Chapter 2

It took five minutes for her to be awake enough to come down the stairs, holding the now-empty mug in front of her like a shield. She hadn't bothered to worry about what to wear, grabbing the first thing out of her suitcase and pulling it on. The old well-worn Penn State T-shirt and gray track pants would be more than enough for her mystery visitor.

Who the hell would come to see me?

Who even knew I was in town?

Jake? But what would he—

She stopped wondering as she saw the man seated at the table with her mother, chatting away as he worked on a piece of peach pie.

Hunter.

He sat at the table, looking more respectable than she'd ever seen him. The white dress shirt was tight across his shoulders, the top button undone, and a stark black tie hung loose around his neck, tempting her to give it a playful tug.

Must be at least seven… eight years?

She'd last seen him at their high school graduation. During the ceremony, Hunter proudly pulled up his robe to flash the other students with fluorescent shorts. At their own private party afterward, he'd discarded them along with the rest of his clothing one last time, a tearful farewell as they parted ways, each on their own path.

Angela bit on her lower lip at the sight of his black hair, a bit scruffier and longer than the expected norm for a teacher. Dancing on the edge of acceptable, not so different from high school.

She loved it at that length.

Just enough to grab and hold tight, dig her fingers into it, twist.

Damn. Still delicious after all these years.

Her mother looked up and spotted her in the doorway. "'Bout time you got your raggedy ass down here." Mary-Ann rose from the table and plucked the cup from Angela's hands. "I'll get you a refill and a piece of pie. Sit and be sociable." Without waiting for a reply, she strutted off to the counter.

Hunter laughed as Angela took the chair across the table from him. "Your mother is still a force of nature. As soon as I showed up at the door, she ordered me to sit down so she could feed me. Good thing I hadn't had lunch yet."

"Tell me about it." She cleared her throat. "How did you know I was here?"

He cocked his head to one side and gave her the sideway glance she knew all too well. "I have my sources."

Angela felt her pulse speed up as she remembered what else used to accompany that gesture.

Curled up around each other under the blankets in his treehouse, reading to each other as we worked on our English assignment. At least until one of us gave up and gave in to our desire…

A warm flush ran along her skin at the memory.

Mary-Ann placed a slab of pie in front of Angela, breaking her reverie. "That'll make up for you skipping breakfast."

Angela stared at the mega-sized piece. "And dinner and breakfast and lunch tomorrow as well."

Mary-Ann snorted. "Don't be a smart ass." She picked up her mug of coffee and walked to the sink. "I've got to go to the grocery store. I'll see you later, Hunter. Best to your dad."

"I'll send him your best." Hunter waved as she left the kitchen.

A few minutes later Angela heard the car start up. The sound of the old station wagon's distinctive engine diminished as her mother pulled out of the garage and onto the street.

Angela ate another bite of pie. "How is your father? Mom mentioned he was having some health problems."

Hunter didn't respond right away, and she saw the pain in his deep blue eyes.

"I'm sorry," she started, "I didn't mean to—"

He raised a hand, silencing her. "Early onset Alzheimer's. He's in St. Thomas's Rest Home. I had to put him in there a year ago when it became too hard to keep him at home. The visiting nurses could only do so much, so I made the decision." He shook his head. "Hardest choice of my life. But he's safe and they're taking good care of him, better than I could."

"I'm sorry." She couldn't think of what else to say.

"Me too." He smiled. "He remembers you at times. Asks what you're doing."

"What do you tell him?"

"You're saving the world in Philly. He likes it."

"Good." She shuffled the thick peach slices around on her plate, not sure what to say.

He paused before speaking—choosing his words with care. "I heard you were engaged."

Angela nodded. "'Were' being the important word." She sighed. "Caught him with another woman. He told me it wasn't what it looked like—as if I'm that stupid." She swallowed past the lump in her throat. "But I'm done with him now." She slashed the air with her hand, channeling her rage into the simple gesture. "Done."

"I'm sorry."

She frowned. "What are you sorry for?"

"I'm sorry I'll be in jail for the rest of my life after I kill him," Hunter deadpanned.

She couldn't help laughing. "I think I'm okay with you letting Eric live." The name felt awful in her mouth. "He's the loser in this deal. Not me."

