by KB Jacobs
My life wasn’t good for her.
“Yeah, I could do that, and we probably could even sort it all out.” My heart leapt at the idea. I knew she cared about me. “But that doesn’t change the fact she was targeted by the media, and this guy found her simply because she was around me. My life put a shining, glaring spotlight on her. I made her a target.”
“Anthony, not all the world’s action can be laid at your feet. You can’t control all that, certainly not the media who hound you at every turn.”
I hated that. “But it isn’t fair to her. She isn’t one of the board-bunnies looking for fifteen minutes. That’s not who she is. In fact, she pretty much hates everything about that part of my life.” And who could blame her? What kind of life could a person build when everything they did went under a microscope?
I gave a harsh chuckle. It was the life I’d lived for the last fifteen years...so shallow, and in the end, meaningless. I just hadn’t realized it until Juliet. I’d spent my life filling my house with people and had still felt lonely. But everything had been different with her. Nights with only her here, simply reading a book, were more fulfilling than months of partying with hundreds of supposed friends.
The phone jingled again.
“Good grief,” Simon complained. “You could at least hire a secretary or someone to answer it. I’ve only been here an hour, and I’m sick of listening to it.”
“It will stop in a minute.”
Simon grunted and eventually the phone silenced as we half-watched the screen. “So, how’s PT going? What’s Miller saying?”
“Miller says I should be able to get up on my board next week, which is good.” I gestured at the TV again, which had switched to the halfpipe competition. “Bonnie still isn’t nailing her double McTwist. I need to show her some fixes for that.”
“What about your competition for this year?” Simon prodded. “Will you get on the slope for any of the remaining events?”
“Meh, I’m not sure. It really doesn’t matter at this point.” Although it really did. Even though I wasn’t in the running overall, every point I earned this year helped my standing going into next season. A higher standing meant more money from sponsorships.
Sponsors who would want Triple B back eventually. No matter that right now, I wasn’t politically correct enough for them. Soon enough, that would change. I’d played the game long enough to know. Fun and parties sold equipment.
It was all such a huge joke, but I wasn’t laughing anymore.
I rubbed my hand over my face.
“You can’t go on like this.” Simon’s voice had dropped with concern.
“I know. I need to see her, know that she’s okay. Care to go with me to watch the parking lot of Naked Brews?”
Simon laughed. “You’re going to obsess either way. Between your high school kids and your girl, I’m thinking you missed your calling. Pro snowboarder ain’t it, dude. You were made to take care of others.”
“Yeah, whatever.” Now, that I’d decided I was going, I just wanted to get in my Jeep and get to where I could make sure Melissa was safe. “Hey, grab your iPad, and we can plot a new cardio plan for Annika while we watch over the brewery.”
“Point made. Dude, your passion is coaching those kids, not going after your own competitions.” Simon glared pointedly at me for an extra second, driving his point home before he grabbed his messenger bag off the barstool. “Got it.”
I turned off the video and lights, thinking about what he’d said. Coaching. He was right. I looked forward to that part of the week more than anything else. It was something to consider, but it couldn’t be tonight. Tonight, I had to focus on making sure Melissa was safe.
As we crossed to the front door, I stopped with my hand on the handle. She had to be okay. I would make sure of it...in every way.
***
I hadn’t planned on letting Melissa know I was here, but when we pulled into the parking lot beside Naked Brews, Walsh spotted me as he climbed into his bright yellow POS truck. It stood out in this town as much as my blaze-orange Jeep. He jogged over to my window.
“Hey, Anthony.” He ducked and peered into the interior and nodded. “Simon. What are you guys doing here?”
Should I admit to stalking? But if anyone got it about wanting to protect the women inside this brewery, he should understand. In fact, I was surprised to find him leaving. “I just wanted to keep an eye on things. Until they catch this guy, I don’t like the idea of her unprotected, you know?”
