Catching Her Heart (Scored, #3)

by Marquita Valentine

“Get the hell out of my office.”

  Bryce stood, saluting his dad. “Yes, sir.”

  “Come back to my office when you’ve had some sense knocked into you,” his dad said, and then paused. “Maybe I’ll get Dare to do it. He’s never come into my office like this.”

  Bryce didn’t say a word. He stood at attention and took his dad’s reprimand.

  As he left City Hall, he caught a glimpse of honey-colored curls from across the street. His heart sped up. Kayla was here?

  “Hey,” he shouted, running out into traffic. “Kay-la!”

  A taxi honked at him, but he gave it a firm pound on the hood and flashed his badge. The driver held up his hands.

  “Kayla,” he shouted again, running to catch up with her.

  His legs pumped harder than ever, his palms tingling as anticipation and excitement flowed through him. She was here. She had to be looking for him. Why else would she be in the city?

  Suddenly, she turned, blue eyes colliding with his. He skidded to a stop. His heart dropped. “You’re not Kayla.”

  “No.” She gave him a smile and looked him over. “I could be. For you.”

  “Thanks, but no thanks.” He tipped his hat to her.

  “Yeah, well, fuck you too, asshole.”

  Aaand that was why he didn’t start up a conversation with random people on the streets. He was out of his mind.

  There was no way Kayla would come to get him. He’d been the one to leave her. He had a better chance of apprehending her ex than being in the same space as her.

  Hell, she probably wouldn’t step foot in the state.

  Striding back to Chambers Street, he hailed a cab and gave them the address to the station.

  With a grim determination, he pulled out his cell and texted Vincent.

  Any updates on Brad Hadley?

  Vincent: Spotted in Austin.

  Dude gets around.

  Vincent: My guy is closing in on him. Will pick up tomorrow.

  Relief flowed through him.

  Send me the bill and makes sure Kayla gets the money he owes her transferred to her checking account.

  His phone rang.

  “Why don’t you make sure that happens,” Vincent said, not asked.

  “Because she’ll know it’s from me.”

  “She’s not stupid, Saint. She’ll know that an arrest doesn’t mean automatic restitution. Victims wait years to be paid back. Some never see a dime.”

  “Don’t care what she knows. Just want to make it happen,” Bryce bit out. “So make it happen, or I’ll have someone else do it.”

  “You are an annoying little shit when you want to be.”

  Bryce grunted. “Learned it from the best.”

  “I’ll take care of it.”

  Tension left Bryce’s body. “Thanks.”

  “You can thank me by meeting me at Black Irish for drinks at five. I believe you owe me three.”

  ***

  Bryce sat at the bar, nursing a double shot of Jack that he had no intention of drinking while he waited on.

  “You look like shit,” Vincent said as he joined him, signaling the bartender for a drink.

  “Tell me something I don’t know.” Bryce ran his finger around the rim of his glass.

  “Convince Kayla to take you back,” the other man said. “You might not think you’re worth it, but based on what I know about you... You are.”

  Bryce leveled his buddy with a look. “Self-worth has never been an issue for me.”

  “Oh.” Vincent’s brows rose. “Does that mean you have absolutely no problem with never fulfilling your family’s legacy?”

  “It’s what I always wanted to do.” At least, it was always something he wanted to do. Or was it something he’d been told he always wanted to do? Thing was, he’d never questioned his life’s goals until he got involved with Kayla.

  “Look. I get the whole duty-to-family thing, but they wouldn’t stop me from going after the woman I love.”

  Bryce turned slightly and leaned against the bar. “You talk a good game, Rodriguez but if the woman you wanted lived in an entirely different state, and the only way you could be together is for you to give up everything so she didn’t have to, would you do it?”

  “No.”

  Shit. That wasn’t what Bryce expected him to say. He expected the bastard to yammer on about how to make it work.

  Vincent grinned. “I’d find a way to do both.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Kayla was in the middle of showing Tommy how to make gumbo when her newly installed bells rang on the café’s door.

