Page 8 of The Moment They Can't Forget

“Just a conversation, JD. You young’uns often can’t see what is right before you,” he said, like JD was in his late teens, not thirties.

This entire conversation was just a coincidence, he told himself. The man had been handing out advice like this for years. It hit dead center today.

“Well now, two handsome faces to make my day,” a woman’s voice called.

“And here she is, the reason I wake each day smiling, JD,” Klaus said as his wife appeared in the window beside him. He kissed her cheek. “My life mate.”

Love, JD thought. It radiated off these two, and maybe they were the exceptions to the rule. For years, he’d believed his parents were in love. The world he’d been raised in was full of fake smiles and happiness, but his parents hadn’t been like that. They’d seemed truly happy. Turned out he’d been wrong there.His father was an asshole.

If he was honest, he’d had plenty of examples of happily ever after couples. He just didn’t think that was for him. JD liked what he liked, and he didn’t think he’d be wanting to adjust that for a woman anytime soon.

Pushing the image of a naked Zoe out of his head, he focused on the Beckers.

“You take these raisin and almond muffins with you, JD. It will set you up for the day,” Lea said, handing a small brown paper bag out the window. “There’s one in there for Vi too.”

She had long dark hair liberally streaked with gray, and it was pulled up in a bun on top of her head. Her smile was wide, and she usually had a joke to tell.

“Okay, thanks.” He pulled out some money and handed it over, happy that the uncomfortable conversation was done with.

“The muffins are on the house,” Lea said, handing some of his money back. “Just the coffee for you today.”

“That’s not how you make money,” JD said.

“We have enough. Especially after we got that tax refund and paid off our mortgage.”

“Yeah, that came at a good time,” JD said, looking at his coffee.

He and the Dukes played fairy godmother in town occasionally with their money when someone was having a hard time of things, but they didn’t want anyone to know about any of that. The secrets he kept were mounting up, JD thought.

“We have no money worries, so a free muffin here and there doesn’t break the bank,” Lea said.

“All right, and thanks. You both have a good day now.”

“And you, JD. Remember, keep your eyes open.”

“Be hard to walk about if they weren’t.”

“You young’uns are always looking too far ahead,” Mr. Becker said. “If you’re not looking down at your phones, that is.”

“So true.” His wife nodded.

“I promise to look up.” He drove out of the driveway slowly, feeling slightly better for the hit of coffee but not for the advice.

He headed back toward his place. Lyntacky was an eclectic mix of shops, and where there were no shops, there was something. A monument, a seat, or large tree. Color was pretty much everywhere you looked. The place was steeped in tradition and families who had their roots planted here long before he was born.

JD had come to visit Zoe’s oldest brother, who he’d spent time getting to know in Los Angeles. Sawyer was a grump with a heart almost too big for his chest. He would also not hesitate to tear JD apart if he knew what had happened last night.

He’d stayed with his friend and spent time in this quaint little town, and when the time had come for him to leave, he’d stayed instead.

JD thought he was a big-city boy. Born into a wealthy family who liked to host parties and vacationed in all the right places to be seen, he’d lived his life with wealth and privilege. All that changed when he’d walked away from what he’d always known.

The day he’d driven down the main street of Lyntacky, JD had this weird feeling like he was coming home. He’d been able to breathe deeply for the first time in months.

And now you’ve screwed everything up by sleeping with Zoe Duke.

Leaving town, he drove for ten minutes and then turned into his driveway. It took him five minutes to reach the house. The old white farmhouse coming into view was too big for him, but JD didn’t care; he loved it because it was his.Home.

The family who had once owned it now had a nice new house in town. They’d sold to him when he’d promised to take care of it, which would only happen in a town like Lyntacky.

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