Chapter Twelve
Reid
I shouldn’t care this much. I tell myself that the entire drive into town, gripping the wheel like it personally offended me.
I shouldn’t care that she’s been quiet all morning. That her usual humming while she puttered around the cabin had been replaced with an awful silence that settled in my chest like a weight I couldn’t shake.
I sure as hell shouldn’t care that she looked at me with that same sunny smile—but this time, it didn’t quite reach her eyes. But I do care. And that’s the damn problem.
I cut the engine in front of the hardware store and climb out of the truck, shaking off the lingering thoughts like snow clinging to my jacket. I have work to do. I need to drop off an order, pick up a few supplies, and maybe grab a box of those cinnamon rolls Sadie won’t stop talking about.
Not because I feel guilty. Not because I need a reason to see her smile again. Just… because.
I tell myself that right up until I step into the café, the scent of sugar and fresh-brewed coffee filling the air, and hear Sadie’s name.
“—just saying, I wouldn’t trust her. She lied about all kinds of things back home. Heard the cops were after her.”
A hush falls over the café. I don’t know the woman talking, but I don’t need to. Pine Hollow is a small town, and like any small town, it’s got its fair share of busybodies who don’t give a damn if what they’re saying is true or not. They just care that it gives them something to whisper about over their coffee.
Rage licks up my spine like fire, fast and dangerous. My hands clench at my sides, my vision narrowing on the woman at the counter, her voice smug, her eyes bright with the thrill of spreading poison.
But before I can open my mouth, Annie beats me to it.
“You can stop right there, Linda.” Annie’s voice is all steel, her arms crossed over her chest. “Sadie’s one of us now.”
Dot, standing at the counter, nods sharply, her usual good-natured expression nowhere in sight. “That girl’s sweeter than honey and twice as good for this town. Unlike some people.” She pointedly stirs a cup of coffee, not looking at Linda.
A few murmurs ripple through the café, some people nodding in agreement, others shifting uncomfortably like they don’t quite know which side to be on.
Linda sniffs. “I’m just looking out for people, that’s all. You don’t think it’s a little convenient she just showed up here looking for a husband?”
Something inside me snaps.
“She showed up because I married her.”
My voice is hard and cold, cutting through the tension in the café like a blade. Every head turns my way, but I don’t look at any of them. My eyes are on her.
Linda pales slightly but lifts her chin. “Well, I—”
“You want to spread lies about her, you’re gonna have to deal with me,” I say, voice low and rough. “And you know damn well I don’t take kindly to people talking about what they don’t understand.”
Linda falters, her gaze darting around the room, looking for support and finding none. With a huff, she snatches up her purse and mutters something about needing to be somewhere before storming out.
Annie lets out a sharp breath, turning to me. “Took you long enough.”
I frown. “What?”
Annie arches a brow, sliding a to-go bag across the counter toward me. “Sadie’s cinnamon rolls. On the house.”
I hesitate before taking them.
Annie crosses her arms. “You gonna talk to her now or are you just gonna keep pretending you don’t give a damn?”
I scowl. “This isn’t any of your business.”
She snorts. “Sadie is my business. She’s my friend and that girl’s got the biggest heart I’ve ever seen. She thinks the world of you, even though you’re as stubborn as a mule.”
I exhale sharply, rubbing my hand down my face. “I didn’t know about the rumors.”
“Well, now you do.” Dottie tilts her head. “What are you gonna do about it?”
The answer’s easy.
I’m going to go home. I’m going to talk to my wife. And I’m going to tell her that no one in Pine Hollow believes a word of the rumors.
The drive home is rough. The snow has started falling again, dusting the road with a fresh layer of white, but my hands stay tight on the wheel for an entirely different reason.
As I walked out of the café Annie pulled me aside and whispered that Sadie is planning to leave. Something cold settled in my chest.
I should’ve seen it coming. Should’ve known that after the way I pulled back, after the way I made her feel like she was nothing but an obligation, she’d start thinking of an escape.
But she isn’t just an obligation. And whether she realizes it or not, this town has already claimed her as one of its own.
The cabin is warm when I step inside, the scent of something sweet lingering in the air, but there’s something off.
Then I see her. She’s in the bedroom, standing by the bed, folding a sweater with slow, careful movements, a small suitcase open beside her. She’s packing.
The anger I felt at the café ignites again, but it’s different this time. Less fire, more ice. Slow and dangerous.
I set the bag of cinnamon rolls down on the table with more force than necessary. “Going somewhere?”
Sadie startles, clutching the sweater to her chest as she spins to face me. “Reid.” Her voice is light, forced. “You’re back early.”
I lean against the doorframe, crossing my arms. “Didn’t answer my question.”
She hesitates before placing the sweater in the suitcase. “I was just getting things organized.”
I arch a brow. “That right?”
Her chin lifts. “Yes.”
I push off the doorframe, stepping closer. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks a whole lot like you were leaving.”
I cross the room in three strides and snap the suitcase shut, my hand resting flat on the top. Sadie jerks back, her breath catching, but she doesn’t step away.
“Tell me the truth, Sadie.” My voice is low and steady, but there’s an edge to it. “Were you planning to leave?”
Her hands tremble at her sides, but she lifts her chin, trying to keep that sunshine smile in place. It doesn’t reach her eyes.
“I thought it might be for the best.”
“For whom?” I demand.
She swallows, shifting on her feet. “For both of us. For you.”
Something sharp twists in my chest. “Why the hell would you think that?”
She lets out a weak laugh, shaking her head. “Oh, I don’t know, Reid. Maybe because you can barely look at me.” Her voice cracks on the last word, and she blinks rapidly, turning away.
I run a hand through my hair, exhaling through my nose. “Sadie—”
“No, you don’t do that,” she cuts in, spinning back to face me, her hands fisting at her sides. “You don’t get to act like I’m crazy for wanting to leave when you’ve been pushing me away since the second I got off the bus.”
Her words hit like a gut punch, and I can’t even argue because she’s right.
She steps closer, eyes burning with emotion. “You tell yourself this was just an arrangement, just some obligation to fulfill, but I see you, Reid. I see how you take care of this place, how you built every inch of this cabin with your own hands, how you pick up extra supplies in town for people who can’t make the trip. How you brought me my damn favorite cinnamon rolls after acting like I was nothing to you.” Her voice wobbles, but she pushes forward. “You’re not the cold-hearted man you want everyone to believe you are. And last night wasn’t just something to forget.” She presses a hand to her chest. “Not for me.”
I can’t breathe. She’s saying everything I’ve been too much of a coward to admit.
She inhales sharply, blinking back tears. “I wasn’t leaving because of the rumors in town. I’m leaving because I love you, and I refuse to stay somewhere I’m not wanted.”
The words slam into me like an avalanche, and suddenly, everything shifts. She wasn’t running from the town, or the rumors, or the past she left behind.
She is running from me. Because I made her feel like she didn’t belong, it’s just like what happened with my mom. And if I don’t fix this, I’m going to lose her.
“Sadie.” Her name comes out rough, and I step closer, reaching for her, but she shakes her head, stepping back.
“No, Reid,” she whispers. “I can’t do this anymore. I need more than a man who treats me like a mistake. I’m sorry that I’m not what you want.”