Chapter 6 Justin
JUSTIN
Thirteen Years Ago
This was stupid. This was stepping up to the plate without a bat.
He’d been busting at the seams to see Caroline again, and he hadn’t spared a single thought about how dangerous it was to roam around the ranch at night until he was standing here in the dark jumping at every creaky board in the wind.
Sure, he had a weapon, but something told him sweet Caroline wouldn’t be packing heat.
Caroline. Of all the women who could have struck a match and set his world on fire, why did it have to be her? She’d never think ill enough of someone to think she’d need that kind of protection. They were so different from each other.
No use worrying over it now. After kissing her at the dance—that they hadn’t even attended—there was no going back.
They’d spent the rest of the evening at the creek behind the barn, and that was enough to seal the deal.
It’d been less than twenty-four hours since they parted, twenty-one hours and fifteen minutes…
and he’d spent almost all of it thinking of her.
Caroline Taylor wasn’t like any woman he’d ever met. She was pure and warm and had this smile that made him believe he could conquer the world.
What was he doing here? He walked out of the pole barn and squinted into the dark. Was that shadow moving? No, just the wind and a branch. Turning, he walked away.
He made it ten steps and spun back to the barn.
He was stupid to even think they had a chance.
Caroline was unrealistically sweet. One evening together was all it took to see the good in her.
They’d talked until she had to leave to make her curfew.
The girl had parents, plural, and she cared about curfew, just another reason they were completely wrong for each other.
Yet, not once had she brought up his dad.
In fact, she’d done nothing but ask questions and tell him about her dreams.
She wanted to run a bakery. Justin dug his hands in his pockets and smiled thinking of her. She would be perfect for that. But then she listened to everything he’d said too. She had him talking about the Major League, the fear that gripped him at each game that was secretly a tryout.
Meeting her brought out a boldness in him he’d never had before. If she asked a question, he answered. It was almost as if it were impossible to hold anything back. Even in the dark, she’d looked at him as if everything he said mattered. As if he mattered.
Justin leaned against the rail of the pole barn and pulled out his phone.
The bright light stung his eyes as he checked the time.
She was supposed to meet him in five minutes.
He hadn’t even gotten her number the night before.
If he had, he would have called the meeting off.
He couldn’t stand the idea of her waiting out here alone—that’s the only reason he didn’t tuck tail and abandon this crazy plan right now.
Caroline Taylor! Of all the people to sneak around and meet with in the dark.
If they were caught tonight, Justin might as well say goodbye to life as he knew it. Mr. Taylor was sure to call someone in a uniform to haul him away. He’d never let him see the light of day if he caught Justin with his daughter.
And with good reason. Secretly meeting after dark was the way most bad decisions started. Justin had taken the wrong road plenty of times, but this didn’t feel like one of them.
The low hum of a car engine rose over the hill just as the headlights lit a path on the grass.
Strangely, instead of increasing his fear, there was only a release.
She was almost here. He eased farther into the shadows, not wanting to get caught in the headlights.
At least she’d been smart enough to drive instead of wandering around at night on foot.
He’d known her for all of twenty-four hours, and he was already worrying about her.
That never happened. Justin kept to himself, and everyone left him alone. It was the way things had always been and the way he liked it. If no one looked too closely, they couldn’t see the bruises.
No one wanted to see that. In fact, they turned away when the evidence stared them in the face. He’d been a helpless kid at one time, but not anymore. Chuck had always wanted to fight, but now that Justin was twenty years old, it had only taken one knock out to make his dad back off.
Justin flexed his fingers, his knuckles still slightly swollen and bruised. It was a step up from a mark on his face though. Still, until he got out of his dad’s house, he was a walking billboard for dysfunctional families.
Asking Caroline to meet him was far too risky. She’d find out one little thing about what went on at the ranch next to hers and she’d run away like everyone else with half a brain. The McKinnons weren’t known for being the best neighbors… or anything good.
The silver car stopped in front of the barn as lightning snaked through the clouds. A low rumble of thunder followed the flash.
The passenger door opened, and Caroline stepped out.
Even covered in darkness, he knew her movements and mannerisms. He’d memorized how she ducked her head with a smile, used her middle finger to swipe a lock of hair behind her ears, and walked with one foot in front of the other in a straight line.
It had taken one evening to brand everything about her into his memory.
And he wanted more. He wanted the scraps from her table and the passing glances. He wanted every single inch of her because, for the first time, he felt like he mattered—because she acted like he did.
