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They had haunted his dreams since he was fourteen years old.

Sweetie Holiday had been his high school sweetheart and the only woman he’d ever loved. When she had broken up with him their senior year, he’d been devastated. But he’d dealt with the pain and gotten over her . . . until she’d gone and fallen in love with his cousin. Then all those feelings of not being good enough had resurfaced and he was still struggling to come to terms with the fact that Decker was able to hold on to Sweetie when he couldn’t.

Although that seemed to be the story of Jace’s life.

He struggled to hold on to anything he loved deeply.

Sweetie.

Football.

His father.

“You still with me, Jace?”

He blinked out of his daze and stared at the woman sitting next to him. Same color of eyes. But different girl.

Sweetie’s little sister.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” he said. “How are you, Teeny Weeny?”

The smile turned into a mean scowl. “That has to be the worst nickname ever.”

“Would you rather I call you by your real name . . . Halloween Holiday?”

“Not unless you want your balls relocated into your ears. I prefer Hallie and, after knowing me for most of my life, you damn well know it.”

“I do, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop calling you Teeny Weeny—not when you won the hot dog eating contest when you were only ten years old. I still can’t believe you put away eleven wienies without throwing up.”

“Oh, I threw up. But only after I got my blue ribbon.”

He laughed again. It felt good. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed without forcing it. He sobered and studied her. Hallie had definitely outgrown the nickname. She was no longer the feisty little tomboy who used to follow him all over the Holiday Ranch giving him pointers on how to win the next high school football game. She was a beautiful woman.

Although she was still feisty.

“Damn, you look like hell,” she said. “Is that scruffy thing on your face supposed to be a beard?”

He ran a hand over his whiskered jaw. “I misplaced my razor and just haven’t bought a new one.” It was a lie. The truth was he just didn’t care about shaving . . . or anything, really.

“You know they sell razors online and ship them right to your house. It’s the wonder of online shopping. And speaking of houses, don’t tell me you live here in Austin now.”

He knew whatever he shared with Hallie would be shared with Sweetie and her four other sisters—who would then share it with the rest of the Holidays and subsequently the entire town of Wilder, Texas. While everyone at home probably already knew about his career-ending injury, he didn’t want them knowing about his pathetic attempt to keep playing football.

“No. I don’t live here. I’m just passing through. What are you doing here?”

“I live just a few blocks away.”

“And you always stop by for shitty beer and tequila?”

A defeated look settled over her face. He understood the look well. “It’s been one helluva day.”

He nodded. “Yeah. I get it. Although it’s been more of a helluva year for me.”

A mischievous twinkle entered her green eyes. “Then maybe I should buy you a drink.”

Chapter One

Hallie Holiday hated bridesmaids’ dresses as much as she hated anyone calling her by her given name.