Her Last Love (Small Town Hearts Trilogy #1) Read Free

leave. Again. 
    The rest of his shopping trip was a blank. Somehow, he made it through the checkout line. Heaven only knew what else had ended up his cart before he'd paid and made his way to the parking lot. He was thankful he wasn’t far from home because he seemed to get there on auto-pilot. He didn’t even remember turning the key in the ignition, much less pointing the vehicle towards his house. And he completely forgot about stopping at the drive-through and only remembered when his stomach growled in protest as he pulled into his driveway. 
    “Damn. Guess it’s gonna be a sandwich tonight,” he muttered to himself as he climbed from the truck and began to haul bags.
    He focused his thoughts long enough to dig his keys out of his pocket, climb the short set of porch steps, and unlock his front door. His mind wandered, remembering times with Lynn and battling the conflicted emotions those memories brought back. Carter moved through the kitchen as he put away the groceries. He could only hope that things were being put where they belonged, or he at least remembered where things were when he needed them. 
    As he went blindly through the chores he had on his list, he thought about how she’d looked different. While he did laundry, contemplated how her hair had changed. It was still the red he’d always loved, yes. Only now it was a deeper auburn, longer than in the days when they’d been together, but the longer style and neat braid had suited her. 
    He pondered her build as he ran the dishwasher. She was still slim; then again, she always had been. Slim now met the disciplined tone that the military demanded. Her long legs lean, biceps built. He decided not to concentrate too long on her abs…much too dangerous territory. But though she was toned, even in her civilian wear he could tell that she’d lost weight.
    Carter’s thoughts continued to gravitate towards Lynn as the night wore on endlessly. Memories of her, and them together, had continued to flood him, and he knew that his chances of getting a decent night’s sleep were dwindling. He hadn’t thought of her this much during his waking hours in a long time. He’d fought hard after their breakup to keep thoughts of her at bay, to train his mind and harden his heart where Lynn had been concerned. His dreams, however, were another matter. Against his will, his memories of her came to life during his sleeping hours, unbidden but not unwelcome. And he had a feeling he’d be dreaming about her even more than usual tonight. 
     
    * * *  
     
    After a restless night of tossing and turning, a night full of interrupted sleep and vivid dreams, Carter woke praying for coffee. It was a prayer he recited over and over as the coffee dripped, in slow motion, into the pot. Once the first sip hit his lips, hot and bitter, he closed his eyes, inhaled the steam coming from the cup, and sent up his heartfelt thanks for this lifesaving nectar. 
    It had been a long night. 
    He was grateful he didn’t have to go into work today. Saturdays off were few, and Saturdays without his sons were even rarer. And due to his brain running non-stop the night before, he had worked through his stroll down memory lane. His house was now cleaner than it had been in months, his kitchen was stocked, and he’d even given the dog a bath. As the caffeine worked its magic, his brain cleared of the leftover fog of sleep, and he considered his plans for the day. He could wash his car, which would take all of an hour. He could call up some of his buddies to see if they were up for a game or two of basketball, but most were married and spending time today with their families or working. It struck Carter that he was lost without his kids around. His boys with their boundless energy and endless ideas of things to do and places to go. 
    He continued to brainstorm ideas, and with his coffee cup still in hand, Carter went to let the dog out the back door. He had gotten