Chapter 17
A knock at the bedroom door had Polly’s eyes closing.
No. She didn’t want to wake up. She wanted to stay in her fictitious perfect dream world, where the woman with the ring on her finger hadn’t opened Joel’s door and there were no psychopaths racing around Deep River, running her off roads.
Another knock. “Can I come in?”
How was she supposed to say no to her beautiful best friend, who was letting her crash at her place?
“Of course. It’s your house.” She pulled the pillow down.
The door creaked as it opened, then Maggie stepped into the bedroom. “Technically, it’s Ethan’s house.” She perched on the edge of the bed. “How are you doing?”
Polly sat up. “I’m going back to work today, so I have to be okay.”
“No. You don’t have to be anything. You’re the boss, and you have an amazing team of girls who can open for you.”
“It’s been five days.”
Maggie shook her head. “There’s no timeline for how long it should take to recover from a traumatic event.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“I can come open with you?”
“I know you have a bunch of appointments this morning, and then you’ll need to spend the rest of your day booking those clients amazing, out-of-this-world vacations. Plus, it’s not your job to babysit me.”
“I’m not?—”
“You are. And I love you for that. But I’m okay.”
Maggie sighed. “Okay. What about Joel?”
Just hearing his name made her breath catch. “What about him?”
“He’s come by every day to talk to you, and every day you’ve said you’re not ready.”
She swallowed. “I haven’t been ready.”
“I’m always on your side, you know that.” Maggie leaned closer. “But don’t you think he’s earned the chance to tell his side of the story?”
“Of course he has. But this entire thing has just brought up so much fear. I’m so scared to need any man, because I don’t want to turn into?—”
“Don’t say your mom. You are nothing like her.”
“Maybe not. But she raised me, and she taught me that the second my heart is given to someone else, that person has the chance to break it.”
“She never met the right person…until now.”
Polly frowned. “You think Jonah’s the right person?”
“I kind of do.” Maggie lifted a shoulder. “Maybe that makes me silly, but…they seem good together. There are none of the red flags like in her other relationships. From what I can see, he really loves her.”
Was that true? Could her mother have really met her person? After the dozens of men who’d broken her mother’s heart, the idea seemed inconceivable. “Thank you. For everything. For letting me stay here and looking after me and filling me with food when eating was the last thing I felt like doing.”
“You did the same for me when I needed someone.”
Polly hugged her. They were friends, but they were really more. They were sisters. Family.
When Maggie left the room, Polly took a quick shower, then threw on jeans and a black tee.
She hadn’t been expecting to feel nervous about going to work, but the second she got into the vehicle, a new tightness pulled at her chest. It was Maggie’s car. Hers was still with the mechanic. The only good news she’d received these last few days was that it was fixable.
Good—she didn’t have the energy to go out and find a new one.
She tightened her fingers around the wheel at the memory of the crash, gaze going to the rearview mirror.
You’re okay, Polly. No one’s behind you.
When she finally reached the shop, air rushed from her chest in a long exhale. That relief lasted all of three seconds…until she saw him.
Joel.
He stood near the door to Bloom, arms crossed as he leaned against the wall.
God, he looked good. Big and strong and so damn lovable.
Jesus, she needed a cage around her heart, or at least a lockbox.
She swallowed hard and climbed from the car. “What are you doing here?” She was careful to not look him directly in the eye. One look and she’d drown in those brown-green eyes.
“I’m just here to talk.” His raspy voice slid over her skin, skimming goose bumps down her arms.
It took three goes to get the key into the lock. Maybe because of his raw, earthy scent. Maybe because she was so aware of how easy it would be to turn and wrap her arms around him. When she finally unlocked the door, she stepped inside and crossed the café, her steps almost a jog.
Dammit. Pull it together, Polly. He’s just a man.
“We were never engaged.”
“She thought you were. Your mother gave her the ring.” She stopped at the counter, took a breath and turned. Yep, one look and she wanted to close that distance between them and fall into his arms. She clenched the edge of the counter behind her with an iron grip. “What am I missing?”
“The part where I never agreed.” He stepped closer, his hands in his pocket, his biceps visibly twitching.
“I was ten when my parents decided that I’d marry Bronte Simmons.
Because it would be good for business to consolidate power.
To leverage mineral rights without contracts.
I learned very young that my parents don’t actually love me.
I don’t think they even know what love is.
They only care about what I can do for them and their business. ”
Her heart gave a little squeeze. “I’m sorry.”
The next step brought him so close, she could see the specks of green in his eyes.
He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.
“I rebelled. I joined the military. Had flings with women but never dated anyone long term. You’re the first person I’ve ever let in, Polly. The first person I’ve ever loved.”
This time, her heart didn’t just squeeze—it folded and flipped, the beats taking off in a rhythm that was too fast to recognize. “Love?”
“Yes, Sunshine. I love you. And I can’t lose you.”
Fear made her want to step back, but there was nowhere to go. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Say yes. Say you’ll give this thing between us a chance.”
A part of her wanted to. She wanted to be reckless and fearless and throw herself into this thing between them.
But the other part? The other part was so aware that this man could ruin her that she wanted to run. “Why didn’t you tell me about her?”
“Because we were new. And I didn’t want anything to rock us.”
“That’s not a good reason to omit such important information.”
“It’s a shit reason. And I’ve done nothing but regret it.”