"Hell, yeah." He smiled and she felt some of the weight lift from her chest at the familiar saying. It'd been one of their catchphrases through high school, shouted every chance they got.

Hunter looked at his watch. "Damn. I've got to get back to work, get ready for team practice. I wanted to drop in and say hello, see how you were doing." He stood up and put his light jacket on, festooned with the college colors and the mascot, the Glen Barrow Badger. "I'm glad I did."

She rose and crossed her arms, suddenly self-conscious. "I'm a little messed up, but I'll be okay." Angela brushed an errant lock of hair out of her eyes. "Caught me off-guard. Cut me deep, but I'll survive."

"I know you will." He took a step toward her and paused.

Angela saw the confusion in his eyes, the trepidation.

"I'm not made of glass." She opened her arms to him. "Please."

Her voice cracked on the single word.

Please.

Hunter almost ran to her, crossing the few feet between them in an instant. He pulled her close, his arms curling around her, his strength holding her up in her time of need.

His familiar scent filled her nose, taking her back to a less complicated time and place.

A minute later Angela drew back, releasing him with a loud sigh. "Thanks. I needed that."

"No problem on my part. I know you're in a bad place right now, but I'm here if you need to talk to someone who's not your mother." He winked. "Or anything else you'd like to do. Like, say—with the rest of that pie."

Angela gave him a weak punch to the chest. "Pervert."

"Me? I'm not the one who kissed the top cheerleader on a dare." He leaned in and whispered in her ear. "And I know you liked it." Hunter gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek. "It's good to see you again. Don't be a stranger."

He pulled back and paused, staring at her.

She made the first move.

Angela kissed him hard, purging all the sadness from her soul.

Hunter let out something akin to a groan, finally pulling away to drop small butterfly kisses along her jawline, ending with a nip on her earlobe.

"Hell, yeah," Hunter whispered as he released her. He cupped her face in his hands and smiled. "I'm here for you. Take some time for yourself, as long as you need." He kissed the tip of her nose. "I'll see you around."

He walked out of the kitchen, leaving her alone.

Angela rolled her head back and studied the ceiling.

That was—

Uncomfortable.

Interesting.

Exhausting.

She mentally marked D: All of the above and went to refill her coffee.

As she added the milk, Angela recalled their tearful goodbye, years ago.

Unlike many of their peers who had screaming, vicious fights not long after graduation, the two of them chose different paths.

That was all there was to it. They'd wished each other well and headed off in opposite directions.

There'd been no birthday cards, no Christmas presents—they knew each other too well to dance on that razor's edge. A clear and plain break was the only way to go. And that'd withstood the test of time, for years. She hadn't thought about him for the longest time, pouring all of her energy into her job, and until recently, her relationship with Eric.

Now she was back, newly single and Hunter… Hunter was available. Her mother would have warned her off if he were in a relationship.

But—

Angela sat again at the table and picked at the delicious slices of peaches, the thick syrup spreading all over the plate.

Get serious, woman. You're not ready for this. It's been barely twenty-four hours since you broke up with Eric.

She was in no shape to make any sort of judgment on whether reviving her relationship with Hunter Stratham was a good idea or not.

Angela cut into the crisp pie crust with her fork.

At least she knew where she stood with the pie.

Jake had the evening shift again—which was good, as he hadn't managed to get to sleep for a few hours after the encounter with Angela.

As it was, he spent most of the morning trying to figure out what to do or say.

Do I call her?

Do I not call her?

There had to be more to this impromptu visit than just a desire for her mom's home cooking.

Opportunity presented itself when he went to the grocery store and spotted Mary-Ann Kenzie. His relationship with Angela's mother hadn't been the best when they were dating, but they'd settled into a comfortable detente when Jake arrived to take over as Chief.

If she's here, Angela's alone.

A good time to visit.

He headed for the express checkout counter, noting Mary-Ann was busy chatting in line to another woman in line, two customers away from paying from her groceries.

There were advantages to being a policeman.

Least of which was being allowed to speed and ignore street lights if necessary, for a good cause.

And checking in on Angela qualified as a good cause.

He found her sitting on the porch, bundled up in an ancient crocheted afghan from her grandmother. The deep autumn colors had decorated her bed back at Penn State, and he wasn't surprised to find it here and on her.

