“Mommy, Miss JoAnn said it’s time for lunch,” Piper hollered.

“Okay, baby. We’re coming.” She chuckled and threw her hand over her mouth, realizing what she’d just said.

“We were about to,” I growled at her as we walked toward the ladder.

I sailed through the doors at work, still on a complete high from my wonderful weekend with Brody and the girls, determined not to let anything spoil my day.

Famous last words.

“Good morning, Darla!” I sang out as I tucked my lunch bag in my cubby and took off my hoodie.

She took a bite of her apple and cocked an eyebrow at me. “Uh oh. Someone got some this weekend.”

I tried to hide my smile, but every time I thought back to the surprised look on Brody’s face when I started to go down on him in the barn, I couldn’t help but grin. However, the look on his face a few hours later when I relieved the poor guy’s pain and finished what I’d started was even better. Who knew his dad’s workshop could be so much fun?

“I don’t blame you. With a boyfriend as hot as yours, I’d be on him like a goddamn spider monkey.” She giggled, tossing her apple in the garbage.

I laughed and shook my head at her. I really did like Darla. She had absolutely no filter and spouted out whatever came to mind, but she made working here not just tolerable, but fun. The fact that Maureen really liked her and Darla often talked me up to her was an added bonus.

“Whose boyfriend is hot?”

My heart leapt into my throat as I turned around to hang my hoodie up. It didn’t matter how much time had passed, that voice still sent me into a tailspin, just for different reasons now.

“Kacie’s. He’s a hockey player, a professional one,” Darla chimed back. “I’m waiting. I’ll totally take sloppy seconds on that one. He’s too hot to pass up.”

“Oh really?” Zach said curiously.

“Yeah.” She sighed. “Gorgeous brown curls, the dreamiest green eyes you’ve ever seen and an ass made for slappin’.”

Oh God, Darla, please stop talking. Right now.

“Doubt I’ll get the chance, though. From what I hear, he’s pretty damn smitten with her.”

“What’s his name?” Zach asked nonchalantly.

“Bro—”

“None of your business.” I spun around, interrupting Darla.

Zach grinned at me, a heart-stopping grin. A grin that I used to love. A grin that used to melt my heart. “None of your business? That’s a weird name.” He was leaning on the tall counter at the desk, his hands folded in front of him.

“I gotta get to work,” I said coldly, walking over to check out the charts.

“Actually, I tried to call you. Maureen had to tweak the schedule a bit. You don’t start for an hour.” Darla gave me a lopsided frown. “Sorry.”

I groaned. That meant I’d have to stay an hour later, and while I came in to work happy, suddenly I was looking forward to getting out of here and heading home.

“Hey, that worked out nice. I’m about to go on my break.” Zach stood up straight. “Can we talk?”

Darla looked back and forth between the two of us. “Do you two like know each other?”

Four years’ worth of glares and resentment poured out of me as I glared into his dark brown eyes. How dare he put me in this position at work?

Asshole.

“I’m busy.”

“Sweet Darla right here just said that you can’t start work for another hour. Come on, please?” His eyes were soft, begging me to hear him out, but I wasn’t having it.

“No, thanks,” I said flatly.

“What’s going on?” Darla’s eyes were huge, wondering what it was she was missing.

“Kacie doesn’t want to talk to me, even though I’ve been pleading with her to hear me out for a couple weeks now.” Zach answered Darla without breaking my stare.

“Why don’t you shut your mouth?” I snapped at him. “You’re very good at keeping quiet. Try it now.”

Darla’s mouth fell open as she slumped into her chair slowly. “Whoa. I don’t know the history here, but it’s deep, huh?”

“You could say that. I’m the father of her twins,” Zach said, emotionless.

My blood boiled. I charged around the counter and stormed past him. “Let’s go, dick.”

Maybe if I walk fast enough, I can lose him in one of these winding hallways.

“Slow down!” he called, jogging a few steps until he fell in step next to me.

No such luck.

“I can’t believe you,” I snapped, spinning on my heel to face him. “This is emotional blackmail. How dare you confront me at work? Who the hell do you think you are?”

“I know that was a shitty thing to do and I’m sorry I did it that way,” he apologized half-heartedly, “but I was desperate to talk to you.”

“Oh, really? Wow.” I turned and continued down the hall, still spouting off as I went. “A few weeks of me ignoring you has you desperate, huh? Imagine what five fucking years feels like!”

He shoved his hands in his pants pockets and put his head down, deciding not to argue back anymore.

A very smart decision on his part.

We got to the cafeteria and I marched over and sat down roughly at one of the tables, crossing my arms over my chest. “Let’s get this over with, please, so I can go back to my normal, happy life.”

He sighed. “I’m going to grab coffee. Want some?”

“Whatever.” I rolled my eyes and looked over to my left. A couple was sitting together at a table quietly, holding hands. Tears poured down her cheeks as she rested her head on his shoulder. His lip trembled as he tried to remain strong for her, for whatever they were going through.

Was their child sick? A parent? Had one of them lost a sibling?

That was the hard thing about my job. You usually met people on one of the worst days of their lives. They wouldn’t remember you, but you would never forget them.

“Sugar?”

I was pulled from my own thoughts and glared up at Zach. “Don’t call me that,” I snarled.

He laughed and shook his head. “I was asking if you wanted sugar in your coffee. You used to like it that way; not sure if that’s changed.”

“I hate sugar in my coffee,” I lied, refusing to give him the satisfaction of his memory being right. “I’ll take it black.”

He set two cardboard cups down and pulled the chair out across from me. Neither of us spoke. I was not about to make this easy on him by starting with meaningless small talk. Sitting there with him was the last place on the entire planet I wanted to be right then. Research tent in Antarctica? I’d take it. Swimming with crocodiles in the Amazon? Give it to me. Crawling across a desert in Egypt? Cakewalk compared to this moment.

“So…” He sighed. “What’s your boyfriend’s name?”

I narrowed my eyes at him and leaned forward. “The only reason I’m even sitting here with you in the first place is because you wouldn’t shut your damn mouth with Darla and I don’t want everyone knowing my business. You want to feed me some bullshit about where you’ve been the last five years? Fine. Suit yourself, but my boyfriend is NOT something I’m discussing with you.”