Page 47 of Theirs to Treasure

His expression vied between outrage and hurt. “How can you think that? I’m sincere as fuck when I say I was falling in love with you. Then when I read your file and all that you managed to accomplish, I was blown away. My level of respect for your kindness, intelligence, and courage is off the charts.”

Josie narrowed her eyes. “What file?” she asked slowly.

She watched Chance’s Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed. “The first time Betty told me about you, I really couldn’t remember you. I was worried she might be taken advantage of. You don’t blame me for that, do you?” he asked earnestly.

“What. File?” She bit out the question.

“I had one of my old company’s investigators run a check on you. It was quite a report—they got everything but the closed records from when you were a juvenile. But, Josie, I didn’t do it to violate your privacy, I was doing it to protect Betty. As soon as I realized who you were, what a good person you were, I told them to stop their digging. When they asked me if I wanted to have them try to dig deeper, I said absolutely not. You have to believe me.”

Sam’s hand felt warm on her back. Chance’s eyes pleaded with her.

“I hate this,” she finally said.

“Josie, what would you have done to protect your sisters?” Sam asked. “Would you have checked out someone?”

Well, doesn’t that just knock the stuffing out of me. But, still.

“Fine. Chance, I can handle the fact that you were investigating me to make sure I wasn’t going to take advantage of Butch and Betty, but you arranged things so I would come here, didn’t you?”

He looked down at her with sincere blue eyes. “I wanted you to come here, there are no two ways about it. But I did nothing dishonorable. You can talk to Betty. She wouldn’t have allowed me to step out of line. It was her idea that you move and start a business here. She really thought it was a good new start for you. Now, did I help facilitate some things? Fuck yeah.”

Josie gave a small chuckle. She’d bet that he facilitated everything. “You didn’t make the Matushkas sell their business, did you?”

“Hey—” Chance started.

“He would never have done anything that would have hurt someone else, you know that, Josie,” Sam said as he pulled her close.

“Thanks,” Chance said to his friend.

With Sam’s warm arm around her waist, she reached for Chance. “Come here,” she whispered.

Solemn blue eyes looked onto hers. “You get what I did, right?”

She stroked down his jaw until her hand rested on his collarbone. “I definitely understand about you watching out for Butch and Betty. But I’m flabbergasted at you wanting me here. Can you help me better understand that?”

Chance wrapped his arms around her, too. Two amazing men surrounded her. Then she realized that their arms were wrapped around one another’s backs in solidarity, holding her between them. Making them one whole unit, allowing her to look up into both of their faces at the same time.

“I can answer your question on Chance’s behalf,” Sam said. “How could he not have fallen in love with you?”

“But he never even talked to me,” she wailed in response to Sam, but her eyes never left Chance’s.

Chance bent his forehead to Josie’s. “Get this. Hear this. I love you. I loved you as a child when I was scared and hurting. I loved the idea of you when I saw you on Betty’s computer screen. And I fell heart deep that morning in your bakery when you told me you were seeing Sam.”

“But—”

“How can you ‘but’ me?”

“Because she and I have a lot in common,” Sam answered for her. “Life’s knocked us down. She’ll get there.”

“If you’re having trouble believing the words, will you let me show you?” Chance asked as his hand glided up her ribcage.

Josie still had trouble forming coherent words, so she nodded.

For once, it was Chance who lifted her into his arms, and he laid her down onto a lavish peacock blue duvet cover that felt sublime.

“I like your hair today,” he smiled. “All bouncy curls. Sassy, like you.” His hands tangled in her hair, and he bent down for a slow, deep, carnal kiss. Josie felt Sam untie and pull off her sneakers, then her socks. She about died and went to heaven when a warm cloth wiped her feet.

Sam Booth, you are a God.