  “We’re closed for the afternoon,” she called out, not bothering to turn around. “Come by tomorrow after eight AM and the first cup of coffee will be on me.”

  “First cup of coffee is always free.”

  Kayla froze, her hand hovering over the steaming pot of chicken, sausage, bell pepper, and celery.

  “Sprinkle in the salt, Ms. Kayla,” Tommy whispered.

  But she couldn’t. She was a statue, cold and unmovable.

  Tommy grabbed her hand and turned it to the side. “Go take care of him, and I’ll take care of this. You said turn down the heat, cover, and let it simmer for forty-five minutes.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  He gave her a little shove. “Go on. I got this.”

  Slow as molasses, she turned to face the man who’d left her brokenhearted almost four weeks ago. She searched his face before she spoke, hoping for signs of regret...and found them, right in his silver gaze.

  It was too late.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, stepping closer to the bar. “I want you to know that. I’m truly sorry for the way I left.”

  “Thanks for letting me know. You can go now.”

  “I didn’t drive almost eight hours just to apologize and leave.”

  Anger boiled inside of her. “I’m not making it worth your while to stay.”

  Tommy coughed, and she turned to him. He shook his head. “I need to peel some potatoes for the hash browns.”

  “Actually, I came here not only to apologize, but also to give you an update on Brad Hadley.”

  Her heart leaped into her throat as she remembered what Bryce had to say about her ex.

  “For what it’s worth, he was a sorry fucker for leaving you. Hell, if it were up to me, I’d track him down and make the bastard sweat a little before I persuaded him pay you back. Plus interest.”

  She tipped up her chin. “What about him?”

  “He’s been arrested. Petty theft in Austin.”

  “He has?” she heard herself say.

  “Yeah, and you’re not the first woman he swindled. You weren’t the last either.”

  “There were others?” Her stomach roiled at the thought of him with other women, not because she wanted him, but because she knew how charming Tate could be. She swallowed. “How many?”

  “I’d rather not give you the details.”

  The floor tilted, and she grabbed the counter. Bryce rushed forward, but she held him at bay with a hand. “I’m fine. Just shocked.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “At least he can pay for his crimes now. He can pay every last dime he owes to us.”

  “Yeah...about that.”

  “I know, Bryce. I’m not at all likely to ever see a penny, but if all of us were to sue him, then he could at least be held accountable in public. We’d be vindicated and other women warned.”

  Admiration entered his gaze. “What happened to the woman who wanted to keep it a secret?”

  “She got tired of catering to what everyone else wanted.”

  “Good.” He smiled, but it was tired, much like he looked at the moment. His clothes were wrinkled, and his hair stood out in odd places. “Anyway, I wanted to let you know in person instead of over the phone.”

  “Wouldn’t have answered anyway.”

  “I deserve that.”

  “You deserve to have your tail kicked.”

  *

  Yeah, he
did deserve that, and more, Bryce thought. “Do your worst, sweetheart. I can take it.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You’re not worth the effort.”

  “You are,” he said, and her pretty eyes widened. “You’re worth every sleepless night I’ve had. Every missed meal. Every last dime I spent tracking that asshole of an ex down for you. Everything...you’re worth everything.”

  “Don’t,” she whispered. “Don’t say what you don’t mean.”

  Her defenses were crumbling—even he could see it. Taking a risk, he dared another step closer, and then another, until he could reach out and touch her.

  He caressed her cheek. Her eyes closed. “Please, Bryce. I can’t go through this again.”

  “I can’t take it anymore either. I’m fucking miserable without you,” he said roughly. “Give me another chance. I dare you.”

  Her eyes opened. “You broke my heart.”

  “I’m sorry. You can have mine and do whatever you want with it,” he said, genuinely meaning it.

  “I fell in love with you, and you couldn’t handle it.”

  “I’m stronger now. Being without you made see how weak I am. I need you in my life,” he insisted. Never had he worked so hard to say the things he meant from his heart. Never.

