Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 24934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 125(@200wpm)___ 100(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 125(@200wpm)___ 100(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
Her lip trembles, and she looks away, her voice barely a whisper. “I didn’t think you’d want me anymore.”
My frustration boils over, and I take a step closer, forcing her to look at me. “Why the hell wouldn’t I want you? You think I don’t care? You think I’d just let you go without a fight?”
Tears spill down her cheeks, and she shakes her head, her voice breaking. “Because I’m not worth it, Grady. I’m just baggage. I’ll ruin your life like I ruin everything else.”
“Bullshit.” The word comes out harsher than I intended, and I see her flinch. I soften my tone, reaching out to cup her cheek, forcing her to meet my gaze. “You don’t get to decide what you’re worth to me, Sarah. You don’t get to run because you think you’re doing me a favor.”
She crumbles then, her sobs breaking free as she leans into my touch. “You don’t understand,” she cries. “The things people are saying about me... it’ll ruin you too. You deserve better.”
“I don’t give a damn what people are saying,” I growl, pulling her against me. “I know who you are, Sarah. I know the woman who bakes cookies for a dog she just met. I know the woman who lights up a room with her smile, even when she’s hurting inside. And I don’t want ‘better.’ I want you.”
Her hands clutch at my shirt, her tears soaking into the fabric as she buries her face against my chest. “I’m scared,” she admits, her voice muffled. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You won’t.” I tilt her chin up, my thumb brushing away her tears. “But you’re hurting me right now, running away like this. Don’t you see? You’re mine, Sarah. You’ve been mine since the moment Bear stole your damn cookies. And I’ll fight anyone who tries to take you away from me.”
Her breath hitches, her eyes searching mine for something—reassurance, maybe, or just a reason to believe me. Whatever it is, I give it to her, holding her gaze with everything I’ve got.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I tell her, my voice steady. “Not without you.”
She nods slowly, her tears still falling, but there’s something different in her expression now. A flicker of hope, fragile but growing.
“Okay,” she whispers, her voice barely audible.
“Okay,” I repeat, pulling her closer. My lips brush against her forehead, a soft, lingering kiss meant to calm the storm inside her.
For a moment, we just stand there, wrapped up in each other. The weight of everything that’s been said hangs in the air, heavy but somehow freeing.
Then, because I can’t help myself, I smirk down at her, trying to lighten the mood. “Now, are you gonna pack that bag back up, or am I gonna have to carry you out of here kicking and screaming?”
A watery laugh escapes her, and she swats at my chest. “You’re impossible.”
“Yeah,” I say, my grin widening. “But you like me anyway.”
Her cheeks flush, and she ducks her head, but I catch the smile tugging at her lips.
And just like that, I know we’re gonna be okay. Because Sarah isn’t just mine. She’s my home. And there’s no way in hell I’m letting her go.
Chapter Eleven
Grady
The coffee in my hand is cold, untouched, as I pace the length of my cabin, the floorboards creaking under my boots. Bear watches me from his spot near the fire, his eyes following my every move like he knows something big is brewing. He’s not wrong.
Sarah is in the other room, quiet and withdrawn. The fire in her eyes, the light I’ve come to crave, has dimmed over the last few days. And it’s all because of those damn lies her ex-boss has been spreading around town. It’s obvious she’s trying to get my girl fired from her new teaching position. I don’t just want to fix this—I need to fix this. For her. For us.
I grab my coat and hat, pausing to rub Bear’s head on my way out. “You keep an eye on her, boy,” I mutter, and he thumps his tail once in response.
The Devil’s Brew is buzzing with the usual late-morning crowd when I step inside. Ridge and Slate are at the bar, Fox and Liam at a table near the window. I make a beeline for them, my jaw tight, fists clenched.
Ridge spots me first, raising a brow as I approach. “You look like you’re ready to take someone’s head off.”
“Maybe I am,” I growl, dropping into the empty chair at their table. “We’ve got a problem, and I need your help.”
Fox leans back, crossing his arms over his chest. “This about Sarah?”
I nod, my jaw tightening further. “That asshole of an ex-boss of hers has been spreading lies about her. The kind that stick if we don’t shut her up. I want to clear Sarah’s name, but I can’t do it alone.”