Walsh’s grin beamed. “We got him. He had the gall to show up here this afternoon. You have nothing to worry about anymore. He left here in cuffs and is in police custody.”
Relief swept over me. The only better news would have been if they’d taken him away in a body bag. “Is Melissa okay?”
Walsh nodded. “Yeah, no worries. He didn’t get anywhere near her.”
“Thank god. Is she still here?”
Walsh hesitated a moment. “Yeah, the girls are all inside. They decided to make a slumber party out of the night. They’re trying to unwind after all the stress of the last few days. It’s girl time, so I left them alone. For tonight, why don’t you do the same? Alex and Lake have her tonight. Let them do their thing, and then maybe tomorrow might be a better time to talk to her.”
What he said made sense, but I didn’t want to leave. She was so close, and I wanted her closer. But she was also safe. So maybe I should take this time tonight to sort out exactly how to keep her that way for the rest of her life.
I nodded at Walsh. “Okay. Thanks for the info. And thank you for watching over her when I couldn’t.”
I had some work to do so that I would be available for that job from here on out.
Chapter 40
Melissa
I rolled over and fell off the couch cushion onto the cold, office floor. Sitting up, I groaned and stretched my back. Camping out in the office had sounded like so much fun last night after three beers and two extra large pizzas. Lake, Alex, and I had pulled the cushions off the couch in the break room and raided my apartment for anything that didn’t still smell like smoke. We’d sent Walsh packing and stayed up half the night like we were back in college. It was exactly what I needed.
Even with my love life headed straight down the loo, I still had amazing friends to keep me from going under.
“Coffee.” Lake groaned next to me like a freshly minted zombie. “For the love of god, someone make some coffee.”
“Yes, and...” Alex stood up and opened one of the pizza boxes. “Victory,” she cried out like a warrior, hefting a cold piece of pizza over her head.
“Dear lord, don’t eat that.” I stood up and gingerly pulled my tangled bed hair away from my bruised neck on the way to the coffee maker. Picking up the canister, the only sound was the plastic spoon rattling inside. A peek under the lid confirmed my suspicions. “Bad news on the coffee front.”
“No.” Lake groaned again and shook her fists in frustration. “You guys know I don’t function without a shit-ton of caffeine.”
I stumbled around the cushions and found my purse on a chair. “Okay, I’m on it.” Turning around I flashed both my drama queen besties a smile. “I’m going to Coffee Haus, and because I love you both so much, I’ll stop at Em-Dash on my way back.”
“Babe, you just got out of the hospital. Let me go.” But even as Alex said it, she tripped over nothing on the floor. Neither one of them functioned before coffee. In fact, they could be a danger to Aspenridge if they were let out in a car without caffeinating.
I waved them off. “I’m fine. Besides I need to move, get some fresh air.”
They both gave me that look that said I wasn’t fooling anyone, but they were my besties for a reason. They totally got that sometimes I just needed some space...a hazard from growing up in a family of nine.
Lake jumped up from her spot on the floor and grabbed me by the shoulders. “If you bring me cinnamon cream cheese bread...name your price. A beer named
after you, my first born. Whatever you want is yours.”
“Your undying friendship will suffice.” I ruffled her hair, making it stand out even worse than it already did, and headed out of the office. Outside, the sun sparkled through the giant firs lining the eastern side of town. My breath huffed out in little white puffs, and the fresh air cleared my head of the last vestiges of sleep. A beautiful day was the perfect start to the next stage of my life.
Before I could open William’s door, a giant, orange Jeep slid into the parking lot.
Anthony.
A tingle ran down my spine that had no business tingling. Whatever we had between us was over. It had to be. I couldn’t go through the media circus that made up his life.
He stepped out and walked around the car toward me, looking stronger than ever. His physical therapy was working exactly as planned. He’d probably be back out on his board soon.
“Hi.” His voice was rough, like he hadn’t slept in ages. From the dark circles under his eyes, that might have been true. Except he didn’t look tired. His eyes shone with determination.
