Liam stood up, his boots hitting the floor with a clunk. “Which highway? When?”
He jotted the information down on a piece of paper while Rick talked. Anna had traveled further than he thought she’d have the guts to go.
Rick’s voice interrupted Liam’s thoughts. “Can I assume my debt to you has been paid?”
Liam barked into the phone. “Not even close. Keep searching. She could go anywhere from Dallas. I want to know where she is now.” He hung up and tossed the phone onto the counter.
He decided it’d be worth it to head towards Texas. If Rick valued his job as a private detective, he’d get more information. Possibly before Liam even reached Dallas.
Anna couldn’t keep this pace up forever. At some point, she was going to stop somewhere. And when she did…
“Don’t worry, honey, I’m going to find you.” He grinned. She’d either return willingly to Utah with him, or he’d make sure she’d never run again.
~
Joel had hoped seeing the location for a potential second diner would’ve helped the decision-making process. He had to admit it had great visibility in a high-traffic part of town. But the thought of fighting that same traffic on a workday made his stomach churn.
He groaned as a chime sounded, announcing he’d received a text. He pulled his phone out of his back pocket and glanced at the message from Chess.
Brooke’s boyfriend came by and it didn’t go well. She’s upset.
Joel texted back.
I’m coming home. Leaving Dallas now.
His chest tightened. At least it was Saturday and he wouldn’t have to deal with rush hour traffic.
It was no secret that he was more able to reach Brooke than Chess could, but things must be bad if he’d been called home.
By the time he stepped into the house, Chess was pacing the living room with a bottle of soda in one hand.
As soon as Chess noticed Joel, he pointed a finger at him. “You need to go see if she’s okay. She doesn’t want to talk about it. She’s been crying since the jerk left.”
“What exactly happened?” Joel looked around the living room, noting that everything seemed to be in order.
Chess cleared his throat. “Paul came to the house today. Admitted he’d been cheating on Brooke and that’s why he hadn’t been around. But that he’d changed his mind, now, and wanted her back. Obviously, Brooke was devastated. She announced it was over, but he kept insisting she give him another chance.”
Joel had a feeling this was only the beginning.
Chess stopped pacing. “She told him to leave. That’s when he called her a worthless—“ He finished the expletive, his nostrils flaring. “So I gave him a good punch to that pretty face of his and escorted him out of the house. I told him not to come back or he’d regret it.” He patted the spot on his waist where his concealed handgun was located. “It’s a good thing that did the trick.”
Joel had been tempted to get his concealed handgun license as well but hadn’t found the time. Situations liked these always made him wish he made the effort.
Truthfully, Chess hadn’t done anything Joel wouldn’t have himself if he’d been there. His heart hurt for Brooke. He imagined how upset she was right now.
With an air of frustration, Chess collapsed onto the couch. “She’s probably mad I hit the guy. But I’d do it again in a heartbeat.” He stood up again to pace the room.
“I’ll go talk to her.” Moments later, Joel knocked on the door to her room. “May I come in?”
He twisted the doorknob and went through to find Brooke curled up on her bed. She wasn’t crying, but her eyes were puffy and red.
“I heard what happened. I’m sorry, Brooke. You deserve much better than Paul.”
“I’m not sorry he’s gone. There’s no way I’d be able to trust him again.” She took in a shaky breath.
“Are you mad at Chess? You know he’s taken responsibility for both of us — whether he should or not — since day one. He heard Paul disrespecting you and saw red. He acted on instinct. I can’t promise I wouldn’t have done the same thing.”
Brooke sat up. “No. I wish I could’ve punched him myself.” She shrugged. “I’m mad at myself, I guess. I knew there was something going on, but I still kept hoping ... And now I look like an idiot.”
Joel sat down on the bed beside her. “No, you don’t.” He put an arm around her shoulders. “You’re loyal and trusting. Don’t sell yourself short. It’s not your fault guys like Paul will take advantage of that. It’s not a deficit in you — it shows just how messed up he is.”
Brooke didn’t look convinced. “I’m stuck in a rut, Joel. I need a change. I’ve been leaning that direction before all this happened. But now… I think it’d be good for me.”
Her words settled in his stomach like a boulder. “What kind of change are you talking about?”
She kept her eyes on her hands. “I’m thinking about moving out. Getting a place of my own. It’s about time, don’t you agree?” When he didn’t respond right away, she frowned. “Does that make me a horrible person?”
Joel’s first instinct in any situation was to fix it. Find a way to piece things together in order to keep his family and friends safe and happy. His mind was running through different options that would give Brooke the change she needed without her needing to move out. But the dull look in her eyes and the trembling of her chin stopped him. “No, you’re not a horrible person. You’ve always enjoyed a good adventure. You’ve got to do what’s best for you.” She started to talk but he held up a hand to stop her. “Take some time to think about it and pray. Make sure you’re not jumping into a decision like this just because of Paul.”
Brooke elbowed him, her eyes swimming with tears. “Thanks, Joel.” She tipped her head back and rolled it to stretch her neck muscles. She sighed and let herself fall back onto the bed.
“For the record, I’ll sure hate for you to leave. We’re a family.”
