Chapter 14
Knox
Gwen and I didn’t exactly have a fight this morning… but it had definitely counted as our first big disagreement.
She’d been a skittish kitten for the past few days, and I didn’t know why. Something was bothering her, and she wouldn’t tell me what.
On top of that, I wanted the whole world to know about us, but she was intent on keeping us a secret.
An uneasy thought had crept into my mind after our disagreement. Was she embarrassed to let people know she was with me?
Gwen was the prize of the mountain, and I was just an ex-military drifter who’d hitchhiked into town with all my worldly possessions slung over my back.
She deserved financial stability. Someone solid in her life.
And even though I felt like I could be that for her, I didn’t think she was convinced. She didn’t know I’d saved all my money while in the military. I had enough to put down on a decent place. I wasn’t as broke and shiftless as I probably appeared.
I’d spent the day moping through my work shift, waiting for the minute when I could get off and see her again. We needed to clear the air about this morning. And it was time for me to ask if she saw a future with me or not.
I knew she was committed to the idea of keeping it casual between us, but I needed more.
When I got home from work she wasn’t around, so I hopped in the shower to get the sawdust off me.
This weekend, Cade and I had gone out house shopping with a realtor, and I’d found the perfect property. The agent said that there were lilac trees everywhere, and that it was magical in the springtime.
I hoped that might convince Gwen that maybe I was marriage material after all.
A job.
A car.
A house.
And a ring in my pocket just waiting for the right moment.
What next? I already knew. A tiny puppy named Buttons.
One of my work buddies had a dog who’d had a litter, and I’d already put in a claim on one. She was the runt of the pack, and she had the sweetest brown eyes I’d ever seen. Her tiny tail thumped whenever I went to visit her.
She needed a little more time with her mom before she could come home with me.
Surely that dog would throw Gwen over the edge. She’d marry me just to get Buttons.
When I got out of the shower, I realized I’d forgotten to grab any clean clothes. I didn’t want to put my dirty clothes from the sawmill back on, so I bundled them under my arm, wrapped the towel around my waist and headed out into the living room on my way to change in the bunkhouse.
But when I made it into the living room, my whole world came crashing down.
Dawson, one of the guys from the party the first night I’d come to town, was standing next to my woman with a bouquet of flowers in his hand.
I stared back and forth between the two of them trying to figure out what I was seeing.
It took me a moment to register that Emerald was there, too.
When Emerald saw me she gasped, “Knox! Where are your clothes? We have company. Gwen has a date.”
“A date.” The word thudded out of me, landing in a wet, soppy mess on the floor along with my heart.
I looked past Emerald towards Gwen, who was subtly shaking her head.
Then I settled my attention on the man.
Dawson.
He looked solid.
And hadn’t I heard at the party that he was a big-time manager at a hubcap factory in Fernwood?
That meant big bucks. A big house. A fancier dog.
This was the kind of man she belonged with. Not me.
With a quick, cheery smile, Dawson said, “If this is a bad time, we don’t have to do this.”
Gwen added, “I completely agree, and Emerald, you should have—”
But I didn’t wait to hear anything else.
With blood roaring in my ears, I headed to the door and out to the barracks. Somewhere along the way I dropped the pile of clothes in my hands, but didn’t bother to go back for them.
It would take me less than five minutes to pack. I didn’t own much.
Then, I’d clear out of this town and never see that woman again.
My breath hitched in my throat as all my future plans disintegrated in front of me.
There went the house. The job. The cute little puppy. And the gorgeous wife at my side.
Gwen wasn’t an interchangeable building block. She was the only woman I wanted to start a life with.
Without her in the picture, what was left for me here?
I suddenly felt just as unmoored as I had on the first day after my enlistment ended. I’d known how much she meant to me, but I had no idea how much she’d been holding me together.
Without her, I might just fall apart.
Delicate fingers grasped my elbow from behind, and her voice filled the air. “Knox, wait. Let me explain.” Gwen had followed me out here.
“There’s nothing to explain,” I growled as I shrugged away from her touch.
“There is. And I actually have some big news to share with you. I should have told you a few days ago, but I was just trying to wrap my head around it.”
I didn’t need to hear anymore.
With the pain of my life shattering around me, I’d heard enough.
I stood up, shouldering my duffel bag. “You want that guy instead of me?” I growled. “Okay. Don’t let me stand in your way. But make sure he treats you right. You deserve someone who treats you right, Gwen.”