After years spent trying to get the love of my life out of my head and repair my too-damaged heart, I thought I was finally moving on…but life sure has a funny way of letting you know when those best-laid plans are about to be turned upside down.
My entire world was rocked when Harley unexpectedly moved back to Oak Springs. Every miserable moment I'd spent trying to get over her and every hour I'd wasted trying to erase her from my life came back to haunt me the minute she walked into my office, fear in her eyes, and asked me for help. Would I…or better yet, could I walk away from her this time after all that she had put me through?
What I really needed to know is would I be able to forge ahead with the future I had so meticulously planned—one that didn't include Harley—or will her return finally open my eyes to a future full of endless possibilities?
Blind Love is book five in the Cowboys and Angels series.
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The knock on my office door had me looking at my watch. Shit. It was seven.
“Come in.”
The door opened, and Cord walked in. “What in the hell are you still doing here this late?”
I shrugged. “I guess if I was being honest with myself, hiding.”
He sat down in one of the chairs facing my desk. “From?”
“Hell, I don’t know. Everyone.”
He nodded. “You want to talk about it?”
I dropped my pen onto the desk and scrubbed my hands down my face while leaning back in my chair.
“Fuck, Cord. I’m twisted up inside. I’m really trying to give this thing with Mallory a go.”
“What’s keeping you from doing that? Her kid?”
“No, hell no. I love little Laney. She’s precious, and I honestly hardly ever see her. Mallory is pretty strict about that. I’ll go over to pick them up for dinner or a movie, but I rarely hang out at their house. Mallory says she doesn’t want to confuse Laney.”
Cord lifted his brows. “Really? I would think Mallory would want you to get to know each other better.”
“Yeah, who knows. Maybe it’s for the best anyway.”
“So, what has you holding back?”
I stared at him. He already knew the answer. The five-foot-two, gorgeous brunette with the sun-kissed skin, and crystal-clear eyes that sparkled like emeralds was the reason I was so fucked up.
“I think you already know.”
He smiled. “Harley?”
I pointed to him. “Right, as usual.”
Pulling in a deep breath, Cord said, “She is looking damn hot. I heard Todd Schneider has been asking her out.”
My brows pulled together. “Steed’s old high school buddy?”
He nodded.
“How do you know this?”
“Corina told me.”
My jaw dropped. “She told you, but not me?”
Tossing his head back, he let out a roar of laughter. “Dude, why in the hell would she tell you?”
“I don’t know. Maybe because she’s my best friend, and she knows I dated Harley.”
“She also knows, like everyone else in town, that you’re now dating Mallory.”
“Still, she should have told me.”
“Why? Would it have made a difference to what is happening between you and Mallory?”
“To know that Harley is dating? No.”
I was getting better at telling myself that lie. Each night I laid in bed and thought about that fucking letter she wrote me. I had torn it up without even reading it. I had regretted it the moment I put it in the shredder.
“She said she had Milo in for a check-up, and Todd was in there with his new puppy. She overheard him asking Harley to dinner.”
I swallowed hard. “And Harley said no?”
He gave me a look that said I was pathetic. “Harley said no.”
Letting out the breath I hadn’t even known I was holding, I leaned back in my chair.
Cord stared at me. “Tripp, are you over her? Are you really able to say you can move on with another woman?”
“If you had asked me that before Harley came back I would have said probably. Maybe.”
“That shouldn’t make a difference, Tripp. What does her being back in town have to do with it?”
I let out a gruff laugh. “For starters, when I see her a flood of memories come rushing back. If Mallory is with me I can’t focus because I’m afraid she’ll catch me stealing glances at Harley, or she’ll ask me if I still have feelings for her.”
“Do you?”
“Yes. No. Yes.”
With a lift of his brow, Cord gave me an incredulous look. “Which one is it?”
Closing my eyes, I sighed. “I don’t know.”
“Come in.”
The door opened, and Cord walked in. “What in the hell are you still doing here this late?”
I shrugged. “I guess if I was being honest with myself, hiding.”
He sat down in one of the chairs facing my desk. “From?”
“Hell, I don’t know. Everyone.”
He nodded. “You want to talk about it?”
I dropped my pen onto the desk and scrubbed my hands down my face while leaning back in my chair.
“Fuck, Cord. I’m twisted up inside. I’m really trying to give this thing with Mallory a go.”
“What’s keeping you from doing that? Her kid?”
