Ignoring me, he continues. “I was working on a construction site near Bracken Creek, and one of the owners and I got to talking. We hit it off, and he offered me a new full-time jobnear Toronto. I can start right away.” His mouth curves with satisfaction. “He’s even setting me up with an apartment in one of his buildings.”
He watches me closely, waiting for a reaction I refuse to give.
“I heard about all your bad luck lately.” He smirks, trying to bait me. “Too bad you didn’t find out who was responsible for it.” He chuckles low.
My pulse picks up, but I keep my face passive. I know he did it. And he knows I know.
Reaching down, I slide the boxes in front of me.
He waits a beat before he bends to pick them up. They aren’t heavy, maybe a little awkward.
“I won’t be around long,” he says, voice low but tight. “I’m finally getting out of this shitty, small town for good. You’re going to regret not sticking with me.”
I lift an eyebrow. “Nah, I don’t think so.”
He lingers for a moment longer before finally turning and walking down the steps.
After shutting and locking the door, I move to the window and watch him load everything into the back of the vehicle he arrived in.
I feel Ryan step behind me, and I relax into him, letting the tension slip from my shoulders as I watch Braden pull away. Now I’m finally free.
Forty-Four
The music I turned on earlier is still playing softly in the living room from when I returned from my run. The house is otherwise quiet. No sign of Beck yet.
When I slipped out of bed an hour ago, she was still sleeping soundly, and I didn’t want to disturb her. The weather’s supposed to turn ugly over the next few days, and I thought I should get out while I still could.
The coffee pot spits and sputters on the counter, and the heavenly scent of roasted beans fills the kitchen. I grab two mugs and set them side by side on the counter. While I was out, I picked up some breakfast, so we don’t need to worry about that. I’m leaning on the counter waiting for the coffee to finish brewing when I hear Beck humming as she comes down the stairs.
“Good morning,” I say as she wanders into the room, dressed comfortably for the day in black leggings and a knit sweater. Her hair lies in a loose braid down her back, a colourful scarf pushing her bangs away from her face. She isn’t wearing makeup, just a bit of gloss on her lips.
How did I get so lucky?
She comes straight to me, walking directly into my open arms as if that’s where she was always meant to be. I kiss the top of her head and breathe her in.
“Hi,” she whispers into my neck.
After we went to bed last night, we stayed awake for hours, snuggled under the blankets, talking in the dark. About everything that has happened over the past few months and making plans for the future.
“Did you sleep well?” I ask, pushing the tail of her colourful scarf over her shoulder.
“So good,” she says, smiling up at me. “The best sleep I’ve had in forever.” She pauses. “I only have one complaint.”
I lift an eyebrow. “Yeah?”
“I woke up all alone,” she says with a pout. “Not tangled up with you.”
I tighten my grip around her waist and pull her closer. She melts into me, and for a moment, the rest of the world doesn’t exist. Just us, here and now.
“What do you want to do today?” I ask, gently resting my forehead on hers.
“Nothing,” she murmurs. “Is that okay with you?”
“Absolutely. Phones off?” I want nothing more than to tune out the rest of the world and spend the day wrapped up in each other.
She tilts her head back to meet my eyes. “Yeah. No phone calls or text messages. No social media. Just you and me.”
“That sounds like a perfect day to me,” I say, my hand running up and down the length of her spine.
