by Mandy Morgan
I knew in my gut that it had to be Tyler, and I realized that the man I’d run away from earlier that day was my best hope for getting out of this mess.
I didn’t give a shit what Ray had to say, so I didn’t bother listening to him, but I saw that he was about to hang up the phone, and I took my shot at salvation.
“I’m at the Pineview Motel,” I cried out, hoping Tyler would hear me before it was too late. “Oh, God help me, I’m at the Pineview!”
Ray hung up the phone with a sneer and tossed it back into my purse. “Too little, too late, Missy. Of course, that’s the story of your life, isn’t it?”
He gave a cruel laugh and went back to sit in the armchair. All Ray cared about was business as usual, which for him meant watching sports and drinking until he couldn’t keep his eyes open anymore.
The way he saw it, he had me to take care of anything else, which was why he’d come to get me and bring me back to the crappy life I’d been trying so hard to get away from.
I closed my eyes and sank back onto the bed, praying silently that Tyler had heard me and would at least call the police, even though I’d royally screwed things up with him. And his sweet son.
Please, give me a shot here, Lord. Please, just one more second chance…
Chapter Sixteen
Tyler
My heart felt like a jackhammer in my chest as I threw on clothes and shoes, grabbed my phone and wallet, and raced down the stairs and out to my truck.
The first call I made was to the police department. I gave the dispatcher as much info as I could about what was going on with Jenna, and then I’d hung up and called in another kind of reinforcements.
Even in my panic to get Jenna the help that she needed, I knew I couldn’t leave Noah alone. What if he woke up and found me gone?
Mrs. Stanley was a retired school teacher who had lived next door for as long as I could remember. She and my son got along well, and she’d watched Noah for me on multiple occasions.
When I got Mrs. Stanley on the line, I apologized for calling at such a late hour, and then gave her an even shorter rundown of what was happening than I had with the police dispatcher.
Luckily, my neighbor was ready to lend a hand, and told me she would head over now. “I’ll let myself in with the spare key. I don’t want that poor boy to have any more trauma in his life, if it can be helped.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Stanley,” I said, feeling relief course through me. “Please call me if there are any issues with Noah, but I’m hoping to be back sooner rather than later.”
Now, it was time to turn my focus on getting to Jenna. She’d told me at the grocery store that she’d been staying at the Pineview Motel, and that’s where I headed, my hands clenched around the steering wheel, and my head filled with rage.
I had no idea what I would do if I got there before the police did, and that scared me to death. The last thing I wanted to do was end up in jail myself, but this Ray asshole had tortured Jenna for long enough.
I could hear blood rushing through my ears as I pulled into the motel parking lot, and my adrenaline was at maximum levels.
I’d never been what anyone could consider a real fighter, but I knew I had it in me, and took a moment to be thankful for the strength I’d built up over the years working in construction.
I brought my 4Runner to a screeching halt in front of the motel office, and was just about to jump out and demand they tell me which room Jenna was in, but then I heard shouting coming from the other side of the building.
I crept down the motel’s outdoor hallway and peeked around the corner. What I saw left me feeling both relieved and disappointed. It looked like I wasn’t going to get my own shot at Ray, after all.
Two police officers had a scrawny and disheveled man held at gunpoint. He had both of his hands pressed against the wall next to the open door of a motel room, and was yelling something that I couldn’t understand.
The officers were not impressed by him, and they ordered him to walk backwards toward them with his hands on his head. Like most abusers, Ray was a coward at heart, and he followed their instructions to save his own skin.
As soon as one of the cops had handcuffed Ray and slid him into the backseat of their cruiser, I made my way over to them, making sure to walk slowly and hold my hands up to show the police that they were empty.
“Officers, I’m the one that called this in,” I said in a loud, clear voice. “Have you found the woman he was holding against her will? Have you found Jenna?”
The cops turned to look at me, and I saw I’d gone to high school with one of them. I relaxed and approached Ted Johnson with my hand held out to shake his.
“Good to see you, Tyler,” Ted said. “Even under these circumstances. How are things with you?”
I knew Ted was just trying to be friendly, but I’d never cared less about chit-chat in my life than I did right then. I finished shaking his hand and then pointed toward the motel room.
“Is Jenna in there, Ted? Is she alright?”
Ted must have realized I wasn’t giving up, and he switched back into cop mode. “There’s one female inside, yes, and she was fine the last time I saw her, although shaken up pretty badly, as you can imagine.”
I knew I should ask if I could enter, but my feet moved on their own, carrying me toward the open door. Neither of the officers stopped me, so I walked through it and into the motel room.
Jenna was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking a bit shell-shocked, but otherwise unharmed. I felt my heart swell at the sight of her, and I had to fight my impulse to rush over and take her into my arms.
“Jenna? Are you alright, sweetheart?”
She looked up at the sound of my voice, and I saw how dazed she was. I thought she might continue to just sit there, and I wouldn’t blame her, but she smiled and shot to her feet.
“Oh, Tyler! I’m so sorry,” she cried as she threw herself into my arms. “This is all my fault!”
I cradled her against my chest and pressed a kiss into the top of her head. “Jenna, this is the furthest thing from your fault.”
