by Lena Hart
The police radio crackled, jerking Guy out of his brooding thoughts.
“Hey, Guy. Do you copy?”
He sighed, recognizing his cousin over the radio. Mike still had some learning to do, but his cousin was new to his role as deputy, and therefore required a lot of patience.
“Yeah. Go ahead.”
“I have a woman here that I pulled over for speeding. But turns out she’s driving a car with no plates, no registration, and an expired tag.”
“You should know what to do, Mike. Bring her down to the station and have Damian impound the car.”
“I was getting ready to do that, but she’s claiming she knows you. Said you’d be pissed if I took her in.”
“Believe me, I won’t be. Just do your job.”
“Um, are you sure? She’s from out of town, I think, though her address is listed here. She said she just got back into town today and that you would clear this all up.”
Guy frowned. He didn’t know any woman from out of town. None that would be so bold as to ask for him, anyway. Except…
His hand tightened around the wheel. “What’s her name?”
“Zamya Daniels. According to her license.”
Guy’s heart lurched.
Mya?
She was back.
His heart began to race, and he was annoyed by the unwanted reaction. She had no right to it. He should have forgotten her the same way she had him when she’d left that night. The familiar anger curled in his gut as the memories flooded him. Only it hadn’t been her sneaking out that had him riled. The fact that she’d left town without so much as a fucking phone call still had the power to infuriate him beyond words.
Now she was back.
And she was asking for him?
“Guy?”
He pushed his maddening thoughts aside. He had a vice-grip on the steering wheel and forced himself to relax.
“Yeah, I know her.”
There was a short hesitation before Mike spoke again. “How do you want to handle it?”
Guy scoffed at the question—the same question he had asked himself these past two years. From the moment he’d found out where she fled to, he’d been torn between travelling to England and dragging her back to where she belonged. Or giving her what she evidently wanted and maintaining the distance she’d put between them.
In the end, he’d chosen the latter and had kept her at arm’s length.
Now she was back.
“Bring her down to the station and put her in one of the cells. Just don’t book her,” Guy added. “I’m on my way there now.”
“Okay, but I don’t think she’s going to be at all happy about that.”
“Just do your job.” Guy instantly regretted his harsh words.
There was a long pause before Mike spoke again. “Look, Guy, I don’t want to get into your business, but…who is she?”
Guy hesitated, not sure how much he should tell his cousin. In the end, it didn’t matter much. She was back now, and that could only mean she was finally going to put an end to it.
“She’s my wife.”
Three
Guy strode into the police station, aware of the eyes following his every move. Mike may be new to town and unfamiliar with his relationship with Mya, but the other deputies weren’t as oblivious. They knew just how serious he’d been about Sheriff Daniels’ daughter and had been just as curious about her departure. Like everyone else in town.
Ignoring the looks, Guy headed straight to Mike’s desk. “Take me to her.”
Mike got to his feet and they made their way down the long corridor to the holding cells.
“Has she said anything?”
“Nope. She’s been real quiet since I brought her in.” Mike blew out a frustrated breath. “Damn it, Guy. You should have told me who she really was.”
“I did.”
“I mean about her being the Sheriff Daniels’ daughter.”
Guy scoffed. Of course. Being the former sheriff’s daughter trumped being his wife. Then again, no one knew about their secret union, and until they could get their pretense of a marriage annulled, that was how it would have to stay.
A secret.
“The other guys have been giving me shit for bringing her in like this.”
Guy’s brows drew together. “You were doing your job,” he said, annoyed by the guilt slinking through him.
Maybe he shouldn’t have had Mike take her to a cell, but if she thought she would get special treatment just because she was back in town, she had sorely underestimated how angry he still was.
“What were you able to find out about the car?”
“Not much yet. I’m still waiting for a call back from the guy who sold her the thing. So far the name on the title comes back clean. She already apologized for taking the car on the road without the proper tags. She was just in a rush to get back home. Maybe you could cut her some slack.”
“You’ve met her all of five minutes and already you’re coming to her defense?”
Mike shrugged. “What can I say…I have a soft spot for a pretty face?”
Guy’s frown deepened and Mike cleared his throat. They reached the second entrance to the cell units and stopped.
Before Guy could punch in the code, Mike handed him a small ring of keys.
“You’re going to need this.”
Guy cursed and snatched the keys from Mike’s hand. “You handcuffed her?”
“You told me to bring her in.”
“I also told you she was my wife.” Guy may have wanted to put a scare in her, but not like this. She was his wife, after all, and though it may not mean anything to her, it meant something to him. Hell, if he was honest with himself, he would admit that it still did. “You didn’t need to cuff her.”
“Sorry. I’ll know for next time.”
“There won’t be a next,” he muttered.
Mike threw his hands up. “Okay. But seriously, Guy. You have to explain this one to me. When in the hell did you find time to marry and why wasn’t I invited?”
“Don’t worry, you didn’t miss anything. This just happened.”