Jake closed the car door and leaned on the roof. "If you're waiting for your mother, she's busy tearing up the gossip line with Betty at the grocery store. Also, she's buying cabbages so I expect she'll be making cabbage rolls at some point. Better be ready to work the assembly line."

Angela laughed, gripping the coffee mug. "More comfort food. I expect I'm the talk of the town right now. Probably the biggest story to hit here since I got the job in Philly." The momentary burst of cheerfulness shifted into a neutral, almost sad stare. "Great to be so popular."

Jake came up the few steps and leaned on the short white wooden railing surrounding the porch. "Last night. You could have told me why you were coming back."

"How did you find out?"

He jerked a thumb at the street. "Grace, my dispatcher. By the time I came in this morning she had the entire story—including your mother's graphic description of what she'd like to do to Eric."

"I could have told you the whole story." She shook her head, the loose blonde hair falling over her shoulders. "But I didn't want your pity."

"You assume I'd give it to you." He saw the flash of anger and held back a smile. Inside, Jake let out a sigh of relief.

Still the fiery woman I remember.

Bastard didn't break you.

"What did he do?" He rested his hands on his gun belt. "Another woman?" He raised both eyebrows. "Another man?"

Angela grimaced at the weak joke. "I wish. Legal secretary in his office on his desk. I walked in to see him banging her like a bloody steel drum." She looked out over the well-kept lawn. "To hell with him."

"Yep." Jake nodded. "Want me to put in an alert on him for possible drug running?"

Coffee spewed across the varnished wood and splattered his black boots. "What?"

Jake grinned. "It's an idea. Drop his license plate into the system, have every cop in Pennsylvania pulling him over and searching his car."

Angela wiped her mouth. "Oh, Lord. Don't tempt me." She sighed. "Although it'd serve the bastard right. I can't believe I bought into his lies, his—" She dropped her chin to her chest. "God, I was so stupid."

He was at her side in a second to pluck the mug from her hands and put it on the ground. "I'm so sorry, Angela." He knelt. "You don't deserve this."

She leaned forward into his arms, and all he could think about was the scent of her hair, the feel of her under his hands as she pressed her face into his chest and cried.

He stayed there for a few minutes, letting her do what she needed to do.

Finally, Jake cleared his throat and helped her sit back in the chair before standing up.

Angela cleared her throat. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have—"

"Hey." He reached out a finger and tipped her chin up so he could look into her deep blue eyes. "If you can't cry with me, who can you cry with?"

She sniffled, the weak smile tugging at his heartstrings.

Jake ignored the warning bells going off in his head and leaned in to kiss her, his arms going around her again.

This time it wasn't to comfort her. It was to pull her close, the fire re-igniting in his heart and soul as she kissed him back, her fingers digging into his shoulders.

It was as if the past few years had never happened, their time apart nothing but a disturbing dream.

A few seconds later, a few minutes later, she pulled back breathless and wide-eyed. Her forehead furrowed, concern rising in her gaze.

"I head you were separated."

Jake brushed his thumb over her bruised lips, marveling how gorgeous she looked even in her distraught emotional state. "Divorced," he rasped. "I'm divorced."

At hearing his own words, Jake drew back.

Don't push it, he warned himself.

She licked her lips and he knew he had to move, do something before he gave into his urge to bundle her off the porch and into his car, drive her back to his apartment and drive all thought of that idiot Eric out of her mind.

"I'm sorry." It was the only thing he could come up with.

"For what?" She frowned.

"I shouldn't be pushing you. Not here, not now."

Angie smiled, settling his nerves. "You've done nothing wrong." She stroked his cheek. "We were always friends first, lovers second. We're good."

Jake nodded and put his escape plan into action.

"I better get out of here before your mother comes back. She won't be happy to see me lounging on the porch."

Angela gave him a weak smile. "She's being my mother. Always trying to protect me."

He tilted his head to one side. "That's her job. But don't forget there's others here for you." He stood up. "Don't forget the taillight, either. I'd hate to have to put you in jail." He swaggered off the porch. "I've been watching cable. I know what you ladies get up to behind bars."

