When best friends Jamie Eckert and Derek Duran realized they were in love, they took their relationship to the next level. But then Derek's budding music career took off, and so did Derek. Twenty years later, Jamie still lives in the small town of Ashbury, Virginia, where he grew up. He's grown up and moved on -- now he owns the family funeral home business and is raising Riley, his precocious six-year-old adopted daughter. But emotions Jamie thought long buried are stirred up again when he gets an early morning removal call. The deceased is Derek's mother and Riley's babysitter, Mrs. Duran. Now Derek's back in town for the funeral, and he turns to Jamie for support ... in more ways than one. Angry at Derek for not keeping in touch, and angrier at himself for still loving the man who left him behind, Jamie is torn between his professional duty and his feelings for Derek. Will he be able to put aside his past with Derek to carry out Mrs. Duran's final wishes? Or is Derek interested in rekindling their relationship after all this time?

Not Another One Hit Wonder

While we eat lunch, I invite Derek to dinner later. “Riley asked me to ask you,” I say, grinning. “She says she’ll let you play with Rainbow Dash and everything.”


With a laugh, Derek admits, “I don’t even know what that means. Do I wantto play with Rainbow Dash?”


“According to Riley, she’s the best one of all.”


“She?” Derek raises a questioning eyebrow. “Can’t I be one of the boys?”


I give him a sardonic look. “They’re pieces of plastic shaped like ponies.”


“Then how do you know it’s a girl?” he asks.


“Riley says so.” I shrug and take a bite of my Italian sub, oily mayonnaise dripping off the side of my hand. Derek was right—Angelo’s knows just what I like. My office will smell like oregano and vinegar for the rest of the day, but I don’t care. I’m in heaven.


“Well, if Riley says…” Derek throws me a wink. “You know she’s the spitting image of your sister, right?”


Chapter 44