head fell back against the wall as she let out a shaky breath. Crazy to feel so stunned by the mere glimpse of an old boyfriend, but the sight of Dylan Burkhart had caught her completely off guard. He was the last person she’d expected to see here. Ava didn’t really care about the how or the why of his presence at the ranch. Her only concern was her reaction to him.
She took several calming breaths, trying to quiet her racing pulse. This wasn’t her. She was not that woman. She didn’t live in the past or carry torches. She didn’t dwell on what might have been. She’d moved on. Forged ahead. There’d been no one really serious since Dylan, but that had nothing to do with unrequited love and everything to do with ambition. She simply had no time for anything more than a casual relationship. No strings, no commitment, no expectations.
Her reaction meant nothing. She could handle this. Already she felt steadier. Soon she would get dressed and go downstairs for dinner, where she would spend a pleasant evening reminiscing with old friends.
But first, she’d have a long soak and a good stiff drink.
The great room was empty when Ava came downstairs a little while later. She milled about for a bit, studying the William B. Travis portrait over the fireplace and the framed photographs on either side before moving through the French doors to the terrace. The sun had set by this time and the sky over the treetops had deepened to lavender. She could smell mountain laurel on the breeze and a hint of rain in the distance.
The feeling of disquiet that had descended earlier came back as she took in the isolation of her surroundings. Except for the muted clatter of china and silverware coming from the dining room, she might have been alone. But then she sensed another presence a split second before she spotted a silhouette in the deepest shadows of the patio. She wanted to turn away from his relentless gaze, seek refuge inside the lit great room. Instead, she took a step toward him.
“Dylan?”
“Hello, Ava.”
Her hand fluttered to her chest. “My goodness. It really is you.”
“You seem surprised to see me. No one told you I’d be here?”
His voice was rich and deep and very unsettling. Ava shivered as the breeze blew across the terrace. “I came at the last minute. I haven’t spoken with the others yet.”
She still couldn’t see him clearly but she very much wanted to. She wanted to know if the flesh-and-blood man could hold a candle to her memory. Not a fair comparison, she acknowledged. Time had marched on. She wouldn’t like to be held to the same standard.
As if reading her mind, he stepped out of the shadows. Her hand was still at her chest. She could feel the pounding of her heart through her sweater and forced her hand to her side.
He was still peering at her through the twilight. “You don’t have a problem with my being here, do you?”
“Why would I have a problem? You were always a part of this group. You belong here as much as anyone.” She sounded fine, but her smile felt brittle. She drew a breath and tried to relax. “But I didn’t realize you’d kept in touch with the others.”
“I didn’t. Blair and I ran into each other through a mutual acquaintance. She invited me to the reunion. I had nothing else planned so here I am.”
“Here you are,” Ava echoed faintly.
He returned her cautious smile. “It’s good to see you. You’re looking well.”
“Am I? That’s kind of you to say, but I’m feeling a bit of a mess these days.” She touched her ponytail, wishing she’d taken a little more care with her appearance. Wishing she’d worn the navy sheath rather than the black pants and sweater. “You, though...” She trailed off, taking in the fitted charcoal slacks and jacket. She sighed and dispensed with discretion. “You look fantastic. I kind of hate you right now.”
He laughed, a soft, intimate sound that wrapped around her like an embrace. “Why are you feeling a mess?”
“Oh, work. Life.” She shrugged. “The usual.”
His gaze deepened as he searched her face. “Can’t be more than a temporary setback. I hear impressive things about you.”
She stared back at him. “You do? Oh, that’s right. You said you ran into Blair. She’s biased, you know.”
“I doubt she needs to be in your case. She tells me you’re an attorney.” He leaned a shoulder against a post as he observed her in the waning light. “It’s nice to know you followed through with your dream of law school. I can’t remember you ever wanting to do anything else.”
“Yes, although I didn’t go into practice with my dad. I work for the DA’s office in Houston.”
“Challenging work, I imagine.”
“It can be.” She shoved her hands into her pockets as she gazed at him across the terrace. There was a surreal quality to their casual conversation after a decadelong separation. Ava tried to decide if the meeting was easier or harder than she had imagined it would be. “You have me at a disadvantage. I haven’t heard anything about you. In all these years...not one word.” Her voice took on an accusatory edge despite her best efforts.
His voice held no such edge. “I thought that’s what you wanted.”
“It was. But I can still be curious, can’t I? What have you been up to since college? Are you married, single...? What do you do for a living?” The questions tumbled out before she could stop them.
There was a slight hesitation before he answered. “I’m still figuring out what I want to do. I’ve been at loose ends since I left the army.”
She went completely still. “You were in the service?”
“You didn’t know? I enlisted the day after graduation.”
Ava felt as if the wind had been knocked from her lungs. “I had no idea. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You know why.”
“The others...?”
“I didn’t tell anyone. It seemed best that way. After you left, there was nothing keeping me in Austin. My grandmother was dead. Most of our friends had scattered.” He canted his head, still watching her. “I needed a purpose and I found one.”
“The army,” she murmured. “For how long?”
“Eight years.”
“Were you overseas?”
“Afghanistan for a time.”
She closed her eyes. “I wish I’d known. I should have known.”
“Why?”
“It doesn’t seem right, you over there in that nightmare and the rest of us here getting on with our lives.”
“It