Her answering laugh followed him back to his car.

Angela watched her mother park the weather-beaten station wagon in the driveway and get out. Grace plucked a jug of milk and a bag of groceries out of the trunk and headed up the driveway.

Angela didn't get up to help. In the years before she'd left home, Angela learned that offering to do so would lead to a long speech about how her mother wasn't an invalid and was able to carry her own food and so forth. If she was needed, Mary-Ann would yell for her to come help, and that would be that.

It was easier to sit there and wonder about Jake.

He looked good in uniform.

Too good.

She licked her lips.

It was hard to hold back a sigh, remembering the way his uniform pants hugged his ass as he walked out to his car.

First Hunter, then Jake.

Both men back in her life.

But she didn't want either of them… did she?

I'm a drowning woman in the middle of the desert.

Mary-Ann slowed her pace as she went up the stairs. "Good to see you out here getting some fresh air." She narrowed her eyes. "Guess Jake came by to visit. I saw the police car turn the corner when I came down the street."

"He wanted to say hello and check to see if I'd taken care of that taillight." The half-lie came out easily, a lifetime of dealing with her mother's resentment toward Jake coming back into play.

Mary-Ann snorted. "Yeah. Right. Like I was born yesterday." She walked into the house. "Just tell me you didn't do anything stupid."

Angela got up and strolled in, keeping the afghan loose on her shoulders.

Mary-Ann was in the kitchen putting the milk away. She looked up as Angela entered. "Got us a lovely roast for Sunday dinner. And some fine cabbages. They had the triple meat blend so next week we're making a ton of cabbage rolls." She gestured at the recyclable blue bag on the counter. "Been a while since I've been able to justify making a big meal like this without some big occasion. Looking forward to it. I'm thinking you're not going to be in a rush to go back to all that—" She gestured with her hand. "That mess."

"No," Angela admitted. "I'm not." In her mind's eye, she saw Eric strutting around the office, making excuses to the staff and the other partners when the truth came out.

His edited version of the truth, that is.

He wouldn't tell them about banging Kelly on his desk, and she'd sit there in the outer office, exchanging knowing looks with Eric while everyone speculated on Angela's sudden departure.

He'd wait a few weeks, maybe months before introducing Kelly as his new girlfriend.

Maybe he'd buy her the same ring.

Angela considered the engagement ring, tucked deep in her jean pocket. She'd pulled it off while driving yesterday, the glittering jewel too much for her to handle in her line of sight.

Her career, her life, her self-esteem—

All snatched away in a second.

"You better not be considering going back to Eric," her mother warned as she continued to unpack the groceries. "If he'll cheat on you once, he'll do it again. And again. Stay here until you figure out what you want to do. Take as long as you want. I'm not going to throw you out." She closed the refrigerator door. "Get your head clear, consider all your options."

"I have been. I'm going to make some phone calls today." Angela exhaled, imagining the chaos she was about to create. She'd been pondering the idea since she'd arrived but hadn't made the final decision until after Jake's visit.

Time to unleash the hounds.

"What are you going to do?" Mary-Ann asked.

"First, quit my job. I can't go back and work there. It's not an option." Angela chased the nightmare scenario from her mind. "I'll write a letter to the partners, tell them why, but they may not care."

Mentally, she'd already composed the email and knew what she'd say on a follow-up phone call, but the facts wouldn't dampen the gossip Eric might already be spreading about her.

The only blessing in the entire horrible scenario was she didn't have any major cases that couldn't be passed on to other lawyers at the firm.

At least her clients wouldn't suffer.

"My apartment has only a few more months left on the lease—I'll call them, see what we can arrange. I can get a work friend to pack up my stuff and send it to me. That'll give me some time while I recover from all this—" She swept her hand around, not knowing what to call it.

Mary-Ann nodded her approval, resting against the kitchen counter.

"I'm selling the engagement ring. Seed money for my new business." She pulled the afghan around her shoulders again. "I'm tired of Philly. It's about time I thought about helping people here, at home. Don't tell me Glen Barrow can't use a local lawyer."

It was hard to sound cheerful but she had to do something, anything to get out of the emotional swamp threatening to pull her down and swallow her whole.

People always joke about lawyers being nothing more than human sharks.

