Page 21 of Second Chance Saloon

“Why not?”

Rea continued looking at her like she could tell something was wrong. “You always say you don’t believe in love.”

“Does she now?” a male voice asked, amusement echoing through those three words.

Jackie stiffened, her stupid body itching to lean into the familiar sound. Apparently, ten years wasn’t enough to counteract the effect Mitch had on her. If she believed in God, she’d have dropped to her knees and prayed for some angel to descend from the heavens to whisk her away.

Slowly, she turned her head in the direction of his voice, needing to mentally catch herself as her heart dropped when their eyes met.

He had either jumped into a cold shower or miraculously shrugged off the alcohol fumes, because the man standing before her now didn’t seem anything but sober.

Short, prickly stubble covered his face, matching his dark blond hair—slightly longer than the last time she’d seen him. Thick, dark lashes framed his deep-set green eyes. Jackie remembered how she used to think they looked like someone put an overlay on top of an emerald. There were some new lines running over his forehead and kissing his eyes, but not much else had changed.

Still a handsome devil.

Somehow, these extra years suited him. His posture and the way he held himself were different. Like he’d remembered where to find the confidence he gained when they had been together and kept coming back for more, in bucketloads.

His full lips quirked into a smirk, and he pushed his hands in his pockets. “So, you don’t believe in love, Jackie? That’s new.”

Rea glanced at them, clearly uncomfortable. “Excuse me, I’m going to go check on the set-up. You’re good here, Miss van Moetlier?”

Jackie gave her a wooden nod. “Of course. Thank you, Rea.”

Holding her breath, she watched Rea walk up the corridor and disappear round the corner.

Her skin prickled, her senses on high alert, ready for fight or flight.

When she was convinced that Rea was well and truly out of earshot, she whirled round to face Mitch again. “This is very unfortunate, but I promise you won’t even see me. You can enjoy your stay, and I’ll keep out of your way,” she said in a low voice, annoyed at how it trembled at the end of every single word.

Mitch shook his head, his expression softening into one of contemplation. “I don’t want you staying out of my way. I want you—need you—to finally tell me why you left.”

She cleared her throat, dropping her gaze. “I can’t,” she whispered. Tears welled up in her eyes again, his scrutinizing stare stoking fire in the pit of her stomach. “I’m sorry.”

He crossed his arms over his chest, tilting his head to the side.

Despite herself, she stole a glance at him, her eyes darting of their own accord to his delicious forearms. Her heart ached with the memory of how safe she’d felt in his arms. How every other set of arms paled in comparison through the years. For a split second, all the reasons why she couldn’t tell him whatever he wanted evaded her. They ceased to exist. Maybe there was a parallel universe in which this could be true. Maybe in that universe she had never left him. She wanted to bang her stupid head against the wall.

Damn you, forearms.

“I’ll find out,” he said with a startling conviction.

Jackie snorted. “Good luck with that.”

Mitch narrowed his eyes. “Oh, I don’t need luck.” He took a step forward, and another one. Their chests almost touched; their hearts almost lined up.

“And why is that?”

“You feel guilty. I see it in your eyes.”

She laughed, looking away.

Mitch sighed and dragged his hand through his hair. “Come on, Jackie. I need a win here. I’ve been abandoned twice now—hard not to think it’s me. Tell me it’s not me.”

The old, familiar pull between them squeezed her chest. Her breath hitched. She stepped out of his reach, wrapping her arms around her middle. “It’s not you.”

“Then tell me why. Please.”

She swallowed, wishing she could squash down the flare of desire that his closeness awakened in her. “It was ten years ago, Mitch. It’s in the past. You were ready to marry someone else. And I’m not the same girl you knew in Texas.”