Chapter 21
Sloan
Dropping Magnolia off and saying goodnight was one of the hardest things I had to do. After sitting at Montgomery’s, thinking she had stood me up, I couldn’t even help but smile when I thought she did. She was confident, and no one was going to tell her what to do. My cock twitched thinking about her attitude and defiance. I thought about going to hunt her down when Jason, the town drunk, stumbled in, ranting and raving about the bust that was going on right outside of town at the old mill station. After hearing some details, I knew Magnolia would be there, and without a second thought, I made my way into the kitchen and started prepping some food to take to the clinic. If the stubborn woman would have given me her phone number, I could have given her a heads-up on my plan.
Since the news had spread, it appeared that half the town was out and about for dinner and the latest gossip, meaning the kitchen was slammed so it ended up taking me a bit longer than I had originally anticipated.
It was hard to handle the look of utter devastation that rested firmly on her face when I got to the clinic, but despite all that, she was extraordinarily caring and kind. She never lost her patience with any of the animals, even though they were aggressively scared, and rightfully so.
She thought she held her tears at bay, but I noticed every single one that escaped, and I wish there was something, anything , I could do that would ease her pain. I did the only thing I could do, and made myself available for whatever she needed, no questions asked.
Seeing her work and the kindness that seemed to seep out of her without even trying just reaffirmed the fact that she was too good for me, that she had always been too good for me. It was like a knife to the chest. It was at that moment that I made a promise to the universe to try to be someone Magnolia would be proud of every day, someone she could maybe even see herself with.
I knew I had a long way to go to prove to her that I wasn’t that young, dumb, eighteen-year-old kid anymore. I knew that who I was now didn’t absolve me of my past, and I would do anything to go back and change it. I just hoped she had room in her heart to look at who I was now, but even if she didn’t, I still wouldn’t blame her.
Following her car was probably the most stressful thing for me that evening. Thoughts spun in my head: What if she falls asleep at the wheel? What if an animal darts out in front of her car, and she’s too tired to avoid it? I white-knuckled the steering wheel the entire time.
Much to my pleasure, the drive to her house was quick and uneventful. I had barely managed to throw my car into park before I swung the door open so I could reach her before she tried climbing out of her truck by herself.
I was met with a tired gaze. She was still so damn pretty that my mouth watered, and I felt all my anxiety from this night and the drive melt away just from one look.
“Come on sweetheart. Let’s get you to bed.”
“Uh, no thanks. I don’t need your help.”
If she were mine, I would have thrown her over my shoulder for that remark, use my shirt to tie her to the bed, and give her a spanking until she was begging for me. I didn’t think telling her that would go over well, so I stuck with being a gentleman.
I’d be whatever she needed me to be, though I couldn’t help myself from pulling her into a hug. She looked so tired and so sad, and the beast inside my chest was thundering for me to make it better, to make her feel better. I wanted to wrap her up and take her inside, never let her leave and protect her from the harshness of the world. I felt her body melt into mine and I inhaled her scent deeply. Even after this hellish day, she still smelled divine , like jasmine and coconut. I released her before my conviction of acting like a gentleman went out the damn window.
We finally made it to her door, and she kept her back to me. I might not have had a relationship with her for the last eight years, but whether she wants to admit it or not, I know her. I knew she kept her back to me so I couldn’t see the emotions playing out in her eyes. I wanted to beg her to turn around. I would beg and worship at her feet if she gave me even an inkling that’s what she wanted.
I couldn’t help myself from sliding my business card with my cell phone number into her back pocket. I knew the light touch I gave her while sliding my card into the pocket was affecting her because I saw her skin break out in goosebumps. And while she might not have realized it, she had let out a breathy sigh—and that had me almost picking her up, throwing her over my shoulder, and showing her exactly what I felt for her.
I needed to leave before I did something she clearly wasn’t ready for.
“Call me. Text me. Whatever. Just contact me,” I said, backing away to give her space to go inside.
I waited until I knew she was safe with the door locked before I made my way to my vehicle. Tonight only reaffirmed what I had been working through since she came back into town.
Magnolia’s mine, always has been. And I will burn the world down proving myself to her.