She glanced over at him and saw Jonas and Tanner speaking to each other. Tanner’s mouth moved quickly, and a strange look crossed Jonas’s face. As if they sensed her watching, they looked over at her. Jonas shook his head and said something to Tanner while still holding her gaze.
When Tanner responded, his brother scowled at his twin. Jonas looked angry as he slashed his hand between him and Tanner then stalked off. Tanner ran his hand over the back of his nape, looked at her one last time, and went after his brother.
Yeah, if the ground could open up and swallow her whole right now everything would be right in the world.
3
FOUR YEARS LATER
After four years of undergraduate studies, Sasha was finally done with a bachelor’s degree under her belt.
The feeling of accomplishment filled her, but it was the fact she had gotten a job back in her home town of Hayven Hill that made her grateful for favors from above. If her mother hadn’t told her about the opening, Sasha would still be job hunting.
Getting the position that Mrs. White had as the resident social worker should have made her extremely pleased, and she was, but the fact the spot opened up because the seventy-five year old woman—who had refused to retire—had suddenly passed away, dampened her excitement.
She passed the sign that informed her she was entering Hayven Hill, and excitement washed through her, but nervousness was on the heels of her happiness as it usually was. It had been so long since she had been home.
With her work load, studies, and finding a job before graduation, she had been too busy and stressed to visit her parents. A new development was being constructed, and she passed the site, seeing the tanned, muscular men hauling lumber, bent over blueprints, and standing beside the large sign that announced Marsh Construction was doing the work.
She focused on the road again. The coffee shop she’d used to go to with Dani sat in the same spot and looked exactly the same. The salon, supermarket, and post office looked the same as well. She didn’t know what to expect, but everything was just the way it had been.
Sasha pulled into her parents’ driveway and saw Rian’s truck. She pulled up beside it and grabbed her purse. The side of his truck read “Marsh Construction”, and a smile pulled at her lips. The fact Rian owned his own construction company—a renowned construction company—had pride for her older brother filling her.
Before she got to the front door, it opened, and her mother came barreling out.
“Ahhh, my girl is here,” her mom screamed and wrapped her in a bear hug. “I am so happy you’re home, sweetheart.” Sasha felt the air leave her as her mother squeezed her to the point of pain.
“Mom,” she wheezed out. “I can’t breathe.” Her mother released her but kept her hands on her upper arms.
“I’m sorry. I just feel like I haven’t seen you in forever.”
“Well, you’re a sight for sore eyes.” Rian’s deep voice came from the front door, and Sasha felt her smile widen.
Her mother let her go, and Sasha bounded toward him, and he embraced her in his big, muscular arms.
He grinned down at her. “You look good. Happy and healthy.”
She nodded. “I am happy.” Pulling back an arm length, she eyed her brother. “Construction has beefed you up.”
He flexed his arms in the way men do when trying to be masculine, and she rolled her eyes again. “What’s going on with this?” She flicked her finger along the light beard he was sporting.
“You like that?” He grinned and ran his hand over the beard.
“You wear that well. I love it.”
“The girls dig it.” He nudged her shoulder and gave her a wink.
Rian helped their mom get her bags out of the car, despite her telling them not to worry about it. The three hour drive had sucked every ounce of energy from her, and all she wanted to do was sit on the old brown couch in the living room and visit with her parents.
Her dad came in from the backyard wearing his “Kiss the Cook” apron and Ray-Ban sunglasses.
“Princess.” He took his glasses off, and she ran up to him. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.” Sasha inhaled the scent of him and loved that he still smelled like Old Spice after all these years. She was so glad to be home and surrounded by her family.
After eating an overly large meal and visiting until she couldn’t keep her eyes open, she said good night to her parents.
“Walk me out?” Rian wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. They stopped at the front door, and Rian turned her so she faced him. “I’m really glad you’re back. It’s felt like too damn long, especially since you rarely returned my phone calls.” He pulled his brows over his eyes, trying to seem angry, but she knew he really wasn’t.
“Yeah, I’m sorry. I was so busy wrapping things up for the move back home.”