“No, hell no. I love little Laney. She’s precious, and I honestly hardly ever see her. Mallory is pretty strict about that. I’ll go over to pick them up for dinner or a movie, but I rarely hang out at their house. Mallory says she doesn’t want to confuse Laney.”
Cord lifted his brows. “Really? I would think Mallory would want you to get to know each other better.”
“Yeah, who knows. Maybe it’s for the best anyway.”
“So, what has you holding back?”
I stared at him. He already knew the answer. The five-foot-two, gorgeous brunette with the sun-kissed skin, and crystal-clear eyes that sparkled like emeralds was the reason I was so fucked up.
“I think you already know.”
He smiled. “Harley?”
I pointed to him. “Right, as usual.”
Pulling in a deep breath, Cord said, “She is looking damn hot. I heard Todd Schneider has been asking her out.”
My brows pulled together. “Steed’s old high school buddy?”
He nodded.
“How do you know this?”
“Corina told me.”
My jaw dropped. “She told you, but not me?”
Tossing his head back, he let out a roar of laughter. “Dude, why in the hell would she tell you?”
“I don’t know. Maybe because she’s my best friend, and she knows I dated Harley.”
“She also knows, like everyone else in town, that you’re now dating Mallory.”
“Still, she should have told me.”
“Why? Would it have made a difference to what is happening between you and Mallory?”
“To know that Harley is dating? No.”
I was getting better at telling myself that lie. Each night I laid in bed and thought about that fucking letter she wrote me. I had torn it up without even reading it. I had regretted it the moment I put it in the shredder.
“She said she had Milo in for a check-up, and Todd was in there with his new puppy. She overheard him asking Harley to dinner.”
I swallowed hard. “And Harley said no?”
He gave me a look that said I was pathetic. “Harley said no.”
Letting out the breath I hadn’t even known I was holding, I leaned back in my chair.
Cord stared at me. “Tripp, are you over her? Are you really able to say you can move on with another woman?”
“If you had asked me that before Harley came back I would have said probably. Maybe.”
“That shouldn’t make a difference, Tripp. What does her being back in town have to do with it?”
I let out a gruff laugh. “For starters, when I see her a flood of memories come rushing back. If Mallory is with me I can’t focus because I’m afraid she’ll catch me stealing glances at Harley, or she’ll ask me if I still have feelings for her.”
“Do you?”
“Yes. No. Yes.”
With a lift of his brow, Cord gave me an incredulous look. “Which one is it?”
Closing my eyes, I sighed. “I don’t know.”
4 Stars
I knew from what we had seen of Tripp in the series to date that I was going to enjoy his story. When the love of your life is lost to you and you just can't seem to move on. Oh don't get me wrong, Tripp has his way with the ladies but nobody was ever her... no one could fill the hole that she left. How was he supposed to have the things he truly wanted in life without her. When she suddenly is back in town and staying for good, he is at a loss for how to move on and see her around town.
Harley knew her mistake the minute she let those horrible words leave her mouth 10 years ago. She wanted to badly to take them back, but he wouldn't take the time to listen to her. She stuck to her plans finishing Vet school and getting to see a little bit of the world and big city. Now she is back in the little town she loved but it just doesn't feel the same without him by her side. Will they be able to co-exist and move forward? Is she truly ready to let him go in her heart?
When everything starts to fall apart around Harley, Tripp can't help but get involved and try to help her. He wasn't prepared for her truths when he tries to help. He wasn't prepared for the feelings those truth's bring forward. How do they move on. Could there be the slightest chance they could move on together? Can they have a second chance?
The Cowboys and Angels series has sucked me in and I can't wait for the more Parker hotness. Kelly Elloitt has a way of making you fall in love with her characters and wanting every bit of happiness for them in the end.
*** Advanced copy provided for an honest review.***
Kelly Elliott is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling contemporary romance author. Since finishing her bestselling Wanted series, Kelly continues to spread her wings while remaining true to her roots and giving readers stories rich with hot protective men, strong women and beautiful surroundings.
Her bestselling works include, Wanted, Broken, Without You, and Unconditional Love, to name just a few.
Kelly has been passionate about writing since she was fifteen. After years of filling journals with stories, she finally followed her dream and published her first novel, Wanted, in November of 2012.
Kelly lives in central Texas with her husband, daughter, and two pups. When she’s not writing, Kelly enjoys reading and spending time with her family. She is down to earth and very in touch with her readers, both on social media and at signings.
To find out more about Kelly and her books, you can find her through her website.
www.kellyelliottauthor.com
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