"Hey, I have to hit the road. I'm on shift tonight at work." A mixture of emotions runs through me at the thought of leaving. I hate every time I drive away and leave Ally and Becky. But the thought of seeing Jase again has me reaching for my keys in my pocket.

"Okay. Will we see you next week?" Becky asks, walking out of the closet.

"Yeah, if not before then. Let me know if you need me." Becky catches my meaning and nods. As soon as the doctors say they need me, I'll be on the road.

Becky comes to me, and I gather her in my arms. At her ear, I whisper, "Everything is going to be okay, Becs. Stay positive. Love you."

She pulls her head back and places a kiss on my cheek. "Thank you, Andrew, for everything." There's more to her words than just thanking me for being here. I acknowledge her grat.i.tude, knowing I would do it again in a heartbeat.

I squat down and then Ally is right there in my face. She grabs my cheeks and plants a big kiss on my lips. "Love you, Uncle Andy."

"Love you, too, skittles. You be good for your mom, okay? And have fun at your sleepover," I tell her, before wrapping my arms around her. I squeeze her tight, not wanting to let go.

She nods solemnly and says, "I will."

"I'll see you in a few days." I get up, and they both walk me out to my car.

After a couple more hugs, I get in my restored Dodge Challenger and wave another good-bye to them as I pull away. My heart feels heavy as I watch them in my rearview mirror, waving. But then it lifts slightly when I think about the man and the future I'm driving toward.

Andrew When I pull up to Jaxon's Pub, the parking lot is half-full. It's only five o'clock, so that's to be expected. More people will show up the later it gets. Pulling around to the back, I park my car next to Jaxon's motorcycle and climb out. I unlock the back door and make my way down the dark hall that leads to the front. As I pa.s.s by the kitchen, I knock the door open with my fist and yell a h.e.l.lo to Hoot, our cook. He hollers his own h.e.l.lo, and I keep walking.

As soon as I reach the mouth of the hallway, my eyes scan the room in search of Jase. At first I don't see him, and it irritates me. My emotions are raw after hearing the news about Ally. I need a distraction and Jase is the perfect one. I finally spot him when he steps out from behind a wall over by the pool tables. He has a pool stick in his hand, getting ready to take his shot, and laughs at something Mac said. Chris and Bailey are both sitting on stools against the wall, watching them play.

A groan nearly rips from my throat when he bends over the pool table. His a.s.s, in those s.e.xy jeans, almost has me stalking over to him and rubbing myself against it.

"Get your a.s.s behind the bar and help me, Andrew, and stop drooling over Chris's brother," Mia says, throwing a towel at me.

Forcing my eyes away from the irresistible sight across the room, I turn narrowed eyes on Mia. "You're just jealous it's not your a.s.s I'm fantasizing about f.u.c.king."

"Yes, you're exactly right," Mia says dryly. "I'd much prefer you over the man over there who I've been in love with most of my life. Gosh, Andrew, you've found me out. However did you guess?"

I bend down to grab the towel she threw at me, and walk behind the bar. I tell her with dancing eyebrows, "Because everyone secretly wants a piece of me."

"Whatever," she mutters with an eye roll, and turns to walk away, flipping me her middle finger as she does so. I chuckle at her retreating back.

I grab a clean rag from under the counter and throw it over my shoulder. In an effort to keep my eyes off Jase, I decide to take inventory to see if we need anything from the bas.e.m.e.nt. After seeing that everything is already stocked, I turn to the drying rack and start unloading it.

My eyes unconsciously make their way over to the pool tables. Jase has his arm lazily draped over Chris's shoulder, and his head bent, talking to her. She laughs at something he says and shoves him away. He winks before walking over to the pool table for his next shot. Once again, my d.i.c.k jerks in my jeans as he bends over the table. After lining up his shot, he smoothly pulls the stick back and shoots it forward, sinking a ball in the corner pocket. The girls clap and cheer him on.

As if sensing my eyes on him, Jase turns and looks my way. I hold his gaze and let him see the heat I know is radiating from them. I may not want to scare him off by coming on too strong, but I also want him to know I do want him. He needs to figure that s.h.i.t out now, because I won't give him long before I make it blatantly clear.

I would swear I see a flash of desire blaze in his crystal-clear blue eyes, but before I get a good look, it's gone and he looks away. I feel a rush of excitement at the thought of him thinking about me the way I'm thinking about him.

I turn away from him when someone comes up to the bar with an order. I spend the next thirty minutes going from one person to another. The place is starting to fill up and it takes my mind off the man across the room that I want to do dirty things to.