“No. A one-night stand happens. A baby happens. A marriage…that just doesn’t happen.” Mike studied him curiously. “You mean you two eloped?”
“Something like that,” Guy snapped.
Actually, it had been exactly like that, but at the time it hadn’t felt like a quickie marriage. For him, he had been getting the woman he’d always wanted, and by making Mya his wife, Guy believed he could protect and take care of her the way he had promised Marvin he would.
But the harsh reality was that he hadn’t married a woman. He’d married a girl who hadn’t been ready for the kind of commitment he was.
“Does Aunt Gloria know about this?”
Guy froze. He hadn’t thought that far ahead, and blurting the truth to his cousin probably wasn’t the right move. His mother would kill him for keeping such a secret from her this long. Yet she would undoubtedly be thrilled. She adored Mya.
“Ma doesn’t know, and right now I’d like to keep it that way.” He didn’t know what was going to happen between him and Mya and didn’t want his mother getting her hopes crushed. In fact, he didn’t want anyone knowing just how close he and Mya really were. “I would appreciate it if you kept this quiet.”
“My lips are sealed.”
Guy nodded, trusting his cousin to keep his word.
He made his way down the end of the corridor, his chest constricting with the anticipation of seeing her again. He hadn’t laid eyes on her or heard her voice in two years. Just when he thought he’d gotten his emotions under control where she was concerned, all the mixed feelings came roaring back to the surface.
Guy decided to welcome them, giving himself permission to feel the frustration, the anger, the suppressed desire he’d tried to contain for so long. Maybe then, when he saw her again, he would feel what he needed to feel and finally be free of this hold she had on him.
&
nbsp; * * *
Mya stared blankly at the bleak gray wall in front of her. This was not how she envisioned her homecoming.
She couldn’t believe she was actually sitting in a jail cell. Unfortunately, she had the hard concrete cot where she sat to remind her that she was right where Guy wanted her to be. She knew this was his doing. There had been some sympathy on the deputy’s face when he’d placed the handcuffs around her wrists and ushered her to the police car.
She had suffered through more pity when he’d brought her to the police station and led her to the holding cell, past the other deputies. Her face still burned with mortification from that moment.
Mya rested her bound hands on her lap, clasping and unclasping them, forcing herself to relax. The metal handcuffs jingled around her wrists, serving as a cold reminder that her nightmare was still very much a reality.
Heavy footsteps echoed down the hall and drew near. Her heart pounded in several rapid tempo, and she knew without seeing him that it was Guy. Something warm fluttered in her belly, but she ignored it and rushed to the bars.
Her breath caught in her throat the moment he came into view.
Even in his plain, crisp uniform, he looked incredible. She’d almost forgotten how handsome he was, with his short brown hair and moss-green eyes. He hadn’t changed much these past two years, but there was still something different about him...a sort of hardness in his face that she wasn’t used to seeing. At least not directed at her.
Seconds turned into a full minute and they still hadn’t spoken. Her tension soon turned into anxiety and she broke the silence between them. She wrapped her hands around the bars and tried to summon her confidence.
“Hello, Guy.” She had hoped her tone would come out strong and assertive, but instead it came out tiny and unsure. She cleared her throat and tried again. “I’m so glad you’re here.” Much better.
Yet he remained silent and stone-still, not acknowledging any of her words. She sighed.
“I know this is a surprise, and that we have a lot to talk about. But first…can you please let me out of here?”
“Give me one good reason why I should.” His tone was as harsh as his dark gaze.
“Because you know me. You know this has to be a big misunderstanding. Maybe I shouldn’t have been speeding, and I certainly shouldn’t have driven the car with those expired tags, but I don’t deserve to be in here for that!”
He folded his arms across his chest. His stance said he was bracing for an argument. She should have known this wouldn’t go over easy.
“Tell me, Mya. What is it you deserve, then? For me to carry you out of here? Tell you everything’s going to be okay and that I’ll take care of everything?” He suddenly came closer, the metal bars the only thing keeping them from touching. “Well, baby, that’s just not going to happen.”
She cringed inside at his unforgiving tone and harsh glare. Everything about him was…cold.
Is he that angry with me?
She remembered the warm smiles and tender looks whenever he would look at her. That was what she had come back for. That was what she wanted again.
“Guy, I know you’re still mad. This is not how I wanted things to go today. This is certainly not how I wanted us to meet again.” She motioned around the cell, her cuffs limiting her movements. “But we need to talk and I don’t want to do it here.”
His gaze lowered and his lips tightened. “Give me your hands.”
Without hesitation, Mya slipped her cuffed hands through the small opening of the cell door. He gripped the metal restraints and began to undo the lock, careful not to touch her.
But she wanted his touch. She wanted to touch him.
She didn’t dare.
Staring at his bent head, she wondered what she could possibly say to make up for the pain she caused him.
“I’m sorry.”
She hadn’t meant to blurt out those exact words, but they felt right. She wasn’t sorry for leaving—she had needed that moment away—but she was sorry for walking out on him like she had. If she could redo that night, maybe even talk to him first before disappearing, she would do it.
