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With the worry now lifted from my heart, my senses heightened. I could smell the dust from the ground, hear the mooing cow and bleating sheep. The warm wind flapped against my blouse.
I looked around and picked a building.
“We’ll start by cleaning out the stable.”
A round of loud knocking at the gate interrupted us. Jake went to check who it was.
“When will we start leaving the gates open again?” Beth asked.
“Once we beef up security, we’ll keep the gates open during the day. But until then, they’ll remain closed. Luckily, we live close enough to hear the knock. The only living space far from the gate is my room in the shed. And I’m not using it right now.”
I turned to Ethan.
“Start arranging meetings with locals, our suppliers, and the folks we used to sell our produce to. We need to rebuild those connections.”
He nodded. “Got it, Anna. I’ll start arranging those meetings for you.”
The knocking grew more insistent as Jake closed the gate and started towards us.
“It’s Max,” he announced. “Says he won’t leave till he talks to you.”
Defeated, I sighed.
“Let him in.”
A few seconds later, Max rode in furiously on his horse, scowling.
I couldn’t help but remember the last summer we spent together in Marfa. I could still see the boy who had left me without a backward glance to chase his rodeo dreams. He’d left behind a girl with a bruised heart. Now, he was here. Dashing as ever yet infuriating as always.
But I wasn’t that girl anymore. I squared my shoulders, meeting his gaze head-on.
The air crackled with tension. I was vaguely aware of Beth, Ethan, and Jake watching and knew that my reaction today would shape how they viewed me for a long time.
“Max,” I greeted.
He dismounted the horse, jaw clenched.
As he moved closer, his scent – earth, sweat, and something uniquely Max – wrapped around me. I was acutely, painfully aware of him.
“Took you long enough to open that gate, Anna,” he said in a sharp tone.
And along with the awareness came the wall built from hurt, time, and too many what-ifs. I wouldn’t let him waltz back into my life. Wouldn’t let him think he could affect me in any way. We were different people now, shaped and molded by the different roads we’d taken.
Besides, deep down, I hadn’t forgiven Max yet. I needed to let go of all the hurt he’d caused. But for now, I could only tolerate him. Love my enemy, as they say. Instead of responding in kind, I would kill him with kindness.
I forced a smile.
“Max, it’s been a short while.”
6
Max
ThesmileonAnna’slips got under my skin. It wasn’t quite a smirk, but if one side of her lips turned upwards a bit more, it would be right on point. The smile was daring me to challenge her. It felt like she was mocking me, daring me to disrupt her little world.
My anger surged, but I reined it in. I wasn’t here to argue but to offer my help. Taking a deep breath to calm the storm inside me, I opened my mouth to speak.
The wind shifted, and I caught the scent of her perfume. My heart pounded in response. The rustle of fabric and shuffle of boots faded as my world narrowed into Anna and that smile. What was that scent again? Roses, maybe? It shot me back to those days when everything felt simpler.
