But he had to stop running sometime, and it may as well be today. Looking at her, he could almost forget where he was and what he was about to face. And cracked jokes to take the edge off a situation she must realize was fraught with chaotic feelings for him. In fact, the entire walk here had been muddy and miserable, but she hadn’t complained once. A pair of designer heels covered in mud dangled from her fingers, but she didn’t seem to care. Her hair was pulled up in a loose ponytail, and she was wearing a simple navy dress that showed off her sun-kissed skin. “It’s beautiful,” Lilly murmured, drawing his attention to the woman beside him. That Nate hadn’t been man enough to step up and help. It was a smart move, and guilt crashed over him that Jace hadn’t felt comfortable enough to tell him about it. When Jace had said he didn’t want to sell the place, he hadn’t expected him to go to these extremes to keep it preserved. He’d expected a hollow, empty shell, but this place…looked lived in. The roses his mother had once so lovingly tended were in full bloom, and the shutters and lattices were freshly painted.

But other than a few downed tree limbs from the storm, the place looked pristine. He found himself surprised by how good the place looked. He stared up at the white two-story colonial where he and Jace had grown up. Emotions bubbled inside him fighting for space. In that moment, standing at the steps to his childhood home, he felt too full of them already. And he didn’t have room for any new raw emotions right now. He wasn’t going to be around for a next time. That was a can of worms he did not need to open. He forced a laugh, and didn’t dwell on how good it felt to hear her talk about a next time. “Remind me to bring walking shoes the next time I take a road trip with you.” She pulled off one of her high heels and shook the mud off. “Well, another pair of shoes bite the dust,” Lilly muttered wryly as they approached the house that held so many memories for Nate it was busting at the seams.

Tempted by the Soldier by Nicolette Day