Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
Griffin
I scrub a hand over the back of my neck as I head down the hall toward Reese’s office, sweat drying sticky on my skin.
Between mucking stalls this morning and running fence line repairs, I smell like a barnyard, but hell if that’s going to stop me.
I’ve been replaying last night on a loop, and I just need to see her face.
Her office door stands cracked, light spilling into the hall, so I knock once and push it open.
She looks up from her desk, eyes flat, guarded. “What can I do for you, Griffin?”
Her tone slices me clean in half. It’s formal. Distant. Like I’m a stranger.
I shift my hat in my hands, nerves chewing through me, and try for a smile. “I was hoping I could get a hug, but I reek of horses. Figured I’d spare you.”
Her pen stills, but she doesn’t look up again. “Not in the mood for a hug right now.”
Okay, something is wrong. Time to find out who hurt her and kick their ass.
I step inside her office and shut the door. “Since when? You love hugs.”
Her mouth twitches as she clicks her tongue against her teeth. “Guess you don’t know me as well as you think.”
What the hell is happening? My fingers tighten on the brim of my hat, the leather warm under my palms.
Her phone lights up, and I motion to it. “Do you need to answer that?”
Reese silences it with a sharp flick. “My mother is relentless.”
“You don’t get along?”
A brittle laugh shoots out of her as she glares at the phone. “When I’m toeing the line, sure. But let’s be real. I’m adopted. Nothing I do is ever as good as Piper. She’s the golden child, and I’m just the spare.”
I shift closer, trying to read her expression. “I don’t buy that. I’m sure their proud of you, of everything you’ve done, everything you’ve become.”
She shoots me a searing glance, tossing her pen onto the desk. “What are you, a therapist now too?”
I raise my palms, my hat dangling from one hand. “Didn’t mean it like that. Are you mad at me?”
“No.” Her voice drops, shame lining the single syllable. “I’m mad at myself.”
“Help me understand.”
She swallows, then lets out a humorless laugh that slices straight through me.
“Did you know tonight was supposed to be my bachelorette party? My wedding was in two weeks. Long Island society, all of them ready to watch. I had the dress, the shoes, the total production. And here I am instead, in the middle of nowhere, Oregon, crying alone in an office.”
The words land like a fist in my gut. Her wedding. A life she almost tied herself to forever. The reminder that she once promised herself to another man—when every cell in my body screams, she’s supposed to be mine. My wife. My forever.
“You told me you were glad you left,” I manage, willing down the unease building in my bones.
She flicks a hand toward me in a dismissive manner. “I am.”
“And you told me you didn’t love him.”
Reese sucks in a breath, her dark eyes fixed on the desk. “You’re right. I didn’t.”
She doesn’t want to talk about it, but I need answers.
“Then isn’t that a blessing? To be free of a man who never deserved you?”
Baby, look at me.
I bore holes into her visage, desperate for her to meet my gaze, to see that all she needs is right here.
With me.
“You told me how cold he was to you,” I press, stepping closer. “How poorly he treated you. You deserve more than that, Reese. You love love and need to be drowning in it. I saw you last night. I felt you.”
Talk about words landing wrong. I thought they might reassure her she was safe to lay down her armor. She was safe with me.
Instead, she curls her hands into fists and squeezes her eyes shut as a scoff flies past her lips. “Love? Love is the last thing I need.”
Another punch in the gut, especially since I planned on saying those three little words to her on our next date. But I know I haven’t done anything except adore her, so I keep pressing.
Tossing my hat on a chair, I walk around her desk and squat down beside her. Who gives a crap what I smell like right now? “Reese, please. Talk to me.”
But when I reach for her hands, she pushes her chair away. “Look, I’m running late. I was supposed to be on the road twenty minutes ago.”
Road? Where is she going? What the hell is happening?
I’m tempted to gather her in my arms and force her to talk, but I get the distinct impression it will only make things worse. She’s behaving like a cornered animal, desperate for escape.
Time for a different tack. “Give me half an hour and I’ll go with you.”
Reese grabs her phone and keys, slipping them into her purse. “You’re working this weekend, remember?”
Christ, she’s right. I need every dollar right now.
“Uh,” I run a hand over my head, trying to see how to rearrange my schedule with Capri—again. “Maybe I can work a few double shifts next week?—”
“Don’t worry about it. While I appreciate your offer to accompany me, I’d prefer some time alone. I’m a big girl. I’ll be fine.”
