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“Do you look very different from when you lived here all those years ago?”
He chuckled. “A bit. I was a skinny teenager when I left.”
Her gaze roamed over his broad shoulders. “That could be it.” Her voice lowered, and her eyes flared. “You’re not a skinny teenager anymore.”
His groin tightened at the huskiness in her tone. She’d whispered naughty words into his ear in that same tone when they’d made love during the storm.
“Did we date back then?” she asked.
He laughed. “No. I was eighteen. You were a punk thirteen-year-old.”
“You’re my sister’s age, then.” Her eyes narrowed. “Did you two date?”
He nodded, tensing. “We did until she broke it off. I was headed into the military. She didn’t want that kind of life.” He shrugged. “I can’t blame her. She would’ve been unhappy moving every two to four years and spending much of her time alone.”
Shelby nodded. “Despite how chaotic her life is, she loves being the mother of five boys and helping Alan with the store. She loves Bayou Mambaloa and never wanted to leave, even after our mother moved to Charleston, South Carolina, with her new husband. Not me. I couldn’t wait to leave this little town behind.”
“And yet, you’re back.” He caught her gaze. “Why?”
“I moved to Memphis after I graduated college. Three years there made me realize it’s not the place that holds you. It’s the people. I had no one in Memphis, even after three years. Mom had her new husband and new life in Charleston. I missed my dearest and possibly my only friend…my sister.” Shelby closed her eyes, a smile tilting her lips. “So, I came home to family.”
She leaned up and turned a fierce frown on Remy. “And nobody better mess with the people I love, or I’ll personally make sure they regret it to their dying day.”
Remy fought back the smile that wanted to spread across his face at the fiery passion on Shelby’s face. God, she was beautiful, even though her blond hair hadn’t been brushed and she didn’t have a bit of makeup on her face. Her surface beauty wasn’t what attracted Remy to Shelby. He was attracted to her strength, bravery, loyalty to family and the unashamed and unfettered passion she brought to everything she did, including sex.
Chances were, she might never remember what they’d shared in the fishing hut. He couldn’t bank on building something out of what was now a one-sided memory.
If he wanted another chance with Shelby, he had to start over, win her trust and then her heart.
For a man who wasn’t afraid of charging into an enemy hot zone, Remy was scared. When they’d been together that first and only time, it had been a shared passion. Lust. It had been good for a one-night stand, but lust alone wasn’t what long-lasting relationships were built on.
What if she’d recognized that then? What if she’d insisted on only that one night together because she’d felt the lust but nothing deeper?
He shot another glance in her direction. He might be afraid of fucking it up, but Remy Montagne wasn’t a quitter. When he wanted something badly enough, he worked his ass off to get it. That’s how he’d made it through Navy SEAL BUD/S training and twenty years of service.
Shelby Taylor might not remember a stormy night in the bayou, but Remy would be sure to give her new memories she’d cherish for the rest of her life. A life she’d share with him.
He just had to take care of one little thing first.
The matter of someone wanting to kill her.
A cartel with a hit out on his girl could put a damper on his plan to woo the determined deputy.
“Remy?” Shelby said softly, her eyes closed and her lips parted ever so slightly.
“Yes?” he answered, wondering if she had even the slightest clue about what was going through his mind.
“When we get to Bayou Mambaloa, I want to go to the location where J.D. found me.”
“Shouldn’t you rest for a day or two before we dive into the investigation?”
“The longer we wait, the harder it will be to find any evidence that CID might have missed.”
“If you think you’re up to it, we’ll go.”
“You sure that’s a good idea?” Gerard asked.
Remy snorted. “I know it’s a bad idea, but if I don’t take her, she’ll go without me.” He met Shelby’s gaze. “Am I right?”
