changed. If he wanted to keep his sanity, he would be smart to keep a respectable distance from her.
Leading her back into the kitchen, he pointed to the side porch. “Laundry’s out there.” Then he nodded at a closed door. “Cleaning stuff’s in the pantry, along with the food that’s not in here, the fridge or the freezer downstairs. We’ve got a dishwasher now, and this is where everything goes.”
He opened cupboard after cupboard, leaving them open for her to look inside. Then he pointed up. “The kids’ bedrooms are obvious, Ridge and Marianne’s is across the hall. The guest room is at the end of the hall.”
“Got it.”
“Bathroom upstairs, another one down here.” A movement outside the window got his attention, and he grinned, grateful for the distraction. “Oh, and the kids’ dog. You need to meet him with one of us or he’ll go bonkers on you.”
They stepped outside as a muddy black Lab was making a beeline for the unfamiliar car parked on the side of the road. He skidded to a stop when he heard John whistle, looking from him to the car as if trying to decide which was more interesting. In the end, he chose John and loped over to greet him.
John hooked the Lab’s dusty stars-and-stripes bandanna in his fingers and reeled him in before he could jump on Amanda. “This is Tucker, the best dog in North Carolina.”
“Hey there, Tucker.” Kneeling down, she held out her hand for him to sniff. “Nice to meet you.”
After a quick assessment, he apparently decided she was okay and flipped onto his back in an unmistakable plea. Laughing, she rubbed his belly, mud and all, while he licked her arm in appreciation.
“You always did have a way with guys,” John said as he got to his feet.
“It’s a gift.”
“If you say so.”
* * *
John tucked his thumbs in his back pockets in a gesture she remembered well. As he looked down at her, Amanda tried to gauge what he was thinking. John had always been wide open and genuine, with a quick smile and a laid-back demeanor. That charming country boy still lived in her memory, frozen in time the way he’d looked when she last saw him.
Over the years, she’d convinced herself that he must have forgotten her and gone on to marry someone who adored him shamelessly. But he was her age—thirty-one—and there was no ring on his left hand.
Standing, she forced herself to look him squarely in the eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“About Dad? You said that already.”
“No.” Completely unprepared for such a personal exchange, she groped for the right words. After a mental shake, she jammed her brain in gear and continued. “We were best friends, and I never even called you after I left. I never meant to hurt you. I just needed more than I could find in Harland.”
“Y’know, for a long time I prayed you’d decide you made a mistake and come back.” His expression closed up, his eyes darkening with a nasty mix of anger and pain. “You never did.”
“I’m here now.”
“Because you’ve got nowhere else to go. I actually think that’s worse.”
As he stalked away from her, she wished there was something she could do to make things right between them. She wanted nothing more than to have her old buddy back, yanking on her braids and tossing her fully dressed into the pond while he laughed and dove in after her. John hadn’t stood in the way of her getting this job she so desperately needed, but he hadn’t completely accepted her, either. With a sigh, she realized that might be the best she could hope for.
Tucker pulled her out of her funk when he stood on his back legs and wrapped his filthy paws around her waist. Her designer trousers would need to be cleaned, but compared to what she’d been through lately, that was a minor inconvenience.
Laughing, she ruffled his fur. “At least you like me. What say we get you rinsed off and then do some laundry?”
Seeming to understand that she’d asked him a question, he barked and led her around the corner of the house to a coiled-up hose. He stood at attention, wagging his tail as if he couldn’t wait for a good dousing.
“Tucker, you’re amazing.” He barked again, the corners of his mouth crinkling in what she’d describe as a canine smile. She pressed the trigger to start the water, and he clumsily lapped up several mouthfuls. When he’d had enough, she turned the hose on his fur. “I think you and I will get along just fine.”
When he shook himself out, he drenched them both, making her laugh again. Realizing that she’d done that more today than she had in months, she smiled. Despite the trouble still nipping at her heels, it was good to be home.
* * *
What was Amanda doing here, anyway? John wondered as he climbed aboard his tractor and turned the key. Nothing. He gave it another shot with the same result. He should have known better than to shut it off, he grumbled to himself as he jumped off. The temperamental old engine would need a half hour before it was cool enough to restart.
Resigned to waiting, he slid down to sit in the shade the oversize back tire made on the ground.
“Problem?” his big brother, Matt, asked as he strolled over.
“Just the usual.” Trying to look unconcerned, John crossed his legs at the ankles and got comfortable. “No big deal.”
“That’s not what I meant.” Matt sat with his back against the other side of the tire and unscrewed the cap from a thermos of sweet tea. He swallowed some, then held it out for John. “I noticed we’ve got company. Pretty company.”
After a swig, John answered, “Amanda Gardner’s back.”
“For how long?”
John shrugged. “Last I knew, she had a great job in L.A. and was all wrapped up in her fancy new life. Her parents moved to Arizona after her dad retired. If she needed a place to go, she should’ve gone there.”
“Wonder why she didn’t.”
“Who knows why women do anything?”
Matt chuckled and nodded toward the blackened clunker sitting on the shoulder. “Advertising and PR folks usually make good money. Wonder why she’s driving that pile of junk.”
“She said her company went out of business, so she lost her job.”
“Why didn’t she get another one?”
Once John had filled him in on the details, Matt hummed. “A fresh start makes sense, I guess. But why come back here?”
“Like I said before,” John snapped, “I’ve got no idea.”
Angling his head, Matt grinned over at him. “You’re wondering, though, aren’t you? And it’s making you cranky.”
“I’m hot, not cranky.” Hearing the sharpness in his tone, he tried to smooth out the edges a little. “Amanda