  She grabbed his hand and pulled it to her heart. It beat strongly against his palm. “I was strong, and you showed me how weak I was when you left.”

  “Let’s be strong together. That’s the only option that makes sense. We make sense.”

  “My life is here,” she said, her voice cracking. “I can’t leave my dad. I’m all he’s got.”

  Bryce kissed her forehead. “Then don’t. I’ll come to you. We’ll make it work. Promise.”

  “But—”

  He kissed her gently, taking the time to explore her mouth. The one he’d missed so much that it physically hurt to think about kissing her. He kissed her with everything inside of him. He was sure it was love. It had to be. Nothing else could tear him up inside like this.

  Nothing.

  “Give me one last chance,” he murmured against her lips. “I dare you, Kayla. I dare you to love me as much as I love you.”

  “Don’t you let me down, Bryce. I’m taking a chance on loving you. So don’t you dare let me down by doing something as stupid as leaving me again.”

  “I’m not going anywhere,” he promised.

  Epilogue

  Bryce stood as soon as the chief of Holland Springs’s police force entered his office.

  “Detective Fitzpatrick,” the chief said, holding out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet the man behind the stellar application.”

  Bryce smiled and shook the man’s hand, but he kept his demeanor cool. He didn’t want to be too overzealous. Otherwise, he’d drop to his knees and beg the man for a job.

  He’d been doing everything he could to see, or at least talk to, Kayla regularly, but three weeks of not touching her was fucking torture. Then again, three weeks of convincing her that he was he wasn’t going to let her down was completely worth it. And the look on her face when he showed her the job application link—once he’d filled it out—was fucking beautiful.

  “Thank you, sir. And thanks for closing the job opening so quickly on the website.”

  Chief Ambrose smiled, his brown eyes shrewd. “I don’t believe in wasting time.”

  “Couldn’t agree more, sir.”

  The older gentleman gestured for Bryce to have a seat.

  “I’ve brought more references like you requested,” Bryce began. Although he thought it a little much, he didn’t give a damn how many hoops he had to jump through, if in the end, it meant he could be with Kayla.

  “We’ll take a look at those in a minute, but first... Son, I’d like know what your intentions are with my daughter.”

  Bryce nearly swallowed his tongue. “Your what?” he managed to say without stuttering.

  “My daughter. Kayla. About this tall,” he held his hand up in the air, “dirty-blonde hair and brown eyes. Freckles on her nose. Makes a mean crab cake. Looks just like her mother—thank God.”

  “I didn’t know.” Holy shit, he didn’t have a fucking clue. Mother Mary and all the Saints. He fought the urge to cross himself.

  “You didn’t know what?”

  “That you’re her dad.”

  Kayla’s dad nodded. “She’s a private person.”

  If he hadn’t realized that before, he sure as hell got the memo now. But it didn’t change things. “I love your daughter, sir. It’s why I applied for a lateral transfer.”

  His lips flattened. “Were you the one who got that rat bastard of an ex of hers behind bars?”

  Bryce inclined his head. “One of many.”

  “Humble and enjoys teamwork.” Chief Ambrose cocked his head to one side. “I knew your grandparents. Good people.”

  “Thanks.”

  Chief smiled. “Ready to get down to brass tacks?”

  “Yes, sir.” Bryce had no idea what the man meant, but he thought it meant cutting through the bullshit.

  “I have a position available. Pay’s not bad, but probably not what you’re used to.”

  “Money’s not an issue,” he countered. “I’m here because I love what I do, but I also love your daughter. I plan on marrying her.”

  “Plan, huh? A lot of men plan. Very few follow through.” The man’s smile turned serious. “I can’t have her hurt again. Not even by a fellow as outstanding as you are. You’re good detective, but I’m older and could give a good damn about procedure when it comes to her. You understand what I’m saying, son?”

