By the time I reached the sidewalk, I'd caught my breath and let my ponytail loose. My fingers were wet from sweeping away the tears streaming down my face, and my insides felt raw and exposed. Between Leo's story of his PTSD and my feelings about him, I didn't know what to do. How to react. What to say.

One thing was clear: his wounds and damage were far greater than my own troubles, and I felt an enormous pang of guilt about how I'd alternately teased him and been bitchy over the last few days. Selfish, even.

I'd always assumed I was the type of person who lived to please others, but now I suspected I'd been totally unfair to Leo...which made me feel like crap. Sure, he'd ghosted me. But we'd been teenagers living in different states and maybe there'd been more going on than I realized. He'd been through hell in the war, so maybe he'd suffered enough. What sense did it even make to keep being angry for something that had happened before he enlisted?

I wished we could have a do-over right from day one.

Well, I could start again regardless. I'd get an iced coffee at Sunset Brew, take a moment to sit with my thoughts, then go back to the beach and tell him I was sorry. Never mind that it was difficult to reconcile the hurts of the past. Never mind that he'd hurt me, that Jacob had cheated on me, that it seemed like every guy in my life had failed me. Leo was older now, and he deserved another chance if he wanted one. We had a connection I didn't want to break.

Yanking open the door to the coffee shop, I went over in my mind everything I had to do for the rest of the day, calculating how much time I'd be able to spend with Leo. I had to return to the hotel eventually, because I needed to relieve Nicole from behind the desk.

After I ordered and grabbed the coffee, I went outside and sank into a chair at a table in the sun. Five minutes by myself to collect my thoughts, to calm down—that was all I needed. I rarely sat and enjoyed the Florida weather because I always was in motion. I'd never even taken a real vacation, which was ironic. Tourists constantly surrounded me, and each year at the sand sculpture contest, I'd won a trip to a Caribbean island. I'd always given the trip to Mom and insisted she take a friend. This had been the year that, had I won, we'd planned to go together.

Now, we'd never go anywhere together.

I brushed the sand off my shins and felt sadness welling up inside, both for the past and the future. I'd lived a block from the beach my entire life. Sand and sun were a constant presence. Maybe once the tourist season was over, we really would sell the hotel and I'd move far away. To the mountains. Or to smelly New York City. Somewhere away from the sand and palm trees. Somewhere away from the handsome Marine who made me feel like I was shattering into a thousand pieces every time I looked at him.

I just wish I could be there for him and hold him at night when he wakes up.

If only it could be as easy as climbing into his bed and living happily ever after. I wiped the wet condensation off the side of the plastic cup with my finger. I'd never before met a man who made me want to flee and kiss him at the same time.

I sipped my drink, leaned back, and closed my eyes. The sunshine felt comforting against my skin and—

"Jessica."

The voice was totally familiar and entirely unwelcome.

Jacob.

I sighed before even opening my eyes. When I did, I stared straight ahead, and not at the blonde-haired, blue-eyed sack-of-shit. This wasn't the first time he'd tried to talk to me since our breakup, and it wasn't the first time I'd been forced to ignore him.

"You showed up at my mother's funeral and my uncle asked you to leave. You sent flowers and I threw them away. You tried emailing me two months ago, but I ignored and blocked your address. I don't care what you have to say. So why the hell are you standing here?"

"I was on the island to drop off papers at City Hall when I happened to be driving by the café and saw you. Can I sit down?"

I shook my head. "Did you not hear what I just said? No. You can't."

My eyes swept over him. He wore rattan sandals with no socks, khaki pants, and a white guayabera, a Cuban-style men's short-sleeve shirt that signified the wearer was both casual, formal, and distinctly a South Florida native. Jacob was five years older than me, and I noted with some satisfaction he had the makings of a paunch. His blue eyes, which I'd once loved because they reminded me of Leo's, looked at me pleadingly.

It was hard to believe I'd allowed him into my heart. I'd been so lonely, though, figured no one would ever want me the way Leo had—or seemed to have—and when Jacob had walked up to me at that bar in Fort Myers, I'd allowed myself to say yes to everything he asked. Now I realized he was nowhere near as handsome or charming as I'd once thought. Actually, he looked a bit dowdy. And his eyes were nothing like Leo's. I'd been so wrong about so much.

