Page 5 of Willow Vale

Delilah had always been beautiful with her big doe eyes and delicate features dusted with dozens of freckles. Now? Now the only word that comes to mind when I looked at her wasdevastating.

It was also a fitting word for how we ended things all those summers ago.

One look at her, and I was a total goner the moment I saw her standing in my bar.

What the hell was she doing here?

It had been weeks since I last saw Delilah in person, let alone talked to her. But I knew why we hadn’t. She was avoiding me. She’d been practically avoiding me for the last four years. Not that I could blame her for it when I hadn’t been any better. We’d been walking circles around each other ever since we broke up.

After moving back home from Colorado over a year ago, and between helping my dad on the ranch for most of the day and manning the bar at night, I had little time to think about my best friend who had once been a part of my family. But the woman lingered in the back of my mind, only to become a ghost that haunted me when I least expected her to appear. Interrupting my plans to move on.

Because I let her.

“So, Travis,” Desi chimed, making me look over my shoulder to find her smirking at me while Delilah didn’t so much as meet my gaze, keeping her eyes laser focused on herhands on the bar top. “How’s the hunt for that new bartender going?”

“I doubt a teenager applying as some sort of dare with his friends counts as an option.” It’s been hell trying to find a new bartender lately. I was lucky enough to get my brother to fill in until then, but I knew I needed to find someone soon before the carnival got to Willow Vale in June—otherwise, we’d be running around all over the place.

“That’s too bad,” Desi said a little too innocently, but I could hear the mischief in her voice from a mile away. “Well, since that was a total bust, how about I recommend someone?”

I paused, turning to face the women before me. Delilah’s warm brown eyes sank into mine as I caught her staring before she quickly looked away. It was only then that I allowed myself to look at her. I mean,reallylook at her.

She looked tired. Like a thread about to snap at any moment after being tugged on one too many times. Reaching its limit.

I’d seen that look on her face too many times in the past. Back when she used to spend nights searching for Irene and taking care of her until morning. She’d show up to school looking worn out as if she’d been the one partying all weekend and not her mother. Even though we practically became strangers over time, my initial reaction was to ask her if she’s all right. If she needed help with anything.

But I didn’t.

Instead, crossing my arms over my chest as I regarded Desi, I asked, “Who exactly are you recommending that I don’t already know in this town?”

“Oh, you know her.” Desi waved a hand in Delilah’s direction with a flourish. “Ta-da!”

My grin promptly dropped at the same time Delilah shotdaggers at Desi with her narrowed eyes. I blinked, my brain having a hard time translating Desi’s word.

There was no mistaking it, though. Desi just insinuated that my ex-girlfriend should work here as a bartender. Asmybartender. My employee.

I said the first thing that came to mind, my bluntness shining through before I could dim it into a more pleasant light. “She doesn’t even drink. How is she going to bartend?”

“Sheis standing right here. Why don’t you ask her?” Desi said as she walked around the bar and swept the now empty tray off the counter. “I’ll get on finding that spreadsheet for you in the meantime and let you two get to that interview now. Good luck!”

“Desi, wait—” Delilah’s words fell short when Desi pushed through the swinging door into the kitchen with a wave over her shoulder.

I, on the other hand, could only pinch the bridge of my nose.

A brief silence fell upon the bar with Desi gone and George Strait’sThe Chairsuddenly coming to an end over the speakers.

I blew out a breath, my tone resigned and annoyed per usual when it came to Desi and hermany great ideas.“She sure had this all planned out, didn’t she?”

“It seems that way.” Delilah’s voice was soft and husky, making me hyperaware of every word she spoke and simultaneously making my teeth grind. I hated that I was already so swept up in her in the ten minutes we’ve been in the same room together.

I turned to face her, eyeing the way she tapped her fingers nervously against the bar top. I got started on wiping down the area just to keep busy before I said something stupid.

Turns out, my brain didn’t get the memo because I ended up asking anyway. “What happened to the teller job?”

I could hear the surprise in her voice, and it was an effort not to look up. “How did you know I worked at the bank?”

Well, shit.

Yeah, Travis, how did you know that?

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