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Chapter One

Janie Fitzhugh had a new rule: Never make drunken promises at a bachelorette party

When she’d hit the local honky-tonk for Harper Masterson’s big blowout, Harper’s fore of seventy—insisted on buyinga tasty little one called a cowboy cocksucker She’d lost track of the nu on the bar with a firecracker of a wo time; too bad she had zero recollection of her actions after the karaoke started Evidently she’d also promised her ex-husband, Abe Lawson, she’d owe him a favor—any favor—if he took her drunken ass home

A favor Abe had waited a whole week to collect on

So that’s how Janie found herself driving to the Lawson ranch on a beautiful fallto the one place she swore she’d never go again

As she started up the long, winding driveway, past the haystacks, the refueling station, the hopper that released the livestock supplement known as “cake,” she expected to see the same old, sae, which was one of the main issues she’d had with Abe He maintained the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” attitude in all aspects of his life

At first, she’d really loved Abe’s steadfastness But eventually that trait had driven them apart

Not that you’re co you everything you told hi the man you’d fallen in love with?

So the iray house had been repainted a vibrant shade of terra-cotta The front deck had been revamped with the addition of a sheltered arbor and a wooden porch swing A new split rail fence separated the yard from the pasture and disappeared around the back of the house

The outlying areas between the house and outbuildings no longer had piles of busted farm machinery, abandoned vehicles, and stacks of warped lu? The cluttered state never bothered any of the Lawson siblings when Janie lived here

The enor, weathered look It was sandwiched between the machine shed and a new metal structure twice the size of the old one

She parked behind a 350 Cummins diesel truck caked with mud Made no sense why she experienced a bout of nerves

Howday of classes to see Abe leaning against the porch rail, waiting for her with a smile on his face? No one had been as happy to see her since Maybe she was disappointed he wasn’t waiting for her like he used to Shoving aside her melancholy, she climbed out of her car

Janie admired the new concrete ay crafted to rese her hair or adjusting her clothes after she knocked on the door

The door swung inward Abe smiled at her “Hey Come on in”

Wasn’t it grossly unfair he looked better now than he had when she’d o?

Maybe it’s poetic justice since you left him

His gaze moved over her, head to toe, as sensual as a full-body caress “You look great even when you’re fixin’ to clean the basement I always admired that about you”

“You’re kidding, right?”