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

Trooper as a puppy, while he was still in high school. The German shepherd had helped him through many tough times, including the end of his relationship with Lynn. Trooper had stayed with Carter’s mom while he’d been enlisted in the Navy, since Carter had been assigned to an aircraft carrier and couldn’t take him along. But his canine friend had welcomed him back as if he’d left just days before and didn’t seem to hold their time apart against him.
    As he watched his dog romp in the spacious fenced in backyard, Carter knew how he’d spend part of his day. He’d have to see Lynn. He wouldn’t be able to help himself, knowing she was back and within reach. His heart sped up at the thought of seeing her again, hearing her voice, seeing her face. Not to mention he knew that he couldn’t handle – physically, emotionally, or mentally – another night like the last.
    He may technically be married, but he’d been half in love with her ever since they parted ways. Even though he'd tried his best not to be. God, he didn’t realize how much he’d missed her until he had seen her again.
    The decision made, he left Trooper to run and play in the backyard and got himself ready to leave. He tried to keep it casual, wearing a tee shirt and a well-worn pair of jeans. He stopped to wash his truck, but went through the automatic car wash rather than hand-wash it as he would any other time. Truck gleaming, he drove the twenty minutes it took to get to her parents' house from his. The whole time, he contemplated what he’d say to her. Struggled to find the words to express himself when they were face-to-face again. Each thought that came along struck him as worse than the last. He caught himself gripping the steering wheel, flexing and relaxing his long slender fingers. He took a deep breath, let it rush from his cheeks as he attempted to pull himself together. Thought and doubts continued to rush at him.
    How would she react to seeing him again? Would she react with genuine pleasure or with cool politeness? Would she hug him or slam the door in his face? His stomach churned, making him wish he’d been less liberal with the morning coffee. 
    Unlike the night before, time passed swiftly on the drive. Before he knew it, he was pulling into driveway behind a smart little compact car. Lynn’s rental, if he read the tags right. For a quick moment, he wondered if he’d lost his mind, just showing up this way. Wondered if it was too late to just put the truck in reverse and go back down the road the way he’d come.
    He gave himself a mental shake, took another deep breath and told himself that this needed to be done. Perhaps they’d find the closure they’d never had the chance to get after they had broken their engagement, with each of them thousands of miles away from the other. He hoped he’d be able to put her out of his mind, once and for all. He doubted it, but it was worth a shot.
    Maybe he should get out of the truck before the people inside became curious as to who the weirdo was lurking in their driveway. 
    Breathing deep, Carter stepped from the vehicle, gravel crunching under his feet. He heard the dog barking inside as he made his way up the wooden steps. There was no doorbell – there never had been, not for as long as he could remember – so, hands shaking, he knocked. And waited there on the doorstep, counting the beats of the heart now in his throat, and taking shallow breaths. The sounds of footsteps grew louder as they approached the door, which soon swung open to reveal the woman who plagued last night’s dreams.
    She was barefoot, dressed in jeans and an old, faded blue long sleeved tee shirt, her long wavy hair pulled back away from her face. Lynn looked just as shocked to see Carter at her front door as he had been at seeing her the previous night. This more than anything helped Carter relax, and he even worked up a smile. 
    “Hello, Lynn. Welcome