Page 164 of Blake

He watched his friend walk that way, wrap an arm around his bride and pull her close. Something unexpected tugged at his chest.

Not jealousy.

Not exactly.

More like a reminder of something he’d once wanted so badly. Something he’d stopped allowing himself to think about.

He shook off the feeling and went to say his goodbyes. By the time he climbed into his truck, the sun had disappeared.

The drive home was quiet, but Draven didn’t mind. After spending most of the day surrounded by people, he was looking forward to a little peace.

He didn’t live far from Janie and Emmett. About a seven-minute drive, as long as traffic was thin.

His house sat on a tree-lined street in a quiet D.C. neighborhood. It was a modest, two-bedroom place with pale siding, dark shutters, and a small, covered front porch.

It wasn’t fancy, but it was his. He’d spent enough years moving from one assignment to another to appreciate having somewhere permanent to hang his hat.

He turned onto his street and slowed as he approached the driveway. That’s when he noticed someone sitting on his front steps.

Draven frowned.

The porch light illuminated a woman seated near the railing. Her head was bowed and her arms were wrapped tightly around herself. A small bag rested beside her feet.

He pulled into the driveway and shut off the engine, studying the woman through the windshield.

Something about her seemed familiar. The way she sat. The slight tilt of her head.

Draven climbed out of the truck.

The woman lifted her head, and he stopped dead in his tracks.

No.

It couldn’t be.

She rose slowly from the steps, moving farther into the porch light.

Draven’s heart slammed against his ribs. He knew those eyes. God help him, he’d know them anywhere, even now. He’d spent most of his senior year in high school staring into them.

He’d kissed her beneath the bleachers after football games. Held her hand while they drove around their hometown on warm summer nights. Made plans for a future that had seemed so simple back then.

She’d been the girl who could light up an entire room with one smile. The one who’d laughed with her whole heart.

His first love.

The girl he’d once believed he would marry, and now she was standing on his front porch.

“Rachel?”

Her lips trembled, but she cleared her throat and attempted to smile.

“Hi, Draven.”

He took a slow step forward.

What the⁠—

“Is that really you?”