Just as I turn to place some shots in front of a couple of guys, I see Mac and Jase walking my way. My eyes stay glued to Jase.

"Hey, Andrew, can we get a couple beers?" Mac asks, taking a seat at the bar. Jase claims the stool next to him. Prying my eyes off Jase, I turn to Mac.

"Sure. Anything in particular?" I ask.

"Nope, just whatever," Mac says.

I look to Jase for his answer. "Sam Adams, if you have it."

"You got it," I tell them, and turn to get their beer.

After placing their drinks in front of then, I lean my elbows on the bar close to Jase.

"Please tell me you're kicking Mac's a.s.s over there. Ever since he finally won against Jaxon a few weeks ago, he thinks he's unbeatable." I flick my eyes over to Mac and smirk.

"No, he's not. And f.u.c.k you, Andrew. No one's ever beat Jaxon before. I think that's a d.a.m.n good reason to feel a bit c.o.c.ky."

"Sheriff Weston," I say in mock surprise. "Shame on you. Mia was just saying that she's loved you most of her life, and now you're telling me you want me to f.u.c.k you?"

I hear Jase laugh and glance over at him. His stunning blue eyes sparkle, and f.u.c.k, he has a s.e.xy-a.s.s dimple in his left cheek.

"And what're you laughing at, baby? You want me to f.u.c.k you, too? All you've got to do is say the word, and I promise, I'm all yours," I tell him boldly. His lips tip up at the corners, eyes crinkling, like he thinks I'm joking.

Oh, honey, if you only knew how serious I am.

"Think I'll pa.s.s on that, as tempting as it is," he says, laughter still in his eyes.

Mac groans at Jase's side, but we both ignore him.

"What a f.u.c.king shame. I'm not worried though. I'll change your mind."

My body trembles as I think about reaching across the s.p.a.ce between us, yanking him to me, and planting my lips against his. Would he let me or push me away? The way he's licking his lips while looking at mine makes me think he's not as indifferent to me as he lets on.

Oh yeah, baby. It's only a matter of time before you're mine.

Mia walks up to us and b.u.mps me with her hip. "What are you guys over here talking about?"

I throw my arm across her shoulders. "Mac wants me to f.u.c.k him, but I told him I was at work and was busy later. I don't think he liked my answer too much. See, Mia? Told you everyone secretly wants me."

"Oh, for f.u.c.k's sake," Mac mutters, causing both me and Jase to laugh.

Mia looks over at Mac with mischief in her eyes, and asks, "Uh, Sheriff, is there something you need to tell me?"

Mac leans over the bar and crooks his finger at Mia. "Yeah, Pix. Why don't you come over here, and I'll tell you."

I watch as Mia's small frame leans over the bar toward Mac, knowing what's about to happen. Ever since these two made it official that they were back together, they haven't been able to keep their hands off each other. I can't say I blame them. The s.h.i.t they went through at the hands of Shady and Tessa would make anyone cherish the moments they have with their loved ones.

Just as predicted, the moment Mia gets as far as her small body would allow over the bar, Mac reaches over, hooks his hands under her arms, and hauls her the rest of the way into his arms. She laughs loudly as she latches her arms around his shoulders and wraps her legs around his waist. Once there, they devour each other's mouths.

It's still strange seeing them like this. Before the truth finally came out and Mia found out Mac didn't cheat on her, her att.i.tude toward him was volatile. Mac always had a sad, longing look on his face every time he looked at her. Now though, all you see on both faces is pure happiness and love.

I turn to see Jase watching me. I can't quite decipher the look in his eye, but it looks like curiosity. I wonder what he's thinking and feeling when he looks at me. Is he just as curious to know me, as I am to know him? Does he feel even a smidgeon of the desire I feel every time my eyes land on him?

We stand there and stare at each other until Mac and Mia pull away, breaking our connection. Jase looks away first and turns to face the two lovebirds beside him.

Mia releases her hold on Mac, and after another brief kiss, hops up onto the bar, swings her legs around, and jumps down beside me again. She has a cute flush to her face and it makes me smile, glad that one of my best friends is finally happy, like she should have been all along.

"Where did you head off to today, Andrew?" Mia asks casually.

