows to do everything within his power to win Max’s heart forever—including helping her finally face her demons head-on.

  Chapter One

  TREAT BRADEN DIDN’T usually charter planes. It wasn’t his style to flash his wealth. But today he needed to be anywhere but his Nassau resort, and missing his commercial flight had just plain pissed him off. He owned upscale resorts all over the world, and he’d been featured on travel shows so many times that it turned his stomach to have to play those ridiculous media games. The pomp and circumstance surrounding him had begun to irk him in ways that it never had before meeting Max Armstrong. It had been several long, lonely weeks since he’d seen her standing in the lobby of his Nassau resort, since his heart first thundered in a way that threw him completely off-kilter—and since they’d spent one incredible evening together. Treat wasn’t a Neanderthal. He’d known he had no claim on her, even after their intimate evening. But that hadn’t stopped his blood from boiling or kept him from acting like a jerk the next morning when he’d seen her with another man in front of the elevators, wearing the same clothes she’d had on when Treat had left her the night before.

  He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Max since the moment he’d first met her, despite the uncomfortable encounter, but he’d been burned before, and he wasn’t into repeating his mistakes. Getting away from resorts altogether and spending a weekend with his father at his ranch in Weston, Colorado, a small ranch town with dusty streets, too many cowboy hats, and a main drag that had been built to replicate the Wild West, was just what he needed.

  His rental SUV moved at a snail’s pace behind a line of traffic that was not at all typical for his hometown. It wasn’t until he crawled around the next curve and saw balloons and banners above the road announcing the annual Indie Film Festival that he realized what weekend it was. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with crowds.

  His cell phone rang, and his sister’s name flashed on the screen. Before he could say hello, Savannah said, “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were coming to town.”

  “Hi, sis. I miss you, too.” The only girl among his five siblings, Savannah was a cutthroat entertainment attorney, but to Treat she’d always be his baby sister.

  “When will you get into town?”

/>   “I’m here now, sitting in traffic on Main Street.” He hadn’t moved an inch in five minutes.

  “I’m at the festival with a client. Come see me.”

  All he really wanted to do was reach his father’s two-hundred-acre ranch just outside of town, but Treat knew that if he didn’t see Savannah right away, she’d be disappointed. Disappointing his siblings was something he strived not to do. Having lost their mother when Treat was only eleven and his youngest sibling, Hugh, had been hardly more than a baby, his siblings had already faced enough disappointment for one lifetime.

  “You’re with a client. Sure you can get away?” he asked.

  “For you? Of course. Besides, I’m with Connor Dean. He can handle things for a little while. Come in the back gate. I’ll wait there.” Connor was an actor who was quickly climbing the ranks of fame. Savannah had been his attorney for two years, and whenever he had a public engagement, he brought her along. It wasn’t a typical attorney-client relationship, but for all of Connor’s bravado, he’d been slandered one too many times. Savannah kept track of what was and wasn’t said at most events—by both Connor and the media.

  “I’ll be there as soon as traffic allows.” After he ended the call with Savannah he called his father.

  “Hey there, son.”

  Hal’s slow, deep drawl tugged at Treat’s heart. He’d missed him. Hal had always been a calming influence on Treat. After his mother passed away, his father had pulled him and his siblings through those tumultuous years. But Hal wasn’t a coddler. He had instilled a strong work ethic and sense of loyalty into their heads, and that had enabled each of them to be successful in their endeavors.

  “Dad, I’m here in town, but I’m going to stop at the festival first to see Savannah, if you don’t mind.”