“Hi.” I couldn’t say more without losing the strength that held me three feet away and not running at him full speed.
“Look, I know we should talk. But I’d like for you to read something.” He handed me a tablet with a news site already pulled up.
I took it from him, our fingers brushing for a second. Long enough to set my hand on fire. My nipples tingled, and butterflies erupted low in my belly...from a single touch. Damn.
Drawing in a steadying breath, I pulled my eyes away from him and looked at the tablet. A sports news site filled the screen, and a large picture of Anthony from some competition sat at the top.
Legendary Snowboarder Calls it Quits
My eyes flashed to Anthony.
“Keep reading,” he said, nodding back at the tablet.
Anthony Millett, better known to his fans as Triple B, announced late last night that this season would mark the end of his career as a professional snowboarder. After taking home several X Games medals, many in the sport speculated that Millett would be a favorite for the next Winter Olympics. But according to Millett, that isn’t going to happen.
“I took a hard look at my life and decided that boarding didn’t bring me the joy it used to. Life is short, and I intend to make the most of it doing the things that fulfill me, surrounded by the people I love most.”
My eyes misted over. “You quit? You can’t quit.” I stared up at him, the tablet shaking in my hands. “What about your sponsors? And all that work to get you ready for next year?”
Anthony took the tablet away, setting it on top of William. He grabbed my hands in his. “Those things don’t matter. The sponsors were nice, but I’ve made plenty of money, and some good financial advice from my parents means I’m pretty set for the future, especially if the parties stop. And that’s already done.”
It was getting harder to breathe. “But how can you just walk away from it all?”
“Easy.” Anthony smiled and pulled me closer so our bodies were almost touching. “I like boarding, but I love you.”
“You...” Breathing was now completely impossible.
“I love you, Melissa Frye. My Juliet. I love the way you obsess about everything British. I love the way you can’t drink more than two beers but get better at beer pong when you do. I love that you blush at the slightest mention of sex but match me easily in the bedroom. I love that you’re sexy without even trying and practically kill me when you do try. I love that my mom loves you and that you love her. I love pretty much everything about you.”
My heart felt like it was about to leap out of my chest. “Pretty much?”
Anthony tilted his head toward William. “Not sure I can ever love that car.”
Laughter bubbled up from my belly and rolled through me. Anthony loved me.
“Well?”
“I love you, too.” I squeezed his hands. “Which is why I can’t let you give up snowboarding for me.” A fizzling, hope-filled, happy feeling rose in my chest, but I couldn’t let him sacrifice his career for me.
“First things first.” Anthony pulled me in and kissed me hard, heating my body from my toes to the top of my head. “Second, I didn’t give up boarding for you. I did it for us. Turns out I don’t like being Triple B. And I can still snowboard, just not on the pro circuit. Plus, now I can coach the high school team full time. This isn’t just about you. It’s about me, being the person I want to be.”
I swiped at another happy tear. “So does this mean I get to keep Anthony full time? No more Triple B? No more press releases and paparazzi?”
“Just you and me.”
My phone chose that inopportune moment to ring in my pocket. “Ignore it.” I wrapped my arms around Anthony’s neck and pulled his lips to mine. “You are exactly what I want.”
The ringing stopped for a few seconds and then started up again. Anthony smiled against my lips. “Get that phone, and tell whoever it is that you’re busy for the next six months. I’m thinking I might be willing to let you out of my bedroom around then.”
I gave him another quick kiss and answered the phone. “Hello.”
“Melissa, this is Detective Murdock. I’m calling to let you know we released Brad Nelson this morning.”
“What?” My knees gave out, and Anthony’s arm around my waist was the only thing that kept me from hitting the ground.
“We were able to get in touch with the airline this morning to confirm his travel times. He was in an airport in Texas at the time of your attack. We have time-stamped and dated security camera footage from the airport that verifies his story. He couldn’t have been the person that attacked you.”
