Garnet Flats (The Edens)

Vivienne. But still, it was so familiar. Achingly familiar.

I’d never forget the day I saw that ring.

Foster’s boss had asked him to run an errand, to pick up a pair of earrings that was a gift for his daughter. So I’d gone with him to Tiffany’s because in those days, we’d been inseparable.

While we waited for the saleswoman to bring out the earrings, Foster and I wandered the store. He challenged me to a game. He asked me to pick out my favorite ring and he’d try to guess which one it was.

He found it on his first guess.

Because out of all the elaborate, glittering rings, he’d known I’d pick something simple and delicate.

A ring I could take on and off with ease. A ring I could wear on a chain around my neck at work without the stone digging into my skin. A ring that would look beautiful on my finger, even when my skin was chapped and dry from frequent handwashing and disposable gloves.

That had been a week before he’d told me he was marrying Vivienne.

A week before he’d shattered my heart.

He couldn’t move here. He couldn’t live in Montana. We’d cross paths. There was no way we wouldn’t run into each other on Main or at a store. Quincy was too small to avoid a man like Foster. Somehow, I had to convince him to leave. Somehow.

But first, I needed to clear my head. I needed to sort out my heart. So this morning after showering and eating a quick breakfast, I’d left the house and come to the place where I’d always found peace.

Tally.

No one called me Tally. Not my parents, my brothers or my friends. Everyone used my full name.

Except Foster.

He’d thought it was so fitting, not just because of my name, but because I tended to count in tally marks. I’d watched all of his fights and sparring rounds with a notepad on my lap filled with tiny lines.

Strikes landed versus strikes attempted. Kicks versus punches. Takedowns and tap outs.

The tallies had been a way for me to curb my nerves. If I was busy keeping count, then I worried less about him being kicked in the ribs or punched in the face.

Just like tallying my good days at the hospital. Those marks, even when I had to erase them, gave me a positive focus. A goal.

Tally.

I hadn’t been Tally in a long time. Until yesterday.

It was like being blasted back in time, to the days when Foster had been the biggest part of my life. The days when he’d been so close, he might as well have been the thump in my heartbeat.

And the ring . . .

Why? Why had he bought that ring? Especially if it hadn’t gone to his wife. When had he bought it?

It looked exactly like the ring I remembered, but that was impossible. He wouldn’t have bought a ring for me when he married

“Dinner, Tally.” It was a mistake to use her nickname. I knew it the moment her expression blanked. Gone was the confusion. Gone was the anger.

She shut me out faster than I could blink.

“Get out of Quincy, Foster.” She marched across the floor. “I don’t want you here.”

The cold air rushed inside as she ripped open the door and stormed outside.

“Fuck.” I dragged a hand over my face. A pop of teal velvet caught my eye.

The ring.

She’d dropped it on the floor.

I walked over and picked it up, holding it in my hand for a long moment.

Was I pushing too hard? Too fast? That was the only way I knew how to go. But it was exactly how I’d lost Talia in the first place.

“Round one.”

Round one was over. And I’d gotten my fucking ass kicked

“Because I don’t want to see you, Foster. I don’t want you in my town.”

“Too late.”

Her nostrils flared.

Shit. I’d always loved Talia’s steady nature. When others would panic, she’d stay calm. It was part of the reason I’d known she’d make an incredible doctor. But every now and then, she’d get mad. And when someone pushed the right buttons, Talia Eden had a temper unmatched.

So before it blew and I really pissed her off, I changed the subject.

“There’s a lot to be done to fix this place up. That orange wall has got to go. But I think the building itself will work. I’m going to set the ring up here.” Marking an outline in the dust, I walked a square in the center of the floor, then pointed around the room as I spoke. “I’ll put mats in that corner. Hang heavy bags from that beam. Bring in a treadmill and stationary bike.”

“You can’t be serious about this.”

“I am. I’ve got a fight in March and am having a hard time focusing in Vegas. A change of scenery should help. Maybe some fresh faces. You were always good at keeping me focused. Maybe I could enlist your help.”

She gave a slight head shake. It was the same look people had after you rang their bell. I had her head spinning. “You’re asking me to help you get ready for a fight?”

No, I was asking her to dinner. “Something like that. We could talk about it tonight.”

“I—what?”

Wasn’t it obvious? “You always talked about Quincy. About how your family founded the town. How it was a place where roots ran deep. I decided if I was going to relocate, why not Montana? It was time for a change. Time to get out of Vegas.”

“A change.” Her eyes narrowed. “What does Vivienne think about this change?”

“Does it matter? She’s not my wife.”

There was so much to say. So much to explain. But there was a fire in Talia’s eyes, and if she was angry, she wouldn’t hear me out. Maybe she wasn’t ready for what I had to say. And I needed her to hear me. To hear the truth.

“How about dinner tonight?” I asked.

She raised her chin. “How long have you been planning this move?”

“Not long.”

“I’m surprised no one knew.” She scoffed. “Foster Madden moving to Quincy is big news.”

