by Marie Force
“Are you okay?” Deacon asked.
“I will be.” She felt like she’d torn the scab off a healing wound. “One night, he came over with pizza for dinner, and from the moment he arrived, he was different. I asked him what was wrong, and he said nothing I needed to worry about. But as the night went on, he was more and more distracted. We were watching a movie when I looked over and saw tears running down his face. I pleaded with him to talk to me, and that’s when he said his mom’s cancer had come back. She needed experimental treatment that wasn’t covered by insurance. He apologized profusely for dumping his troubles on me. He said he would just go and that he was sorry. I asked how much they needed, and he said twenty-five thousand. I said I could give him fifteen.”
“What did he say?”
“He said he could never take money from me but that he loved me for caring—and for many other reasons. That was the first time he’d said anything about love, and with hindsight, I can see that was all part of the plan. He played me from the beginning, and that was his kill shot.”
“You said earlier that you sent him the money through Venmo.”
“Right.”
“And he just took it?”
“No, at first he said he couldn’t take it, but he appreciated so much that I cared enough to offer it. I said this was no time to be worried about anything other than whatever his mother needed. I convinced him to give me his Venmo address, and I sent him the money in two transactions. He cried some more and hugged me and told me how much I meant to him before we ended up in my bed having sex. By the time he left the next morning, I was emotionally whipped and totally in love with him. All I could think about was how I could help him get the rest of the money he needed for her treatment.”
“What happened then?”
“Nothing,” Julia said softly. “I never heard from him again. The first couple of days, I figured he was dealing with his mom and trying to get the rest of the money. After five days of silence, I broached the subject with my work friend, who suddenly didn’t want to talk about him or my burgeoning relationship with him. One night after work, I confronted her in the parking lot, and she started crying right away. I couldn’t figure out what the hell was wrong with her until she told me he had someone else, that they were expecting a baby. Apparently, she’d only just found this out a few days earlier and had no idea how to tell me. She kept apologizing over and over again for introducing me to someone who’d do this to me. Of course, she had no idea that I’d given him the money.”
“You didn’t tell her?”
Julia shook her head. “I could barely breathe after hearing what she had to say. It was all I could do to drive myself home. I have to admit that I didn’t believe her until I dug a little deeper on his social media and learned it was true. I called out of work the next two days, and that’s when I lost my job. The new boss had been looking for a reason to get rid of me, and I handed it to him. I didn’t even care that I’d been fired. Fortunately, I’d already bought a plane ticket to my sister’s wedding, or I wouldn’t have been able to get here. Within a few weeks, I had to give up my apartment because I couldn’t find a new roommate, and I couldn’t afford the lease renewal after I lost my job. I put my stuff in storage, which was a lot cheaper than the rent, and camped out on my friend’s sofa. I couldn’t believe how fast everything went to total shit.”
“You’re the victim of a crime, Julia. It’s not your fault that things went to shit.”
“I trusted him, believed him, had feelings for him. Surely some of it is my fault.”
“None of it is. You were conned by someone who’s probably done this before.”
“What happens now?” Julia asked, drained after reliving the nightmare.
“Now I type this up and provide photos, texts, the Venmo transaction log and anything else you can give me to back up your story, and send it off to the local police. Which town did you live in at the time he took the money?”
“Plano.”
He made a note of that. “I expect they’ll take it very seriously, and I’ll venture to guess we’re going to find out this isn’t the first time he’s done this.”
“How do people get away with doing stuff like this?”
“Primarily because victims don’t report it to the authorities. They think the money is gone, so what’s the point? The point is stopping them from doing it again and possibly getting restitution.”
“Do you really think I’ll ever see the money again?”
“I think you have a good chance. He bought a house, so there’s equity there. The court could order him to take a line of credit on the house to pay back your money, if it actually goes to court. The cops will probably give him the option of making restitution to avoid charges.”
For the first time, Julia felt a tiny glimmer of hope that she might get back the nest egg she’d willingly given to Mike.
Deacon got up and came to sit on the edge of her bed. He took hold of her hand and linked their fingers.
Julia’s mouth went dry from his nearness and the wildfire of need that his touch set off inside her. Her first impulse was to pull back from him, to tell him to get away from her, to leave her alone. But she couldn’t get the words out.
“I’m so sorry this happened to you,” he said, speaking softly, his eyes conveying sympathy and rage at the same time. “The only thing you did wrong here, Julia, was care about someone who didn’t deserve it. You’re a good person who tried to help someone. If there were more good people like you in this world, it would be a much better place.”
“Do you really think so?”
“I know so. When you’re a cop, you see the best and the worst of what people are capable of. He took your money. Don’t give him your kindness, too.”
“Thank you.” She squeezed his hand. “For believing me and trying to help. Even if nothing comes of it, I appreciate you trying.”
“Something will come of it. I’ll make sure of that.”
“What’s in it for you?”
