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ABIGAIL

When Rex Montgomerypulled up next to me in that beat-up blue pickup truck, I was mulling over every divorcée’s biggest dilemma: Was it time to finally get a cat? I was two for three on the “crazy cat lady” front, but “crazy lady” just didn’t have the same ring to it. Or maybe I wanted to pour all my love and affection into a creature that didn’t give a crap about me. My ex-husband apparently hadn’t cured me of the desire.

Basically, I was feeling lonely and more than a little sorry for myself when my brother’s best friend pulled up, looking muscle-bound and clean-cut, with that wide smile and combed-back hair. Rex would’ve been hot if he’d had a bit of edge to him, but he was just so damngood. He was the fire marshal and part of the volunteer firefighting force in town, which meant that he spent his spare time literally saving kittens from trees. I, on the other hand, spent my spare time trying to fix my many screwups.

I bristled as he rolleddown his window and leaned an elbow on the frame. He flashed those pearly whites at me like he was actually happy to see me.

He was a dog person, for sure.

“Where are you off to with that frown?”

Scratch that. He wasn’t just a dog person. He was a golden retriever person. A big, goofy, happy golden retriever that shed hair and drooled all over the place.

Ugh.

“I’m not frowning.”

“Uh-huh. C’mon, get in, you demolition devil.” He nodded toward his passenger seat.

I’d just spent the afternoon taking a sledgehammer to my BFF Charlie’s old bedroom, which she was renovating with the love of her life, Sebastian. Walls had come crashing down (not the walls they’d been hoping). It had been a good way to get out the whole I’ll-probably-die-alone-but-I’m-still-happy-you’re-happy aggression that had been plaguing me all day.

And now my brother’s happy-go-lucky, golden retriever of a childhood best friend was looking at me like he wanted to actually be nice to me and give me a ride home.Ugh!

My eyes narrowed. “What for?”

Rex’s smile tilted, and it looked almost—almost—the tiniest bit wicked. “Remember that favor you owe me?”

Yeah, I remembered. I owed him a favor for getting me out of jail. It was a whole thing. I didn’t want to talk about it.

Rex’s smile was definitely a little wicked now. I couldn’t see his eyes behind his aviator shades, but I could’ve sworn they had a glint in them. “Well, I’m calling it in.”

Biting the inside of my cheek, I pretended his words didn’t send the tiniest thrill shooting straight down my middle. He’dsaid that in a decidedly un-Rex kind of way. Like he was enjoying himself a little. Enjoying the sight of me squirming.

I slid inside the truck next to Rex. He took off his sunglasses and stared at me with his deep brown eyes. I took a deep breath and immediately regretted it. The cab of his truck smelled like him. That in itself wasn’t a surprise. What surprised me was that he smelledgood.

“You sure you’re okay?” he asked, concern drawing lines on his forehead.

No, I wasn’t okay. First of all, Rex Montgomery was turning me on a little. That in itself should’ve been a red alert to get my head checked. Second of all, spending the day basking in Charlie and Sebastian’s loved-up company had made me realize just how lonely I really was. The only silver lining of getting divorced was getting to be single again with my single girlfriends. But now that Charlie was engaged to Sebastian, I felt less like a free single girl and more like a sad spinster.

And Rex was beingniceto me, damn it! How dare he! He already saw me as Gabe’s kid sister. I’d rather he not also view me as a lonely, desperate-for-love girl too. So I offered a slight smile and changed the subject. “I’m fine. What’s this favor you’re calling in?”

Rex sucked his teeth and slid his shades back on. “You might want to buckle up.”

My stomach clenched. Uh-oh. I wasn’t sure I liked the sound of that. He put the car in gear, propping his hands on top of the steering wheel before glancing at me.

I glanced right back, arching my brows.

“Seatbelt, Abigail,” he reminded me.

Ignore everything I said about him being wicked and hot earlier. Rex didn’t have a wicked bone in his body.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m getting there.” I strapped myself in, scowling.

“Safety first.” Spoken like a true fire marshal Boy Scout. “You staying out of trouble?”

I gave him a side-eye glance. “Yes.” I’d been on my best(ish) behavior since the night of the gala at the Monticello.