I stiffen at her question, just as I do every time she asks me this. No one knows where I go when I leave town and visit Ally. They know about Becky and Brent, but have only met them a few times. However, they know nothing about Ally. I don't know why I haven't told them. Maybe because I've shared every other aspect of my life, and I feel I need to keep this part separate. It's certainly not that I'm ashamed of her. It's just the opposite, in fact. I'm very proud of the small family I'm part of. I just have this need to keep Ally to myself and not share her yet. Eventually I'll have to tell everyone, but I want to wait until after Ally is better and can handle the stampede that will enter her life. Because I know, once my friends in Jaded Hollow find out, they'll swarm her, and not let her up for air.

My fun mood starts to dissipate. It makes me sick to my stomach every time I think about what Ally, Becky, and Brent are going through. I hate that there's nothing I can do. I feel completely helpless and it p.i.s.ses me off.

"It's none of your d.a.m.n business. Stop f.u.c.king asking me that." I can't help the harshness in my reply, and I feel like s.h.i.t when I see a flash of surprise, shock, and hurt enter Mia's face. It doesn't last long though. Almost as soon as the look appears, it is replaced with narrowed eyes. Mia is normally the type of person who'll bite you back if you catch an att.i.tude with her. I never lose it with her, so I'm sure she's probably taken aback by my words. I've always been good about hiding this part of my life, but it's getting harder the last few months because of the leukemia. The news today that she's not getting better hit me hard.

I put my hands on the bar, close my eyes, bow my head, and take a deep breath.

This f.u.c.king sucks.

"Who p.i.s.sed in your Cheerios today?" Mia asks. I grit my teeth at her smart-a.s.s comment, not wanting to say anything else that'll antagonize her. Because that's one thing about Mia: she doesn't give up.

"Mia," I hear Mac say. "Just leave him alone."

"What the h.e.l.l, Mac?" she hisses at him. "All I did was ask a simple f.u.c.king question and he thinks it's okay to cop an att.i.tude? He knows me and should know better."

My stiff shoulders tighten even more. My grip on the countertop has my knuckles turning white. Mia has no idea how close I am to losing it. I'm on edge, and I'm clueless how to back away.

Taking a deep breath, I loosen my grip and tilt my head back up, and immediately clash eyes with Jase. The clear blue of his stare instantly calms the emotions raging inside me. His face shows concern, and something flutters in my chest. I like he's concerned about my abrupt change in demeanor, but I want to wipe that look from his face and replace it with something different, something carnal.

Not able to do anything about it now, and needing to apologize to Mia, I turn to face her. Her brows are puckered, and she's watching me with an expression that says she's unsure of what my next move will be.

"Sorry, Mia Pia. I've just got s.h.i.t going on right now that I can't talk about. Please just leave it, okay?"

After watching me for a few seconds, she nods. "Okay, Andrew. Just remember, you've got friends here you can lean on."

"I know. Thank you," I tell her quietly. And I do know I have friends. Wonderful friends I know would do anything for me. I know I could count on them through this rough time, but I just can't reveal my secret yet. In time I will, but not yet.

Seeming okay with my answer, she smiles. Her attention is pulled away when someone down at the other end of the bar whistles, and she goes to take their order. Mac gets up from his stool and says he's heading to the bathroom, leaving Jase and me alone.

"How was your tour of the town?" I ask him, trying to take my mind off my dark thoughts and draw him into a conversation. He has a deep voice, and I haven't heard near enough of it. Every time he speaks it sends a shiver down my spine, and I want more.

He takes a swallow of his beer and sets it down. "It was fine. You have a nice little town here. I like how everyone seems so close-knit. Chris and I grew up in a small town as well, but everyone was so spread out you didn't get the vibe that everyone's family like you do here."

"Yeah, we're all close here and look out for each other. You f.u.c.k with one of us, you f.u.c.k with us all. You'll become a part of that if you decide to stay."

f.u.c.k! Please let him stay. I'm not sure what I'll do if he chooses not to. I haven't completely ruled out kidnapping. Drastic? A big f.u.c.king yes. But I don't give a s.h.i.t. No way am I letting him get away. Not now that he's here and I've met him.

"We'll see," he murmurs, twisting the beer bottle in front of him. I can tell by his tone and the way his eyebrows are drawn down he has something on his mind. And whatever it is, it isn't good. I wonder what it is.

In an attempt to wipe the look from his face and to get to know him better, I ask, "So, what did you do back home? I a.s.sume you'll be looking for work soon."

He lightly shakes his head, bringing himself back from wherever he was. "Cars. Rebuilding and repairs. Some custom work. I'm d.a.m.n good at it. Jaxon took me out to Joe's today. I start there tomorrow."

"Good. Joe is good people. He'll treat you right. And he needs help. He's the only mechanic around and he's getting too old to bring in more work. Some locals have to go to town for their repairs because he's not able to take on as much as he used to."