He gave her a side-eyed look. “What do you mean?”
“Why does it matter if I get my money back?”
“First of all, because you’re a good person who tried to help someone and got screwed for your troubles, and second of all, I fucking hate bullies and people who take advantage of the kindness of others. He needs to be brought to justice, and I can’t wait for him to get his comeuppance.”
His ferocity made her smile. “I wouldn’t want to cross you.”
“You’d have nothing to fear from me if you crossed me. You know that, don’t you?”
Julia was taken aback by the statement as much as the emotion behind it. “Someone told you.”
He acted surprised. “Told me what?”
“About my family.” Abuse is like a stain that can’t be scrubbed away no matter how hard you try. The shame is always with you, no matter how far removed you are from it.
“Yeah. I heard about your dad, and I’m so sorry you went through everything you did with him.”
Julia tried to pull her hand free of his. “Is that why you’re being so nice to me? Because you feel sorry for me?”
Rather than release her hand, he brought it to his lips. “That’s not why.”
Julia could barely breathe as she waited to see what he would do next. “Then why?”
“Because I think you’re awesome. The way you rescued that dog without a thought to your own safety was amazing. Not to mention, you gave someone all your money without blinking an eye because he needed it more than you did, or so you thought. Who wouldn’t want to be friends with you?”
Julia noticed that he made no reference to her physical appearance. In her experience, that was always the first thing men noticed about her. That he hadn’t even listed it gave him even more points than he’d already earned with her.
“I’m not going to lie to you, Julia. I’d like to be more than friends with you, but I understand that I’m going to have to earn your trust after what y
ou’ve been through. So I’m going to work on earning your trust, starting with nailing the bastard who scammed you and getting your money back. I’m going to my place to type this up on my laptop and do some research on who I need to contact to file the complaint. Send me the pictures and any text history, and I’ll add them to the report.” He pulled the pages he’d written on out of the notebook, wrote down his email address and phone number and handed her the notebook. “Text me when the vet calls, and I’ll go with you to pick up your little boy.”
He had her on the verge of abandoning her man moratorium with his softly spoken words and the sincerity behind them, so she chose to focus on the dog as her head spun from the other things he’d said. “Do you think I’ll get to keep him?”
“If no one claims him, I’m sure you will. You’re the one that saved him.”
“We both saved him.”
“Does that mean we’ll have joint custody?” His eyes twinkled with amusement, which was a good look on him.
He was so damned cute all the time, but when he smiled, it was all Julia could do to remember her dick diet. “I’d be very happy to share him with you.”
“Get some rest. I’ll be back.” He stood, seeming reluctant to leave her. At the door, he turned back to her. “I’m sorry about the men who hurt you, Julia. I promise I won’t be one of them.”
Julia fell back on the pillow, blown away by him, the things he’d said and the sincerity with which he’d said them. Yes, other men had seemed sincere in the moment, but Deacon was different. How she knew that she couldn’t say for certain, but everything about him and the time she’d spent with him was different than it had ever been before. Maybe she would end up being wrong about him, too, but what if he was exactly as great as he seemed?
Wouldn’t that be something?
Despite her best efforts to stay removed from him and the attraction she felt toward him, a tiny glimmer of hope blossomed inside her that couldn’t be ignored.
If she got her money back, she’d be free to leave and go back to Texas to pick up the pieces of her life there. Or, she could stay on Gansett Island for the summer and get to know Deacon better while spending time with her family.
Getting to know Deacon better was becoming a more appealing option with every minute she spent in his presence. He was proving to be a rather good friend in addition to being devastatingly handsome and sexy.
She spent thirty minutes getting him the photos and screenshots of the text messages that he’d requested. Seeing Mike’s face again brought back all the hopes she’d pinned on him. Bitterness churned in her stomach when she recalled how effortlessly he’d earned her trust and then stolen from her.
She emailed the photos and screenshots to Deacon and hoped that would be the last time she’d ever have to look at the face of the handsome charmer who’d played her for a fool.
Spent after the unpleasant trip down memory lane, Julia dozed off for a while, coming to when someone knocked at her door. She got up to open the door and was surprised to find her mother there. “What’re you doing here? I thought you were off on your honeymoon.” She stepped aside to admit Sarah.
“The rest of our life is going to be a honeymoon,” Sarah said, blushing. “Charlie and I got home, but I couldn’t stop thinking about you, so I asked if he minded if I came back over for a few minutes to check on you.”
Julia sat on her bed and pulled the blanket back over her. How could she still be cold? “I’m fine, Mom. Go back to your husband.”
Sarah sat on the other bed. “You’re not fine, Julia, and that’s obvious to all of us. Tell me what’s going on.”
“Just another relationship that ended in dramatic fashion. Nothing to be concerned about. I’m handling it.”
