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CHAPTER ONE

June 2015
Canton, MO

“Case dismissed.”

Bam. The smash of the gavel added an exclamation at the end of the judge’s statement.

And that was that.

The nine month nightmare ended with one resounding thud.

On cue, the avid spectators surged to their feet, their cheers, protests, and gasps of disbelief creating an incoherent babble. Jesse Hudson blocked out the sound as she pushed her way through the crowd who’d gathered in tight knots to discuss the abrupt conclusion to the scandal that had rocked Canton, Missouri, a sleepy little college town on the banks of the Mississippi River.

Her neighbors might be packed in the old courthouse with its layers of dark wood paneling and rows of uncomfortable benches to enjoy the spectacle of Mac Hudson being charged with the murder of his wife, but for Jesse it had been a matter of life or death. Literally.

“Dad.” Leaning across the wooden barrier, she tapped her father on the back of his shoulder to gain his attention.

Mac Hudson slowly turned and Jesse struggled to hide a grimace. Her dad had always been a large man with a barrel chest and a laugh that could fill the room. He’d never been handsome. His features were too blunt and his jowl too heavy, but there’d been an engaging charm in his ready smile. That charm was one of many reasons that his bar—the Tap Room—had been such a success over the years.

Now he looked worn. Not just because he’d lost weight. Or because his blond hair had receded from his forehead. The months since his second wife and stepdaughter had mysteriously disappeared had drained his very soul, sucking away the joy that once twinkled in his eyes.

“I told you.” Her words came out in a fierce burst. “I knew this stupid farce would never go to trial.”

His smile didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m glad one of us was so certain.”

“There was never a doubt. Never.”

Mac released a shaky sigh. “What would I do without you?”

“Starve, for one thing. Lucky for you I have a pot of your favorite chili in the crock pot and a skillet of cornbread waiting to go into the oven.”

Her dad groaned. “Oh God, after three months of jail food that sounds like heaven.”

Jesse stepped back. “Then let’s go.”

“I can’t. Not yet.”

Jesse’s heart stopped, instantly assuming the worst. Who could blame her? There’d been one horrible shock after another.

“Why not? Is something wrong?”

“Not wrong, but annoying. My lawyer warned me that there would be a pile of paperwork I would need to read and sign if they let me go today. I assume it’s his way of earning his outrageous fee.” His gaze drifted to the gathered crowd, a shudder racing through his body that was wrapped in a suit two sizes too large. “Besides, I’d rather wait for the gawkers to drift away before showing my face in public again.”

Jesse glanced over her shoulder. The windows of the courtroom were large and arched, but the glass was frosted to mute the late afternoon sunlight, leaving the dozen or so stranglers in gray shadows. Like black and white silhouettes.

One form stood apart from the others, openly glaring in their direction. The short, heavyset man wearing a deputy uniform stood with his hands planted on his hips, close enough to the handgun holstered at his side to be an unspoken warning.

Adam Tillman was only five years older than Jesse who’d turned nineteen a month ago, but he looked at least twice her age. His round, pudgy face was twisted into a jaded expression, as if he harbored a general dislike for the world. Plus, there was something sinister about his squinty eyes.

Okay, Jesse might be a tad prejudiced against the deputy. He was the one who’d spent the past months digging up evidence against her father, even though she’d sworn under oath he’d never left the bar that night.

She didn’t know if he’d held a personal grudge against Mac Hudson, or if he’d somehow sensed that Jesse wasn’t being entirely honest. Whatever the case, he was a total jerk.

She turned back to meet her dad’s weary gaze. “Who cares about them?”

“I do.” He reached out to tug the end of her silvery-blond ponytail. “And if you’re honest, so do you.”

“Nothing matters but having you home where you belong,” she insisted.

He shook his head. “I’m not so sure about that. Not anymore.”

“Not sure about what?”

“Home being where I belong.”

She frowned. “What does that mean?”

“Maybe it’s time for a change.” His voice was suddenly strained. “A new start.”

“Dad? Are you okay?”

His jaw clenched before he gave a sharp shake of his head. “Don’t mind me. I’m just relieved this is over.”

“Really and truly over,” she said, as much to reassure herself as her father.

“Go home, Jesse.” Leaning forward, Mac brushed a kiss over the top of her head. “I’ll see you soon.”

She nodded, trying to ignore the darkness in his eyes. “Don’t worry. Everything’s going to be fine.”

But it wasn’t.

Not ever again.