“Then at least tell me where you’re going.” And please don’t say New York.
Reese chews her lower lip, averting her gaze. “I’m not entirely sure yet. I’ll let you know when I get there.”
My stomach drops. I know this woman well enough to catch the tell—the way her eyes flick away too fast. She’s lying. To my face.
“You’re late but you haven’t picked a destination? How does that work?” The words burst out, rough and unguarded, and Reese’s head jerks up, startled by my tone.
I scrub a hand over my face, forcing down the anger clawing through me. “Just talk to me, Reese. You can tell me anything.”
For a second, I swear she might. But then she shakes her head and pushes herself to standing. “I can’t, Griffin. If you care about me at all , you’ll give me some space.”
The door clicks shut behind her, the sound final as a coffin lid.
I stand there, pulse hammering, replaying every word, every look, searching for the crack where it all went wrong. Is she upset about her bachelorette party? About walking away from Vander? Or is it me?
What happened between our amazing connection last night and this afternoon, where she feels like she’s miles away from me?
For a split second, the thought guts me—did she just use me?
Was I a distraction, a way to prove something to herself before she goes back to the life she was meant for?
A man like me, stinking of horse shit and hay, was never supposed to be in her world.
She was set to marry into one of the richest families on Long Island.
And now she’s looking at me like I’m the mistake.
I’ve faced down plenty of things in my life, but watching her walk away from me feels like the only fight I don’t know how to win.
I leave Reese’s office a few minutes later, every muscle in my body fighting the urge to chase her down.
To grab her, hold her tight, and demand she tell me what the hell’s going on.
Even covered in horse stink, I’d tackle her in the middle of the goddamn hallway if it meant breaking through the wall she just threw up.
But she asked me for space. And as much as it’s killing me, I’m going to respect that.
Out in the corridor, I rake a hand over my face, tug my phone from my back pocket, and scroll to Piper’s number. Maybe she knows what’s eating at her sister.
The call goes straight to voicemail.
“Hey, Piper, it’s Griffin,” I mutter after the beep. “Call me when you get a chance. It’s about Reese.”
No answer. No lifeline.
I shove the phone away, my jaw tightening, when I spot Capri heading toward me.
“Perfect timing,” she says, tucking her tablet under her arm. “I was just about to call you.”
“What’s up?”
“Got a small repair. The tractor’s been down with a busted belt. It shouldn’t take more than an hour, since I already have the replacement. Think you can handle it?”
“No problem.” I hesitate, then add, “Hey, have you seen Piper? I was trying to get ahold of her.”
“She’s on an overnight with a client.” Capri levels me with a look. “Why?”
“Just needed to ask her something,” I mutter.
So much for that idea.
Forty-five minutes later, I’ve got the new belt looped and tightened, grease still staining my palms, when Capri presses four hundred bucks into my hand.
“Jesus, what’s this for? It took less than an hour to install.”
“Humor me.” She folds her arms, studying me. “I make it a habit not to meddle in the personal lives of the people who work for me. But dammit, Griffin, I like you. And I like Reese too.”
Great. Just what I need. Another lecture.
I drag a hand over my head, then down my face, huffing out a breath.
“I’m worried about her,” Capri continues.
“Yeah,” I sigh. “Me too.”
“So you don’t know what’s going on with her?”
I shake my head, thumbing grease off my palms with a rag. “Best I can make out, she’s upset about her wedding and her bachelorette party. Maybe she regrets coming here. Maybe she regrets leaving her old life.”
Capri’s lips press into a thin line. “No. That’s not it.”
“Then I’m out of ideas.”
“Look, I know you were supposed to do some work at the cabin this weekend, but I need you to do me a favor.” Her eyes soften, but her tone is firm.
“Reese is up at Hollow Creek. And like I said, I normally keep my nose out of this stuff. You’re all adults, you make your own choices. But I’m worried about her.”
Seems Capri knows more than I do. “What the hell is she doing in Hollow Creek?”
“All I got out of her is she’s hitting up a few bars,” Capri says, matter-of-fact. “I offered her a gun, but she said she didn’t know how to shoot it. I told her the ride up there can be a little rough in spots. That’s why I think you should go.”
I blow out a rough breath, then smack my hat against my thigh. “Wonderful. So she’ll talk to you, but not me?” Relief that she’s not running back to New York tangles with the sting that I’m still in the dark. “I don’t think she wants me around.”