He sounded so sincere. Could she trust him? Could she hand him her heart and rely on him to protect it? If her mother had finally found a man she could trust, then maybe Polly could.
Like God himself heard and laughed, the door burst open and her mother rushed in, eyes red-rimmed and tear stains down her cheeks.
Oh no…
“Mom.” She stepped around Joel.
Her mother closed the distance between them and threw her arms around Polly. “It’s over, Pols! Jonah and I are over.”
What was this? A month and a half? It had to be a new record.
Joel slammed the truck door closed, the hinges rattling with the impact. He was angry. So fucking angry that he could barely think or breathe or do any of the shit he needed to do to function.
He should have told her. He should have taken the hit early on and shared everything about his fucked-up family and the deal his parents had made with the Simmonses. In not doing so, he’d broken the fragile trust he’d worked so hard to build with Polly.
He stepped inside the base. Ethan, Connor, and Ryan looked up from the tech table.
Ryan straightened. “Everything okay?”
“No.” They didn’t need to hear that he’d been close, so damn close, to getting a fraction of that trust back this morning, only to have Olivia Mack step in with her drama, making Polly yank it back.
He went straight to the locker room and dumped his pack.
Footsteps sounded in the hall, then Connor appeared, arms crossed over his wide chest. “Wanna talk about it?”
“I’m going for a run.” Joel grabbed his earbuds from his locker and was about to step into the hall when Connor took off his sweatshirt and grabbed his own earbuds. “What are you doing?”
“A run sounds pretty perfect to me.”
“It’s about to rain.”
“Even better. It’ll keep us cool.”
Joel shook his head. “I don’t need a babysitter.”
“Never said you did.”
“Fine.” He stormed down the hall, past Ethan and Ryan, who were back to looking at him, before stepping outside. The second his feet hit dirt, he started moving. Pounding the soles of his shoes against the earth, letting cool air whip over his face and arms.
Connor easily kept pace behind him.
He pushed his body so hard that air tore in and out of his lungs, making his chest burn.
He should have been firmer with his parents. He should have gone back down to Houston and told them in person to leave him the hell alone. Hell, he should have gone to see Bronte as well. Her parents. Let them all know that there was no scenario in which he’d ever marry her.
But he hadn’t done that. He’d buried his head in the sand, ignored his parents’ calls, hadn’t even attempted to reach Bronte, and just expected it all to go away.
Stupid. So fucking stupid.
Gray clouds hung above the trees, darkening the path ahead.
So many scenarios played in his head, and every one of them ended differently. In some, Polly forgave him. She took him back and they rebuilt their trust. And in others…
He lost her.
A muscle ticked in his jaw, the burning of his legs a welcome distraction.
Thunder rumbled above them, but he didn’t slow or turn back. Connor didn’t either. But then, they’d run through hell together as SEALs. A bit of rain was nothing.
The entire team was used to discomfort. And right now, any and all of that would be a welcome distraction from the pit in his gut.
Finally, he slowed by the river and paced in a circle. He pulled out his earbuds and interlaced his fingers behind his head as he breathed fast.
“Feel better?” Connor asked as he fell in step beside him, chest moving just as quickly.
“No. I spent so long running from this. Avoiding. And I always thought it would go away. That all that shit would stay in Houston.”
“Eventually, what we run from always catches us.”
“Something I’ve learned the hard way.”
“Is Bronte gone?”
“I sure as hell hope so. I haven’t spoken to her in years. How does she just show up, enter my house, and tell the woman I love that we’re engaged?”
“It was never a love match for her,” Connor said softly. “It was a business deal that had already been done.”
He swallowed. “Distract me. Tell me you’ve made a move on that woman from the community center?”
Connor hadn’t said out loud that he was interested in Raven. But every time the woman was around, his friend couldn’t look away from her.
He frowned. “I tried to talk to her the other day after our town meeting. She was distracted by something on her phone though. She seems…skittish.”
“Skittish around you ? You’re a big teddy bear.” The man had three little sisters. It was ingrained in him to protect women.
“I heard she was engaged. Maybe it’s too soon for her. Or maybe she’s still in love with the guy.”
“Only one way to find out.”
“Should I use your technique of taking the last cinnamon roll?”
Joel shook his head. “Everyone needs to let that go.”
“I would, but—” Connor gaze suddenly shot to the right.
Joel heard it too. The crunch of leaves beneath feet. It was distant, but Joel and Connor were trained to isolate sounds. Be aware of their surroundings. Someone was out here with them…and they were getting closer.
Joel pulled the Glock from his concealed holster and moved one way while Connor went the other, both heading toward the sound.
Joel used the trees as cover, keeping his body hidden. Then he saw it—a man standing with his back toward him.
Jonah turned, pistol in hand.
What the hell?
Joel stepped out, gun held at a low ready position. “Jonah?”
The man’s gaze shot up. His eyes were wide with shock. He looked down at the pistol, then back up. “It’s not mine. I found it. I swear.”
“You need to turn it in at the station.”
Another widening of his eyes. “They’ll think it’s mine.”
Connor stepped out from behind, his own pistol at the low ready, pointed toward the ground. “Jonah.”
Jonah spun around.
“We’re going to call the station,” Connor said slowly.
“And we’d like you to accompany us back to base and turn the weapon over to Ward,” Joel finished.