by Stacy Eaton
“I’m not going nowhere,” he said, looking surprised that I had spoken to him the way I had, “but you need to butt the hell out of this. This is between Finn and I.”
This guy was a train wreck with his grammar, but that would have to wait until next time. I stepped slightly to the side so I could see Finley, but still keep an eye on him. “Baby, do you want him here?”
She shook her head quickly, not quite meeting my eye before her gaze slammed off to the side away from us both.
“Baby? Did you just call her fucking baby?” he yelled. “Finn, what the fuck is this? Who is this dude?”
Finley cowered as his voice rose, and then shifted behind me again. That was it, I was done.
I reached over the counter and grabbed the guy by his collar, taking him completely by surprise. “Finley is done with you. Got that? ‘This dude’ is her future, and she doesn’t want anything to do with you, so get the hell out of here, and if you ever come back or contact her again, I’m going to make your life a living hell. You got that?”
I wasn’t a physical person, and I could count the times I’d gotten into a fight on two fingers, but I would not stand by while someone threatened someone I cared about.
I shoved him away, and he yanked his shirt back into place as he threw daggers at me with his eyes. “You were cheating on me with this tool?” He threw his hands up. “I knew you were a worthless, lying, cheating bitch.”
“Get the hell out of here right now, Wallace,” I said in a low, threatening voice. “You’re done here.”
“Whatever. She’s not even worth the gas I spent driving here. I don’t know why I bothered, fucking bitch, ho-bag, slut.” He was backing up as he spewed the vile words.
I stalked to the end of the counter, intent on tossing the guy out on his ass. When I reached the edge of the counter, he realized my plan and turned for the door.
“I’ll get you back for this. I promise that, but you can have her, she’s a waste. Sucks in bed, too, can’t even give good head,” he tossed over his shoulder as he hightailed it out the door.
I glanced around the café to make sure there were no other customers, then went to the front door and locked it. When I turned around, I found another woman standing beside Finley with her arm around her shoulders, and Martin at the kitchen door wiping his hands on his apron.
“I was about to grab my cleaver and come after him with you,” Martin said.
“Thanks, Martin,” I told him before turning my attention to Finley. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”
The woman beside Finley stepped aside so I could gather her in my arms.
She curled her shoulders into me, her hands fisted between us as she burrowed her face into my chest. She shivered, and I held her even more tightly. Damn, if I didn’t love how she fit against me—but I hated that she was upset.
“He’s gone, Finley. He won’t be back.”
She murmured something, and I pulled back so I could look down at her. “What did you say?”
“I said, ‘I wouldn’t put it past him.’ He gets really ugly when he’s on a bender, mean as a rattlesnake.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not scared of him.” I studied her face. “He didn’t do anything to hurt you, did he?”
“No.”
“What did he want?”
“For me to come back to Middletown. He said he’s been looking for me, and I don’t exactly know how he found me, but he did.”
I hugged her close again and kissed the top of her head. “You’re okay. I’m here. He’s not going to bother you again.”
She laughed, “You don’t know him.”
“I know the type, Finley.”
“What if he waits for me to leave, or follows me home, or to Robin’s house? Oh, my god! What if he does something to Robin? She’s in bed with two kids in the house.” Her body shook harder. “I have to call her and warn her.”
“Hey,” I stepped back and took her face in my hands, “Finley, don’t freak out. You’re okay, and we can keep Robin and her family safe, too.”
“How?”
“Why don’t you stay at my place for a few days until I figure out a way to get this guy to go away for good?”
“I can’t do that,” she said quickly.
“Why not? I have a guest room that has its own bathroom, so you wouldn’t have to share with either Wade or me, and the house has an alarm.”
“I don’t want to risk you or Wade getting hurt.”
“Actually, Wade has been staying at Robin’s place while I was out of town. I’ll have him stay there a few more days until we get this figured out. They won’t mind.”
“I can’t ask you to do this, Roan.”
“You’re not asking, sweetheart. I’m offering. As a matter of fact, I’m kind of going to demand it.”
She quirked a brow. “Are you going to throw me over your shoulder and drag me to your house if I say no?”
A smile began to spread over my lips as I stared down into her glittering, green eyes. “I just might—so what’s it’s gonna be? Are you going to come willingly, or do I have to strong-arm you into safety?”
She laughed slightly, and I was glad she was relaxing a little. “You really have a thing with putting me over your shoulder, don’t you?”
I tweaked her nose. “If I’m not mistaken, you’re the one that suggested it the last two times. Maybe it’s you who has a thing about it. Perhaps it’s a little fantasy of yours.”
She giggled and hid her face from me. I lifted it back up with a knuckle under her chin. “What do you say? Come stay at my place for a few days so I know you’re safe. Then we’ll figure out a way to get that guy to go away for good.”
Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes. Then I might just help you out with that little fantasy of being over my shoulder, only this would be taking you to my own bed.
She studied me for a few seconds. “As long as you’re sure you don’t mind. I don’t want to put you out, or get in your way, and I definitely don’t want you getting hurt because of me.”
