But I felt like shit. My entire being was in turmoil, and I hadn’t slept in days.
I prioritized order and productivity. I made plans, set goals, and followed through. But right now, there were no goals, there was no plan. My life was chaos.
And it was all her fault.
For all these years, I’d convinced myself that I’d healed, that I’d moved forward from our whirlwind love affair.
But now, as I surveyed the tranquil forest around me, I knew it was a damn lie.
I’d never gotten back what she took with her.
My innocence. My belief in true love.
My heart.
How could I do this? Work for her?
It seemed impossible, but I’d committed to one year.
A year doing what I’d always done, just for someone else. Watch as the Hebert name was stripped from the buildings and the equipment. Even after it had been erased completely, the legacy would continue. That’s what was important. My guys would still have jobs, and hell, maybe we could hire even more.
She’d promised to keep operating. That was all the information I had on her future plans. And that would have to be enough.
It was the only way to ensure that my brothers got paid and that the business’s doors stayed open.
New ownership was a price I’d gladly pay. Taking care of my family was my top priority. Owen had worked hard to get us this deal, and I would not jeopardize it.
Nope, I was a good worker bee. My dad had trained me well. I’d play nice and do my job. When my commitment was over, I’d be on my way.
Or so I thought. Because my reality was so far beyond anything I could have imagined. Would Chloe stay?
If so, then how could I show up to work every day, knowing my ex-wife was running the show? A woman I both despised and was wildly attracted to.
I smoothed my hand over my beard. It was getting scraggly, but I didn’t have the energy to care. The ache in my stomach every time I saw her had only intensified since the day I first saw her again in Boston.
Head down, I headed to one of the garages. Maybe if I exhausted myself, I could close my eyes without being haunted by memories from a lifetime ago.
Behind me, tires crunched on the pavement, catching my attention.
As I turned around, Chloe was stepping out of her SUV. Instantly, my focus was drawn to the heels on her feet. Fuck. The woman had an impressive collection, each pair sexier than the last.
She strode toward me, and I had to fight the smile that was threatening to split my face. She was so confident and beautiful, it was hard not to be proud of the woman she’d grown into.
“What are you doing?” she asked, frowning at the gas can in my hand.
“I figured I’d take you out to Sector Five. It’s where the bust happened. Then we can loop around to the western meadow. I’ll outline the road expansion plans and show you some of the unused areas you asked about.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Shouldn’t we drive?”
“By road, it’ll take over an hour.” I gestured toward the ATV. “But if we take the trails, it’s a straight shot, only about thirty minutes.”
She assessed me, her eyes narrowing, and swallowed thickly. Was this brash, brazen woman concerned?
Keeping my expression neutral, despite how tempting it was to smirk at her, I held up my backpack. “I’ve got supplies, and it’s a nice day.”
She looked around, lips turned down, clearly unhappy with my proposal. “Fine,” she finally said. “But I’ll take my own.” She gestured toward the row of ATVs parked in the garage bay.
I raised an eyebrow. “You still know how to drive?”
With a huff, she turned back to her SUV and opened the back door. “I’ll manage.”
“Not with those heels,” I said, nodding at her feet.
She pulled a black backpack out, slammed the door, and strutted over. “I can still kick your ass, even in heels, Hebert.” She snagged the bottle of water I held out to her and stuffed it in her pack. “And these are wedges, thank you very much.”
I pushed out a smaller ATV and filled it with gas, mentally calculating how much I’d have to bring along for the day.
“Grab a helmet,” I said, nodding to the shelves lined with labeled helmets. “The ones on the bottom row have two-way mics so we can speak to one another.”
With her backpack slung over her shoulders, she perused the helmets until she found one that fit. Then she set to work adjusting the straps as if she did this every day.
I started her ATV, then mine, and climbed on. Once she was settled on hers, I led her out to the parking lot.
At the far side of the lot, I cut my engine and eyed her, waiting for her to do the same. “We’ll take the red trail down around the lake and up to the junction of Sectors four and five. That’s where the road passes through. From there, it’s a bit bumpy, but we can go slow until the trail smooths out again.”
She fired up her ATV again and revved the engine.
“Do you want to take a lap to get used to it? That’s got specialty suspension for going over rocks and downed trees. It can take some time to get your bearings.”
