Starting Over Read online

  Adalee exhaled and narrowed her eyes at her mom. “So it isn’t something pushed on every single woman in town?”

  “No, not at all, it just seems to happen. Like fate,” her mom said.

  “Yeah, kind of don’t really believe in that.”

  Her mom appeared as if she had a secret.

  “Mom? What?” she asked. Her mom looked at Angelina, who smiled.

  “I kind of didn’t mention John and Keith to you.”

  Adalee’s jaw dropped. “No. Don’t even tell me you are involved with two men? You’re in a ménage?” she asked and then gulped.

  “You’re going to love them. They can’t wait to meet you.”

  “Holy shit,” she whispered, and Layla chuckled.

  “They’re quite the catch. Good men who adore your mom. They wanted to go with her to New York when you were injured, but they weren’t even dating. They had just started to court her.”

  “I don’t know how I feel about this,” Adalee said.

  Her mom covered her arm and gave it a squeeze. “I’ve been alone since your daddy passed away. Not one man since then. It’s been a whole lot of lonely years, and no one touched my heart like your daddy, until I met John and Keith.”

  “Jesus,” she said and exhaled, but she could tell her mom obviously had strong feelings for these men, and she was right—there had been no other men over the years. Her father’s death had been brutally hard on them. She wanted to be supportive. She gave a soft smile. “Well, I can’t wait to meet them.”

  “See. That wasn’t so bad,” Angelina said to Layla and squeezed her shoulder.

  Layla chuckled and then nibbled on her lower lip, indicating her mom truly was worried about Adalee’s reaction. There sure was a lot of information to digest, and something told Adalee there was more to come.

  Rhett Perkins walked down the street from town hall and spotted the classic blue Mustang sitting outside of Layla’s boutique. It was a beauty, and it reminded him of one of his buddy’s, Jessy, who he served in the military with. Then came the sad memories of his death.

  He couldn’t believe his train of thought. It had been many years since he was forced to retire from the service after being shot and injured. Deemed unusable by the military because his body wasn’t a hundred percent. That was a good ten years ago, and he’d come a long way. Somehow got roped into following his father’s footsteps and got elected town mayor. It wasn’t so bad, but he ran things his way, and with a sheriff like Kane McCabe, it made things easy. People didn’t mind the military-style ways they ran the town or the numerous boards he oversaw. It kept him busy the last few years and kept his mind off the bad memories and the heartache he felt.

  Now he and his brothers’ focus was on Everett, who had been working and living in Dallas until he got shot and was nearly killed. He now did physical therapy in Central Valley. It had only been about six months ago. He shook his head at the thought as he walked into the boutique to say hello to the ladies. As he entered, he caught sight of them by the register along with someone else. The woman had long onyx hair that reached her midback and a perfectly round ass in super tight jeans that looked painted on. As the three women turned, he felt like he got struck in the chest. Holy shit, who in God’s name is that?

  He gazed over her body, full large breasts in a baggy V-neck navy-blue top, and eyes that were unique and stunning and brought out by the blue shirt and the black hair.

  “Rhett, what great timing,” his mom said and greeted him with a hug hello.

  He hugged his mom back, but his eyes never left the woman with the amazing blue eyes. She was gorgeous, stunning. He felt his heart racing, and holy shit, she was young, and he was forty—he wouldn’t have a chance in hell. What the fuck was he thinking? His mind was a whirlwind, and he got his attitude and guard up. “And this is?” he asked, all official-like.

  “Layla’s daughter, Adalee, from New York. She’s moving here,” his mom told him, and he was shocked by his inner reaction.

  Moving here? Holy Jesus.

  He reached his hand out for her to shake, and they both seemed to stare into one another’s eyes. She was a good bit shorter than him, but she had to be about five feet five.

  “Welcome to Cherry Hill, Adalee.”

  “Thank you,” she said, and when their hands touched, those inner sensations jumped up another notch.

  He was surprised by his reaction. He didn’t date and definitely didn’t fool around in this town. He and his brothers were all at weird states of their lives, forced to make time to hang out together and help Everett get through things. Why he thought of his brothers while he met Adalee, he didn’t want to analyze. Instead, he wanted information.

  “Wait a minute, the pictures on the wall,” he said and walked closer to where the register was and the wall behind it. Layla had a picture of her and her daughter, but it was several years old. Her daughter still looked pretty in the picture, but this woman here appeared worldly.

  “Yes, those were from several years ago. It’s been a while since we were able to take a new picture together, but we’ll make up for that, won’t we, Adalee?” her mom asked her and Adalee smiled.