***

August 2025
Chicago, IL

The nightclub reeked of stale cigarette smoke and cheap cologne. Jesse wrinkled her nose as she strolled past the long bar that was reflected in the smoky mirrored wall behind it. On the other side of the space was a small sunken dance floor framed by low booths with peeling plastic seats. The walls were hidden behind the crimson wallpaper that was faded to a dull orange. And above the dancefloor was a glass booth for the DJ.

The place had been shuttered for months, but it wasn’t just neglect that caused the crumbling dust and sagging decay.

Everything about it was fake.

From the vinyl tiles on the floor, to the drop ceiling that was stained from leaks in the roof, to the metal finishings that had been coated with gold spray paint. It was all a sham. Worse, Jesse suspected it was indication that the entire building was dodgy. The electricity, the plumbing, not to mention the actual structure.

“Well?”

The low male voice brushed over her as smooth as velvet. With a tiny shiver Jesse turned to glance at her companion. It’d been six months since Parker Moreau had taken a job at the club in downtown Chicago where she was currently employed as a bartender.

He’d been a perfect fit for the hipster-vibe of the place with his halo of brown curls that framed his heart-shaped face and tall, slender body. Add in the intense sexuality that smoldered in his mesmerizing black eyes and he’d been a customer favorite within the first week.

Jesse was the opposite of hipster. Her blond hair had been chopped into a short, pixie style when she’d left home years ago, and several tattoos had been added to her slender body as she’d moved from one city to another. The only things that remained of the naive girl who’d fled her nightmares, were the large hazel eyes and the silver pickup truck that had once belonged to her dad.

Thankfully, her skill as a bartender meant she could get a job at the clubs that were willing to pay a decent wage along with customers who were generous with their tips.

And even more thankfully, Parker had ignored the hundreds of women who’d done their best to capture his attention. For whatever reason, he’d focused solely on Jesse, as if he’d been as gutted as she’d been at their first meet. Jesse had never believed in insta-love. Sure, she’d been in lust at first glance, but love? Nah. Not until Parker.

One month after he’d arrived in Chicago, Parker had moved into her cramped trailer that she’d parked at a campground an hour north of the city. Now they were preparing to take the next step in their relationship.

A huge, terrifying step.

Jesse swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. “It’s rough.”

“A work in progress,” he corrected.

She glanced at the ceiling that was sagging beneath the weight of the disco lights.

“More work than progress.” She forced as smile as the expression of anticipation on his beautiful face started to dim. “Just like us.”

“Which are we? The work or progress?”

She stepped forward, placing her palms flat on Parker’s chest. She could feel the damp perspiration beneath his silk shirt. It was smothering in the building without air-conditioning. Chicago was currently baking in the late August heat, adding layers of humidity to the high temperature.

“Both,” she murmured.

Parker wrinkled his nose. It was sexy as hell. “You’re not as excited as I’d hoped you would be.”

“I’m excited. It’s just that I’m trying to be practical.” She slid her hands over his chest in a soothing gesture. “One of us has to be.”

“I thought this was our dream?” Parker wrapped his arms around her waist, tugging her against his body that was surprisingly hard. Beneath his expensive clothes he was all toned sinew and muscle. A benefit of his morning runs that could last a solid three hours. Jesse thought he was crazy to put in so much effort, but then again, she thoroughly appreciated the results. “How many nights have we bitched that we’re wasted slaving away for employers who don’t have a fraction of our vision or talent?”

“It’s what employees do. We go to work and bitch about working.”

“Maybe, but why be minimum wage drones making our bosses rich when that money could be in our pockets?”

He wasn’t wrong. She was increasingly tired of working for other people. But that didn’t mean she wanted to blindly leap into the abyss. Especially an abyss that smelled like sweaty armpits.

“And if it fails?”

“It won’t.”

“But if it does?”

“Then we pick ourselves up and start over.” He brushed his lips over her mouth. “It wouldn’t be the first time. For either of us.”

She shivered in pleasure. “That’s true.”

Lifting his head, he studied her with a brooding expression. “What’s really bothering you, Jesse?”

She glanced around the room with its tacky décor and abruptly realized exactly why she was reluctant to take the plunge. This place was a sleazy shadow of the business her grandfather and father had built. The Tap Room had never been fancy, but it was solid and cozy with a welcoming atmosphere to everyone who walked through the front door. It was genuine quality, from top to bottom.

“If our dream is to renovate an old bar and run it together, then I already own one.” The words came out in a strange croak. She hadn’t considered reopening the Tap Room. Not until this moment. “There’s no need to buy anything else.”