Which was exactly why I’d made sure to keep a lid on the purchase of this building.

“When did you buy this ring?” She held up the pouch again. “Was it hers?”

“No, that was never Vivienne’s.” That ring had always been for Talia.

It had stayed locked away in my safe until I’d finally been able to give it to her last night.

“There’s a lot to talk about. If you’ve got to get back to work, then tonight. What do you say? Dinner?”

Her arms cinched tighter across her chest and she started walking again. “No. I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why not?”

see her face, to stand in the same room and breathe the same air, just one more time?

Beneath her black coat, she wore a pair of baby-blue scrubs that brought out her sapphire eyes. A man could find the secret to life in those eyes.

Talia walked to the center of the room, looking everywhere but at me.

“You’re a doctor.” Fuck. Nice, Madden. Way to state the obvious.

“Yes.”

“That was always your dream.” It didn’t surprise me in the slightest that she’d made it come true.

Talia pushed up the sleeve of her coat, tapping her watch. “I’m on a break and need to get back to the hospital. What do you want, Foster?”

You. “I wanted to see you. Tell you I was in town. Thought maybe we could catch up. Go to dinner or something. The restaurant in the hotel is really good. I ate there last night.”

“That’s my brother’s restaurant.” She crossed her arms over her chest, still walking in circles around the gym. “Why did you buy this building?”

“Because I need a training facility. The other gym in town is public. I needed something I could tailor for myself. Put in a ring. Heavy bags. Mats. That sort of thing. Plus it’s got an apartment that will work until I’m able to buy a house.”

Talia’s stunning blue eyes widened. She stopped walking and pointed to the floor. “You’re going to live here? In Quincy?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

The fact that Talia wasn’t married had been a miracle. My miracle.

The day Vivienne and I had signed our divorce papers, she’d encouraged me to take this risk. She’d done everything in her power to help me get to Montana.

Here I was. Time to get to work.

“Okay.” I clapped my hands, the sound filling the gym. I’d stopped at the hardware store this morning for a few cleaning supplies, knowing I’d have to do some work. I hadn’t expected this much work and my stash wouldn’t last long, but it would get me started.

I took one step for the door, but it opened. And there she was.

“Talia.” My voice sounded hoarse. “You came.”

She nodded, looking me up and down. Then she held up her hand, the velvet pouch dangling from her fingers. “You knew I would.”

“Hoped.” Yes, I’d baited her with that ring. And I’d do it again.

She tore her gaze away and let the door swing closed behind her. Then she stepped inside and tucked a lock of her dark, silky hair behind an ear. Last night, she’d had it up in a knot. Today, it was curled in waves that hung nearly to her waist.

Fuck, she was beautiful. I would have sworn she couldn’t get more breathtaking, yet she had managed the impossible.

The air rushed from my lungs. My heart beat too fast. Seeing Talia was like being hit in the chest. It had been the same last night. How many times had I wished to

Next to Jasper, Vivienne was my best friend. She knew why I was in Montana. She knew that Talia had always been in my heart.

Over the years, she’d been the one to keep tabs on Talia. Mostly, Vivienne had done it to save me the heartbreak of seeing photos of Talia with another man. So she’d randomly check Talia’s social media posts. She’d google Talia’s name and see if it had ever changed from Eden.

I needed to find that motivation because I had a fight the first weekend in March. Maybe Talia could help. If I could get her to listen.

“Don’t worry,” I told Jasper. “I’ll be ready.”

“When should I come?”

I sighed and walked back to the gym, following my own footprints in the dust. “Give me some time.”

“You don’t have time.”

“I know,” I muttered. I didn’t have time to waste cleaning up an old gym and making a crappy apartment livable. Yet here I was.

For Talia.

“Call me soon,” Jasper said.

“If I don’t talk to you, Merry Christmas.”

“Same to you.”

I ended the call and tucked my phone into my jeans pocket. Then I walked toward the ugly-as-fuck orange wall. The color was giving me a migraine but it would have to wait. The first order of business was cleaning the apartment.

I’d made arrangements to have furniture delivered on Friday. There were carpets to rip out and rooms to scour. Then I’d tackle the gym.

My stomach was in a knot as I paced to the opposite end of the space, peering out one of the grimy windows. Would she come today? Had that ring piqued her interest enough?

So I’d settle for this place. I’d make the gym’s small, one-bedroom apartment livable. And meanwhile, I’d convince Talia to listen to what I had to say.

If there was one thing going for me, it was the element of surprise. Part of the reason I’d bought this shithole was because it was vacant. I’d been able to pay cash with a quick close. That had been only a week ago. Talia had been surprised by the address I’d given her last night, which meant she hadn’t gotten wind of me moving to Quincy.

I was banking on Talia’s natural curiosity to bring her here today. I needed to see her again. I needed to see her a hundred times. Maybe then I’d realize this wasn’t a dream.

Seven years I’d waited for this chance. Seven goddamn years and I couldn’t risk