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Bass cradled his bag close to him and rushed back to his apartment, afraid someone might come along and take the bag from him. He got inside, locked the door, then rushed to his tiny bedroom.
When he opened the bag, he couldn’t stop the tears that had been plaguing him all day. No one was there to see the tears, so he didn’t try to stop them. He pulled out the container with half of a fresh apple pie. He ran to the kitchen and found a fork, then ran back to his room. The first bite of that pie was the best thing he’d ever had in his life. It was sugary and spicy and made a few more tears fall.
There was enough food in the bag to last him all week if he was careful. He ate a little more, then carefully hid the food away before he showered then crawled into bed. Bass was smiling when he closed his eyes.
He didn’t know it right then, but his life was about to change course . . . and it would never be the same again.
Chapter One
Twenty-Five Years Later
Bass
Bass hadn’t shed a tear in twenty-five years. He’d promised himself after his last bout of tears over food of all things, that he wasn’t going to be weak. He couldn’t change whatever moment he was in, but hecouldcontrol how he acted in those moments.
On this day, though, Bass couldn’t stop a single tear from slipping down his cheek. He was thirty-five years old, successful, and had come a long way from that starving child he’d once been. He didn’t allow messy emotions to rule his life. He didn’t allow himself to be a victim anymore. It had been a long time since he’d played that role.
The last time someone had made a fool of him, had forced him into something he hadn’t wanted anything to do with, he’d been twenty-eight years old. That day he’d lost everything. Now he was always waiting for the other shoe to drop. He’d gone soft for a while, and he was still paying the price.
The nearly perfect life he’d had from ten to twenty-eight hadn’t been meant to last forever. He’d never admit it out loud, but he’d hoped it would. For eighteen years his life he’d been happy, and then it had all come crashing down around him.
He hadn’t stopped living though, he just moved forward from that point on his own. Sure, there were constantly people around him who catered to his every whim, that’s what happened when you were a wealthy man, but those weren’ttruefriends . . . no, he’d lost his two best friends seven years earlier and it would haunt him until the day he died — he’d never show that pain to anyone, though, especially to Rafe and Shane.
In this moment though, Bass couldn’t hide his pain. He was at the graveyard as they lowered Nana Bee into the earth. Another tear fell. He quickly swiped it away, furious with himself. He closed his eyes for a moment and he could picture her wrinkled, beautiful face as if she were standing right there in front of him.
Bass, you knock this attitude off. You’re better than this. I saw the man you’d grow up to be when you were trying to break into my house at the tender age of ten. You’re all grown up now, and I still see that impish light in your eyes. You fix this . . . or I will.
That had been the last conversation he’d had with Nana Bee. He’d told her he couldn’t fix it, that Rafe, one of two of his previous best friends and her only grandson, hated him, that they couldn’t bridge the divide between them.
I know you’d never do anything immoral. You talk to him, you make him listen,she’d demanded.
I’ve tried, Nana Bee, I’ve tried. He won’t let me tell my side of the story.Bass had then firmed his shoulders and hardened his resolve.He gave up on me, and I don’t think I’ll forgive him for that.
Nana Bee had looked at him with disappointment for the first time in his life. To know he was hurting her nearly took his legs out from beneath him. There was nothing he could do though. He’d left that visit with the woman who’d changed his life feeling miserable. He’d been too ashamed to go back for the past year. Now, he was at her grave, watching her casket lower into the ground. He’d never be able to make it up to the woman who’d done so much for him, more than any other single person in his life.
He hurt all over. Who’d been with Nana Bee in her last moments? Had Rafe been with her? Had Lia and Rachel been there? Had Martin, her son, and Rosebella, her daughter-in-law, been there? Had they held her hand? Had Nana Bee been in pain? He sure hoped not. This was his real family. He might not have been born into their family, but Nana Bee had taken him in, and she’d guided him, and shown him there was a better way to life than stealing. He’d never stolen again after that fateful day he’d ended up on her porch.
Bass nearly smiled at that thought. He’d neverillegallystolen. He did buy and sell businesses, which some people said was theft. Many of his biddings had been hostile takeovers. He assured himself he was doing nothing wrong. The strong survived, the weak perished. Hell, he’d have perished as a young child if he hadn’t forced himself to fight. He wasstillfighting. Bass didn’t think he’d ever be able to stop. It was who he’d been forged into being. Some people became the Phoenix, and some became Thor’s Hammer. He was the latter.
Bass looked over and saw his former best friend, Rafe Palazzo, standing with Shane, his other best friend, Rafe’s two sisters, and his parents. The man looked up, and though there were tears in Rafe’s eyes as well, he was also glowering at Bass. It was clear Rafe didn’t want him there. Bass didn’t care, this wasn’t about Rafe, it was about Nana Bee.
Bass stared at him for several heartbeats, letting the man know he wasn’t afraid of him. Then he looked away. This certainly wasn’t the time for a battle with his former best friend. It was all so damn foolish. It was a horrible misunderstanding. Both men had too much pride to fix it. Each day that passed made it that much more impossible to fix.
The preacher was spouting some crap about Nana Bee being in a better place and Bass had to tamper down his fury. He hated when people said those words, hated that they acted like death was such a blessing. What idiots they were to think so. It was better for people like Nana Bee to be on this planet, to keep guiding lost souls as she’d guided Bass. How was it better for anyone to have her gone?
He looked out at the huge crowd. There were hundreds, possibly even a thousand people at the funeral. Many were crying, and many were smiling as the preacher spoke of Nana Bee’s antics. Bass was shocked when he saw long-retired Sheriff Mitch standing several rows back. Their eyes met and Mitch gave him a sad smile. The sheriff had been one of the truly good men out there. More than one lost soul had been brought to Nana Bee’s for help over the years, and the sheriff seemed to know who could be saved by the generous woman. Unfortunately, not all lost wanted to be found, and not all broken wanted to be healed.
Bass continued scanning the crowd and stopped when he found a woman farther back than most. Her blonde hair gleamed in the sun and her cheeks were soaked with tears. She looked vaguely familiar but he couldn’t quite place her. He also couldn’t seem to turn away from the visibly upset woman. A shudder wracked her body, and she looked up, their gazes clashing.
Her eyes widened as she stared at him for a brief moment before she quickly turned away. Even with her lips and eyes swollen from what had to be hours of crying, the woman was absolutely stunning. There was no possible way he would’ve known her and forgotten her. Who was she? Bass liked that he had something other than the utter sadness of Nana Bee’s death to focus on.
He decided he wanted to find out who the woman was. She was clearly wracked with grief over the loss of Nana Bee just as many at the funeral were, but her pain seemed even deeper than his. He wanted to know why.
The preacher finished speaking, and Bass pushed himself away from where he’d been standing. He began moving through the large crowd to get to the woman. She looked up again and saw his intention then quickly turned and scurried away. There was no way for him to catch her without causing a scene.
Every person who’d come to the funeral had signed the guest log. He could try to get his hands on the book and go through the hundreds and hundreds of names and see if one popped out at him. His shoulders slumped as he stopped himself. This was ridiculous. He was only curious about the woman because he was so grief-stricken over Nana Bee. He needed to let it go.
“I’m glad you’re here, Bass,” Lia Palazzo said as arms wrapped around him.