“I know.” She frowned. “But even if I move out, I’ll be here for you guys. It’s not going to be all that different.”
Joel doubted that last statement. Thinking about their family breaking apart filled his gut with dread. But even in a conventional family, things had to change. “You going to be okay? I can cancel the barbecue tomorrow. My gang won’t mind.”
“No, I wouldn’t dream of it. It’ll be a good distraction. And I’ll be fine. Eventually. I’m going to get out my chocolate stash and search the apartment listings. Or for a hit man for Paul. Only kidding. Mostly.”
He stood and smiled at her. “Let me know if you need to talk. And Brooke?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t doubt yourself. You deserve a good guy and he’s out there looking for you right now.”
“I know. Thanks, Joel.”
He smiled again before going back out to the living room. Chess was waiting when he entered.
“Brooke’s going to be okay. She’s too tough to let Paul get her down for long.”
“Is she upset with me?”
“No. I think she’s glad you popped him one.” Joel wished he could’ve seen it.
Chess looked relieved. “Good. I half hope he comes back so I can give him another.” His eyes narrowed. “Why do I get the feeling there’s something else going on?”
As much as Joel dreaded the idea of Brooke moving out, he knew Chess would hate it even more. “She wants a change. Feels like she’s stuck in a rut. We may need to prepare ourselves for the possibility that she’ll move into a place of her own.”
Chess shoved his fingers through his hair, his brow wrinkled.
Joel put a hand in his pocket and closed his fist around his knife. He’d left Anastasia to sleep in the parking lot of his diner, Brooke was upstairs upset, and Chess was likely stressing about their family unit breaking apart.
When it came to wanting to fix things tonight, Joel had definitely struck out.
Chapter Nine
Anna woke slowly Sunday morning
and tried not to disturb her furry partner. The temperature was frigid. Puffs of fog floated through the air with each breath. She pulled the comforter up to her nose and closed her eyes again. This was the first morning since she’d arrived in Texas that she second-guessed staying in her van.
But she didn’t regret turning down Joel’s offer to stay in his house last night. Not even now when her fingers felt frozen and the last thing she wanted to do was climb out from under the comforter.
The sounds of birds chattering in the trees filled the air, overriding the noise from the street filtering into the van.
She snuck a quick peek at her phone and was surprised it was after eight.
Epic heard her movements and was instantly on his feet. He shook, the van rocking slightly with the motion. He proceeded to nudge her arm with his cold nose.
“Did you sleep well, boy?” She scratched behind his ears. He closed his eyes in bliss and leaned his head to one side, causing Anna to chuckle. “Me, too.” It was one of the few nights in the last week that she hadn’t had a nightmare involving Liam or anything else that had happened at the advertising agency. She considered that a good sign.
If only she didn’t have to go to the cookout. While the sky was clear, it was cold and windy. Joel had said the barbecue would take place, rain or shine. There was no way weather was going to get her out of the obligation.
The temptation to skip it would’ve won out if Anna hadn’t told Courtney she’d be there. If she failed to show, no doubt her co-worker would have a dozen questions for her come Tuesday morning.
Anna forced herself to get up and turn on the van for warmth. Later, she took time to wash her clothes at the laundromat followed by a shower at the truck stop.
Thirty minutes before the cookout, she ran into the store and picked up sweet rolls and a tub of coleslaw. Hopefully that would be enough. If she’d been living anywhere else, she would have brought a handmade dessert. Grandma had always made something from scratch for an event like this.
She had to fight to keep from snatching one of the rolls and eating it on the way to the address Joel had provided for her. She wanted to make sure there were enough for everyone.
By the time she got there and found a spot to park on the street, she doubted the air had warmed more than five degrees since she first woke up. At least she wouldn’t have to worry about Epic getting too warm in the van today. She patted him. “Be good and I’ll try to save some leftovers for you.”
Epic opened his mouth wide in what resembled a smile. Anna zipped up her windbreaker and grabbed the plastic bag of food in one hand. “Wish me luck.”
The front door swung open before she reached it and a woman ushered her inside with the wave of an arm.
“Here, let me take that for you.” The woman held onto the windbreaker as Anna shrugged it off. “My name’s Brooke.”
“Hi. I’m Anna.” She wondered whether Joel had shared about her living situation with the rest of the family. She hoped not.
Brooke gave her a friendly smile. “Well, it’s nice to meet you. If Joel and his diner haven’t scared you away yet, that says something.” She winked. “Follow me to the kitchen. Everyone’s gathering in there or out under the covered back patio.”
Anna took in the large house and its modest decor as she followed Brooke. She was relieved to spot Courtney and Adam, along with several other people from the diner, in the kitchen. At least it wasn’t like she was the only one who wasn’t part of the family here. They all welcomed her and Brooke took the bag of food from her to add to the bar that separated the kitchen from the living room.
“Isn’t this weather insane?” Courtney wrinkled her nose. “Last year, it was beautiful. We played volleyball in the backyard.”
Adam frowned. “Wind makes it hard to do much of anything outside.”
Courtney took her by the arm. “Come on, let’s go see how Joel’s managing to keep the fire going.” She led her to the back porch where Joel and some other men were standing around a barbecue pit.