Sharks need to keep swimming or they'll drown.

Keep swimming.

"We sure could. And it'd be nice to have you back here." Her mother smiled. "But be careful, don't go rushing off to start dating again." Mary-Ann shook her head. "You know who I'm talking about, both of them. You're vulnerable right now, raw and sore all over. Don't need a one-night stand with some fellow looking for a nostalgia trip. You deserve better. Give yourself time to grieve this mess, and then come up for air."

Angela nodded. "Don't worry about me. Right now, I can't even imagine getting into another relationship." She paused, curiosity winning over caution. "Does Hunter know about Jake? I mean, do they each know I used to date the other?"

"No idea." Her mother sat at the table. "They might have discovered it in passing, but I doubt anyone brought it up as a topic of conversation." She frowned. "There was no reason to talk about it. You weren't here, Jake was married and Hunter, well… man was working." Mary-Ann shook her head.

Angela pushed the thought to the back of her mind, mentally putting it into a box and locking it up tight.

"I can't think about them right now. I've got to take care of me." She drew a deep breath and reached for her cell phone. "Let's get started."

It was early afternoon when Jake parked his car in the campus parking lot and walked over to the sports building, nodding at the groups of college students on the way. Shouts and yells came from the nearby basketball court, signaling practice was in session.

A fast glance showed Hunter wasn't in sight, his assistant running drills with the eager players.

Jake headed up the stairs to the coach's office.

He rapped on the door before entering, catching Sally's attention. The secretary rose from her desk, her eyes wide with curiosity. He wasn't wearing his uniform, which added to her confusion.

"Don't worry, I'm not here on police business," he said before she could speak. "Need to have a few words with Hunter."

She let out a sigh. "Thank goodness. I thought for a second it was about the permits. The students know they're not supposed to park on the city streets but—"

Jake smiled. "We're good. Hunter in?"

"Sure." She motioned him toward the office in the back. "Let me know if there's anything you need."

He hadn't seen Hunter Stratham in a few weeks, the last time being at a basketball game, when they'd dealt with a couple of drunk tailgaters. Hunter offered his support, keeping the students in line when tempers began to run hot. He'd helped defuse the situation and for that much, Jake was grateful. They'd talked over the years, but not much more than exchanging basic greetings and general chit-chat.

As far as Angela went—he'd been married when he got the job and while he knew Hunter had dated her in high school, the topic of their shared past had never come up. There'd never been a need to discuss it, so they hadn't.

Now his wife was gone and Angela was back…

His world and Hunter's were about to crash into each other with dangerous possibilities.

He knocked on the doorframe.

Hunter looked up from his desk and waved him in with a smile.

If Jake didn't know better, he'd have believed there was a special memo sent out dictating how sports coaches had to dress. Hunter always wore white shirts and khakis, the beige light jacket hanging on the back of the office chair.

"Hello." Hunter put his pencil down. "I can guess why you're here." He crooked a finger at the door.

Jake took the hint and closed it before taking the open seat in front of the desk. "I'm sure you can. Question is what we're going to do about it." He lifted his left leg and rested his boot on the edge of the desk. The black polished leather shone under the fluorescent lights.

"Basic facts. Angela's back in town. She's likely going to stay for a while." Once more, Hunter smiled. "And when she gets over that asshole, she'll hopefully be open to dating again. Her two best choices are in this room." He pointed at his chest. "And the best one's right here."

Jake smiled, but said nothing.

The silence hung in the air between them for a full minute, each sizing up the other.

"For the record, I don't want to fight you," Hunter said. "My days of street brawling are pretty well behind me."

"Good. You'd lose."

Hunter arched one eyebrow. "Don't bet on it." He eyed the policeman. "You don't know everything about me."

"I don't," Jake replied. "But I know I could take you."

Hunter leaned back in the chair, forcing a creak from the wooden seat. "Maybe." He drawled, his blue eyes locking with Jake's.

He stared back, not giving an inch.

After a minute Hunter grinned again and broke away. "Maybe not."

Again, Jake returned the smile.

Hunter dropped the grin and stared at him with a sudden intensity. "It'll be her choice. But I will make you bleed if you don't give her all the space she needs right now."

Jake frowned, taken aback by the statement.

