âWhy are we here together? Pretending we can start over?â
His hands urged her even closer, and Olivia suddenly hated the thickness of her coat. She wanted to shove away the puffy fabric separating their bodies and crush herself against him.
âPretending?â he countered. âWhat makes you think we canât start over?â
A tiny groan sounded in her throat before she glanced away. âBecause I donât think we ever really ended.â
His head moved from one side to the other in disbelief. âLivvy. Livvy.â
The shortened name was whispered with a longing that tore right through her heart, and before she could ponder or wonder about being safe or sorry, she rose up on her toes and pressed her lips to his.
* * *
Chapter One
Clancy Calhoun paused among the crowded tables of the Grubstake Café and stared at the woman sitting near the back of the crowded room. Could it possibly be her? From where he was standing, he could only see a small portion of her face. But the faint tilt of her head, the nearly black hair that glistened with fiery lights, the way her left hand was subtly punctuating each word, seemed all too familiar.
Why would she be here in Carson City, Nevada?
âClancy, thereâs an empty table at the back.â
The female voice had him glancing away from the woman in question and over to Jessi, a young waitress, who was using a paper menu to direct him to follow her through the throng of breakfast eaters.
When they reached the vacated table, Jessi wiped it clean while Clancy tried to snatch a better view of the woman with the dark hair. Her table was now only a few steps away, but with her back still toward Clancy it was impossible for him to get a clear view.
âAre you eating breakfast this morning, Clancy, or just drinking coffee?â Jessi asked. âHuevos rancheros are the special today and Juanita is cooking, so I promise theyâre delicious.â
âThatâll be fine, Jessi. And put some green sauce on them, will you? Itâs only the first of September. We have some whacky weather going on. Itâs not supposed to be this damned cold outside this morning, so I need something to warm me up.â
âIâll have the cook put on an extra helping of chili,â the waitress assured him.
Jessi hurried away and Clancy started to take his seat when, from the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the mystery woman turning her head in his direction.
Dear God, it was her!
Olivia Parsons. Sheâd dwelt in his heart and mind for the past ten years and though heâd tried to drive her out, sheâd remained stuck there, like a painful splinter, gouging him each time he tried to take a step away from her memory.
Recognition flashed across her face and she stared for only a moment before turning back to the man who was sharing her table.
Still on his feet, Clancy gripped the back of the chair, while he tried to decide whether to cross the small space to greet her. But he was suddenly relieved of making that decision when she said something to her breakfast partner, then quickly rose to her feet. As she maneuvered herself through the tables to reach him, Clancy felt his heart pumping like a jackhammer.
Heâd often wondered how it would feel to see her again and what he might possibly say to her. But now that it was actually happening, he was practically paralyzed, his mind nothing more than a whirl of memories. Even though it had been years since heâd last laid eyes on her, she looked almost the same, except that her features were more mature, her curves more womanly.
âHello, Clancy. It is you, isnât it?â she asked.
Her voice was still rich and melodic and the sound shimmered through him like a welcome sun ray.
âYes, itâs me.â He reached for her hand and she didnât hesitate to curl her fingers firmly around his. âHello, Olivia. This is quite a surprise to see you here.â
Surprise? Hell, he thought, it was more like a violent earthquake.
A faint smile crossed her face and it dawned on Clancy that he couldnât decide what his gaze wanted to concentrate on the most. Her dark hair and tanned skin were a rich, vibrant color, her eyes like a shimmering gray sea. Heâd forgotten just how pretty, how downright sexy sheâd been, but now that she was standing so close, everything about her was rushing back to him, jolting him with erotic memories.