How did I know that about Ace Valentine?
Because everyone knew everything about the man.
I hadn’t even gone to the same school as them—I was a bad kid and had to go to charter school because I was kicked out—but even I knew that Ace Valentine and Marjorie Christmas had once been Kilgore royalty.
Oh, and Desi’s ex, Mal Stevens, just so happened to graduate with Ace Valentine. Oh, and they were best friends—or used to be a long time ago.
Before.
Before the tragedy at the Valentine ranch happened.
Ace had up and disappeared, leaving everyone and everything behind—including his best friend and his girlfriend.
A best friend and a girlfriend that were staring really, really hard at Ace’s back.
“Shit,” Desi breathed. “Look at them. It’s like they’re both staring at a ghost.”
I looked between the three people.
She was right.
Everyone looked at Ace like that, though.
He’d been home for years now, but it wasn’t often that he’d ventured into town—according to my granddad. Apparently, he hired a service to get what he needed, and that included chicken feed all the way to groceries for himself.
Not that I blamed him. I’d do the same if I were in his shoes.
Then again, I had done the same.
Instead of facing this small town head-on, I’d graduated and run as far away as I could.
It wasn’t fun being known as the town bad girl.
I mean, sure, I wasn’t all that bad.
But I had made one tiny mistake that had cost me dearly for the last two years of my high school career.
“Oh, shit,” Desi breathed. “They’re going up to him.”
Ace hadn’t missed their approach. He’d clocked them in the mirror above the menu board that spanned the front of the deli, and the closer they got, the stiffer he became.
I felt my spine straighten as I took it all in.
“I’ll be right back,” I said as I stood. “And don’t do anything stupid.”
Desi scoffed. “I won’t. I need to remain the sane one so that I can get what I want.”
Meaning she had money coming each month thanks to the goodness of Mal’s heart. Or, well, the goodness of Mal’s father’s heart. Mal’s father loved Desi, and when he’d heard of their split, he’d nearly wept in the middle of the entire town.
And, despite Mal’s annoyance at his father’s love for his ex-wife, he’d given Desi money to live off of until she got back onto her feet. Which, according to Desi, spanned over the next five years or until she got married again.
“Good Desi,” I teased as I stood from the booth.
Ignoring the wobble in my legs, I made my way over to Ace just as the two intruders came up behind him.
Acting like I didn’t see them, I walked over to Ace and wrapped my arms around his waist, raising my face up to his.
“Don’t forget my kid’s nacho basket,” I ordered. “And my cookie.” I paused. “I also want a splash of unsweet tea in my sweet tea to try and even out the sweetness.”
His eyes went from the two who’d approached him from behind down to me, and I knew he knew what I was doing.
His eyes twinkled as he said, “I heard your order the first time, darlin’.” He teased, “But the sweet tea is new.”
It was.
I didn’t really want that, though I could tolerate it. I just needed an excuse to be in his arms.
And when I was about to pull back, he circled his arm around my hips and held me to him.
“Next?” the lady at the counter called.
I moved with Ace, not because I wanted to, but because he forced me to.
I’d gone into his arms willingly, but now I was there to stay until he let me go.
Not that I really minded, other than the fact that it felt really good to be where I was at, and I wasn’t really meant to be there. It was like teasing a dog with a piece of meat that he couldn’t have.
Ace stepped up and expertly ordered my meal, not missing a single thing, not even my chocolate chip cookie. Then, noticing that I was lying out of my ass about the tea, he placed an order for my fully sweet tea, and then took the proffered cookie that the attendant behind the counter handed him.
“Today, if you purchase one cookie, you get another one half off,” the attendant said.
Ace looked down at me.
“Why do you strike me as the type of person who wants two cookies?” he teased.
I bit my lip.
It was like he knew me.
“Umm,” I muttered.
“I want two cookies, too. That makes four total,” Callum called from behind us. “And I want a jalapeño turkey crunch like hers, only I want double of everything. Plus, I want a Dr. Pepper.”
I looked at Ace’s brother with surprise. “You’re not allowed to order soft drinks here. It’s either tea or nothing.”