Page 6 of Passion in Bloom

“He claims to be her boyfriend,” I said wryly, biting the words out between the teeth I still clenched. That asshole was gone, but the tension remained tight and wired within me.

“Oh?” Todd raised his brows. “And he ain’t a fan of you two gettin’ together?”

“No.” Heather shook her head. “We’re not together. I’m—I’m not David’s girlfriend.” She furrowed her brow at me. “And I’m not Roarke’s either. I’m... I’m not with anyone. I’m living my life the way I see fit and that’s that.”

Then why the hell couldn’t you tell him that? Why couldn’t you use that hot tone and sass in telling him that you’re not interested?

“Was he a boyfriend?” I asked.

She had to clarify something. Even if she didn’t, I wouldn’t regret it. I’d be damned if I watched a man try to intimidate a scared woman.

“Whoever he is,” Todd said when Heather seemed reluctant to answer my question, “if you don’t want him ’round here, you let us know and we’ll watch out for ya.”

“I’m calling Marty,” I said.

Heather stood, shaking her head.

“What? No. You’re not telling me to leave this be.” I narrowed my eyes at her, wondering if she was trying to protect that asshole or what.

“No, it won’t matter,” she said. Sighing as she walked toward Todd, she swallowed again, as if she couldn’t get her throat to work past all the fear that had her clamming up a moment ago. “Thank you,” she told him seriously. “Thank you for scaring him off.”

“Anytime, hunny.”

I exhaled a steady breath as Todd’s hun ya drawled out.

She was thanking him? Sure, that rifle was a good prop and he looked like someone of authority as the supervisor around here, but what the hell about me?

Did she not care that I stood up to him for her too?

Was that just an excusable favor that she could dismiss?

I was confused about who David was, but I tried not to let all the questions bombard me at once. She wasn’t forthcoming with information. I knew that. I was aware of how she kept her secrets and didn’t want to share—even after I took the initiative to open up to her first.

But what the hell?

I’d stood up to that asshole too.

Stop it. I mentally caught myself from going down a path of being jealous. It was a ridiculous waste of time to want her to show me gratitude when I would’ve stood up for her anyway. It was dumb, wishing she could look at me as her hero, and I hated that I could be that desperate, that hopeful, for her acknowledgement and attention that I’d feel overlooked.

“Just who is that man, Heather?” I asked, keeping my tone calm and easy.

She didn’t answer, shaking her head and not making eye contact.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” she muttered, turning away. “But...”

I raised my brows, worried that she still seemed so scared in general.

“Thank you, Roarke,” she mumbled in a weak whisper before she turned to go inside. She practically bolted, rushing in there and closing the door.

As soon as she was gone, I let out all the pent-up anger and frustration I’d bottled in. One long, deep sigh left me as I stared at the closed door.

“The hell was that all about?” Todd asked, patted me on the back.

“I came home,” I said as I walked with him toward his truck, “and saw her scared, arguing with him.”

“Hmm. That’s what I saw too. I came out here to check on that water pipe and saw you spitting mad and her terrified.”

“Water pipe?” I asked.