Chapter 35
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Jaxon checked the rearview mirror for headlights and then whipped the truck to the side of the road. Hopping out, he circled the truck and opened Adalyn’s door. Unclicking her seat belt, he turned her toward him and gathered her in his arms.
Sobs wracked her body, and he held her tight, unsure of what to say.
He could feel the heat from her tears seeping into his shirt, and he cupped the back of her head, stroking one hand over her hair.
He was furious that she was hurting—but he was so incredibly proud of her for finally standing up to Evelyn.
Adalyn had shocked him this evening. He didn’t know what he’d expected, but it wasn’t his sweet-tempered girl finally standing her ground and telling her spoiled, self-centered mother to pound salt. It kind of turned him on.
He knew she was smart and independent, but to see that spine of steel come out was incredibly sexy.
She’d let Evelyn walk all over her for far too long, and he was thrilled that Addy had given Evelyn a dose of her own medicine.
He’d met the woman twice but had taken an instant dislike to the way she’d treated Adalyn.
How a mother could treat her child like that blew his mind. Addy deserved far better.
Adalyn leaned away from him and dabbed beneath her eyes with her fingertips. “I’m so sorry for ruining our date.”
“Sweetheart”—he brushed a thumb over her cheek—“we have a thousand dates ahead of us. I don’t care about dinner or a movie. I care about you.”
“I just… I can’t believe she did that!”
He couldn’t either. Evelyn was so wrapped up in herself she didn’t care who she hurt as long as she got exactly what she wanted. Deciding to keep his opinions to himself, he just let Adalyn vent and get it all off her chest.
“I’m just so mad at her.” Adalyn vacillated between anger and sadness as her tears welled again. “God, she’s such a…” She trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished. “Why can’t she just be a normal mother like anyone else?”
He didn’t have an answer for that.
“I mean, who does that?” Her hands cut through the air in an aggravated arc. “Like I’m her personal freaking assistant instead of her daughter. She doesn’t care about anyone but herself, and I’m tired of it.”
She let out a defeated sigh, her shoulders slumping forward. “What am I going to do?”
He rubbed small circles over her back. “About what?”
“I don’t have the money to pay her back.”
He lifted her face to his. “We’ll take care of it Monday, just like you said.”
Eyes still shiny with tears met his. “We?”
“I told you before, sweetheart.” He slid his hand up to cup the side of her face. “I’ll do whatever I can to help. If you want to pay off what you owe, I’m more than happy to help you.”
He knew Adalyn hated to rely on anyone, which was why he’d proposed the original offer he had. He thought she’d be more likely to let him help if she knew the money would go into an account for Jaclyn.
“Are you sure? It’s a lot of money.”
“It’s worth it.” Adalyn had thrown down the gauntlet, and there was a chance that Evelyn would come to terms with what she’d done and apologize.
But it was more likely that she’d continue to abuse Adalyn’s good graces and use her as long as Adalyn allowed it.
He wanted Adalyn away from that situation.
Jaclyn was too young to know better yet, but she deserved far more than a grandmother in her life who tried to buy her love because she had nothing better to offer.
“I’ll need to look at my finances,” she finally said. “The shop does well, but I don’t know how quickly I’ll be able to pay you back.”
“First of all”—he held up a finger—“you’re not paying me back. Everything goes to Jaclyn. You just start putting a little bit away each month, whatever you can afford. It makes no difference to me.”
He wasn’t rolling in money, but he’d saved up enough over the years to be able to afford this with no problems. And if it was better for Adalyn’s sanity, then he would gladly sacrifice the money.
Her glossy eyes welled once more. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
He’d do anything to take that look off her face. He wasn’t sure where her head was at, but he decided to test the waters with a gentle tease. “I have a few ideas.”
She rolled her eyes and sniffled, a tiny smile lifting the corners of her mouth. “Right. I’m sure I’m super appealing right now.”
“Addy.” Her head tipped heavily against his hand as she gazed up at him, and he studied the pewter depths of her eyes.
She put on a brave front, but he saw the insecurity lurking far below the surface, mingling with sadness and hurt.
“I always want you—from the first moment you wake up in the morning until the second you fall asleep at night. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met, inside and out.
