Now or Never

after all, so it was a possibility.
    Irritated as hell, she stopped and turned, “I told you—not interested.”
    His green-eyed gaze searched her eyes. Finally, he shrugged.
    A shrug, really, that’s all I get? This guy was making Grayson feel like she was bipolar.
    “Grayson, just take my number. You can call or not, the ball is totally in your court. You can even throw it away as soon as you walk out the door, just humor me.”
    Grayson’s jaw dropped, but she shut it quickly. “How do you know my name?”
    He tilted his head towards the cup in her hand, a sly smile upon his face. She felt beyond foolish; he probably heard the barista call out her name too. Josh made her into a completely paranoid human being.
    “Wait one second,” he said, holding up a hand. “Don’t leave yet.”
    She watched as he made his way to the front of the line, cutting in front of eight people, including the one in mid-order, and he spoke to the cashier. He returned with a pen, gently extracted her cup from her hand, and in block letters wrote “DERRICK” and a phone number. His hands brushed hers as he handed the cup back, and it was as if a shot of electricity coursed through her body. Startled, she yanked her hand away as if she was burned.
    What the hell kind of magnetic charge did this guy have? What int the world is happening to me?
    Without another word, she turned and walked out of the cafe. She could feel his eyes on her as she crossed the lot and got into her Jeep.
    In the comforting interior of her car, Grayson let out a deep breath and lifted her cup to eye the name and number.
    Note to self: avoid Starbucks.

CHAPTER 6

    A sigh of relief escaped Grace as she turned into the quiet suburban neighborhood where her mother lived. The yards looked just like tiny postage stamps—perfectly green and landscaped with all manner of brilliant flowers and box hedges. Misty streetlights lined the sidewalks alongside pretty picket fences and discarded toys from the day. It was similar to their old neighborhood back home in Florida. At least her mother’s taste hadn’t changed.
    So much else had changed since the day she graduated high school. Grayson still found it hard to get used to the fact that her mom had moved to Tennessee. She had been positive her mom would retire and stay in Florida. Of course, it made sense that she would want to be closer to her only grandchildren, especially after her youngest kids had flown the coop—Grayson to Arizona, and even though Luna remained in Florida, she moved into her own apartment not long after Grayson left.
    She couldn’t believe her sister was also in Tennessee. There was something to be said for the comfort of family and knowing you could always come home.
    Case in point, Grayson thought as she pulled into the drive at 3309 and cut the engine.
    The house sat off to the left at the end of the cul-de-sac. Her mother had left the porch light on for her, and it brought a smile to her face. Her brother, a Green Beret, was extremely conscious about security. He’d spent his life drilling his sisters and mother on the importance of taking precautions: Never let anyone know you’re out of town, have your mail delivery stopped until you return, keep at least one light on in the house, set your alarm, etc…
    Hopping out of the Jeep, Grayson pushed her disheveled hair behind her ears and grabbed her coffee before getting the bags from the backseat. The security lights came on as she ambled up the driveway. Her shoulders ached from the drive, and her butt was numb for sitting down so long.
    The flower bed stopped her in her tracks, like it always did. Mom had always said a well-groomed garden could make any house feel like a home. Grayson thought back to her own crappy apartment in Arizona, devoid of flowers, Josh thought they were a waste of money. Anger welled up in her chest, but she was determined not to let her past have a hold on her future.
    She leaned down and smelled the yellow roses, a smile tugging at her lips. They were her mother’s favorite. Their father used to bring her home yellow roses when he went away for work. A promise of a new beginning, he would say. Grayson’s smile disappeared at that thought, and she rolled her eyes, readjusting her bag.
    We see where that got Mom—alone.
    Grayson found the small silver key beneath the empty flower pot on the porch—not safe, but she had to get in somehow. She fumbled with the unfamiliar lock, and then pushed the door