She shook her head and then looked up and into my eyes. “I just keep running from my problems, and look where that’s gotten me.”
I leaned in and kissed her, letting the feelings I’d tried so hard to deny flow between us without a single word. Jenna returned my kiss with a vengeance, and I knew right then that she wouldn’t be doing any more running away.
I pulled back and smiled down at her. “Let’s go home, sweetheart. I know one little boy who is going to be very excited to see you in the morning.
Epilogue
Jenna
“Don’t forget that I get the biggest slice,” Noah cried back over his shoulder as he raced into the kitchen ahead of me and his dad.
Tyler and I smiled at each other as he set the pizza box down on the counter. “Nothing’s going to keep that boy from his pizza, I tell you what.”
I laughed and nodded. Even when tasked with picking out a movie to watch after dinner, Noah’s main focus was on filling his belly.
“Well, pepperoni is his favorite. And you didn’t even have to run me over with a shopping cart to get this one.”
Tyler pretended to be deeply offended. “I barely bumped you! Besides, if it wasn’t for my poor cart handling skills, we may not be here today.”
“Fair enough,” I replied with a wink. “I definitely wouldn’t want to have missed out on the excitement of parent’s night, that’s for sure.”
“It’s glamorous, isn’t it?” Tyler asked as he grabbed some paper plates out of a cabinet over the sink. “The best part for me was trying to squeeze myself into one of those tiny chairs.”
“That was fun,” I agreed with a grin. “But my favorite part was how thrilled Noah was to introduce me to all of his friends.”
Tyler set down the plates and came over to take me into his arms. “You’re right, sweetheart. That was the best part of the evening.”
“C
an you believe it’s been six months since that crazy night at the motel?” I asked as I snuggled up into Tyler’s embrace. “So much has changed since then, and I keep thinking I should pinch myself to make sure it’s all real.”
“I can help you with that,” Tyler said with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes before reaching down to pinch me on the behind.
I laughed and slapped his chest lightly before giving him a kiss and moving over to the counter to flip open the pizza box.
“As much fun as that discussion was, we better get these slices doled out before Noah gets back from picking out tonight’s feature film.”
“That’s a very good point,” Tyler agreed. “This is a celebration in his honor, after all.”
We’d promised Noah that if his teacher had only good things to say about him, he could have whatever he wanted for dinner, and we’d all watch a movie together afterwards—two of his favorite things.
As I put pizza slices on paper plates, I thought about how much my life had changed. I was madly in love with a wonderful man and his sweet little boy, and I no longer lived in constant fear and doubt.
Ray had been carted off by the police and sent back to our hometown. The law enforcement there was very happy to see him, since he had several warrants out for his arrest, thanks to taking part in a local drug ring.
I’d had no idea that Ray had been doing anything illegal back home, but it hadn’t really surprised me to learn that he and his scuzzy friends had been buying and selling drugs for quite a few years.
My ex-boyfriend was going to be in jail for a good long time, but I’d also taken out a protective order against him, just to be on the safe side.
Knowing that asshole wasn’t going to be causing me any more trouble was like having a heavy weight lifted off my shoulders.
I smiled to myself and was just about to grab some napkins for dinner when Noah came careening back into the kitchen. He was wearing a huge grin and carrying a tiny box.
Noah screeched to a stop in front of me and looked up with excitement dancing in his eyes. “Jenna, I love you and so does Dad. He wants to know if you’ll marry him and make us both super-duper happy.”
My mouth dropped open and my hand flew to my chest as Noah lifted the top of the box and showed me an absolutely stunning engagement ring, which sparkled in the kitchen lighting and looked like it had cost a small fortune.
I turned to look at Tyler and found that he’d moved over next to his son and was down on one knee. He took my hand in his and pressed his lips to it.
“So, what do you say?” Tyler asked. “Want to join our family officially, Miss Stewart?”
“Oh, Tyler, yes, yes, yes!” I said as tears of joy filled my eyes. “And it’s Mrs. Hadley from here on out!”
Tyler laughed and jumped to his feet. He lifted me up into his arms, and Noah whooped in delight as he danced around us, pumping his little fist in triumph.
“I’ve never been more happy than I am right now,” I whispered into Tyler’s ear. “I’m so glad that we both decided taking a second shot at love was worth it.”
“Same here, sweetheart,” Tyler said. “Same here.”
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You might also enjoy these other books by Mandy Morgan…
All Mine (Real Men Crave Curves Book 1)
Takeover (Real Men Crave Curves Book 2)
For Keeps (Real Men Crave Curves Book 3)
Alpha Cravings (Real Men Crave Curves Books 1-3)
Restored (Real Men Crave Curves Book 4)
Saved (Real Men Crave Curves Book 5)
Healed (Real Men Crave Curves Book 6)
Alpha Longings (Real Men Crave Curves Books 4-6)
Safe Haven Stables (Curves & Cowboys 1)
Second Chance Ranch (Curves & Cowboys 2)
Ranch Hand Wanted (Curves & Cowboys Book 3)
Roped By Love (Curves & Cowboys Books 1-3)
About the Author
Mandy Morgan is a former phone sex operator and writer of steamy romances for women.
When she's not reading or writing about strong, sexy men with big hearts and muscles, she's probably on the phone or at the beach.
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