“Making you think I’m going to kill you just by thinking about it.”
I snorted and turned to see Pete roll his eyes while Jake continued to glare at him. Pete scoffed and said, “I know you’re more scared of spiders than most of the women I know, so there’s no way in hell that’s going to work on me.”
I opened my mouth to jump back into the conversation, but my words died in my throat when I looked up and watched Collin Doherty look down the aisle I’d just been in with Harlow, then turn and walk into it. We’d been too close.
Harlow
Present Day—Richland
AFTER TAKING A minute to collect myself, I turned my cart around to go to the produce section, and gasped when I found my husband standing right behind me.
“Collin!” I said breathlessly.
He put a possessive hand around my waist and growled softly into my ear, “People are not allowed to touch what is mine.”
My heart pounded in my chest as I waited for whatever was to come. How long has he been standing there? How much did he see and hear? I wondered.
“Never take orders from someone else, especially someone like Ren.”
I held in a sigh and thanked God that he couldn’t see the relief on my face. “I didn’t,” I assured him, even though he had been standing with Ren and me the entire time.
“If he didn’t work with my dad . . .” he began, but didn’t continue. He took a deep breath in, then released it as he asked, “Did you get everything?”
My eyes drifted over the cart, and my face pinched with worry for a second before I could control it.
“What?”
“Well, we didn’t finish getting the produce.” Collin’s face fell, so I quickly added, “But I know you didn’t like being in there, so we don’t have to if you don’t want to. I can figure something out.”
Collin pinched the bridge of his nose and grumbled, “I can handle five minutes in the produce.”
Whether it was from feeling dizzy with relief that Collin hadn’t seen me with Knox, or if it was simply from seeing Collin so out of sorts just being at a grocery store, a laugh bubbled past my lips before I could stop it. I slapped a hand over my mouth and stared at Collin wide-eyed. The last time I’d laughed at him, we’d still been engaged. I’d learned quickly not to do that, and couldn’t believe I’d done it just then.
He moved his fingers away from his nose, but didn’t put his arm down, and I was shocked to see that the expression on his face was the exact opposite of what I’d been expecting. Collin’s eyes were full of confusion and surprise, his lips were parted, and one corner of his mouth was pulled up like he was about to smile. He took a step toward me, but rocked back on his heel and looked around us at the empty aisle, like he’d forgotten we were in public.
When he was sure we were alone, he stepped close and said, “I didn’t know how much I missed that sound until I heard it just then.” Collin trailed his fingers along my waist. “Come on, let’s finish this and go home.”
I let Collin lead us out of the aisle, and although I kept my head down, I couldn’t stop my eyes from peeking up to look around the front of the store for Knox. A faint sigh of relief escaped my lips when I only saw a few women in the brief glance I’d allowed myself, but soon died when I felt that familiar energy. It took all my strength not to turn around. No matter how much I wanted one more glimpse of him, I knew I couldn’t while I was standing next to Collin. Not only would my husband notice, but it would kill me to see that same look of betrayal and pain that Knox had worn the night of the fund-raiser when he’d watched me with a man he hated.
Keeping my eyes trained to the floor, I held my body stiff and once again forced myself to walk away from where I’d left my heart.
Knox
Present Day—Richland
MY BODY TENSED as I watched them walk out of the aisle a couple of minutes later. A growl came from low in my chest as her husband wrapped his arm around her waist, and without giving myself a second to think about what I was going to do, I took three steps in their direction before a strong hand came down on my shoulder to stop me.
I jerked to a stop and my head whipped to the side to glare at whoever had stopped me, and found Pete laughing so hard, no sound was coming out. I started to step away from him, but those few moments were what I’d needed in order to breathe and remember what could happen to Harlow if I were to try to approach her in front of her husband.
I forced my body to relax—a process that took longer than it should have—and plastered a smile as I turned to look at the other guys, who were laughing as hard as Pete was. I was just glad they hadn’t seen Harlow with her husband; I didn’t need that shit from them. “What did I miss?”
Everyone sobered up when distinct tones went off on our radios, followed by a dispatcher’s voice calling out which engines, ladders, and battalions were needed to go out to a structure fire. Before the dispatcher had even finished, we were already hurrying to the front of the store. The rest of the guys ran toward the truck, but Pete and I went to leave the cart containing bags of the vegetables and fruits we had managed to grab in the short time we’d been in there with an employee.
As we turned to head out, I caught a glimpse of Harlow walking toward the checkout lanes. Her face was filled with pain—not the kind I would expect when she was near her husband, but a kind I knew and felt deep. Pain because we were so close, but there was still so much separating us. Pain because we’d lost years, and didn’t know if we’d ever be able to make them up. Pain because I had always loved her, and knew she still loved me, and even after seven years, she was still technically untouchable.
Chapter 14
Harlow
Present Day—Richland
FLIP EGGS; DON’T burn the eggs. Flip eggs; don’t burn the eggs—they have to be perfect. Flip eggs; then grab the toast. Coffee . . . coffee comes last, I chanted ceaselessly to myself two days later. It was the only way to keep myself composed at that moment.
I slid the spatula under the edge of one of Collin’s eggs, and after checking the bottom of it, flipped it over, then did the same with the other. Don’t leave them long; they need to be perfect. Put away the bread. Grab the toast and butter it, then check the eggs again. I took a step away from the stove and reached for the loaf of bread, but my hand stilled on it when I finally noticed the unpleasant feeling moving through my veins. He’d come in silently, but I knew he was there.