“Are you? You left your sister’s wedding yesterday without a word to anyone. You took off today in the midst of my wedding. You didn’t eat anything yesterday or this morning.”
Julia wanted to remind her mother that she was far too old to have to explain herself to anyone, least of all her mother, but she held back words that would make this situation worse. “I’ve had a rough couple of months. All the wedding joy has been difficult for me to handle in light of the breakup. I’m sorry for making you worry. That wasn’t my intention.”
“I’m sorry you’re hurting, sweetheart.”
Julia shrugged. “Seems to be all I know how to do.”
Sarah moved to Julia’s bed and put her arm around her daughter. “There was a time, not that long ago, when I would’ve said the same thing. I didn’t know anything but how to hurt. And now… everything is different, and I so want you to have that, too.”
“Not everyone is meant to find their Charlie, Mom. I don’t even want that anymore. Men have caused me nothing but heartache my entire life. I’m over it.”
“Don’t say that. If you close your heart off to the possibility of love, you could miss out on the greatest thing to ever happen to you. I’m thankful all the time that I had the courage to try again with Charlie. At first, I was resistant because I expected him to be just like your father, but he’s nothing like him. He’s your father’s polar opposite. Since I’ve been here on Gansett, I’ve met so many good men. They’ve restored my faith in humanity.” She smoothed Julia’s hair back from her face, the gesture so familiar and so comforting, it brought tears to Julia’s eyes. “One of the best men I’ve met is your friend Deacon’s brother Blaine. He was so very good to me when I arrived here fresh off being beaten by your father. Without him, I don’t think your father would be in prison today.”
“He seems a little intense. He and Deacon don’t get along very well.”
“He may be intense, but he’s very good at his job and is madly in love with his wife and daughters. He’s a good man, and I get the feeling Deacon is, too.”
“He’s been a good friend to me when I needed one.”
“Will you do something for me? Something big and important and probably something you don’t want to do?”
“What?”
“Give Deacon a chance to show you what it’s like to be with a good man.”
“I don’t want any man, good or bad. I’ve had enough. If I don't put myself out there, I can’t get hurt again.”
“Can I tell you something my Charlie has taught me?”
“I guess.”
“When we let the past define our present and future, we prove that we haven’t learned anything from what we’ve been through. What happened with your father and the other men who’ve disappointed you is in the past. If you let them hold you back from the chance to be truly happy, then what have you learned?”
“I hear what you’re saying, and I appreciate the wisdom—yours and Charlie’s. The two of you certainly deserve the happiness you’ve found together. But just because you and Owen and Katie have found your happily ever afters doesn’t mean I will. It’s just not in the cards for me.”
“I can’t bear to hear you say that, Julia. Of course it’s in the cards for you. You’re a smart, talented, beautiful woman with so much love to give. Please don’t miss out on what could be the greatest thing to ever happen to you by allowing bitterness to cloud your judgment.”
“My judgment clearly sucks when it comes to men.”
“Maybe it has in the past, but every day is a new chance to start fresh. Do you like Deacon? Are you attracted to him?”
“Yes, I like him, and I’d have to be dead not to be attracted to him.”
“He is rather handsome, like his brother. Charlie teases me about having a crush on Blaine. Of course I don’t, but I do have a very special place in my heart for him.”
“Why did you invite Deacon to your wedding?”
“Because I saw the way he was looking at you yesterday. I want you and everyone I love to be as happy as I am.”
“How was he looking at me?”
“The way my Charlie looks at me, as if he’s seen something rare and precious and is wise enough to know it.”
“He doe
sn’t look at me like that. We just met!”
“Yes, he does, Julia. The question you have to ask yourself is if you’re willing to risk your heart to find out what it’s like to have a good man love you.”
“What if I’m not meant for that? What if I’m supposed to be single for the rest of my life?”
“If that’s the case, then so be it. You’re a strong, capable woman who’s more than able to take care of herself. But I’ve always suspected you were hoping to find true love someday.”
“I was, and I’ve found that ‘true love’ isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”
“Because you haven’t found the real thing yet. Trust me, when you do, you’ll know what I mean when I say everything is different. I’m living proof of that.”
“I’m happy for you. I truly am. Charlie seems like a great guy.”
“Other than you kids, he’s the best thing to ever happen to me. I want all of you to find what I have with him.”
“That might be a lofty goal.”
“Maybe so, but it’s still my goal.”
“Thus your matchmaking with Deacon.”
“I like him, and I’ve learned to trust my instincts now that your father is no longer in my life to cloud my judgment. I have a very good feeling about Deacon, and I suspect you do, too. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be spending time with him.”
“I don’t want to make another mistake.”
“I understand that better than most people would, but if you don’t stick your neck out there a little, you’ll never know what might be possible.”
Her mother made good points. What was it that their grandmother had always told them when they were kids? Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
“I’ll think about what you said. I promise.”
“That’s all I can ask. Now tell me what you’re doing about your health.”