Free Wyatt's Stand (Colebrook Siblings Trilogy Book 2) by Kaylea Cross Page B

than that.
    She raised her wineglass to her mouth with her right hand and again his gaze caught on the ring on her third finger. It looked like an engagement ring but he wasn’t sure what it signified that she didn’t wear it on her left hand.
    “What brought you to Sugar Hollow, anyway?” he asked.
    She shrugged, drawing his attention to the way the top of her dress pulled taut over her breasts. “I was looking for some place small and quaint to settle down in.” Twirling up more pasta, she added, “I’m here to start over.”
    Running from a bad relationship? The thought ignited a spark of anger in his gut. If some asshole had hurt her or scared her so much that she’d left Philadelphia and come here to start over, then—
    “I lost my fiancé a couple years ago. I’d planned to stay in Philly, but as the months went by I felt the need to go someplace new, away from everything.”
    Oh. Hell. “I’m sorry.”
    She nodded, forced a smile. “Thanks.” She glanced at the ring on her finger, frowned a little as her thumb toyed with it. “He was a firefighter too, but we were on different crews. I got a call on my first night off after finishing a rotation, saying that his crew had been responding to a fire when part of the ceiling had collapsed on them.” She drew a breath, let it out slowly. “He held on for a couple of days, then…”
    Unable to keep from touching her, he reached across the table to grip her hand, gave it a squeeze. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to talk about it.”
    “No, it’s okay.” She met his eyes, her fingers curling around his in a warm grip. “Losing him was the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through, but thankfully it doesn’t hurt as much as it used to. I’ve mostly learned to live with his memory, instead of letting it tear me apart. And it’s easier for me to talk to you about it because you didn’t know him.”
    Yeah, and he also knew what loss felt like. First his mom, then his Marine brothers and Raider. It sucked each and every time, plain and simple.
    Nodding, he squeezed her hand gently before releasing it, a part of him wishing he had a reason to hold on instead. “It fades, but it never goes away.”
    She blew out a breath. “Exactly.” She took another sip of wine. “Anyway, that’s how I ended up here. John and I used to flip houses on the side. Smaller projects, nothing like the one you and I are working on now. We’d always dreamed of renovating a Victorian. So when I saw the Miller place and found out the owners were willing to sell, I used the money from John’s life insurance policy and most of our savings to buy it.” She gave him a rueful smile. “Yep, I’m all in, for better or worse. But I never meant to buy it out from under you.”
    He’d never expected this, hadn’t even considered she’d been through something like that. God, now he felt like a total jerkwad for the way he’d acted the first time he’d met her. “Honestly? If anyone besides me was going to end up with it, I’m glad it’s you. You deserve it and it suits you. We’re gonna restore it exactly the way you want.” He wouldn’t settle for anything less, out of professional pride, but especially now that he knew her story.
    The corners of her mouth lifted in the hint of a smile. “That’s really big of you, Wyatt. I appreciate that.”
    He shrugged, uncomfortable with the praise, and decided this was the perfect opportunity to change the subject. “You bring that list with you?”
    “Right here,” she answered, pulling the papers out of her purse.
    They were well into the second page when headlights flashed across the front window and the sound of a speeding vehicle broke the quiet. Frowning, Wyatt stood just as the driver plunged to a rocking stop out front.
    As the driver flew out of the vehicle, Wyatt caught a glimpse of the man’s face in the glare of the headlights and a hard ball of dread clenched in the pit of his stomach.
    “Stay here,” he told