Chapter 20 #3
“Coming right up.”
Chloe turned up her nose. “White toast? I knew there had to be something about you that wasn’t perfect.”
“What can I say? I’m a Wonder Bread kind of guy. Don’t change the subject. You were saying you appreciated what I said in the truck.” He rolled his hand to encourage her to continue.
“One thing I need to ask of you…”
“You could ask me for anything.”
“Please don’t tell anyone about the RA. I’m afraid it will hurt my business if the word gets out. People might stay away.”
“I won’t say a word. What else are you worried about?”
She sat back against the booth, sighing. “It’s just that it’s a lot, Finn. A lot a lot. I really do appreciate that you said all the right things—”
“I meant every word I said. I wasn’t just saying what you wanted to hear.”
“I know, and that means so much to me. But you should really take some time to think about this, to look into it and to fully understand it before you decide anything.”
“Before I decide anything about you? Too late. I’ve already decided.”
“Finn—”
“You son of a bitch!” The shrieking female voice came from Chloe’s left, and the woman was upon them before she could begin to process what was happening. The blonde was punching Finn and tearing at his shirt.
Acting without thinking, Chloe stood to pull the woman off Finn and fell backward, landing hard on the same hip she’d landed on in the grocery store and then gasping when the woman came down on top of her and began smacking the shit out of her.
Chloe held up her arm to ward off the blows. What the fuck was happening?
Then Finn was there, lifting the woman off her. “Missy! What the hell is wrong with you?”
“You’re such a liar! You said you didn’t have someone else. You promised me things, and this is what you’re doing? Having breakfast and God knows what else with this whore?”
By now, the diner had come to a halt and everyone was looking at them.
Who in the hell was this woman who’d left Finn with a bloody lip and a rapidly swelling eye and was calling her a whore?
“I’ll take it from here.” Blaine Taylor pulled handcuffs from his back pocket and slapped them on the woman so quickly, she never saw it coming. “This is Missy, I presume?”
Missy continued to scream and flail against the restraints, but she was no match for Blaine.
“Yeah.” Finn bent to help Chloe off the floor. “That’s her.”
When Chloe was standing, he kept his arms around her as if he feared she would run away from him if he let go of her. Maybe she ought to. This was so not her scene.
Blaine effortlessly contained Missy, who struggled the entire time. “I’ll need you both to come in and make a statement.”
Missy shrieked all the way out of the diner.
Rebecca came over with a bag and two coffees in to-go containers. “Breakfast is on me.”
“I’m so sorry that happened here, Rebecca,” Finn said.
“You didn’t do anything. You were minding your own business.”
“Still. I’m sorry it happened.”
“No worries. I’m just glad you’re both okay.”
Finn took the to-go bag from her while Chloe accepted the coffees.
Ignoring the stares of everyone in the diner, they left and walked to his truck, every step causing Chloe new aches after the skirmish and fall. He helped her in and put the bag of food on the floor in front of her. “I’m really sorry about that.”
“Who is she?”
“My ex-girlfriend, who was apparently making plans for me in my absence that I knew nothing about.”
“What kind of plans?”
“She booked a wedding venue when we have never once talked about getting married.”
“Holy crap. How long has she been your ex?”
“Since before I moved out here. We kept in touch, but I never gave her hope that we’d get back together. I swear.”
“I believe you.”
“And when I told her the wedding she had planned was never going to happen and that we were over for good, she lost her shit and started blowing up my phone. Mac made me report the harassment to Blaine, who called her and told her to knock it off. I thought I’d seen the last of her.
I never imagined she’d attack me—or you. Tell me you’re okay. If she hurt you…”
“I’m okay.” Chloe pulled a tissue from her purse and reached up to dab at the blood on his lip. “You’ll have a shiner.”
“She cold-cocked me before I realized what was happening.”
“You’re going to press charges, I hope.”
“Hell yes. If it was just me, I wouldn’t care, but she could’ve hurt you, and that is not okay.”
“It’s not okay with me that she hurt you.”
He cocked an eyebrow. So ridiculously sexy. “No?”
Chloe shook her head.
Finn leaned in and kissed her, wincing when his cut lip protested. “I wonder if Blaine can charge her for messing up kissing for me right when things were getting very interesting.”
She placed her hand on his face, rubbing the stubble on his jaw. “We can work around it.” Chloe used his words from earlier and loved the way his brilliant blue eyes went dark with desire.
“Chloe—”
“Not now. First, we go to the police station, then we eat our breakfast, and then I go to work. After work, we’ll talk more.”
“You promise?”
“Yes, Finn, I promise.”