“Finley, you are totally not putting me out, and you will not get in my way.”
As for getting me hurt, the only way she could do that was to get deeper into my heart and then walk away.
“Okay, then I’ll stay for a few days.”
Chapter 9
Finley
The last few days had been long and very busy. As luck might have it, two of our other waitresses came down with a stomach bug, and Sadie and I had to cover all the shifts with the help of the bakery staff. I’d been hoping to get someone to cover for me, so I could focus on helping Robin, but that just didn’t happen.
What did happen was me working at the café until after lunch, then going to Robin’s to help her with business for a few hours, all while taking care of catering duties and preparing a twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, two corporate events, pre-planning for another wedding, and dealing with Ms. Flippity-Jiggit.
That last one was totally wearing on my last nerve. Twice she’d demanded that I let her talk to Robin, and twice I told her Robin was not taking calls. Robin had even changed the ringtone on her phone to a don’t-answer-this-call-or-you’ll-be-sorry spooky ringtone she’d found someplace just for Autumn.
I envied her the ability to pick and choose whom she wished to speak with, and I knew that dealing with this wedding was my payback for what had happened to Robin.
In the few spare moments that I had, I wondered how Roan was and what he was doing. Robin had mentioned that Roan was out of town for the week and that Wade was staying with them, but I didn’t ask for more information.
I did, however, ask Wade how his dad was one afternoon, and he’d studied me for a moment as if he’d wanted to ask me a question, but then said he was out of town. He also asked if I wanted him to give his father a message, and I’d quickly balked, waving two hands in front of me as if the comment had been a snake with two heads.
I didn’t want Robin to overhear something o
r wonder why I was asking about Roan. I personally didn’t even know why I was wondering.
I supposed it was because Roan appeared drawn to me, and I to him, but I couldn’t be certain. He was certainly interested in kissing me; maybe he was looking for a good time in bed. I wasn’t sure if I was up for that, but—oh, who was I kidding?—if that man said bark, I’d probably drop to my knees and pant in between barking and wagging my tongue. When I was around Roan, I didn’t think straight—which was so different than the way I normally was around people. Usually, I was watching everything and second-guessing what they said or did, especially if it was a positive comment toward me. I wasn’t sure when I began to have so many self-doubts, but they were so ingrained in me that I had a hard time getting away from them—which brought me back to Roan as I tried to figure out what he wanted from me.
I was average in looks, and he was a demi-god. I was average in intelligence, and he owned a security company. I was renting a tiny house, and he probably lived in a mansion if his car was any indication. The man had lived in the spotlight for years, and I hid from any kind of attention. We were as different as oil and vinegar, and I was definitely the vinegar.
Another thing I wondered was whether Roan’s brother was back in town, or if someone else was delegated to overseeing Autumn’s business. Roan had made it sound as if she needed a babysitter, but did she really need someone to watch out for her? The woman had to be in her thirties. Was she so messed up that she needed a nursemaid to hover and help her make good decisions?
One decision she couldn’t seem to make was about the stuffed mushrooms. I finally decided that I was going to split the order and give her half stuffed with crabmeat and half with the cheese and herbs. When I told her, she quieted and then talked about what a good idea it was. I was honestly waiting for her to take credit for it, but she surprised me by thanking me.
I was so stunned from Autumn’s thanks that when I saw Howie, I didn’t immediately react. I stood right in front of him about to ask him what he’d like when I sucked in a shocked breath and scrambled back a few steps to hit the rear counter.
“You’re a hard woman to find,” he said and glanced around to make sure no one was listening, “but if you were trying to get away from me, you didn’t go far enough.”
“What are you doing here, Howie?”
“Bringing you back home.”
“Your apartment is not my home; it never was.”
He laughed, and the evil sound sent a chill down my spine as if someone had poured ice water over my head. “It was the best home you were ever going to have. You think you’re good enough to get better than what I could give you? You’re white trash, Finn.”
I swallowed. “I’m not coming back. We’re over, Howie.”
“The hell we are.” He leaned farther over the counter, and I heard the front doorbell tinkle, but fear prevented me from looking away from Howie to see who it was. “You’re going to get your shit packed and get home.”
“No,” I replied softly.
His hand clenched on the counter. I knew if I’d been close enough, he would have grabbed my hair or slammed his fist into the wall next to my head to intimidate me. He’d never hit me, but he’d come very close several times.
“You don’t have a choice, Finn. You’re either going to do it yourself, or I’m going to make you. You got that?”
Before I could reply, there was a wide back in front of me blocking my view of Howie. My head snapped back, and I instantly recognized both Roan’s dark, wavy hair and his voice as he asked Howie if there was a problem.
I hated that Roan had walked into the café to witness my humiliation but more thankful than he would ever know. Howie scared me. The knowledge of what he’d done to other people when they’d pissed him off had compounded my fear.
I was touching Roan’s wide back, feeling the muscles tense further as he went up against my ex-boyfriend. Man, what must he think of me for being in a relationship with that guy? When Roan turned to ask me if I wanted Howie there, my knees almost went out from under me when he called me baby.
