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Prologue: Tommy
Six Months Earlier
Golden oldies play through the speakers of my brother’s SUV as we drive past neighboring farm fields. Jax taps his thumb in time with the tune and I look out over the familiar terrain of my best friend’s family acreage. God, at least Avery can date someone. I let out a sigh at how pathetic I feel.
“Did I miss something?” Jax asks from across the cab.
I shake my head, smiling. “Nah, just prepping for the meeting.”
He grunts in return. It’s not like me to have to prep on the way to a city meeting. I’m the one usually on top of everything. At least I was before Maisy Jones turned my world upside down.
Damn it. Half a year has gone by since I started questioning everything and everyone. No matter how much I try to analyze it, I still can’t figure out how I missed the fucking signs. The times she came home and went right to the shower… Did she smell like his cologne and I even missed that? My head gets dizzy simply trying to revisit each detail for the thousandth time. No. I’m not letting my mind go back down that road. There’s nothing but pain and confusion in Maisy Jones’ wake.
Fuck, I can’t even look out the window without my stomach twisting up in knots from all of this shit.
“Hey, you okay?” Jax’s voice pulls me out of my mini-spiral.
I nod and force a smile, knowing he’s not one to talk about feelings. Why the hell can’t I get my mind back on track and just focus on what’s in front of me so he doesn’t worry about me? Again. “All good, must’ve looked down during the last turn.”
Jax’s gaze locks onto mine for a moment. “You never get carsick.”
I shrug, my dizziness slows, and my stomach relaxes as I ground myself in this moment. “First time for everything. It was either that or momentary indigestion from Bryant’s mountain of beef.”
To drive the point home, I pat my stomach. “I’m pretty sure he slapped an entire pound on my sandwich. He must be trying to fatten me up.”
Jax chuckles. “He must feel lonely being the beefiest Landen brother by far.”
“I don’t know, I think his muscles keep him company,” I say, managing to attempt a joke.
“Maybe that’s why he’s so cranky around people. He spends his energy talking to his pecs,” Jax says, his charm coming through.
An image pops into my head of our huge, burly, and a little surly, brother talking to his massive chest and I bark out a laugh. Jax sneaks a glance my way and can’t hide a little smile. My heart squeezes for a different reason now. He always seems to know when my mind goes to what she did, the signs I missed, and when the pain comes back. It doesn’t hit very often, I mean, I’ve had six months to get over her. And I am. I don’t love her anymore. I don’t want her back. I don’t even want her in the same state as me. Only now, instead of dating again, I see people with the potential to fuck me over. Because knowing how it ended? How long had it really been over for her and I didn’t have a clue? It still sneaks up on me. Especially the feeling that slammed into me when she was packed up, thinking she’d be able to move out before I returned… God, I’m the nerdy Landen brother, the one who loves math, the one who sees patterns for fuck’s sake. But I had no idea.
Why can’t I be more like Jax? He just has to wink at someone and they’ll leave with him for short-term, no-strings sex. He seems happy enough with that. Except, I’ve seen the way Jax looks at Avery when he thinks no one is looking. All these people over the years have been distractions. As much fun as a distraction might be, I’m not the kind of person who can do that without an emotional connection. But everyone in this small town has a dozen red flags because I’m so paranoid.
And now I’m right back at the starting line of why I’ve been an unfocused, unreliable guy lately.
Jax pulls up to the very same apartment building, throws his SUV in park, and shoots off a text. At least I’m back in the present moment. “Should I move to the back seat?”
“Why?”
“So he can sit in front?”
Jax looks over at me with a frown. “She.”
“Sam’s a she?”
“Yeah,” he says absentmindedly, reading the response that just came through. I definitely haven’t been paying attention like I should be… She’s the new hire for the city of Greenstone. I’m the Landen brother who's on committees, for crying out loud. How does Jax know more than me? “She knows you’re coming and it’s a short drive so don’t change seats. Plus, she’ll feel guilty if she sees you moved for her. She’s already coming out the door.”
I look out the window and blink a few times to make sure what I’m seeing is real.
Holy shit.
Sam is without a doubt the most beautiful human being I’ve laid eyes on. Her blonde hair is in loose waves down her back that look silky smooth. She’s wearing what I would describe as no-nonsense pants: perfectly tailored blue slacks that flare over her heels and have a crease running down the front and back. Her almost-white top is sleeveless with a loose tie and it shows off her toned arms and that creamy, slightly freckled skin all the way to her shoulders. Gold bracelets dangle on her wrists and a series of matching necklaces.
Her face has a look of pure concentration as she momentarily stares down at a folder tucked into her grip with two different color pens in her free hand. Before she walks down the steps, she looks up and gives us a friendly wave and a smile.
Jesus, I already know I’d sell my right kidney to see that smile every day, and I’m pretty sure that there’s so much more that can be unlocked to make it truly shine.