This wasn’t happening. A cold sweat trickled down my back. “But what about the text messages?”
“They are disturbing, but he didn’t do anything against the law.” Detective Murdock sighed. “We talked up the threat of a restraining order, and he seemed to get the idea. He’s heading to the airport to catch the first flight back to Texas.”
“I...” What now? Shock and fear reverberated down my spine. “Thank you, Detective.”
I hung up the phone and slid it back into my pocket.
“What’s wrong?” Anthony held me steady with one hand and rubbed my back with the other.
“That was Detective Murdock. Brad didn’t attack me. He has an alibi.” I swallowed the nausea creeping up my throat. “It wasn’t him, so they let him go. He’s on his way to the airport.”
“Like hell they are.” Anthony pulled his keys out of his pocket and steered me back toward the brewery. “Go inside, and I’ll be back in a bit. This ends now.”
Without waiting for me to move, Anthony took off for his Jeep and spun his tires as he peeled out of the parking lot.
Bloody hell. I hefted my purse on my shoulder and marched to William. If Anthony thought I’d stand by while he went to engage my ex, he had another think coming. This was my battle, not his, and I planned to fight it.
Chapter 41
Anthony
My hands shook with adrenaline as I gripped the leather-wrapped steering wheel of my Jeep. I wanted to wrap those same hands around that jerk’s neck. How could the police just let him go? He’d been tormenting Melissa for weeks.
I pressed down on the accelerator, ignoring the posted speed limits. I knew these small mountain roads like the back of my hand, and my Jeep had the best suspension system on the market. I wasn’t in any danger of losing control on the small winding road across town, past the hospital, and out to the airport.
My tires squealed as I turned into the parking lot of Aspenridge’s small airport and parked.
I sat in my car, deep breathing. It wouldn’t do me any good to go into the airport and get tackled by TSA for acting crazy before I ever got a chance to lay a hand on the guy.
But before I could get out of my Jeep, a tiny blue Mini Cooper swung into the parking spot beside me. Melissa jumped out, her
eyes shooting sparks of temper. She strode over to me and flung open my door.
“Anthony Wallace Millett, you do not drive away from me.”
I stepped out of the Jeep and rose to my full height, towering over her tiny and delicate form. Her frailness didn’t extend to her internal strength. Every day with her proved that more and more.
Just moments ago I’d been struggling to control my temper, but now this tiny, blonde spitfire stood in front of me, challenging me on every front. And I freaking loved it.
Wrapping my arm around her waist, I picked her up and pulled her so all her soft curves pressed into all my hard places. “Did you just middle name me?” I whispered to her, a slight tone of threat threaded into the question.
“You bet your sweet ass I did.” She poked me in the chest, and the hard muscles under the pad of her fingertip flexed with the effort of holding her aloft. That tiny movement distracted her. Her eyes darkened, and she licked her lips as she gazed up at me.
I bit back my grin. I had her number, but that was only fair since she totally had mine. I lifted her finger with the hand that wasn’t holding her and lifted it to my mouth where I kissed it. “Don’t get distracted. Not yet. There’s a certain douche that needs a talking-to first.” Her muscles tensed as she seemed to remember why we were here.
“I need to be the one to do the talking, though.” Her voice was lined with steel even as she pleaded with me to understand. “Six years ago, he got away with making me question everything about myself. I didn’t realize how much damage he’d done until I met you. Until you showed me how amazing loving can feel.” She flattened her hand over my pec and stroked.
Her light touch made me want to forget that jerk inside the airport, but I agreed that she needed this. She deserved to have her final say.
I nodded. “You got it. This is your show, but I’ll be right behind you. I will always have your back in everything. We do this together.”
Her mouth softened as she rose up to kiss me. Cinnamon and vanilla and the taste of my girl in my arms. Perfection.