  “We sure will.”

  “So have you seen the town? Have any questions?” he asked her.

  “Oh, this is perfect, Adalee was going to walk around a bit until Layla can bring her up to the house. She just got here a little while ago. She’s been driving for hours,” his mom said.

  “Hours, all alone?” he asked, squinting, and she eyed him like he was crazy.

  “Adalee is new in town, Rhett. She’ll be just fine,” his mom said.

  “Hmm, well, I’m sure you’ll go over the rules with her, Layla,” he said to her mom.

  “Rules?” Adalee asked.

  “Don’t worry, Adalee, we will, and it’s all good stuff. Rules to keep the people in town safe,” Layla said.

  Adalee placed her hands on her hips, causing her big breasts to lift, and for more deep cleavage to show. She sure was well endowed and was so stunning he couldn’t pull his eyes from hers.

  “Yeah, can’t wait for more surprises,” she said, sounding sarcastic. His mom and hers chuckled.

  He narrowed his eyes at Adalee and was shocked at the defiance he saw in her eyes, and that New York accent to boot. Before he could say a word, his mom intervened.

  “Yes, well, Adalee is quite independent coming from New York and all. She was going to take a walk through town now,” his mom said.

  “Well, I’m heading back to town hall. I can point out a few things to you if you want,” he said to her.

  “I think I can handle things myself, but thank you anyway,” Adalee said and turned away from him, dismissing any further conversation with him to say something to her mom. Adalee walked out of the store.

  “Well, I’ll see you later, I need to get back,” he said and said good-bye and then headed out of the storefront.

  Adalee was getting something out of her car, then closed the door, and locked it up. She didn’t even start walking, and men were tipping their hats and saying hello. She put on dark, black sunglasses and started to walk the same way he intended to go. As he glanced back at the storefront, he saw his mom and Layla looking at him and then at Adalee, but he ignored them and started walking.

  He took in the sight of the woman with the New York attitude and noticed a slight limp in her walk, and then she paused and rubbed her hip as she looked at a front window display.

  “Sore from traveling in the car for so long?” he asked her, and she swung her head around to look at him, but her eyes were covered by sunglasses and so were his now that he had put his back on.

  “Yes, so walking will help,” she said and turned away from him. How rude!

  “You know I didn’t mean to anger you by talking to you about rules.”

  She didn’t bother to even look at him as they walked side by side. Holy shit, she was hot, and he was instantly attracted to her, which was crazy. He was a prick,
and he knew it. All his brothers had piss-poor attitudes. Jeb was a Texas Ranger, retired from the military four years ago, and he definitely had the intimidation factor. Coda was a retired Army Ranger and now just worked the farm, took care of the ranch they had. Rhett should not be engaging in conversation with this woman or any others, so why was he still trying to talk to her?

  She stopped, turned, and looked up at him. “Listen, town mayor, I appreciate the heads-up about precaution and rules that I’m sure my mom will explain as I settle in. I don’t need an escort. I can handle walking through a small town in Texas. You have a nice day,” she said and then started walking along, totally shutting him down and stunning him silent.

  She didn’t walk five feet before some young guys said hello to her and asked her if she needed directions. She waved them off and kept on walking with those men looking at her backside as she passed them by. A jealous feeling and thought went through his body and mind, but he shook it off and headed to town hall.

  Coda Perkins walked along the fence line and saw his brother Everett by the shooting setup they built years ago. He shook his head, feeling as frustrated as Everett looked as he tried unsuccessfully to grip the gun and pull the trigger. His injury to his arm and being shot there and in his chest had nearly taken his life as a cop. He survived, and the past six months of physical therapy and recovering had been brutal for him.

  “Hey,” Coda said, joining him.

  His brother looked up, perspiring, angry with his brows furrowed, and he dropped the gun down and flexed his fingers, his hand, and then his arm.

  “I can’t fucking grip it. What the fuck? The therapy isn’t doing shit.”

  “It’s only been two weeks, bro. It takes time. You had major surgery, and tendons and muscles are healing,” Coda said.

  “I don’t want to fucking hear it. Save me the bullshit, you aren’t a doctor. I get enough of that shit in therapy,” he snapped at Coda and then grabbed the weapon, emptied it out, and then started to pack things in.

  Coda swallowed hard. He felt badly for his brother, but the worse thing to do was to try to console him or talk softly. “Well, you always sucked at having patience and letting things fall into place, so why would you be any different with this?” Coda said.

  Everett looked at him. “You’re an asshole.”

