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I'd also gotten better at knowing if a potential partner could handle my rules

I kneithout a shadow of a doubt that Lucky Reed was one of those people who most definitely wouldn't be able them

When he'd been fifteen and clearly crushing on me, it hadn't been an issue I never would've touched any e sweet little Lucky's undeserved adoration Problem was, the kid had been persistent and by the tie fresher was legal and that all bets were off It had taken an eed encounter with him one Christmas for me to realize that my iron will to not touch him had taken on some pretty serious chinks

I physically shook off the s I'd said to Lucky back then It wasn't one of ht had been a harsh reminder of why I'd pulled away froo

After reuniting with my family in the wake offor several years, I'd used ain But the teenager had been only part of the reason I’d started finding excuses to stay away from the little town of Haven, Colorado

My brother and parents had just assumed it wasthe holidays and special events They had no way of knowing that I'd intentionally turned down any opportunities to return stateside for visits and that I'd actually finished e to my knee had ended my career in the army

At thefor hten and my breath shorten

Not here Not now

I closedmore pleasant than the day I'd nearly lost my life… the day too many of my brothers-in-aro where it usually did when episodes like this started to happen, but as usual, nored the order and focused on the one person it wasn't supposed to

You've got this, Zach

The ement helped ease some of the pressure in my chest I let my mind drift back to that moment on the snow-covered hill near my brother’s cabin when a still fifteen-year-old Lucky had been teaching athered in Jake and Oz's—his now husband—cabin for Thanksgiving

I'd agreed to the impromptu ski lesson after Lucky had learned that I'd never skied before but had alanted to try it It'd been just er and the stillness of the trees as heavy flakes of snow had fallen around us It had been one of the easiest, purestto keep the teen at arth and had si untoward about the encounter It had just been two people having fun and living in the moment