Chapter 22
Hadley sat quietly in the passenger seat as Max drove her home that evening.
He’d already told her what happened outside—the loud noise, the movement in the woods, the sound of someone running, how they’d followed and come up empty.
The words hadn’t eased the feeling in her chest.
If anything, they’d made her worry grow even more.
Someone had been out there.
The thought stayed with her as Blue Ridge Hollow came into view.
Max pulled to the curb in front of her clinic a few minutes later and cut the engine.
He glanced over at her. “I’d like to walk you up.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I know. But I’d feel better if I did.”
Hadley nodded. The truth was, so would she. But she didn’t want to be needy. “Okay, if you insist.”
They stepped out into the cold together, the night air sharper now than it had been earlier. The boarded-up front window at the clinic loomed as a reminder of everything that had gone wrong. A frown tugged at her lips at the thought.
As they reached the front of the building, Hadley headed toward the steps leading to her apartment.
Her foot hit a patch of ice.
She pitched forward, her feet slipping beneath her. A startled breath escaped as she scrambled for balance.
Before she could hit the ground, Max’s hands went to her waist. In one quick movement, he steadied her.
Hadley’s breath caught as she looked up at him, his face mere inches from hers. Their eyes met, closer now than they’d been before. The space between them suddenly felt smaller.
Before she could think it through—before she could talk herself out of it—she rose onto her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his.
Max stilled, clearly caught off guard.
For a heartbeat, he didn’t move.
Then he shifted closer. One hand came up to steady her as he kissed her back.
The moment lasted just long enough to make her breath catch and make everything else fall away.
By the time the kiss ended, her heart was racing out of control.
Max gazed down at her, a flicker of surprise in his warm gaze. “That was . . . unexpected.”
Hadley let out a breathless chuckle. “For me too.”
He fidgeted as if he wasn’t quite sure where to put his hands or what to say next. “Hadley . . . as much as I loved that, there are things you don’t know about me.”
She held his gaze. “I know enough.”
His brow furrowed. “You say that now, but . . .”
“I see the way you take care of people. The way you look out for everyone at Refuge Cove. The way you always try to do the right thing. What else do I need to know?”
His gaze clouded with doubt. “There are things about my past, things I’m not proud of.”
Hadley shook her head. “The past is the past.”
He studied her as if he wanted to believe that but didn’t quite know how.
And all Hadley wanted was to reassure him . . . and she vowed she would do just that.
Max stepped inside Hadley’s apartment and closed the door behind them. He immediately scanned the place for any signs of trouble.
After confirming the living room was clear, he excused himself to check out the rest of the space.
Truthfully, he needed a moment alone after that kiss. He needed to compose himself and get his thoughts together.
The kiss replayed in his mind. The way Hadley had looked at him afterward. The way she’d felt against him. The sweet scent of her flowery shampoo.
Max paused near the hallway, slowly exhaling as he tried to get a handle on himself. He needed to think clearly before he said or did something he couldn’t take back.
But when he stepped back into the living room and saw Hadley again, that resolve didn’t hold.
She stood near the door and watched him, her expression open and a little uncertain.
His heart fluttered.
Fluttered? He was a man. His heart wasn’t supposed to flutter.
And he might not ever admit it out loud. But that’s exactly what had happened.
He could die a happy man knowing someone like Hadley looked at him the way she was looking at him now.
She smiled, a hint of nervousness in it. “I made things awkward, didn’t I?”
Max crossed the room toward her without thinking too hard about it. “No, you didn’t. Not at all.”
She let out a small breath and ran a hand through her long hair. “It’s been a long time since I’ve done anything like that—like a long, long time. I haven’t really dated since college.”
He stopped in front of her, his gaze dipping to her lips before lifting again.
For a second, neither of them moved.
Max was aware of everything—every movement, every sound.
His heart pounding. His palms sweating. His thoughts racing.
He stepped closer.
His hands settled at her sides, and he paused. He was close enough to feel her warmth again, to smell her perfume, to . . .
His eyes went to her lips again.
He gave her a moment to pull away.
She didn’t.
So he closed the distance.
Their lips met again, soft at first as if they were both still testing the moment. He stilled for a heartbeat. Then Hadley leaned into him, her hand tugging his jacket and pulling him closer.
When they pulled apart, they both grinned.
“Are you sure you want this?” Max’s words came out throaty with emotion.
Hadley nodded and kept her eyes steady on his. “Yes, I’m very sure. Terrified, but sure.”
Max let out a quiet breath as he considered his words, as he considered what he should do versus what he wanted to do. It wasn’t fair to keep certain details from Hadley.
He swallowed hard before saying, “Listen, there are things we should talk about.”
“There will be time for that. We don’t have to talk about everything right now.”
“Yes, there will be other chances.” He glanced toward the door, reality weighing on him. Not talking about things right now felt like a relief, an excuse to delay the inevitable. “But right now, as much as I don’t want to leave, I told Caleb I’d help him monitor the backyard tonight.”
“Of course.”
Max leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. Then he stepped back before it could turn into something more. They needed to take this slow—even though everything inside him wanted to jump in with both feet.
He’d never felt like that before. Being with Hadley made him feel like the luckiest man in the world.
He forced himself to head for the door. “Good night, Hadley.”
“Good night, Max.”
As he stepped outside, he felt lighter, like something had morphed inside him. Because something had morphed. Something wonderful and beyond his wildest dreams.
He walked toward his truck, the faintest trace of a smile still lingering as he reached for the handle.
Then he stopped.
He glanced around, half expecting to see Travis lingering nearby. But he didn’t see anything to cause concern.
Tension threaded between his shoulders as he pulled his truck door open. He’d left it unlocked as he usually did around here.
His eyes widened at what he saw.
Long, jagged cuts tore through his upholstery, exposing the stuffing beneath it.
His seats had been slashed.
Someone had wanted to send a message—and they’d succeeded.