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Lawson stared at her in surprise. “An actor?”

“Yes, well, I wasn’t sure about that, either, but getting away to somewhere else seemed like a good idea. I knew I wasn’t happy where I was. So I agreed to go with him. I sold the house, sold most of the furniture, packed up my truck and prepared to move to LA.”

“It’s a long way from Seattle.”

“It is.” She grabbed another chip. “The night before we were leaving, I went to the local bar where we hung out. He was with his friends. He didn’t see me walk in. They were teasing him about taking me with him, saying that he was being controlled by me.”

“I doubt they were that polite.”

“You’re right. They weren’t, but I won’t repeat exactly what they said.” She hadn’t minded the teasing. It was Josh’s response that had devastated her.

“He told them they had it all wrong. He was taking me with him not because he cared but so he could get laid any time he wanted. Once we got there and he found someone hot, he would dump me and get on with his LA life.”

She still remembered standing in the bar, unable to believe what she’d heard. The words had landed like blows—a phrase she’d heard and read but had never experienced herself until that night.

She’d stood there feeling cheap and small and used while Josh had laughed with his friends. Then he’d seen her. The shock on his face had been comical, but not enough to in any way soften the blow.

“He tried to tell me he’d been kidding,” she said softly. “He said he didn’t mean it and of course he loved me.” She managed a faint smile. “I chose not to believe him.”

Lawson’s jaw was set and a muscle twitched. She didn’t know him very well, but she felt his fury and knew that if Josh had been anywhere nearby, Lawson would have taken him on. He would have stood up for her, protected her, because that was the kind of man he was.

“What happened after that?” he asked, his voice nearly a growl.

“I left. I walked out without saying anything. Got in my truck and drove away. Two blocks later, I realized I had nowhere to go. I didn’t have a home, I’d quit my job. All I had was the money from the sale of the house and my savings and whatever was in my truck. I headed to the next town up the interstate and checked into a motel where I cried for two days.” She sipped her margarita. “More about losing my folks and my bad decisions than about Josh.”

“He doesn’t deserve your tears.”

“Thank you. That’s what I think, too. On the second day, I started thinking about Seattle. I did a little research and decided to go west. And that’s my sad, little past.”

“He was a fool and a jerk.”

“I know it’s about him, but I’m still feeling a little burned.”

He nodded. “How could you not feel that way? You trusted him, and he betrayed you. Plus your folks. That’s a lot to get over.”

She waited, but he didn’t say anything else. “You’re not going to tell me to give love another try?”

He smiled. “Nope. I’m going to tell you that you’re about to eat the best tacos you’ve ever had, and later, we’re going to take a look at Kathy’s car. That’s probably plenty for one evening.”

“You’re very smooth, Lawson. That scares me a little.”

His smile faded. “I’m not playing. This isn’t a game, not for me. I like you, Shaye, and I want to get to know you. I’m aware time isn’t on my side, and now I’m fighting against a man who hurt you bad, but that’s okay. I’m up to the challenge.”

The bald honesty of his statement nearly knocked her off her chair. The men she knew never just put it out there. They played games and said they weren’t all that interested in having a girlfriend. They tried to convince her that playing the field was a natural state for them, and her wanting more was because she was weak.

“I don’t know what to say to that,” she admitted.

He flashed her a sexy grin. “You don’t have to say anything at all. I just wanted you to know.”

Chapter Five

Lawson was careful to keep the conversation light for the rest of the meal. He told funny stories about his deployment in Germany and the time he and his buddies went driving on the autobahn.

“We couldn’t drive over a hundred and twenty,” he said with a chuckle. “We tried, but there had been too many years of a speed limit ingrained into us. And we knew if something happened, we’d be in trouble back at the base.”

“Still, that’s pretty fast.”

“Yeah, we had to borrow a car to go that fast. But it was fun.”