  “You’re a bigger asshole,” Coda replied and then raised both eyebrows at his brother.

  Everett exhaled and shook his head. He gathered his things and started heading inside. “This sucks,” Everett said.

  Coda remained out here and looked out at their land, and took a few bigger breaths of fresh air. He really wished he could help his brother somehow, but this was his battle, his fight to get better, and knowing what the doctors said, Everett might never be able to shoot again. He gulped and thought about his own injuries, being forced out of the military, no longer of value because he had a bad leg after being hit by two bullets. He had nearly bled out, but he didn’t. He survived when others didn’t, and that was what sucked. At least his brothers all got that, all understood the feelings, the PTSD, the emotions that went along being a survivor and being dismissed. Jeb at least worked as Texas Ranger after the military, but he too had his fair share of close calls. One only a month ago with a shootout at a gas station robbery. He shook his head. He worried about all his brothers, Rhett included, who was filled with piss and vinegar, but always kept in charge and forced things to remain in order. It was surprising he took the position as town mayor like their dad had been, but he had a knack for it. The rest of them didn’t.

  Coda laughed, just thinking about Mrs. Perkins last week giving Rhett a hard time and trying to push some nonsense ideas about gossip and hearsay. All of which turned out to be untrue. Rhett handled that stuff well and didn’t allow the bad-mouthing to go on. He chuckled. Coda’s form of therapy was this ranch and working as a bartender Saturday nights for Keith and John at Finnian’s, the bar they owned. That was two nights away. He pushed off the fence and headed back to the barn to do some more work, his heart heavy over Everett and hoping his brother found some sort of motivation to continue to fight to get better, and that his arm would heal and he would be able to shoot again. Something so simple meant so much to a soldier and to a cop.

  Chapter 1

  “You have your first appointment with the physical therapist on Monday then?” Layla asked her daughter as they worked side by side in the kitchen. John and Keith were due here any minute for dinner tonight.

  “Yes, I spoke with the woman in the office, and she put me in with a therapist by the name of Bailey Montgomery.”

  “Oh, Deputy Faris Montgomery’s sister. She is very good, and around your age, too. I think twenty-seven, a year older than you,” Layla said and smiled. She was worried about Adalee and how she was recovering from her injuries and her hip pain still. She was definitely favoring it even now. “I can do this. Why don’t you sit and rest?” her mom said.

  “Mom, I’m fine, and believe me, moving around helps. Even the therapist in New York said the same thing. You should have seen me a month ago.”

  “I just wish I could have stayed with you longer there.”

  “Mom, you had the boutique, and what could you do? I was laid up in the hospital and then at home. My friends pitched in between working and coworkers from the police department, so it worked out fine.”

  “I was surprised you didn’t take up the lieutenant’s offer of the desk job. You love being a police detective.”

  “Working the streets, not holed up in an office all day typing reports on other detective’s investigations. It would have driven me nuts. Besides, I wouldn’t have passed the therapist’s evaluation even for desk duty.”

  “How are you doing with the PTSD?” Layla asked her and looked at her.

  Adalee shrugged her shoulders.

  “Is it something you need to follow up with a doctor for, or therapist? Doc Shelton is really nice, and Charlotte McCabe, the sheriff’s sister, is a therapist who specializes in treating soldiers and first responders with PTSD.”

  “I’ll see. It’s more so at night, or sometimes when I get frustrated or it’s dark out. I have to remind myself I’m not in the danger I was in that night.”

  “Of course, that makes sense. Well, if you feel you may want to talk to someone, this town has a lot available. We’re big on military and first responders.”

  “I noticed that, and how big the men are. What’s up with that?”

  Layla laughed. “I thought the same thing when I moved here. The men were so big physically but also personality wise. It’s like they all have this superiority about them, yet it isn’t degrading to women.”

  “Oh really? Do you converse with that mayor, Rhett, often? Because that man has an attitude.”

  “No, it’s just his demeanor is all business and very disciplinarian.”

  “Yeah, well, if this is your warning, Mom, that most men around here expect women to just obey them or feel they have to lean on them, then know right now it won’t fly with me.”

  Layla snickered. “Honey, it isn’t that they want you to be below them. It’s just that they put women and children first. We’re all protected by the men of Cherry Hill. It’s kind of nice knowing that people are watching out for you.”

  “Nice?” Adalee asked with her eyebrows raised up. “How about creepy,” she added, and Layla laughed some more, but then heard the knock on the door.

  “Oh God, they’re here,” Layla said and quickly untied her apron and ran her fingers through her hair, and Adalee chuckled.