Joel glanced up with a strained smile, concern skimming across his face. “I’m glad you could make it. This is my friend and roommate, Chess. Did you meet Brooke inside?”
Anna said she had. She was pretty sure nearly everyone who worked at the diner was here and they didn’t need introductions. She liked that about the place — it was small and friendly. People knew each other and, if this was any indication, enjoyed getting together outside of work.
They would also be a good buffer between herself and a certain boss.
Joel lifted the lid of the grill and smoke billowed out. Riding along with the smoke were the intense scents of beef, garlic, and butter. Anna’s stomach growled on cue.
Conversation floated around her as the others relayed a story from last year’s spring break antics.
Chess stood next to her and jutted his chin towards Joel. “How do you like working at the diner?”
Anna studied him, uncertain. He wasn’t nearly as tall as Joel, but he had a commanding presence. He was watching her, waiting for a response. “It’s a challenge, but it’s fun. The food is passable, even if my supervisor’s a little bossy.”
Chess laughter rumbled from his chest. “That sounds like Joel. You know, when he first told us he wanted to own and run a diner, I had my doubts. He’s certainly made a success out of it.”
Chess seemed proud of Joel. Anna had to admit she was glad she’d chosen to ask for a job at the diner. Even after having issues with Joel wanting to fix her living situation, it was a great place to work. She went through a mental list of questions she could ask Chess without personal ones coming back to her. Inquiring about his profession seemed safe. “What do you do for a living?”
“I’m a software engineer. I work for a place in Dallas, though I get to work from home several days a week. That helps with the long commute.”
Interesting. Her mind jumped to the thumb drive. “Do you mind if I ask you a computer-related question?”
“Not at all.”
“I have a file on a drive that I need to open. But it’s encrypted. I don’t suppose there’s any way to open it, is there?”
Chess appeared thoughtful. “There might be. It depends on what type of encryption. I’ll be happy to take a look for you if you’d like.”
“Sure, that’d be great.”
Joel announced that the steaks were done and everyone should move indoors. Anna planned to retrieve the drive sometime after they ate.
The meal was incredible. Anna ate her fill and then some, going back for seconds on the slaw. Conversation flowed easily and she relaxed. It was interesting to watch Joel interact with everyone outside of the diner. It turned out he and Brooke could tell funny stories. More than once, she ended up laughing until her eyes watered.
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed this much.
She had every intention of remaining mad at Joel. But it wasn’t quite as easy when he kept working so hard to make people laugh. Especially when he turned that smile her direction, the crinkles around his eyes deepening. It wasn’t fair for him to look that attractive.
Anna cleared her throat and turned to answer a question Courtney had asked her. The distraction was more than welcome.
An hour later, nearly all the guests departed. Anna would have left by then if it hadn’t been for the conversation she’d been having with Courtney and Brooke. Now Courtney said she needed to leave to finish a paper due the next day and Anna found herself with Adam and the three members of the household.
Joel held up a hand. “You’re both welcome to stay. We’re going to watch one of the new Star Wars movies if you’re interested.”
Adam readily agreed. Anna would have bowed out even if Courtney were still there. The need to escape crawled across her skin. “I shouldn’t. I appreciate the offer, though.”
Brooke moved to stand next to her. “It’d be nice to not be the only female in the house.” She grinned.
Anna searched for
an excuse. “I’m not sure I can. My dog’s waiting for me out in my van. I need to get us back and let him run around for a while.”
Joel spoke up from his spot on the couch. “Bring him through the side gate into the backyard. He’ll get some exercise. There’s leftover steak he’s welcome to. If you don’t think he’ll jump over the fence, he’s welcome to stay out there until you leave.”
Anna bit back a sigh. Yeah, she should’ve taken off when the first round of people left the gathering.
Brooke was watching her.
It would be nice to have something to do besides sit in the van all day. And it didn’t look like she was going to get out of staying without a fight, anyway.
“If you’re sure.”
~
Joel held the gate open and Epic pranced right through, followed closely by his owner. Mesmerized by the way the wind tossed Anastasia’s hair about her face, Joel cleared his throat and forced his gaze onto the mammoth dog before him. He held a hand out for Epic to smell and, moments later, lick. Joel looked from the dog to the fence. “Is he a jumper?”
“Truthfully, I have no idea. I guess we’ll find out.” She sounded nervous. Her gaze flitted to the gate behind her like she wished she could change her mind.
He understood. He’d been nervous all evening, wondering if she’d even come to the cookout, much less whether she’d be upset with him. She didn’t seem to be angry, but then, they hadn’t spoken privately until now, either.
“Tell you what. Why don’t we let him loose and stay out here for a few minutes to see how he does?”
She nodded her agreement. The moment she removed the leash from Epic’s collar, he went exploring.
Joel bent to retrieve a stick from the grass. He withdrew his pocket knife before taking a seat in one of the patio chairs that was partially protected from the wind. He motioned to another and Anastasia joined him. After opening his knife with one hand, he whittled away the bark on the stick.
Safe In His Arms (Life Unexpected Book 1) Page 6