Chapter 2 #2
Millie wasn’t sure, but it did fit him. The man was resolute and determined.
She wrapped her hands around the bowl, letting the heat seep into her palms for a moment. Then she took her first sip.
The soup warmed her all the way through and eased some of the edge she felt.
Naomi glanced at Millie and then Caleb before she took a step back. “I’ll let you eat a moment. I need to check on some things in the office, but I’ll be back in a few.”
She disappeared down the hallway, leaving the kitchen quieter than before.
Millie’s pulse quickened.
It wasn’t from fear. Caleb didn’t scare her. He never had.
Yet her mind betrayed her anyway as an image flickered into her thoughts uninvited.
Her ex-husband’s jaw tightening. His brow furrowing. The way his voice changed when he was angry. How small her kitchen had felt when he’d stood too close, blocking the doorway without touching her at all.
She pushed the memories away and focused on controlling her breathing.
How had she ever found herself in that situation? She’d always considered herself strong and adventurous. She’d had an established career and could support herself. She hadn’t even been looking for a relationship.
Then while nursing a broken heart she’d met Garrick.
He’d been charming. Handsome.
He’d made her feel special and unique. She’d fallen hard for him.
Hints of his true nature had been subtle at first.
The small, innocuous comments. The criticism.
But as time went on he’d broken her down. He’d convinced her to quit her job, insisted that he could support her. She’d no longer had her own money or a life outside her house.
She’d found herself feeling smaller. Weaker. Less confident. More reliant on him.
Her thoughts snapped back to the present as Caleb leaned forward, arms resting on the table. He felt so familiar yet so foreign also. He was a part of her life she was never supposed to revisit.
His gaze stayed on her face. “Look, I know me being here and the history between us is awkward. And if you want to, we can talk about that sometime. If you don’t, then we won’t.
That ball is in your court. But first, we need to get to the basics.
We need to understand what you’re dealing with so we can make sure we’re aware and equipped to do everything in our power to help you. ”
“That makes sense.” Millie nodded, but the knot in her stomach tightened.
There were things she hadn’t said out loud yet. Things she’d only told Biscuit. Things that still felt unreal even though she’d lived through them.
When her friends had asked about her split with Garrick, she’d mumbled excuses.
She’d told them she and Garrick had grown apart.
Since Garrick had slowly isolated her from any truly close relationships, no one had questioned her excuses.
No one had really known her—known how adamantly she’d never wanted to get divorced—well enough to question her.
Her own parents had divorced—it had been nasty—and she’d always vowed to do better than that. It was part of the reason she’d stayed with Garrick as long as she did. She wanted to stand by her principles and honor the commitment she’d made before God.
Then she’d realized that no man who truly loved her would hurt her the way Garrick did—and she knew God wouldn’t want her in a marriage like that either. When she’d found out that he’d cheated on her, that had sealed the deal.
Her divorce had been finalized for six months now.
She’d lived through six months of wondering why Garrick had let her go so easily.
Then she’d gotten suspicious about some items being moved in her apartment—small things, barely noticeable. Except it had made her feel on edge.
So she’d set up a hidden camera.
When she checked the footage, her blood ran cold.
Garrick had been letting himself inside her apartment and walking through her space like he owned it.
He was planning something—she felt certain of it. Her initial suspicions were correct: There was no way he was letting her walk away so easily.
That night, she’d found the information she needed about Refuge Cove. The next morning—which was this morning—she’d left.
Garrick would be furious when he discovered she disappeared.
She forced herself to meet Caleb’s eyes as she remembered he was waiting for her response. “Okay.”
She wasn’t ready to have a conversation with him about why he’d broken her heart.
But she was here.
For now, that would have to be enough.
She took another spoonful of soup, grounding herself in the warmth.
Then the sound of dogs barking in the distance cut through the air.
Not one or two. Several. And they were loud enough to carry through the walls.
Millie froze.
Caleb stood, and Millie watched his expression change. He didn’t appear alarmed but alert.
Biscuit was on his feet immediately, and Hamilton lifted his head as he lay beside the couch, ears forward.
The dogs outside kept barking, sharper now.
The sound tightened her chest.
She drew in a breath and forced it out steadily, waiting for whatever had triggered them to show itself.
Caleb turned to her, eyes steady but cautious. “It’s probably nothing, but you should stay here while I check it out.”
Her pulse roared in her ears.
Had Garrick followed her here? What if that was why the dogs were barking? What if they knew something she didn’t?
The thought took hold before she could stop it.
She’d driven for four hours from DC, taking back roads and doubling back at times. She’d changed routes. Kept her head down. She’d done everything she was supposed to.
But her ex was smart and resourceful. He had a way of getting what he wanted.
And he’d made it clear that what he wanted was her.
Millie wrapped her arms around herself as the barking echoed outside, fear curling tight in her chest.
She’d barely made it to safety.
And now she wondered if safety had been an illusion all along.