Parker’s brows snapped together. Was he was annoyed by her suggestion? “But then it would be your bar and I would always be an intruder.”

“You’d never be—”

“Don’t, Jesse. In your heart the Tap Room belongs to your family.” He tugged her closer. “You told me a dozen times how your great, great grandfather cut the lumber that was used to construct the original mercantile shop. And how your great grandfather changed the store into a bar after he came home after the end of World War II. And how your father asked your mother to marry him by inviting the entire town to the bar to sing her favorite karaoke song when she said yes.”

An unexpected longing tugged at her heart. “Is that so bad?”

“No, but eventually you would resent any change I might want to make.” He gazed down at her upturned face. “Plus, do you really want to go back to the place you’ve spent so many years running from?”

She stepped back. She didn’t know why she was annoyed. He was right. She didn’t want to think about changes to the family bar. Even if they came from the man she loved. And she certainly didn’t want to move back to Canton. But he’d been urging her to cut ties with her past for weeks. As if it was as easy as handing a real estate agent the keys to the Tap Room and walking away.

“You’re asking me to go back anyway.”

“Only for a few days.” He ignored her petulant tone, gently wrapping her back in his arms. “Just long enough to get the paperwork started on your inheritance and to put the bar up for sale. Then we can start a new life with a clean slate.” He flashed the sexy smile that made her tingle in all the right places. “With a business we can build together. For our future.”

With a sigh, Jesse leaned into him, laying her head on his chest. “I like the sound of a future together.”

He stiffened, easily sensing her hesitation. “But?”

“But it’s hard to think about selling my dad’s bar. It’s my family legacy.”

“You’d rather it sit empty until it rots into oblivion?”

“Of course not.”

“Then it’s going to have to be taken care of eventually.” He hooked a finger beneath her chin, forcing her to meet his steady gaze. “Unless you think your father is coming back?”

Nine years of practice kept her from releasing the howl of agony that she kept trapped in the center of her being.

“No.”

“Think of what your father would have wanted, Jesse. You owe it to him to make sure his beloved bar is open to the customers who enjoyed spending time there, not boarded up and abandoned.”

Jesse flinched. It felt like a low blow. “And of course it’s exactly what you want as well.”

He sighed, as if trying not to be offended by her less than subtle accusation. “What I want is a chance to create something special. With you. And that’s going to take more money than we can save no matter how many hours we work.” His fingers traced the stubborn line of her jaw. “Is that wrong?”

Jesse had never thought she’d be one of those women who’d do anything for love. Men were a dime a dozen. But then Parker had walked into her life.

Now she was convinced she’d lie, cheat, and steal to keep this man.

Or even go back to the one place she’d avoided like the plague.

“No, it’s not wrong,” she assured him, laying her head back on his chest. “It’s what I want too.”

“You’re sure?”

No. Not at all.

“Very sure.” She forced out the words. “I’ll go home.”

He pressed his lips to the top of her head. “Do it quickly and come back to me. I don’t want you gone a second longer than necessary.”

She snuggled against him as a sudden chill race over her. She didn’t want to go back to Canton.

“You could come, you know.”

He considered her offer before shaking his head. “Tempting, but I think I should stay here and start negotiations on this place.” He glanced around the empty nightclub. “We don’t want to risk having it snatched away.”

“I don’t think there’s going to be a horde of snatchers.” The words were out before she could halt them. It wasn’t that she was opposed to starting a future with Parker. She just wasn’t convinced this was the place to do it. “And please don’t make any commitments until we know that the paperwork on the life insurance policy has been approved.”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Red tape is always a pain in the ass. And sometimes it can take forever.”

“Don’t worry. I promise not to spend any money until I have your full approval.”

There was an edge in his voice. She tilted back her head to study his delicate features. Was he angry? There was nothing to see, but fear bloomed in the center of her heart.

She’d lost everything. She couldn’t lose Parker.

“Are you sure you can’t come with me?” she urged.

“One of us needs to keep bringing in a paycheck. We’re going to need every penny we can get our hands on.”

She grimaced. “I suppose that’s true.”

He brushed a kiss over her forehead. “Let’s go back to our place so we can have a proper goodbye.”

A heat that had nothing to do with the sultry weather flowed through her like melted honey.

“What’s a proper goodbye?”

“It starts with less clothes and ends with…” His lips pressed against her ear as he whispered exactly what he intended to do with her once she was naked.

Jesse growled in anticipation. “You had me at less clothes.”

End of Excerpt