Free Return to You by Samantha Chase Page B

and hear it in your voice that you know more than you’re letting on!” She stood and kicked the chair away from her. “How could you?” she demanded. “You, more than anyone, knew how devastated I was when James left, and you’ve known why and you never told me? Why? Why would you choose to protect him?”
    â€œIt’s not like that! For crying out loud, you need to calm down. You’re getting hysterical over nothing! I’m not saying I know anything about James’s behavior back then. You have to believe me!” she all but begged. “I just think it’s about time the two of you talked. Don’t let this opportunity pass, Selena. You’ll only regret it.”
    Selena wanted to run, to leave and never come back. She had known on some level that she would regret coming home; she just didn’t realize it would be because of Jen betraying her. Maybe she was overreacting; maybe she wasn’t. Her emotions were all over the damn place right now.
    Doing her best to remain composed, she left the kitchen and went down the hall to the guest bedroom. At the door to her room she paused. “I’d like to get checked in at the hotel early. We can grab lunch on the way if you’d like.” She would be the bigger person and see out this damn reunion and put James Montgomery in his place, as well. And then, maybe, finally, she’d have some peace.
    Even if it killed her.
    * * *
    It was several weeks before she saw James again. This time, though, she and Jen were the only ones in the car when they spotted him on their way to lunch.
    â€œHey,” she casually said, “isn’t that that guy? You know, Kent’s cousin?”
    â€œJames?” Jen looked out the window. “Yeah, it is. Oh, stop the car and we’ll ask him to lunch!”
    â€œAre you crazy, Jen? He’s not going to come to lunch with just the two of us!” But it was too late. Jen had rolled down the window and was calling out to him, so Selena had no choice but to stop the car.
    â€œHey, ladies,” James said as he walked over. He was in faded jeans and a tight, white T-shirt that clung to what Selena could only describe as the perfect male form.
    Does he ever look bad? she wondered to herself. He’s a landscaper; he’s always sweaty and dirty and he looks better than anything I’ve ever seen. I’d love to…
    â€œIs that okay with you, Selena?” Jen asked, breaking into her inner dialogue.
    â€œWhat? I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.” She was blushing. Even though her eyes were hidden behind her sunglasses, she wasn’t so sure that James couldn’t tell she had been ogling him.
    â€œJames was just heading to get some lunch and I asked him to join us. Is that okay with you?”
    â€œOh, of course, please…hop in.” She felt as if her tongue were the size of her fist and prayed that she didn’t sound awkward to anyone else.
    â€œThanks,” he said politely as he climbed into the backseat. Glancing in her rearview mirror, Selena caught him wiping his face down with a red bandana. He caught her eye and smiled.
    Next to her, Jen began talking almost nonstop. Selena wanted to remind her friend to take a breath, but there didn’t seem to be an opportunity. She asked James about his job, and Selena noticed how his face simply lit up when he talked about it.
    â€œI plan on having my own business eventually and my own crews. I’m going to take some classes at the community college on landscape architecture and design. My boss, Mitch, he’s going to keep me on and teach me as much as he can. But first I have to get my GED.”
    â€œGED?” Selena asked, brows furrowed.
    James looked down for a moment and then met her gaze in the mirror. “I dropped out of high school when I was sixteen; I’ve been working ever since, but now that I know what I want to do, it’s important to