She’s the one that got away. He’s the one that never let her go. From the bestselling author of Camille Ashwood had always loved a plan. Her latest was her best yet. She was going to get married so she could secure her daughter’s future, get her overbearing parents off her back, and finally start building her own life in small town Meadowlark, Wyoming. Easy, right? But when her groom doesn’t show up to the wedding, Cam’s life is turned upside down--she doesn’t even have a place to live. That is, until she finds out the house she’s loved since high school is available to rent. There’s only one problem: the neighbor. Dusty Tucker has spent nearly all of his adult life running. Running from what, though? More like who: Cam Ashwood. But ever since he returned home last year, the girl who was his first, well, Despite her best attempts to stay <far< away from Dusty Tucker, Cam realizes that being close to him is like slipping on her favorite jeans. Easy. Comfortable. That is until past wounds start to open and feelings--both old and new--wreak havoc. Nearly ten years after they first met, Dusty and Cam begin to wonder if their first love can also be their last. And this time, will it be forever?

Autorentext

Lyla Sage lives in the Wild West with her loyal companion, a sweet, old, blind rescue pitbull. She writes romance that feels like her favorite things: sunshine and big blue skies. She is also the author of Done and Dusted, Swift and Saddled and Lost and Lassoed. When she’s not writing, she’s reading.

Zusammenfassung
She’s the one that got away. He’s the one that never let her go.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the bestselling author of Done and Dusted and Swift and Saddled, the next book in the Rebel Blue Ranch series, a small-town romance in which past lovers get a second chance to rediscover what they lost

“The perfect farewell . . . I dare you to get to the last page without turning right back around to walk through the gates of Rebel Blue all over again. I’ll see you there.”—Jessica Joyce, USA Today bestselling author of The Ex Vows

Camille Ashwood had always loved a plan. Her latest was her best yet. She was going to get married so she could secure her daughter’s future, get her overbearing parents off her back, and finally start building her own life in small-town Meadowlark, Wyoming. Easy, right?

But when her groom doesn’t show up to the wedding, Cam’s life is turned upside down—she doesn’t even have a place to live. That is until she finds out the house she’s loved since high school is available to rent. There’s only one problem: the neighbor.

Dusty Tucker has spent nearly all of his adult life running. Running from what, though? More like who: Cam Ashwood. But ever since he returned home last year, the girl who was his first, well, everything has become a woman seemingly determined to keep him at arm’s length. And he was okay with that—at least, that’s what he kept telling himself. She was getting married, after all. But now she’s single and living next door. Dusty wants to show her that they can be friends, and that he can stay put.

Despite her best attempts to stay far away from Dusty Tucker, Cam realizes that being close to him is like slipping into her favorite jeans. Easy. Comfortable. That is until past wounds start to open and feelings—both old and new—wreak havoc. Nearly ten years after they first met, Dusty and Cam begin to wonder if their first love can also be their last. And this time, will it be forever?

Leseprobe
Chapter 1

Cam

In my opinion, there was almost nothing better than a good checklist. Crossing things off was probably the best feeling in the world. Today, my checklist was supposed to be easy—­mindless, even—­because, for the first time in who knows how long, there was only one thing on it: get married.

I’d done everything else. I got the marriage license, showed up to the chapel, and wore the ballgown my mother picked out. It should’ve been simple—­walk down the aisle, listen to the generic vows the officiant was told to use, and plant one on my fiancé.

So why was I sitting in the diviest dive bar in all of Wyoming, wearing my wedding dress, drinking straight vodka?

As with nearly every large project, getting married required more than one person. But group projects had never been my strong suit. I didn’t like putting my fate in the hands of others, but today I thought I’d be fine. How much harm can one other person do to something so easy?

A lot, actually. Because if just one person doesn’t show up, everything goes to shit.

Well, my groom didn’t show up, and everything went to shit.

I thought about the note he’d left—­noble of him—­as I picked up my glass of vodka and took a healthy swig.

Camille,

I’m sorry. I couldn’t do it.

Graham

I ignored the eyes of the other Devil’s Boot patrons that were burning into the back of my skull, wondering why poor Camille was sitting at the bar in her wedding dress when she was supposed to be getting married.

I felt the alcohol burn all the way down my throat. I took another sip. And another. He couldn’t do it? This whole thing was his idea. He was the one who said it was going to be okay, that we would be as happy as we could be.

And then he didn’t show up.

He didn’t even warn me, just left me the note on the dressing room table. As I was reading it, Amos Ryder knocked on the door. Amos was my daughter, Riley’s, grandfather, but he was also the closest thing I had to a loving and steady father figure. I’d originally asked him to walk me down the aisle today, but my actual father wasn’t very pleased with that and did what he normally did: threatened to cause a scene, take away my and my daughter’s inheritance, revoke her trust fund—­that sort of thing.

So I gave in. I always give in.

But when I needed someone, my dad was nowhere near the scene. Amos, however, was always there when it mattered. Ever since the day Gus, his son, told him I was pregnant, Amos has treated me like another daughter.

He had spent the morning of the wedding with me because I asked him to. Amos was a good person to have around when you were worried that nerves might get the best of you. He was calm and strong and steady—­like a river, Gus had always said. I always wished he could’ve sat next to me when I took the bar exam—­no doubt I would’ve passed on the first try.

“Come in,” I croaked, and as soon as I saw his black-­and-­gray hair and soft green eyes, tears bubbled up in my own. I wasn’t sad because Graham wasn’t here and wasn’t coming but because I’d already given up so much of myself for this wedding, and now it wasn’t going to happen. I was sad about the complete waste of time and effort.

“Cam?” he’d said as he closed the door behind him and rushed toward me. “What’s wrong?” His eyes zeroed in on the note in my hand, and I watched his face fall. He knew.

Instead of answering, I let out a shaky breath and hugged him. He hugged me back. Riley, who had followed her grandpa into the room, jumped in the hug, too, even though she didn’t know what was going on. That girl just loves a snuggle.

“Let’s go see if your dad is here, Sunshine,” he said to her. She nodded excitedly and twirled in her flower girl dress. She was so damn excited to throw petals and walk down the aisle before me. My chest constricted. How could…