was this sad, vulnerable quality that made you want to protect her.”
“Tell me about it,” he muttered.
She glared at him, swatting his hand when he reached for another muffin. “You were the one who vowed to protect her and keep her safe. You let her down.”
Trey looked his old friend in the eye, feeling ashamed he’d disappointed her. “I’m sorry for all the mistakes I’ve made, Val. I want to try and make up for it.”
She passed him the fruit platter. “It’s too late for that. She’s got a new man in her life. They’re getting married.”
He dipped his head, concentrating on the colourful platter. It still felt like a blade to the chest whenever he thought about her marrying another man. “She told me.”
“You’d better not have any ideas in that fool head about trying to break them up.”
Busted. Damn, she knew him too well. “What makes you think that?”
She pointed a chubby finger at him. “You get that idea out of your head right now, young man. That girl has been through enough. If she’s found happiness with this new man in her life, then you owe it to her to wish her well.”
He propped his elbows on the table and folded his hands. “I don’t think I can do that, Val. I still love her.”
She touched his arm. “If you love her, prove it. Let her go, son.”
Trey strolled along the flagstone walkway connecting his sprawling ranch bungalow and music studio. He’d tossed and turned all night thinking about what it meant, having Sierra back in the home they’d shared, making music in the studio where so many number one hits had been born. It had been a magical place for him before the accident and he was confident he and Sierra could make magic there again.
His friends and family thought he was crazy to keep the house after the divorce, but to sell it would have meant letting go of the only thing he had left from their marriage, that and the diamond wedding band he still wore.
He wondered if she’d noticed the ring last night, understood the significance of it. It was more than a band of gold to him. It represented a life he hadn’t been able or willing to relinquish.
Trey stopped short at the sight of the unfamiliar car parked in front of his studio. A dark blue Mercedes sedan didn’t seem like the kind of car Sierra would drive. Unless he was sorely mistaken, a social worker didn’t make enough money to afford the rims on one of these cars. Even when they’d been married and he offered to buy her the wheels of her choice, she’d opted for practicality in favour of flash. So, who did the expensive car belong to, and how did its owner get past the security guard at his gatehouse?
Before he could approach the car, Sierra was getting out of the passenger’s seat. A distinguished-looking man in a dark suit walked around the rear of the car to claim her hand. He smiled down at her and tucked her hand in the crook of his arm before turning toward Trey.
He extended his hand. “Trey Turner, I presume.”
Trey acknowledged the man, taking the hand he offered. He sized him up: late fifties, well built, designer suit, Rolex watch, none of which bothered him. What irked him was the fact that Sierra was looking up at the man with a familiar affection that she used to reserve for him.
“And you would be?”
The older man chuckled, looking down at Sierra. “I’m Sierra’s fiancé, Judge Eric Cortright.”
Trey didn’t know whether to be amused or concerned. He imagined Sierra’s fiancé would be someone much younger, maybe a social worker who shared her passion for helping people. He could have handled a man like that. The judge, on the other hand, looked like a man ready to be reckoned with.
Not that Trey could blame him; he would have done the same in his situation. Hell, he would never have allowed Sierra to agree to this cozy working relationship with her ex in the first place.
“Trey, was that Val’s car I saw when we drove up?” Sierra asked.
“Yeah,
“Tell me about it,” he muttered.
She glared at him, swatting his hand when he reached for another muffin. “You were the one who vowed to protect her and keep her safe. You let her down.”
Trey looked his old friend in the eye, feeling ashamed he’d disappointed her. “I’m sorry for all the mistakes I’ve made, Val. I want to try and make up for it.”
She passed him the fruit platter. “It’s too late for that. She’s got a new man in her life. They’re getting married.”
He dipped his head, concentrating on the colourful platter. It still felt like a blade to the chest whenever he thought about her marrying another man. “She told me.”
“You’d better not have any ideas in that fool head about trying to break them up.”
Busted. Damn, she knew him too well. “What makes you think that?”
She pointed a chubby finger at him. “You get that idea out of your head right now, young man. That girl has been through enough. If she’s found happiness with this new man in her life, then you owe it to her to wish her well.”
He propped his elbows on the table and folded his hands. “I don’t think I can do that, Val. I still love her.”
She touched his arm. “If you love her, prove it. Let her go, son.”
Trey strolled along the flagstone walkway connecting his sprawling ranch bungalow and music studio. He’d tossed and turned all night thinking about what it meant, having Sierra back in the home they’d shared, making music in the studio where so many number one hits had been born. It had been a magical place for him before the accident and he was confident he and Sierra could make magic there again.
His friends and family thought he was crazy to keep the house after the divorce, but to sell it would have meant letting go of the only thing he had left from their marriage, that and the diamond wedding band he still wore.
He wondered if she’d noticed the ring last night, understood the significance of it. It was more than a band of gold to him. It represented a life he hadn’t been able or willing to relinquish.
Trey stopped short at the sight of the unfamiliar car parked in front of his studio. A dark blue Mercedes sedan didn’t seem like the kind of car Sierra would drive. Unless he was sorely mistaken, a social worker didn’t make enough money to afford the rims on one of these cars. Even when they’d been married and he offered to buy her the wheels of her choice, she’d opted for practicality in favour of flash. So, who did the expensive car belong to, and how did its owner get past the security guard at his gatehouse?
Before he could approach the car, Sierra was getting out of the passenger’s seat. A distinguished-looking man in a dark suit walked around the rear of the car to claim her hand. He smiled down at her and tucked her hand in the crook of his arm before turning toward Trey.
He extended his hand. “Trey Turner, I presume.”
Trey acknowledged the man, taking the hand he offered. He sized him up: late fifties, well built, designer suit, Rolex watch, none of which bothered him. What irked him was the fact that Sierra was looking up at the man with a familiar affection that she used to reserve for him.
“And you would be?”
The older man chuckled, looking down at Sierra. “I’m Sierra’s fiancé, Judge Eric Cortright.”
Trey didn’t know whether to be amused or concerned. He imagined Sierra’s fiancé would be someone much younger, maybe a social worker who shared her passion for helping people. He could have handled a man like that. The judge, on the other hand, looked like a man ready to be reckoned with.
Not that Trey could blame him; he would have done the same in his situation. Hell, he would never have allowed Sierra to agree to this cozy working relationship with her ex in the first place.
“Trey, was that Val’s car I saw when we drove up?” Sierra asked.
“Yeah,
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