Page 24 of Major Love

It wasn’t that I was too young at seventeen to want to be with him.

It’s that I’d loved a soldier before and my heart couldn’t handle losing another.

I tilt my head back against the seat, so lost in the memory of us and what could have been, before finally pulling myself together and throwing open my door before I can change my mind.

We made a really tough call at a really young age, but it had been the right decision to prevent us from the inevitable future heartache.

Him being away all the time.

My constant fear about his job.

Even now that he’s no longer serving, his chosen careers are still really dangerous.

Like, all the heavy lifting required during his construction work? The terrible weather conditions he faces during his search-and-rescue missions?

Could he literally be doing anything more risky?

I mean, the first thing that he said to me was to avoid certain mountains, knowing how treacherous the roads are and how unpredictable the wild landscapes can be. And yet, not only does he go up those mountainsregularly, but he’s saving other people’s liveswhen they’re in dangerous situations. Which, by default, means that he’s risking his own. As if he hadn’t already been doing that enough for the past freaking decade.

My cowgirl boots hit the blacktop and I lock the car without a backwards glance, suddenly riled up at how much danger he puts himself in.

Like, is he kidding? He went from risking his life in the Army to doing freakingsearch-and-rescue? In mountains and passes that evenheconsiders to be dangerous?

I pull his business card from my pocket, clutching it protectively as I cross the square.

One thing at a time, I remind myself, stepping up onto the sidewalk and making my way to the end of the row.

And then I’m standing right outside my brother’s secret investment, my eyes growing wide at how beautifulit looks.

Because I remember this town having a bar, but I sure as hell don’t remember it looking likethat.

There’s a printed note taped beside the open door, announcing the fact that the bar is currently under renovation. And under that it states that the bar will be up and running by the summer.

Roughly around the time that Casey should be home.

I stare up at it, feelings racing, with only one thought in my mind.

Why the hell did Casey buy a bar?

Casey visited mom and me in Nashville on a multitude of occasions, but I’m fairly certain that he had no interest in runningour bar. He’s my brother and we’re pretty close, so if he’d had any interest in it, he would have told me.

And even if hehadwanted to run a bar of his own, I know that he would have just steepled his giant hands together and said,Sunday, I’ve been thinking.

And I would have had no issue with that because, as much as I adore Casey for being a soldier, I would do pretty much anything to make sure he would be safe for the rest of his life. So having him ask me for tips on managing a bar of his own would have been music to my ears, and I would have told him everything I could.

So I’m totally confused about why he’s keeping this a secret.

Did he not want me to know? Or is the bar not actually for him?

Is he helping out a friend who was struggling to manage it? Maybe someone who was struggling with money?

In which case, that would be super ironic seeing as Casey barely has a spare cent to his name.

“Oh boy,” I whisper, as I step closer to the front door, which, now that I think about it, is literally standing wide open.

Wait.

I glance around me.

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