Never Say Never

It should be illegal to have an ex-fiancé show up unexpectedly, especially in a town as small as Fallen Oaks where the gossip mill never stops. My history with Jake was complicated, but when he left for college, I truly believed I would never see him again. Then he showed up at the local baseball game, his arm wrapped tightly around his new gorgeous girlfriend and my world felt like it was crashing down on me, once again. I wasn't ready to face him or the feelings I'd buried in the years he'd been gone. He was everywhere, and seeing him happy with someone else was a special kind of torture. When things between him and his girlfriend got rocky, I expected him to do what he did best: pack up and leave. Instead, he proved me wrong and chose to stay. He didn't just plant roots; he bought a house—my dream house, to be exact. Worse, he started trying to mend things between us. As much as I tried to convince myself I was over him, I wasn't.  Loving Jake was a luxury I couldn't afford. I was working on making my own dreams come true by renovating a house to open a bed and breakfast with my best friend.  As much as I wanted to believe it could be different this time, I wasn't sure I could risk it.  Part of me was desperate to lower my guard and give things another chance, even if it meant I put my heart on the line again. But memories of our past reminded me what was at stake and what I stood to lose if things didn't work out this time.