I did finish reading the whole book and I have to say this was a struggle. But I am glad I did because the outcome made it worth it. Because they were both able to escape the poison called his family, and be happy with each other. But before that, this poor girl was broken done, and used. She was manipulated by all to get what they wanted. It was all because she was alone, once she lost her father to cancer.
You see Erin’s father had been a groundskeeper on, the Flint estate forever, and, they had lived in a cottage on the grounds. That is until, the day after her father passed away. When she was asked to leave the only home she could remember. Plus, she then needed to get a job. Because she no longer had a dorm room on the college campus, she gave it to care for her father. That’s when she started working on, the Army base almost two years ago. Mrs. Flint came u with the idea of her house sitting for her eldest son, Major Reese “Pieces” Flint.
Now, Erin had always loved, the Flint boys growing up they were like big brothers. Until they weren’t. At sixteen, Erin was head over heels for, James, and he was getting ready to leave for college, and something happened to crumble that fantasy. It was Reese who found her crying in the orchard, and he walked her back to the house. They laughed, talked, and ate pink ladies. Ironically, the same young girl, that he had run into the anger-filled day, of fighting with his father over leaving the military, would be house-sitting for him now.
He is so startled by her appearance, at being a full-grown woman, especially after emailing her for the last year plus. In his mind's eye, she is still that sixteen-year-old girl. So, on the day of his return, and sees her he is gobbstopped. Yet, she is so glad to see him after getting the emails all year that she runs up, and hugs him around his waist. He does not hug her back or even speak. With a reddened face, awareness dawning on her she backs away enough to look into his eyes. After all, he is six-four. She relays how sorry she is, and tells him it won’t happen again. She says she will just clean up the gardening tools, and go up to the apartment above his garage.
It's a year from that point on, that this man goes to great lengths, to avoid her. Which is hard since they share a front door entrance, they work at the same base, and they park in the same driveway. It's not until he gets a direct order to play football. He gets injured playing. Did I mention it's flag football? Yup, there is no halfway with these guys. It requires surgery and help and his mom hires, Erin to help with the cooking, laundry, and anything else needed.
Reese is not a talker, or a man who likes to accept help. So, let’s just say it's tense between them. But, when his mom, and then his much-hated brother, asked her to do something that made her feel extremely uncomfortable she didn't want to do it. It made her feel as if she was betraying, Reese. She felt obligated for how much, the Flint family had done for her, and her father before he passed. Especially when James pulls out a figure. But, it's the way, James asked that makes her feel ill because it, makes her feel less than, and dirty.