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girlfriend ever since.
    The fall leaves were turning red now, and I could no longer resist.
    Her eyes sparkled with a cheeky grin as she took in my, no doubt, desperate expression. “You want me, Joshua Clark?”
    “I want you.” I could barely breathe out the words.
    Those supple lips of hers pulled into a giddy smile, her fingers tucking a springy curl behind her ear. “I want you, too.” She swallowed, gliding toward me. I drank in her body until she stood at my feet. The top of her head rested just below my chin. I palmed her curls and tipped her head toward mine.
    She rose up to meet me, and that night I had my first real taste of heaven.
    I fell in love with that girl…every inch of her…and I promised myself I’d never let her go.
     
    But how did you keep someone who wanted to leave you?
    “You can’t,” I mumbled, squeezing my eyes shut and willing the pain at bay.
     
    *****
     
    The sun rose a few hours earlier than it should have. I stumbled out of bed, kneading my aching temples. I used the bathroom and then peeked into Uncle Amos’s old room. Since he’d left, Rachel and I had moved in there and our bed was empty. A suitcase sat on the floor beside it, packed and ready to go.
    It felt like a knife was being driven straight through my stomach. Flicking the hair out of my face, I pulled it into a ponytail and clomped down the stairs.
    Indistinct conversation was coming from the main bar and I frowned. We didn’t open until lunchtime on a Thursday, so who the hell was Rachel talking to?
    It was probably Pretty Boy. The anger in my belly stirred just thinking about it. Stopping on the final step, I forced myself to take a slow breath. I couldn’t let her leave in anger. As much as I wanted to cuff her to the bar and never let her go, I couldn’t do it. What was the point of keeping someone if they didn’t want to be there?
    Peeking my head out of the stairwell, I took in the sight of Rachel chatting to Duke. His floppy jowls sagged as if he was frowning.
    “Now, don’t be giving me your sad face. I’ll come back to give you kisses soon enough.” She grinned, planting a kiss on his head. She was sitting in a chair while he was parked on the floor between her legs. He looked massive beside her.
    Snuffling and letting out a little whimper, he bowed his head.
    “Please don’t be like that. I need you to be happy for me. I need you to look after your daddy. He thinks I’m leaving him because I don’t love him anymore, but that could never be true. He owns my heart, that boy, and I’ll be calling and sending songs that I’ve recorded. It’s not over.” Her bright smile died, her expression crumpling a little before she could catch it.
    I closed my eyes, cursing myself for spending our last night in a single bed when I could have been making love to her, kissing every inch of her skin and giving her all the reasons in the world to return.
    Her voice dropped to a quiet whisper, which I had to strain to hear. “I love you. Don’t you ever forget that.”
    Duke howled, making Rachel laugh before wrapping him in a tight hug. I gripped the doorframe, resisting the urge to walk into the room and disturb them. If I did, I’d drop to my knees and beg her to stay…and she didn’t need that from me.
    Heading back up to the bathroom, I turned the shower to scalding and then shoved my head under the hot spray. All I could do was pray I’d have the courage to watch her leave me.

Chapter Eight
     
    Rachel
     
    I hadn’t seen Josh all morning. Leaving him alone had been real hard yet also a relief. I couldn’t handle another battle, so I didn’t want to see him, but I’d missed him in my bed and craved his touch, his kisses, his loving gaze. I needed to know we were okay. I didn’t want to leave under a dark cloud.
    When I went up to grab my suitcase, Josh was locked away in his old room. Who knew what he was doing in there. I didn’t have the courage to knock and find out. Instead I muscled that