Chapter Twenty-Two
The last three days had been an absolute blur.
Between work and everything that’d gone on with Jonah, Roxanne was barely hanging on.
There was a slew of messages from her family that she needed to address.
They were concerned. But for tonight, all she wanted to do was go home, pour a tall glass of wine and camp out on her couch, binge-watching TV. She’d deal with reality tomorrow.
She had just shut down her laptop and grabbed her pocketbook when her phone rang. She considered ignoring the call, but if she owed anyone extra decency, it was this woman. After all, she forgave me before I even apologized. She tapped the screen, bringing the phone to her ear.
“Hi, Kenz.”
“Rox, thank God.” Her breath was heavy. “I need your help. I have a delivery coming to my place. I’m hours away, and Bogs is out of town. I tried to reschedule, but they said it’s already in route. Would you be able to go over and let them in?”
Noooo, Kenzie. This would put a major damper on her plans.
Roxanne rested her hand on her forehead, closing her eyes. “Is there anyway Cassie or Sadie can do it? I’m really…”
“Please, Rox, I already asked, and they’re all busy.”
So am I. While not everyone would consider her plans important, they were her priority tonight. I need this day to end.
“It’s just…”
“If you do this for me, then we can call it even for your snapping at me at your dad’s house.”
That was a sly move and not Kenzie’s usual tactic. “I thought you forgave me?”
“I do, but if you do this, then you won’t have to buy me shots at the bar. And just so you know, I planned on having a lot, so this is your better option. It saves you money.”
Roxanne chuckled, shaking her head. “What time?”
“An hour.”
She sighed. “I’ll be there.”
“You’re the best.”
So you all keep telling me.
An hour later, she was pacing around Bogs and Kenzie’s living room, ignoring the constant beeping of her phone.
T-minus one week and she’d be free of Melody Rollins a.k.a.
Bride from Hell. The wedding would go off without a hitch, and she’d never have to speak with her again.
Roxanne reluctantly grabbed her phone and sifted through her text messages. Most were business.
The doorbell rang, and she made her way to the door. When she opened it, he was the last person she expected to see. What the fuck, Kenzie? A little heads-up would’ve been nice, though she figured this was intentional. In fact, considering Kenzie’s insistence, she was sensing an ambush.
Roxanne forced a smile, shifting on her feet. It was beyond uncomfortable and awkward.
“Kenzie didn’t mention you’d be making the delivery.”
Jonah lowered his chin. “I asked her not to. Wasn’t sure if you’d show up if you knew it was me.”
Roxanne didn’t have a response. What could she say? It was a fair concern, and quite frankly, she wasn’t sure she would’ve agreed either. Roxanne was in self-preservation mode. Protecting her heart from Jonah had become her mission and a battle.
She widened the door, stepping to the side. “Can I help?”
“I got it.”
Roxanne stared at the table as he rolled the piece in on a dolly. It was wrapped in a thick blanket. A surge of excitement twisted in her belly. No one could deny his talent, and she was more than eager to see the final result of his work.
She stood off to the side in silence, watching him gently unravel the table. It was just as beautiful as she had imagined. It was all in the details. She folded her arms, smiling.
“Well, I know what to get Kenzie for Christmas.”
Jonah angled his head.
She pointed to the table. “Coasters. Kenzie will probably beat my brother's ass if he even attempts to put a can or glass on that without one.”
Jonah cracked a small smile, snorting. “Knowing Bogs, I thought ahead. I put an extra layer of lacquer on.”
Roxanne chuckled. It felt so natural with him—minus the elephant in the room.
She dropped her gaze to the floor and walked across the room, putting much-needed space between them.
Jonah folded up the blanket, dropping it to the base of the dolly, and tied the bungee cords around the handle. In a few minutes, he’d be gone.
The pit in her stomach was acting up in response to her heart pounding in her chest. It had her wondering if this was how it would always be when she saw Jonah. She peeked up through her lashes. Jonah was showing no signs of leaving, making her shift uncomfortably on her feet.
“How are the boys?”
Jonah stared back at her with a look she couldn’t place. His features were tense but lacked any essence of anger or contention.
“They’re good.”
She arched her brow. “And Holden? Has he recovered or is he still nursing a three-day hangover?”
The corner of his mouth slightly hitched, and his gaze softened. “He’s getting there.”
“I’m surprised he made it up the stairs in one piece.”