  Yeah, her dad was going to kill him. Bury him three miles out in the sound, and no one would ever be the wiser. “I already bought the ring,” he blurted.

  “Excellent.” He raised his voice, calling out to his secretary. “Close the door, will you, Helen? Detective Fitzpatrick and I have some details to iron out.”

  *** *** ***

  Kayla sat on the hood of her VW Bug and waited for Bryce to finish his interview with her dad. She felt a tiny bit guilty about not telling him before he went in, but he’d been so confident over the phone that she couldn’t take that away from him.

  The doors to the station opened and Bryce came marching out, a look of grim determination on his face. His eyes searched the parking lot, narrowing when they settled on her.

  “You,” he said, striding to her.

  Despite the fact that her heart was jumping up and down in her chest, she stayed her ground and smiled. “It’s me. Thought I’d surprise you and—”

  Grabbing her by the back of the neck, he devoured her mouth. He kissed her until her toes curled and her hands sought out his body.

  All too soon, he pulled away. “You should have told me.”

  “My dad’s the chief of police for Holland Springs. Surprise!”

  He laughed, leaning his forehead on hers. “When I found out, I thought he was going to kill me.”

  “It’s a natural reaction.” She looped her arms around his neck. “What did y’all talk about?”

  “My job.”

  She squealed. “You got the job? Well, duh, of course you got the job. Ohmigod, that’s awesome. Are you sure? I mean, you’ve giving up a lot to move here and be with me.”

  Bryce scratched his jaw. “I don’t know about that. Apparently, your dad is looking for someone to groom for his job, and who better than his future son-in-law.”

  “His what?”

  Bryce dropped down on one knee and pulled out a blue box wrapped in a white bow. “I was planning on saving this for later, but I was persuaded by the powers that be that right now is perfect.”

  Kayla covered her mouth with her hands as tears of astonishment and joy began to fall down her cheeks. “Yes!”

  “But I haven’t asked.”

  “Doesn’t matter. Yes.” She joined him on the ground, wrapping her arms around him and peppering his face with kisses. “Yes now, and when you ask me again l
ater, like you planned, I’ll say yes again.”

  “Sassy little thing,” he said affectionately.

  “You’re going to love it here,” she promised.

  He kissed her passionately, and then gazed into her eyes. “I already do. I have you, and there’s no one, no job... basically nothing in this world I could love more, no matter where I live.”

  Ready for more small town romance? Then you’re going to love Drive Me Crazy. This best friend’s older brother romance is free!

  Get your copy now!

  Also by Marquita Valentine

  Holland Springs Series

  Drive Me Crazy

  Driving To You

  Twice Tempted

  Third Time’s a Charm

  His Christmas Wish

  Just Desserts

  Not Over You

  Be Mine

  The Brides of Holland Springs Series

  The Billionaire Bride

  The Temporary Bride

  The Forgotten Bride

  The Christmas Bride

  The Scottish Bride

  The Lawson Brothers Series

  Love So Hot

  Love So True

  Love So Irresistible

  Love So Tempting

  Love So Perfect

  Love So Unexpected

  Love So Right

  Love So Wild

  Seducing the Billionaire Series

  Seducing the Billionaire’s Wife

  Seducing the Billionaire’s Secretary

  Boys of the South Series

  Live For You

  Only For You

  True For You

  All For You

  Wish For You

  Burn For You

  Melt For You

  About the Author

  Marquita Valentine is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of contemporary romance.

  Since first taking the plunge in July of 2012, Marquita has appeared on the Top 100 Bestselling Ebooks Lists on iBooks, Amazon Kindle, and Barnes&Noble. She’s been called “one of the best new voices in romance” (Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews) and her books have been accused of being “a sexy, fun, and slightly addicting contemporary read” (The Book Queen).

  When she’s not writing sexy heroes who adore their sassy heroines, she enjoys shopping, reading, and spending time with her family and friends. Married to her high school sweetheart, Marquita lives in a seriously small town in the south with her husband, two kids, and a dog.