Caroline closed the door, and the car started moving again, leaving them alone. She’d had someone bring her? Not good. Who had she told about them? Rumors would spread, and they’d be in trouble before they’ve even had a chance to figure this out.
Yep. This was a bad idea. It had disaster written all over it.
Caroline grabbed the lapels of her coat and wrapped it tighter around her as she jogged toward the barn. The clouds flashed again, lighting her up as she came to him. She was a vision. He stayed leaning against the pole, loving how she watched him with every step bringing her closer.
Intermittent pings of rain hit the rusted tin roof as she stood toe-to-toe with him. Even in the darkness, he could make out her infectious smile.
“Hey, stranger,” she whispered, practically glowing with joy.
Justin shook his head. “What are you doing here?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “Well, this mysterious man kissed me last night, and he has this strong, silent-type vibe going on.” Her arms started waving as she told the story, fueling the drama of her tale. His cheeks pulled into a smile.
“Anyway, it turns out he’s my neighbor’s son, and our parents hate each other.”
Her delicate hands landed on his chest and slowly snaked their way to his shoulders. Then his neck.
Shoot, he was in trouble. He fisted his hands in his coat pocket.
She inched closer, lifting her chin until they were nose to nose. “That means any kind of relationship between us would be absolutely forbidden.”
Justin swallowed hard as his hands took on a mind of their own and slid over her waist. The sweet smell of vanilla mixed with the pine and rain in the air tingled in his nose as he whispered, “That’s quite a story.”
“I know! It’s wild.” A girlish giggle bubbled out of her as she bounced on her toes. “What are you doing here?”
Justin’s arms wound tighter around her, pulling her to him as if she were the only source of water in an endless desert. “Breaking all the rules with a woman I met last night.”
Her cute little brows inched closer together. “You know, you only kissed me that one time.”
A chuckle broke free before he could stop it. “Are you complaining?”
“Kinda,” she answered honestly.
He leaned in, drawn by the sweet smell of her skin as he whispered, “I said I wouldn’t kiss you again unless you asked.” He should get an award for his restraint.
Her arms tightened around his neck. “Will you please kiss me?” she begged.
Absolutely. He was a goner—lost to the woman who’d just claimed him heart and soul. “As you wish.”
His lips met hers softly—softer than he’d ever done anything in his life. Time slowed as he took the time to drink her in. She was golden sunshine chasing away the dark clouds, and he let the force of her consume him.
There was no going back now. Even if she walked away, he would never be the same. Whether it was real or not, he felt like someone had made room for him, for the first time in his life. And he wasn’t sure what to do with it.
The rain pelting the tin roof came harder, covering them in a waterfall that couldn’t reach their shelter. Everything was happening so fast, but he didn’t have the will to pump the brakes.
Justin
Present Day
“McKinnon, are you listening?”
Justin blinked away the memory as Nick barked the question. “Yeah. I heard you.”
“So you’ll still need to be available for the interview. Bleacher Report already has the pictures, and I’ve sent over the questions. They’re pretty standard. Did you open the email?” Nick asked.
“Yeah….”
Justin stopped scrolling on the laptop in front of him when a photo of Alicia Carver crossed his feed.
She’d moved to Redemption Ridge and married Caroline’s brother, Jordan, a few years ago, and the brilliant idea hit Justin like a slap in the face.
“Do you have any connections to Alicia Carver’s team? ”
Nick chuckled. “She insists on being called by her married name now, but I do know someone on her team. What are you thinking?”
“She lives in town. If I could get her to help us—I mean, me.”
“You’re talking about that Operation Christmas Romance thing you’re planning? I thought we were keeping that off public news.”
“We are, I just can’t seem to get Caroline to talk to me. I thought maybe we could get Alicia to help us. Can you get her number?”
“Not legally, but I can send you her number with a pretty please.”
If he could somehow talk to Caroline’s sister-in-law, could Alicia possibly help him reach Caroline?
“I’ll get right on it,” Nick said. “Please read your emails. I marked three of them as important, and I need to know your answers when I call tomorrow.”
“Sure.” Justin stretched his arms over his head.
Sitting in front of a computer was his least favorite thing to do, but it was the one thing that carried over from his previous career.
He rarely checked his social media pages, but every once in a while, Nick requested he look around and make a few comments.
“I’ll call you back as soon as I reach Alicia’s team,” Nick promised.
Justin ended the call and pushed away from the desk in his home office. Getting through to Caroline was proving more difficult than he’d expected. Earning her forgiveness was his main goal, and he wasn’t giving up. Not now or ever.