Laughing, smiling, crying, yelling—I want all of you every way, every day. ”
She dropped her chin but didn’t move away from his hand still cradling her cheek.
A soft snuffle left her, and he felt the moist heat of a tear trickle down his palm.
Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he continued.
“I just want to put a smile on your face and treat you the way you deserve. I won’t ever take advantage of you, and I’ll do my best not to hurt you.
I can’t guarantee we won’t fight or have bad days, but I’ll do my best to make you happy. ”
He wanted to tell her how he felt—that he was falling for her.
That maybe he’d fallen for her long ago.
But he kept his mouth shut. She had enough burdens to bear tonight, and he refused to heap anything else on her shoulders.
He needed to wait for her to come to him.
He prayed that just being there for her would be enough to prove his intentions were true.
“Come on, babe.” He patted her hip and settled her back in her seat. “Let’s go.”
Taking his time as he rounded the truck, he shot off a quick text to Wendy to ask if she could watch Jaclyn a bit longer.
They’d driven about a mile down the road when his screen lit up with an incoming message.
He glanced at Wendy’s affirmation, then set his phone in the cupholder.
In the passenger seat, Adalyn sat quietly, back to her reserved self.
When he pulled into a pub on the outskirts of town, she threw him a questioning glance.
“What are we doing here?”
He turned to face her and laid one arm over the back of the seat. “We don’t have to go in if you don’t want to, but I thought you could use it. You never have any time for yourself.”
She stared at him hard for a moment, then redirected her gaze to the bar. “I shouldn’t. Wendy’s watching Jaclyn and—”
“I already asked her to stay a bit longer.” Adalyn’s gaze jumped back to his. “She said to take as long as we need.”
She was always too busy taking care of everyone else—Jaclyn, the salon, Evelyn. She deserved a little bit of time to unwind. “I’m going to guess rum.”
Her brows drew together in confusion. “For what?”
He lifted a shoulder. “I could tell the other night that you weren’t really into beer. So I’m guessing rum is more up your alley.”
“Close.” A tiny smile lifted the corners of her mouth. “Vodka. Specifically, martinis.”
He brushed a lock of hair away from her face. “Then how about we get you a martini?” After the episode with Evelyn, Adalyn could probably use a martini—or three.
She sank her teeth into her lower lip before replying. “I guess so.”
Pleased that she’d agreed, he slid from the truck and went around to help her out.
She slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow as he led her toward the front door.
It was such a wifely thing to do, and it felt so natural that his heart swelled in his chest. It was the first time she’d reached for him first. She’d rarely, if ever, instigated romance between the two of them.
Almost always he went 90 percent of the way before she’d move in to meet him.
He was starting to realize that he hadn’t even begun to scratch the surface of Adalyn’s complex personality.
She was outwardly serene and sweet, compartmentalizing all of her fears and doubts and insecurities and shoving them down deep.
But now, things had begun to shift. She was touching him for the first time ever, as if he was more to her than Jaclyn’s father.
Even when they’d made love last night, she hadn’t exhibited this kind of comfort.
She’d been passionate, yes, and eager—but this was different.
He held the door, and they made their way to a corner booth in the back of the dimly lit bar.
The heavy air held the tangy scent of lemon cleaner and sweet liquor.
Adalyn slid into the booth and he followed.
She shot him a shy smile as he looped his arm around her shoulders, his thigh pressed tightly to hers.
He knew she hadn’t figured it out yet, but he was determined to make her understand—he wasn’t going anywhere.
A waitress came by and took their order, and he turned to look at Adalyn. “Do you want to talk about it?”
She let out a mirthless laugh. “The fact that my mother is an evil manipulator? No, I’m all good on that.
I’ve wasted over two decades getting caught up in her drama, and I’m done with it.
My threshold for crap only reaches so far, and she definitely crossed the line tonight.
I meant what I said back there. I don’t want anything to do with her—and I don’t want her around—unless she gets her life together. ”
Fair enough. The amount of swearing she’d done in those few sentences alone told him just how serious she was.
He let the silence stretch between them for a moment while he searched for something else to say.
Before he came up with anything, she beat him to the punch, her voice filled with a combination of exasperation and frustration.