This wasn't how he'd envisioned this conversation going.

Hunter entwined his fingers and leaned forward. "You're not stupid and neither am I, so let's cut through the crap." His voice was low and firm, talking to Jake as an equal. "Angela's in a bad spot right now. Betrayed by the man she thought she loved, that she was engaged to. She's emotionally vulnerable, and I have no doubt if I went after her, she'd be in my bed soon enough." He eyed Jake. "Maybe you could do the same. But it won't be right for her. Not for the future."

Jake flashed back to the encounter on the porch, the kiss…

He leaned back, letting Hunter say his piece.

Hunter pointed at himself. "Angela and I, we broke up on good terms. I’m guessing you did the same. We know if she jumps into bed with either of us it's going to be a rough morning after when she wakes up and crashes back into reality."

"Good point," Jake conceded. "She's in a bad place right now, cleaning up the mess from the asshole."

"Exactly. It might be a night of fun, but she'd feel awful the next day and she doesn't need that on top with everything else. Not to mention bringing the wrath of Mary-Ann down on our heads if Angela goes home weeping and crying about how she wasn't ready to deal with another relationship and feels like crap for starting something up with either of us. So, I'd like to propose a deal."

Jake stared at him. "A deal? A deal about what?"

"About Angela. This town doesn't need us to be at war with each other. We've got enough mutual friends that'll be forced to take sides—and the rest of the town'll line up fast enough behind one or the other. In a big city, no one would give a crap, but here… we don't need that type of tension tearing people apart. It'd be a losing proposition for everyone involved. Best to avoid it at all costs."

Jake couldn't disagree with the man's logic.

"What do you suggest?" he asked.

"I propose a gentleman's agreement between us. Three months' moratorium on chasing Angela Kenzie. Visit her, call her, be a good friend. But no getting it on."

"Getting it on." Jake smirked. "I like that phrase. Leaves a whole lot of space for interpretation."

"Don't be an ass." The harsh tone slapped him across the face. "You know what I'm talking about." Hunter's eyes narrowed. "Or do you need me to spell it out to you?"

Jake got to his feet. "I'm not stupid."

Hunter stood up as well. "Then don't act like you are." He pointed at the nearby window. "Either of us pushes her, and she's going to bounce away from both of us and leave town. Then where's she going to go? Back to Philly, to the asshole that broke her heart? I want her to be happy, don't you?"

"You expect me to hold back, be all nice and friendly and take you at your word that you're not sneaking around my back to see her?" Jake shook his head. "Not going to happen."

"I expect you to trust me if I promise I won't be anything more than a good friend to her." He picked up a pencil and bent it between his fingers. "Another relationship right after breaking up with the douchebag isn't going to be good for her. Too much pressure on her and she's going to snap. Do you want that? I sure as hell don't."

The splinters flew across the desk. Some landed at Jake's feet.

He winced.

Hate to admit it but the man's got a point.

"So," Hunter continued. "Let's be her good friends for three months. Let's be her safe place to fall, her shoulder to cry on. Support her in whatever she decides to do, while keeping our hands off her. Give her space and let her find her way again. She's a hell of a strong woman—I'd like to see her make her way without either of us muddying the waters."

Jake pressed his lips into a tight line before answering. "Okay. But I'm not going to avoid her. She wants to see me, she sees me. We show up at the same places, I'm staying put. I'm not going to cut and run every time she shows up at the grocery store."

"Agreed." Hunter held out his hand. "For three months, we'll be the best of friends and nothing else. After that we can both make our cases to her and see if she's interested in seeing either of us again." He paused. "If she chooses you, I'll wish you the best and back away. Hope you'd do the same if she picks me."

"Agreed. But—" Jake cleared his throat. "You hurt her and you'll have to answer to me. And I don't make idle threats. You can ask Angela."

"I'm sure. Same goes for me." Hunter kept his hand out. "But this only works if we trust each other."

Jake eyed him. "Not going to make you swear a blood oath, but if you break this deal, I'll come after you."

"Understood." Hunter didn't move.

Jake grabbed the outstretched hand. "May the best man win."

Hunter increased the pressure, causing Jake to grit his teeth with the sudden and intense pain. "I think he will."