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Her announcement was met with silence.
“Uncle Mark?”
“If you tell anyone I said this, I’ll deny it to the death, but I think I’m starting to like this biker of yours. You need someone to give you a swift kick in the ass.”
This time, Toni’s laugh was loud and full, but it turned into heaving sobs in a flash. Before she knew it, the whole story tumbled out, including the video and threats from Chris. It took quite a bit of convincing, but Mark agreed to let her handle it herself as long as she swore on her life to come to him if she needed help. By the time she finished recounting the story, Mark was looking at plane tickets and Toni felt pounds lighter.
“Well, I wanted to hate him, but I don’t think I can do that. Toni, he sounds like a good guy.”
“He is.”
“So, what’s really holding you back? And don’t say it’s working with troubled kids, because you know what? There are troubled kids in Tennessee, too. You should know.”
Toni snorted out a laugh at his snarky comment.
“I’m serious, sweetie. You don’t have to be a counselor. There are plenty of other avenues to explore if you want to play a role in helping at risk youth.” She could hear the click-clack of the keyboard as he made good on his promise to visit soon.
He had a really good point. Later, when her mind wasn’t stuck on thoughts of Zach, she’d dedicate some serious thought to finding other avenues of working with at risk youth. “It’s not the job. At least, the job isn’t the major reason. Zach’s right. It’s fear.”
“You need to talk to him, sweetie. Let him assuage those fears for you.” Andrew’s voice filled the line. He was such a gentle soul. Kind and patient. Good for her dominant and often impatient uncle.
“Isn’t that why I’m talking to you? So you can rid me of my fears.”
Both men laughed. “Sure, we could say all the right words, but you need to hear them from your man. And from inside yourself. So, get off the phone and start introspecting,” Mark said.
“Thanks for the non-advice,” she said as she kicked her feet up onto the desk. “Bye guys. Love you.”
“Love you too,” they said at the same time.
After hanging up, she closed her eyes and breathed, trying to find some peace. She owned a thriving diner, with a fantastic staff working for her, had made some great new friends, and owned a home that had a view of the most gorgeous sunsets. And that was on top of having a really great man who clearly wanted her. What was really waiting for her in Chicago? A job she’d hoped would be so much more than it was, a shoebox apartment that cost more than her mortgage, a few friends she’d never really let in, and a psycho ex-boyfriend. Mark and Andrew didn’t even live there anymore. They’d moved away six months ago when Mark opened a new branch of his law firm in New York. Sure, he still traveled to Chicago frequently, but he could just as easily make a trip to Tennessee.
Even without all the great reasons to stay, Zach should be reason enough.
She dropped her feet to the ground as the magnitude of what she’d just done hit her.
Shit. Had she just ruined everything?
Chapter Twenty-Eight
As the day wore on, Zach’s guilt mounted until it was a ten-foot monster chasing after his bike. He’d been a real shitheel to Toni. Throwing her fears back in her face. Of course, she was afraid he’d take advantage of her. She’d dated a man with a somewhat similar lifestyle and he’d violated her trust and fucked their relationship in the worst of ways.
It wasn’t like she’d caught her high school boyfriend making out with the head cheerleader under the bleachers. No, she’d essentially been pimped out and abused by someone who should have taken care of her. Before she was even out of her teen years. And Zach had rubbed her face in it like it was nothing.
In his defense, he’d been blindsided by the casual way she’d dismissed him and informed him she was leaving, but he should have seen through her bullshit to the deep-seated terror at the core.
Giving up wasn’t his style, so he planned to attack this from another angle. Most of Zach’s problems could be solved with the help of Louie or his fists. He wasn’t used to having to work for anything when it came to women, but Toni was well worth the effort.
Armed with dinner from Vincenzo’s Italian restaurant—and Toni’s favorite dinner if Shell was correct—he turned his bike onto her driveway. The rain had subsided hours ago while the hot July sun burned off any lingering clouds, leaving behind a gorgeous blue sky and photo-worthy sunset.
