Page 19 of Wrecked for Love (Buffaloberry Hill #1)

ELIA

I thought I’d forgotten her. I really had. Life slipped back into its usual rhythm, and I convinced myself she was just a blip, a name fading from memory. Not even a dream of that night had surfaced. It was like it had never happened.

But had I really forgotten her? Or had I buried the memory so deep that I convinced myself she didn’t matter? That was the easiest way to cope. Telling myself I would never see her again, preparing myself for that reality, was easier than dealing with the loss of someone I’d once known.

Seeing Claire at the fundraiser threw me more than I cared to admit. I’d been skeptical when Log invited me along, but there she was, working tirelessly to rehome those abandoned animals. It was a side of her I hadn’t expected—and it got to me.

And how had she managed to turn Mr. Gunn, the grumpiest guy in town, into a public relations whiz for the day? I barely knew Gunn, mostly only through old stories from my grandpa’s time, but for Claire to pull that off? I couldn’t wrap my head around it.

And then, like an idiot, I panicked. My walls came down, and when that happened, I turned into a mess—clumsy, confused, ridiculous.

But my encounter with Claire made me believe this was the real her, not the guarded woman who had stumbled onto my property and faced me like I was the enemy.

I pulled up to The Lazy Moose and then grabbed the dog treats and my wallet from the passenger seat.

Hank and the boys were crowded in a corner, laughing over something. It didn’t take long to figure out—it was his new boots. He was still going on about them, boasting about the custom-made pair, and I still couldn’t get over the sheer size of them.

When he spotted me, he broke away from the group to ask about the fundraiser and give me an update on the vet checks for the horses. Then he paused and really looked at me.

“What?” I asked.

“You okay, man?”

“Yeah. Why?”

He nearly let out a mocking laugh. “You’ve been grinning like a mule eatin’ briar since you walked in.”

I glanced at the window and caught my reflection. Jesus. Even I could tell I looked different. Though I couldn’t see the grin Hank mentioned, I was happy. Seeing Claire again didn’t just throw me off; it made me feel good. Really good.

“That’s what puppies and kittens do,” I deflected.

Hank snorted. “Puppies and kittens? Son, unless one of those puppies can bake or she’s got a twin sister, I ain’t buying it. That grin’s got ‘woman’ written all over it.”

I groaned. “I’ll see you later, Hank.”

“Yup, keep smiling, Romeo.” He waved me off with a laugh as I headed inside.

Koda greeted me the second I opened the door, his eyes wide and hopeful like he’d sniffed out the treats from a mile away.

“Yeah, of course, these are for you,” I said, tearing open the bag and handing him a few pieces. “They’re from her, you know.”

My phone buzzed on the table. Logan’s name lit up the screen, and I already knew where this was going to go.

“Hey, man!” His voice burst through, way too chipper for my mood. “You free tonight? Riley is cooking up a storm. You should come over.”

Log was lucky to be married to Riley. And anyone lucky enough to be at her table knew it.

But I could smell the setup coming, just like Koda sniffing out those treats earlier.

Just a few minutes of being around Claire already had me tripping over my own feet.

I wasn’t about to add dinner table disasters to that. “I’ll pass, Log.”

“Come on,” he pressed. “Claire’s coming, too. You know, from the fundraiser?”

There it was, the sneaky son of a gun. He was trying to arrange a double date without even saying the words.

“No thanks.”

Logan chuckled, not missing a beat. “All right, all right. Thought I’d try. But listen, you should know, she’s renting The Willow.”

My blood ran cold. “She’s…what?”

“Yeah, The Willow,” Logan continued casually as though he hadn’t just dropped a bombshell. “She’s been staying there for a while now. Said she loves it.”

I couldn’t speak. The Willow. That place. The cottage that had haunted my memories for years—Claire was living there? My mind struggled to wrap itself around the thought. How could she stay in that place and not feel the weight of its history, of what happened?

“El?” Logan’s voice pulled me back. “You still there?”

I swallowed, finally finding my voice. “Yeah. I just…I didn’t know.”

“Well, now you do,” Logan said. “It’s a good thing, man. Maybe…I don’t know, maybe it’s time you face it.”

Face it. He had no idea. He couldn’t. But one thing was clear: Claire was staying in that place, and I’d been avoiding it for years.

