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tended to live inside Jess’s apartment
whether Jess wanted her there or not, which made her the perfect
companion to keep loneliness at bay.
    Dressed in a burnt-orange wool jacket, black
jeans, and black biker boots, Marcia looked drop-dead gorgeous and
kickass cool. Jess, on the other hand, wore plaid pajama bottoms
and an oversize gray sweatshirt. After a full day at work, and with
only her books to keep her company at night, why worry about
appearances?
    “Are you bowling tonight?”
    “I can’t. I have to study.” She was so close to finally finishing her degree,
and as much as she enjoyed spending time with friends, she wanted
to quit working at the bank and find a teaching position more. And
Kieran was coming tomorrow. She hadn’t seen him, but he’d called
her weekly since he left for Washington DC. His confident and calm
approach to everything flowed through the phone and soothed her
broken heart. With him in her life, she believed in fairy tales,
even delayed ones.
    Work had overwhelmed his life, he’d said, but
he’d promised to return his first free weekend. And this was
it.
    “Too bad you’re such a bookworm. The boys
miss you.” Marcia carried her coffee mug over to the sink and
rinsed it out.
    Most of the town had conveniently forgotten
her month of drunken antics, so she’d tried to forget too. Her
renewed dreams didn’t leave time for excessive drinking or
carousing with random guys, but the local male population, led by
Adam, had decided she needed extra protection after being shot.
Whenever she emerged from her home they circled her like a tribe of
older brothers.
    Jess laughed. “You’ll manage. Every single
guy in this area has hit on you at least three times since you
arrived.”
    “That’s because I can outshoot them all at
the range. And my gun is larger than theirs. Men are simple like
that.”
    Marcia really could outshoot everyone in
town. The woman was more ninja than artist. Marksmanship had seemed
a weird skill for a sculptor taking some time away from the big
city, but Jess had quickly gotten over that. She went with Marcia
to the local shooting range every week. Marcia had also gotten Jess
into some self-defense classes and taught her a few hand-to-hand
combat moves, which helped make Jess feel more confident living
alone. After the incident with Max and the drug dealers, she’d felt
incredibly unprepared.
    “I prefer men with decent-sized weapons—and
lots of ammunition,” Marcia said, waggling her eyebrows. “I’m
surprised you can get a date around here at all. The men all treat
you like you’re made of glass.”
    “You’re right, I couldn’t get a date even if
I wanted one,” Jess said, half-laughing. “But I won’t be lonely for
long. Kieran will be here tomorrow, so I need to get my work done
tonight.”
    “He sounds like a real keeper. Have fun.”
    “I will.”
    Marcia waved before disappearing down the
stairs. Jess should have followed her. Studying was impossible when
all she could think of was Kieran. The deep feelings of attraction
and belonging she felt each time she spoke with him overpowered the
little voice in her head warning her to protect her heart. Kieran
wasn’t Robert. He never promised anything except companionship. He
often spoke about his plans to move to a seaport when he retired,
but he never invited her along. After all, he’d just met her. It
wasn’t his fault if she hoped he’d someday want her to go with
him.
    She made herself a cup of tea and flopped
onto her couch with her books and a pink fleece blanket to keep the
October chill away, and when someone knocked an hour later, Jess
stretched her limbs and wandered to the door. Whoever wanted to
take her from her books would be sorry.
    Then she saw him. Kieran. Standing in a brown leather jacket with a
bouquet of flowers. Orange roses and pink asters. Vibrant and
fun.
    She opened the door and let emotion flood her
senses, a rush from the sight of his gorgeous face and the smell