“No. No,” she repeated when he remained tense. “He would never. Look, it was all a very long time ago and it’s a long story.”

“I’m listening.”

She blew out a sigh. “You know I grew up in foster homes.”

“Because your dad left before you were born and your mom was fond of assholes.”

She blinked in surprise.

“Heather and I were talking about how all of you met when you were fostered by Caitlin’s parents, after each suffering some pretty shitty childhoods.”

“What else did she tell you?”

“Nothing. Just that you’re all bonded for life, but she was sparse on the details of why.”

She let out a rough breath, because she did her best to never think about that year she’d spent in the Walsh home, but she’d let herself fall into those memories while here because some of them were the best of her entire life. But not the story she was going to tell Jace now. “Caitlin’s parents were really great,” she started. “Heather, Caitlin, Michael—Cat’s younger brother—and Walker and I got really close that year. Their home wasn’t too far from here, actually. It was in town. The problem was . . .” She closed her eyes. “Me,” she admitted. “I was fifteen and wild and impulsive. I rebelled against the rules, because . . . well, I don’t know why really, probably because I had an issue with authority and also was an angry punk ass. And that’s what started the whole thing.”

“What thing?”

“A carnival came to Wildstone,” she said. “Caitlin’s parents took us during the day, but we had to leave at dark. I wanted to go back later that night and see all the lights, but that wasn’t allowed. Shelly and Jim gave us a lot of freedom, but they still had rules and I thought a lot of them were dumb.” She drew a deep, shuddering breath. “So Mayhem Maze came up with the brilliant idea of sneaking out that night. Just me and Caitlin and Walker. We’d done it a few times before, so I thought no big deal. We didn’t tell Heather or Michael—they were too young to go. The deal was we’d meet in the basement and climb out one of the windows, walk the two miles to the carnival, and have a great time.”

“I take it that didn’t happen,” Jace said.

She shook her head. “Caitlin didn’t want to go. She didn’t like to break the rules. So it was a cluster from the start, and it only got worse when Heather showed up in the basement. She loved to eavesdrop and then tattle, but on that night her tactic had been to blackmail us.” She managed a rough laugh. “She promised she’d keep our secret if we took her along.”

He smiled. “So she was smart, even back then.”

“Oh yeah,” Maze said with a laugh. “And adorable. Irresistible, really. Still is, though she will no longer keep anyone’s secret.”

Jace smiled and Maze cocked her head.

“Wait. What was that?”

“What?”

“That look in your eye,” she said. “That’s the look you get when you like someone. The last time I saw it on you was right before you started dating that cute blond beverage distributor. Daisy, right?”

“There’s no look,” he said.

“There’s totally a look, Jace.”

A muscle in his jaw clenched, and then he nodded. “Okay, maybe there’s a look. But it’s not going anywhere. Clearly.”

Because he was still her “boyfriend.” More guilt slashed through her. “Jace—”

“This isn’t about me. Heather promised not to tell. So what happened?”

Maze sighed. “I turned on a little portable heater to warm the basement while we were all arguing. Millie, the Walsh’s dog, always followed us everywhere. She’d come down the stairs after Heather. Her tail knocked over the heater and the rug caught on fire. The whole house was engulfed in flames in like five minutes. It was an inferno.”

“Jesus. Were you hurt?”

She gave a bitter laugh. “No. Not even a little. Caitlin, Heather, Walker, Millie, and I all got out through the high, narrow basement window.” Suddenly there was a huge lump in her throat—pure grief and survivor’s guilt. She couldn’t swallow past it. “Caitlin and Michael’s parents were gone for the evening and already out of the house. We were standing on the grass staring in horror at the fire when I realized Walker was running back inside. To get Michael.” She shook her head. “The firefighters arrived and had to drag him out—he wouldn’t go without Michael. But he’d hit his head and had a concussion, plus smoke inhalation and some second- and third-degree burns.”

“And Michael?”

All she could do was shake her head.

“Ah, Maze.” Jace pulled her to him and squeezed, pressing his cheek to the top of her head. “I’m so sorry, honey.”

“It was the smoke that got him. He never even woke up.” She sniffed and choked back the emotion, shaking it off the best she could. “The house couldn’t be saved. So Caitlin and her parents had to move. And Heather, Walker, and I were sent to other foster homes. Thanks to Caitlin, we managed to stay in contact.”

“And then Vegas happened.”

She nodded.

“Heather said you two were always close. She didn’t know much about his early years. She said if anyone knew, it’d be you.”

Maze knew shockingly little as well, not for a lack of asking. Walker had coaxed much of her story from her over the years but had always shrugged off his own. “He’s a closed book.”

“Were you . . . seeing each other?”

“No. Just here and there with the others, but a few years before, we’d had a near miss at one of Caitlin’s holiday parties.” She’d never forget it. They’d been out back beneath a starry night sky and a huge tree—and a sprig of mistletoe. It’d been a joke really, when she’d gone up on tiptoe to kiss him, but it had quickly escalated.

“Near miss?” Jace asked.

Maze bit her lower lip. “Look, there was eggnog involved. We . . . kissed.”

“Wow. You heathens.”

“Hey, it was a big deal, okay?”

“Why?”

She shrugged, trying to find the words. “There’d always been a tension between us that was different than with the others. And it wasn’t until then”—when they’d nearly taken each other up against the tree but had come to their senses—“that either of us realized it was a physical chemistry. But we caught ourselves in time. I think because we knew it would ruin everything. Which means I was a lot smarter when I was still in my teens than I was at twenty-one.” She pulled the divorce papers from beneath her pillow and tossed them into his lap.

Jace opened the file and read, his eyes widening in surprise. “So Elvis did file.”

“Go figure. A man doing something he promised he wouldn’t.”

Jace grimaced and ran a hand down his face. “You really didn’t know?”

She shook her head. “Walker didn’t either. Not until he went for a loan for some property he wanted to buy. That’s when he had these papers drawn up.”

“And now all you have to do is sign.”