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time, catch up.”
    After licking her lips, she said, hesitantly, “He mentions you sometimes, when we’re talking about the good old days.” When he didn’t respond right away, she said, “There were a lot of good times, Dave. You can’t deny that.”
    He couldn’t argue that point. Maya was one year behind him and her brother in school, but they had many of the same friends and often hung out as a group when they weren’t sneaking away to spend time alone together. “I stopped by to see your old man a few times before he retired,” he said, trying to change the subject. He didn’t want to talk about their shared past. Talking about her family seemed easier, neutral topics that wouldn’t take him back to a time he wasn’t able to forget.
    “He told me.”
    He was surprised by that admission. He assumed he would be a sore subject in their household, given the way their relationship ended. “Really?”
    “Dad thought the world of you, Dave. You must know that.”
    Her father was the football coach at their local high school for more than thirty years. He was a favorite among parents and students alike. “He was the best,” Dave said quietly. “We were all sorry to see him go.” The last time Dave stopped by to see him, just a few months before they left town, was the first and only time he’d mentioned his daughter since their break-up. He told Dave that he was the son-in-law he’d always wanted, and he wished things had worked out differently.
    “It’s kind of a running joke in my family,” she said, a wry smile on her lips. “All of my boyfriends are judged on the ‘Dave’ scale. If they earn a ten, they measure up to you. Anything less and they fall short.”
    Thinking of all of the men who’d passed in and out of her life since he left stung. How many men had made love to her…
    “You okay?” she asked, looking up at him. “I’m not hurting you, am I?”
    “Yeah,” he said, his voice breaking. “It still hurts like hell.” He wasn’t talking about his hand, but she didn’t need to know that.
    Sighing, she rose to her feet. “I’m afraid you’re going to need a few stitches, slugger.”
    He looked at his hand. It was still bleeding profusely. “Nah, it’ll be fine,” he said, standing up. “I’ll just wrap it, and…”
    She tugged on the front of his shirt, looking up at him. “You’re not going to bleed to death on my watch, Briar.”
    She was so close he could inhale that familiar scent that assailed him when he walked into the room. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t associated it with her right away, but it had been ten years. Ten long years. “Fine, I’ll see the doc tomorrow, okay?”
    “Not good enough,” she said, crossing her arms.
    Her robe gaped in the front and he couldn’t resist the urge to sneak a peek.
    Laughing, she gripped the neckline. “I see you haven’t changed a bit.”
    “You’re wrong,” he said, resisting the urge to stroke her face. “I’m not the same guy I was back then. Getting screwed over by the two people closest to you tends to have that effect on a guy.”
    The color drained from her face and she dropped her hands, looking at the floor.
    “Did you think if you reminded me of a few good times, softened me up with talk of your family, that I’d be willing to forgive and forget?” Getting in her face, he said, “That’s not gonna happen, sweetheart.” He couldn’t afford to let his guard down where she was concerned. She may have burned him once, but she wouldn’t get the chance to do it again.

 
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Four
     
    Turning into the hospital parking lot, Maya took a deep, steadying breath as Dave’s pick-up claimed the spot beside her car. The stubborn man had refused to drive with her, insisting he could navigate the truck with his one good hand.
    “Let’s get this over with,” he muttered, slamming his door with more force than necessary.
    Without waiting for him to join her, she made her way to the