I openly grimaced, as if I smelled a foul odor.

"I've been wanting to talk to you," he said. He leaned a hand on the table and another on the arm of my chair. His body was close to mine. Too close.

I felt a jolt of rage and grabbed my purse. "Back. The hell. Off."

Jacob straightened, sighing. "I've wanted to apologize. You haven't given me the chance."

Apologize? Again? Jesus. Was this the part where I found out there was a hidden camera somewhere?

My mouth tightened in anger. I wasn't going to dignify him with a response. He'd cheated on me, for God's sake, and I'd been ashamed of falling for his bullshit. Would he have refrained from cheating if I were prettier, thinner, more successful? If I had been able to fuck him like he wanted?

What was the difference? I was seeing him now for what he was: a smarmy asshole with a paunch—one who wanted to talk and manipulate. No damn way.

"Please, can't we talk as friends?" Jacob pleaded.

"Friends? Us?" I asked. "Leave. Me. Alone."

Jacob swallowed. "I deserve this and more. But, Jessica, I want you to know something."

I rolled my eyes and sighed again. Would I be arrested if I doused him in iced coffee? No, I didn't want to waste the coffee. What if I punched him in the throat? Because that's really what I felt like doing.

"Jessica, I still love you. I think I made a mistake. Please, let's talk. I was unfair about your condition. I'll be patient this time, I promise. And I didn't mean all of that about your body. You're gorgeous. Can you give me another chance? Unless there's someone else in your life now."

When he mentioned my size and my physical problem, I really wanted to smack him. "As a matter of fact," I growled, "there is someone in my life. You are pathetic, Jacob. Leave. Now."

My words came out louder than expected, and a few people on the sidewalk turned their heads. But I didn't care. The nerve of him! I sat ramrod-straight in my chair. If anger could kill, Jacob would be dead and a few people driving by might have been collateral damage. A flicker of pure disgust flashed through me, and I rooted around in my purse for my keys. Why wouldn't he take a hint and leave? And where were my damn keys?

I heard rushed footsteps and a deep voice. "Jess. I am so sorry I'm late."

Looking up, I gasped. It was Leo. Where had he come from?

Before I could say anything, Leo slipped in front of Jacob, who stepped back a few feet to make room. Leo bent down and stroked my face with a strong hand, then kissed me full on the mouth, as if he'd been doing so for years. The kiss was firm and slightly longer than would have been proper for a greeting. His tongue even briefly touched my bottom lip.

I think I might faint...

"I got here as fast as I could, baby." He tugged on my upper arm, drawing me toward him, then slipped an arm around my waist, which was probably for the best because my legs were unsteady. "Leave your coffee. I'll make you a better one at the bakery."

I was breathless and tingly. My mouth slightly open, I noted Leo was several inches taller than Jacob and quite a bit more muscular. Okay, massively more muscular. That made me happy.

Leo shot Jacob a cool smirk. "Oh. I don't think we've met. I'm Leo."

With his free arm, he extended his hand. Jacob looked even more surprised than I had, but he reluctantly took Leo's hand. I saw Jacob's eyes go to Leo's scars, then to his tattoos. His gaze lingered on the military dog-tag tattoo on Leo's forearm.

"I'm Jacob. Her..."

"Her past. That's what you are." Leo's voice was like steel.

I stepped a few inches toward Leo, and he hugged me close to his chest. His beachy, salty-smelling male skin was delicious. I fought the urge to nestle my nose into the side of his chest and inhale.

He was better-looking than Jacob, and way braver. And he was standing up for me—something Jacob had never, ever done. I recalled once when a snotty waitress brought a wrong dish—one with shellfish in it, which I was allergic to—Jacob had sat mute and allowed me to fight my own battle. I suspected Leo wouldn't do that.

He addressed Jacob with a touch of arrogance and reproach, and I found it sexy as hell. "I've heard all about you and what you did to Jess, so I think it's best if you leave her alone. Forever. And if you don't," Leo shot my ex a hard glare, "you'll have me to deal with."

____