He slipped off the cuffs and tucked them behind his belt, never acknowledging her words.
“Guy? Did you hear me? I said I’m sorry.”
He regarded her evenly. “I don’t care.”
Those cold words took the breath out of her. “You don’t mean that.”
“Then you don’t know me.”
“Yes, I do. I know you. I know you still care and that you’re still pissed at me, and I’m sorry for that. If I could do it all again, I would!”
His gaze was like shards of ice. There was no forgiveness in them. “Which part? Walking out on me on our wedding night or never marrying me to begin with?”
She winced, shutting her eyes against the pain in his gruff voice. A pain he tried to mask.
“I was wrong for leaving like that. I should have handled things better, but that night I was so confused. And after Dad…” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I wanted to be with you, Guy. I did. But everything was moving too fast and I got scared. Couldn’t you see that?”
“Don’t you dare accuse me of pressuring you in this. We talked about getting married before.”
“Yes, but—”
“And after the funeral, I asked what you wanted me to do to ease your pain. You said you wanted us to always be together. You asked me to keep my promise to you.” His voice was low, measured. “I did.”
Mya glanced away. “Yes, you did, and I don’t regret that part. But when you promised we would get married, I never thought it would be at a courthouse thirty miles outside of town. That was not what I wanted.”
His jaw clenched. “So because I couldn’t give you a lavish wedding, you left me?”
A twinge of anger bristled inside her. “No, I left because I had just buried my dad and I needed time to mourn him!”
Heavy silence settled between them and she immediately regretted her outburst.
“You weren’t the only one grieving him, Mya.”
She stared at him searchingly, realizing how selfish she had been. In her misery, she had only thought about her grief. She knew the bond her father and Guy had shared, yet had been completely absorbed with her own pain.
“You’re right,” she whispered. “I should have been there for you.”
“We should have been there for each other. That’s what couples do.”
“Okay, I’m here now. Let me be there for you. Let me fix us.”
He shook his head, his expression guarded. “We don’t need fixing. We just need to put an end to this phony marriage.”
She sucked in a breath, stung by his rash words. Was that what he wanted? Tears clouded her vision and she quickly blinked them away.
“Guy, that’s not what I want. I know I made some mistakes, but you were never one of them.”
“Yet it took you two fucking years to decide you wanted to stay married to me.”
Stony silence fell between them again. She clung to the bars, her grip unbearably tight around the cold rods. For a moment she was stunned. In all the years she’d known him, he’d never cursed at her.
He really had changed.
“I’ve always wanted to be married to you, Guy,” she murmured. “I just wasn’t ready then.”
“And I’m supposed to be thrilled you finally made up your mind?”
No, you’re supposed to tell me how much you love and missed me.
There was a tightening in her chest, but she ignored it. She wouldn’t let him leave here thinking she wanted their marriage dissolved. “You remembered what you promised me that night you gave me this?”
Reaching into the front of her blouse, she pulled out the thin chain that held two entwined hearts at its center. His eyes fell to the necklace he had given her a long time ago—on their first Valentine’s Day as a couple.
His expression remained stoic as he stared down at it. It had been the eq
uivalent of his “promise ring” to her, and she wouldn’t let him forget that.
“That night, you promised that nothing would ever come between us, that you would love and protect me always.” She clutched the small jewel. “You made me your wife and I accepted you as my husband. I plan to hold you to that promise.”
His eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“Because I love you. I’m still in love with you. I came back here for you.”
The grim lines around his mouth tightened. She stared at him, silently pleading him to forgive her. Instead, he turned his face away for a moment. Suddenly, he shook his head, as if resolving some internal conflict.
“You don’t love me, Mya. You don’t just walk out on the person you love. I don’t know why you came back here, but it wasn’t for me.”
Her shoulders fell. She’d been naive to think this would be easy. Leaving him had never been a simple decision, but he couldn’t understand that. He hadn’t felt trapped that night. It may not have been his intention, but that was how she had felt.
Trapped.
As trapped as she did now in this cell.
Suddenly, a rush of cold air blew from the old vents and brushed against her back. She shivered, wanting more than anything in that moment to be free of her prison. Her eyes fell to his collar, a small reprieve from his cold stare.
“Are you going to let me out of here?”
Guy hesitated for a moment then sifted through a ring of keys. She could feel his eyes on her as he unlocked the heavy door. As soon as it opened, she released a small sigh of relief. But her relief was short-lived when she realized there were no longer any barriers between them. He stepped back and held the cell door open for her.
She kept her gaze locked with his as she stepped out. She wanted very much to throw her arms around him, but he would most likely recoil from her touch, and she couldn’t risk the humiliation. She took another step toward him. He didn’t move.
His nostrils flared and she came closer. She recognized the dark intensity in his gaze. He’d that same look in his eyes when she had stolen her first kiss from him. She had just turned eighteen and may have been inexperienced where men were concerned, but she knew then, as she knew now, that she wanted him.