Jonah scoffed. “He had it easy. His ass is lucky I rebuilt those stairs with a curvature. I still got the scar from when I fell down the flight. It was a straight shot from the top landing to the first floor.”
Her lips twitched. Roxanne was having a hard time imagining Jonah so intoxicated he’d fall down a flight of stairs.
“When did that happen?”
Jonah dragged his hand over his jaw, cocking his head.
“I was about Holden’s age.”
What?
“But I thought you just moved in about two years ago.”
“Moved back.” He straightened his shoulders, and the tension in the room grew thick. “Sold it after the accident.”
Roxanne glanced around the room, piecing together what he was saying. Moved back?
“Your house is your childhood home?”
Jonah slowly nodded.
“The one you lived in with your parents and Sawyer?”
“Yeah. After they died, I sold it thinking we all needed a fresh start. Too many memories and at the time, I didn’t think that’s what the boys needed.” He paused. “What I needed.”
Roxanne was in a trance, listening to him.
“It’s like you said about keeping your last name. You want to hold on to something that’s a part of you.”
The knot in her throat tightened, and she licked her lips, searching for something to say.
“Kept tabs on it over the years. It changed hands twice. First owners did a lot of upgrades. The second did a lot of damage. They let it go. It’s hard to watch something that meant so much to you fall apart before your eyes.” His gaze softened. “Or lose it.”
Her chest tightened, and her blood raced through her veins. It was as if he were talking about the house and something else. Us?
Jonah cleared his throat and sighed. “When it came up for sale, I sat the boys down and we made the decision to buy it. Cord was on the verge of academic probation in his first year of college, so he was more than happy to transfer and get a fresh start.”
Jonah’s lips twitched, and he shrugged, which in turn made her smile. I can see that.
“Holden had just finished his sophomore year. Thought for sure, he’d be harder to convince, but he was happy with the move if it meant he got to go home.”
Home. The one they’d had with their whole family. That hit her hard, and her eyes welled. It was sweet and sad rolled up in one. A reunion of sorts, with a few people missing.
“The bedroom in the corner, across from mine? I told you it was storage. It was Sawyer’s.” Jonah’s jaw squared. “The room down the hall from the den was my parents'. Keep telling myself, I’m saving them for last with renovations.” He paused. “Truth is, I don’t know if I’ll ever have it in me.”
This was a different side of Jonah, open and vulnerable. Exactly what she’d wanted from him. Roxanne moved, closing the distance between them. She reached out, but before she could take his hand, he clasped hers, tugging her closer.
He skimmed the back of his hand over her cheek. “All or nothing, right?”
She slowly nodded.
“Take a ride with me?” Jonah asked.
“Okay,” she whispered.
It didn’t matter where they were going, how long it would take to get there or when they’d be back.
I’ll go anywhere with you.
****
They’d been in his truck for over an hour, and neither of them said a word. Jonah expected to field questions, with the most obvious being, where were they going? Roxanne never asked, though. She sat next to him, holding his hand resting on his thigh. Blind trust and loyalty.
He pulled down the dirt road and drove another four miles. It wasn’t familiar. He’d only been there once. And yet, he remembered every single detail of the road. And the house. Twelve years later, nothing had changed.
He turned off the engine and looked at her. Roxanne untangled her hand from Jonah’s. She opened the door and got out, walking closer to the house. Jonah followed behind, leaving a fair space between them. Nothing about this place felt warm or welcoming. The vibe was eerie in the desolate area.
She stopped a few feet from the weathered porch and he stepped beside her. It was dark with only the moonlight illuminating her profile.
Her eyes welled, tears threatening to stream down her face. Instinctively, he stepped away from her and laced his hands behind his back. It should’ve occurred to him that in this setting, her mind might go to a dangerous scenario.
“I’m not gonna hurt you. I would never do that.”
“I know.” She tilted her head, staring back at him.
“You look scared of me.”
She slowly shook her head. “No, not scared. Sad. For you.” She stepped closer. “I know where we are.”
Jonah had been told she’d been a part of the Garrisons’ business in the past. They’d made it clear that whatever she’d done didn’t include this end.
He gestured to the house. “You’ve been here?”
She slowly reached out, weaving her arms around his waist to his back. She grasped his wrists, forcing his hands apart. When he dropped his arms to his side, she clasped his hand.
“Not here. But I know where I am and why.”
She knows.