He nods in understanding. The old geezer is in his seventies and it's about time he realizes he can't keep up as much as he used to.

"So, why did you decide to come to Jaded Hollow?" I ask him. Of course, I know part of the story. Again, from Chris. His d.i.c.khead parents haven't made it easy on him. It p.i.s.ses me off every time I think about the s.h.i.t Chris has told me about them.

He avoids my eyes when he answers. "Our parents were giving me a lot of s.h.i.t, so I thought it was time for me to get away and come visit Chris. It's been awhile since I've seen her."

There's more to the story than what he's saying. I can tell by the stiffness in his shoulders and the way his eyes turn hard. It takes a lot of self-control, but I decide not to delve further into it. I'll give him time to get used to me and see if he comes to me on his own.

We lapse into silence for a few minutes, Jase looking back down at his beer, me watching him. It's so d.a.m.n hard to take my eyes off him, so I decide not to. My eyes roam all over the parts I can see over the bar. Several loose strands of his hair have fallen out of his hair tie, and they tempt me to reach over and rub them between my fingers. I force my hands to stay on the bar. The white of his t-shirt is a stark contrast to the dark tan he sports, and brings out the vibrant color of his stunning tattoos. The muscles bulging on his arms bring mental images of him bracing against a wall as I stand behind him, guiding myself into his tight a.s.s. The sight almost has me jumping over the bar to get to him.

Jesus Christ! I've got to stop this s.h.i.t. It's pure torture.

I'm forced to walk away from him for a few minutes when several customers come up with orders. Part of me is grateful for the distraction, but another part of me wants to kick every a.s.shole out of here so Jase and I can be alone.

I walk back over when I see Chris and Bailey step up next to Jase, both giggling at G.o.d knows what. Chris drops down onto a stool and slides her beer bottle toward me, asking for another one. I grab one for her, pop the top, and hand it over. She raises her eyebrows in question and looks to Jase before looking back at me. I know what she's asking. She wants to know my take on him. I just grin. She'll know soon enough, everyone will, that I'm very interested. Of course, I already knew I would be, even before he got here.

"Nice shirt, Andrew," Chris says, laughing.

I look down at the black t-shirt I'm wearing. In big, bold, white letters it reads, "I bet my d.i.c.k is bigger than yours. Wanna compare?" I look back at her and shrug. Everyone loves my shirts. They go with my personality. I'm not ashamed of who I am, so I won't hide it. Some people may find them extreme or vulgar, but those are the people I don't care to a.s.sociate with anyway. So it all works out.

I notice that Jase is smirking as he looks at my shirt. He looks up at me, and I give him a flirty smile and a wink, letting him know without words that if he wants to compare I'm ready when he is. He holds my look, and I get the feeling he's not totally against the idea. My d.i.c.k hardens and my blood heats up what feels like twenty degrees. I force my eyes away from his before I do something I'm not sure he's ready for.

I turn to Bailey, who has her eyes on something across the room. Before I get a chance to look and see what it is, she suddenly turns to me and asks, "Hey, Andrew, what are you doing Sunday after next?"

"Well, I'm not sure yet, Bailey girl. I take it you've already got plans for me, huh?"

"Maybe," she says, before turning to Chris. "When does your new job start at the school?"

"Umm... two weeks. The current guidance counselor extended her notice another week. Something to do with the sale of her house being delayed. Why? What's up?"

Instead of answering her, she then turns to Jase. "Do you know if you have weekends off?"

"Joe said it was up to me. He doesn't work the weekends, but said I could if I wanted to."

"Two weeks from Sunday, don't, please," she says, and turns back to the bar.

"What's going on, Bailey?" Chris asks, walking around Jase to stand by her.

"In a minute," Bailey says, causing Chris, Jase, and me to look at each other with questions in our eyes. This is strange behavior for Bailey. She's normally the quiet one, not openly making suggestions or giving opinions unless she feels it important enough. For her to be so cryptic is not like her.

She leans over the bar and hollers for Mia. After she makes her way over to us, Bailey asks her if she, Mac, and Trent, Mac's son, have any plans.

"Not that I'm aware of." Mia looks beyond Bailey and Chris to Mac and Jaxon, who are walking out from the hallway. Mia asks Mac if they have plans.

"No, I don't think so. Why?" he says, once he makes it to us.

We all bring our eyes to Bailey, well past curious as to what she has planned. Jaxon steps up beside her and she puts her arm around his waist.