Page 74 of Jameson’s Salvation

“Why are you doing this? I thought you said I could stay here for as long as I needed.”

Her question sent pain radiating through his body.

“You can stay here until you’re ready for us to go back to your place. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have to face what happened, and part of that is going back to the place where it happened.”

“I don’t—”

“Do you think I’d let anybody hurt you?” he cut her off.

“No.”

Thank God, her answer was firm and quick. He hadn’t realized how much he needed the confirmation that she trusted him, especially knowing he was about to make her do something she didn’t want to do.

“Then trust me to take you home. We don’t have to stay the night. We’re going to go over there, get a new bee house set up, and see what needs to be done in your garden. Nixon said something about getting the ground worked up for a fall crop. I don’t know jack shit about farming. But I’m willing to learn anything you’ll teach me.”

“I don’t have the money to do that,” she seethed.

“Your new investor does.”

“Jameson, that’d be a bad investment.”

“Says you. I happen to think it will be the best investment I ever make.”

“Seriously—”

Her face was becoming redder by the second and she’d dug her nails into Jameson’s side. Not exactly the kind of pain he liked when he was on top of her.

“Kennedy, stop and take a breath. You’re getting all worked up for nothing.”

“I can’t breathe. I can’t think. What if I do plant a fall crop and Reggie just comes and destroys it? Or what if it doesn’t matter because no one will buy my produce? It wasn’t like I was making a killing before; I was just making ends meet. That’s how I live. Some years I make a little more and put money in the bank. Other years are lean and I have to skip where I can.”

“One thing at a time. You’re looking at the big picture instead of solving each problem.”

“I have to look at the big picture. I’m going to lose my goddamn house.”

Now she was pissed and trying to wiggle out from under him. He used his weight to pin her to the bed, the effort doing wonders to keep his temper in check.

“You really think I’d let you lose your house?”

“You can’t stop it from happening.”

“Kennedy, I’d pay off the fucking mortgage before that happened.”

“We’d have big problems if you paid off my house. Or better yet, you’d be living in your brand-new house without me there.”

“You think I give the first fuck you’d be mad? Either you’d get over it or I’d live my life alone knowing you had something you loved.” Jameson felt no remorse when he pulled out the big emotional guns. “At least I’d know you still had a piece of your dad even if you hated me for making sure you didn’t lose it.”

She sucked in an audible breath and her eyes widened in shock.

“You’d do it, wouldn’t you?”

“Damn right, I would.”

“Even if you lost me?”

“I’d pray it didn’t come to that, but yes. And every night when I got into a cold lonely bed, I’d know you were lying in yours in the house that you love, knowing you still had what your father worked hard to give you and your mom. And it might make the pain of losing you just bearable—maybe.”

Tears leaked from her eyes and rolled down her temples. The sight was painful and Jameson struggled to find a way to make it better.