Logan’s tone shifted, taking on that serious but lighthearted note only he could pull off.

“You know, living alone can mess with your head. You stay by yourself long enough, and it’s easy to go off the rails.

Sometimes, you’ve got to face your past. Hiding behind a tragedy? That’s not what a man does, El.”

“I’m not fucking hiding! I’m living!” I snarled.

“No, you’re not,” Log shot back, blunt as ever. “You’re enduring. And yeah, you’re hiding and throwing out excuses because moving on is too hard. Being happy is too damn hard. That’s not the Lucas family I remember.”

“Jesus, Log. You sure know how to land a punch.”

“I’m your friend, El. No cows, no horses, no ranch is gonna save you from yourself. That’s why I’m laying it out like this. I’m all you’ve got left.”

I let out a breath, his words sinking in. I wasn’t about to explain everything, but there was one thing I couldn’t keep from him. “Claire. She stayed with me. One night, during that storm. You know, the one you thought would send me straight to Oz.”

Silence hung for a second before Logan burst out, “And she came back? Why the hell would a woman come back here?”

I pulled my wallet from my back pocket and flipped open the coin compartment I hadn’t touched since the day she left. A small necklace tumbled into my hand.

He continued, “It’s not for the scenery, that’s for damn sure. Or the local jam. A woman only comes back for one reason, El. You know that, right?”

Damn Logan friggin’ Pierce! Did I really have to entertain that idea? Though clearly, everyone else already had. “It’s not like that.”

“Not yet,” Logan said, enjoying this way too much.

I rubbed my thumb over the Batgirl Forever pendant. Maybe I could polish it up before giving it back to her. Maybe that’d be my excuse to see her again—minus Logan, the matchmaker.

“What are you getting at, Log?”

“I’m telling you, no woman stays in Buffaloberry Hill for no reason. There’s something bigger going on, and guess what? You’re right in the middle of it.”

I could practically see the grin on his face through the phone. The worst part? He was probably right.

By the time the call ended, I was still set on skipping the double date, but…

what had Logan said about me being happy?

Too hard? Hank sure as hell hadn’t mentioned that earlier.

I’d caught my reflection in the window—I was like a fool who found a winning lottery ticket in their sock drawer—and now I could feel it in my chest. Chemicals bubbling over in a test tube, colors shifting, heat rising, a thin wisp of smoke curling at the edges.

I sighed, leaning back, my eyes drifting over the living room.

The silence was stifling. How had I ignored it for so long?

I’d buried myself in ranch work, dodging the truth and pretending this stillness was what I wanted.

But sitting here, the memories crept in.

The chaos, the noise, the constant buzz of a family that had once filled this place.

Mom, Dad, Tessa, Noah. The arguments, the laughter, the sibling one-upmanship. It had been loud, messy, and imperfect. But it had been alive. And, God, I missed it. When Claire was here, I didn’t realize how much life she’d brought, even for just a moment.

Maybe being happy wasn’t so hard when you had someone.

I stared down at the necklace that was still resting in my palm.

For the first time, I let myself admit something I’d been avoiding for years. I wanted more. I wanted this place filled with life again. Laughter. Voices. The kind of noise that made a house feel like home.

I slipped the necklace back into my wallet. It was a small decision, but one that felt bigger than it should. I’d give it back to her when the moment was right.

After dinner, sitting alone at the table, I decided to call it a night. Koda padded behind me, probably hoping for another chance to sneak into my bed. I figured I’d let him tonight.

I stopped outside Tessa’s room. My hand hovered near the door, but I still couldn’t bring myself to open it.

The ache was still there, lodged deep. But as I carried on, a thought crossed my mind.

What would Tessa have said if I told her I was thinking about asking Claire out on a date?

She’d have given me hell for it, that’s for sure.

Probably wouldn’t let me hear the end of it.

Claire. Miss Chili Pepper. Whoever she was, I found myself wanting to answer whatever questions she might throw my way.

I wanted to go there with her. It didn’t seem so impossible.

Unlike the others, she wouldn’t pity me—hell no.

If anything, she’d bring me to my knees.

What would that feel like? Spending time with someone who didn’t know my past, who was with me for the moment, for us.

That would be the real definition of a clean slate.