I wasn’t the only one who was surprised, and Howie’s ire filled the room as Roan told him that I was now with him—say what?
Well, I had to assume that was only to get Howie out of here. I knew Roan didn’t really mean it.
Roan leaned forward and grabbed Howie by the shirt and jerked him forward. I’d never seen Howie scared, and I’m not sure that he was now, but he was unsure of what could happen, and when Roan shoved him away, Howie began to back away.
His cutting words as he trashed me on his exit rang through my ears, and I wanted to curl in a ball and cry. The minute the door was locked, Roan was pulling me to him. I truly wished that the floor would open up and suck me in.
The last thing I expected from Roan was an offer to further protect me by coming to stay at his house. Seriously, I never expected it, and my head was telling me to say no, but that romantic part of me cried out that this man wanted to protect me, and help me, and damn it if I didn’t want that—especially from him.
“Okay, then I’ll stay for a few days.”
He looked surprised—maybe he really didn’t want me to stay. “You will?”
“Unless you don’t really want me to, I mean, if you were just offering to be nice, I get it. I can take care of myself.”
He took hold of my shoulders and chuckled, “Finley, no, I’m asking you to stay at my place because I want to help, and maybe part of me also really wants to spend time with you alone.”
My jaw dropped a little bit. “You do?”
“Yeah, I do. In fact, I literally just got back in town and this was my first stop. I came directly here because I wanted to ask you to have dinner with me tonight.”
I blinked, and then blinked again. Did I hear him right? “Can you repeat that?”
He laughed and took hold of my face. “Finley Parker, will you have dinner with me?” He cocked his head and looked thoughtful. “Actually, I already know the answer to that because you said you’d stay at my place, so we’re already having dinner together.”
Before I could respond, he leaned down and kissed me tenderly. I could only stare at him when he stood back to full height.
“What’s the rest of your schedule like?” he asked, his voice a little huskier than normal.
“I need to go see Robin, and then I’m mostly done for the day after I take care of a few things for her.”
“Alright, well, I am at your beck and call today. I’ll take you over to Robin’s, and then to your house to retrieve some things.” He glanced around, and I noticed that we were alone. “Do you think Martin has anything left over from lunch? I missed eating so I could get back here quicker.”
“Absolutely!” I rushed past him. “Have a seat, I’ll get you something.”
I burst into the kitchen. “Martin, give me a special.”
“I thought we were closed.”
“It’s for Roan, he hasn’t eaten lunch yet. The least I can do is feed the man after he got rid of my ex.”
“Absolutely, give me about ten minutes.”
I thanked him and then braced myself to face Roan again. “What can I get you to drink?”
“I’ll take a Coke, please.”
I got his drink and set it in front of him all the while feeling his eyes on me with every move I made. “How was your trip?”
“It was fine, but I’m more worried about you.”
“Me?” My voice was high-pitched, and I cleared my throat. “Why would you be worried about me?”
“Because that guy was an ass, and he said some nasty things. I just want to make sure you didn’t take any of that to heart.”
I laughed self-consciously. “I’m kind of used to hearing that.”
“You’re kidding! He talked to you like that all the time?”
I shrugged and picked up a rag to begin wiping down the tables. “Not all the time, but, yeah, when he’d get drunk, I’d hear it, or worse.”
“Finley, did that man ever hit you?”
I turned, and he was sitting stock-still, his hands clenched on the counter. I quickly laid one hand over his to reassure him. “No, he never hit me.”
“Did he ever do anything to physically hurt you?” I hesitated to respond too long because his face contorted, and he slammed his eyes shut. “I should have pulverized that son of a bitch.”
“Hey, Roan, it’s okay. Don’t worry about it. He’s gone. Just let it go.”
Roan took my hand in both of his. “So help me, Finley, if I see that man again, I’m going to make him wish he had never set eyes on you. I grew up believing women were to be protected, cherished, and taken care of. You did not ever raise a hand in anger to them or say such hateful things to or about them like he did here today.”
I realized that I was a little in awe of the man in front of me. I’d read about this kind of a man in books, but I’d never dreamed that I’d meet one in real life. My heart fluttered, and I wondered if at that very moment I didn’t just fall a little bit in love with him.
Chapter 10
Roan
The words were out of my mouth before I even seriously considered them. As I sat at the counter and Finley disappeared into the kitchen, I wondered if I had made the right decision in inviting her to stay at my place.
Was I asking for trouble by doing that? Would she think I wanted more from her than I did? Well, shit, I didn’t even know what I wanted. I’d come here to ask her to dinner, and now she would be staying under my roof—alone.
Why had I decided that Wade should stay at Matt’s house? Was it because I wanted to keep him safe, or did I not want my son to know that I had an interest in another woman? I tapped my thumb on the counter as I weighed that question in my mind.
Finley came out of the kitchen and brought me a drink. The entire time she moved, my eyes tracked her. She was fluid and graceful, and even with the slight frown on her face and pursed lips, she was beautiful, not the model kind of beauty that I used to work with, but the down-to-earth natural beauty that I much preferred.