Page 93 of The Other Room

“But we need to make one more deal.”

“What’s that?”

“You don’t let this stop you from trying to find love. Don’t let Dad, and Matt, win. You’re a fighter, Jo. When this whole thing blows over, I want you to promise you’ll put yourself back out there and try to trust again. Try to find someone who sets your world on fire.”

I’d already found the man who lit my world on fire. Hell, he’d been scorching my world for over twenty years. Right now, the only thing I wanted to focus on was finding a fire extinguisher to finally douse his everlasting flame.

“Do we have a deal?” She arched a brow.

I didn’t want to be too scared to trust again, but I didn’t think I’d ever get past the hurt that had lived inside my soul since the day I found out my father wasn’t ever coming back. That he didn’t love me enough to stay. A father was supposed to be the person you could rely on no matter what... through thick and thin. And when he’d let me down, Matt had been my unshakeable foundation. But now, even he had cracked and crumbled beneath me, and I could feel my entire world shaking as it all fell apart.

“Jo, you have to promise to try. Don’t end up like me.”

“I can’t promise I’ll succeed, but I’ll promise to try,” I said, then stuck my finger in her face. “But only if you promise you will, too. Deal?”

Her dark eyes narrowed, and she bit her lower lip. “You suck. But deal.”

I extended my hand, and with an exaggerated shake, we made our pact.

Deep down I knew I’d never find another man who made me burn like Matt, but I also wasn’t one to go down without a fight. Men had taken so much from me, and Jenna was right that I couldn’t let fear control my life anymore. Though I didn’t know if I’d ever find someone I could trust again, I knew I at least had to try.

“I love you, Jo. You’re going to get through this.” Jenna pulled my hand into her lap. Arnold woke with a start when our hands brushed his head. His big brown eyes looked between us before he flopped his head back down and the sounds of his snores filled the room again.

“At least we’ve got Arnold and Petunia to keep us company in the meantime.” Jenna smiled as she patted her dog.

“And each other.”

And we did. As heartbroken as I was today, I knew I’d get through this with Jenna at my side. Now I just needed to get Matt the hell out of my cabin so I could move on with my life. A life without him.

CHAPTER TWENTY

MATT

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“Call Jo,” I said into the phone for the hundredth time today. It dialed her number, going straight to voicemail again. It rang only once, and when I’d heard that sweet sound I’d almost dropped it, so excited she was ready to take my call.

But two rings later it flipped back to voicemail.

Damn it.

I steered my truck down Jake’s gravel driveway and pulled up in front of the house. Hank came bounding around the back of the house with Cassie’s Brussels Griffon, Poppy, in tow.

“Hey, Hank!” I said as I hopped out. “Hey, Poppy!”

She hopped up and down on her back legs until I scooped her up in my arms.

“Well, what do we have here?” Cassie said as she opened the front door.

“Hey, Cassie! Welcome back!” I said between kisses from Poppy.

“Thanks! We got home last night. We had an incredible time.”

“I’m so glad you two got some time away. Is Jake home?”

“Yep. Out on the dock fishing.”

“Good. I need to talk to him. And you.”