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“Wait, you know about the land purchase?” Rick asks. “Did Scarlett tell you about it?”
“No. Chuck came into Scooter’s last night, bragging about it.”
“Oh.”
“Why?”
“No reason. I was just curious.”
I turn to Rick and look at him pleadingly. “What’s going on, Rick? Is she moving on for good? Is that what’s happening? Because I don’t know if I can do this. How am I supposed to watch her move on with her life, knowing it doesn’t include me? It’ll fucking kill me.”
Rick frowns. “You need to talk to her, son.”
“Why do you think I’m here? I stood outside all morning and half of the afternoon, waiting to see her, and the second I stepped inside, she disappeared. Obviously, she doesn’t want to see me. Christ, I’m such an idiot.”
I turn away, and Rick calls out to me. “Where are you going?”
“I have to go get Chloe.” And then I’m going to call the Nashville P.D. and tell them to pull my application because I refuse to chase a woman who doesn’t want to be pursued.
“Are you okay, Dad?” Chloe asks, climbing into the car. She tosses her backpack into the back seat, buckles up, and looks at me.
“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I don’t know, you tell me. You look like shit.”
I give her a hard look. “Language.”
“Sorry.” She blanches and then tries to offer me that innocent-little-girl smile. “So, what gives?”
“I’m fine.”
“Right. And I’m Taylor Swift.” Chloe’s phone vibrates in her bag, and she reaches back to pull it out. I started letting her take it to sleepovers in case she needs to call me to come and get her, but only with the understanding that I have access to her texts and pictures when she gets back.
“Who’s that?” I ask.
“Scarlett,” she says, causing my heart to skip a beat.
“Scarlett is texting you?”
“Uh-huh.” Chloe finishes whatever it is she’s typing and puts her phone down. “She texts me every day.”
Well, isn’t that just great? She loves my daughter enough to text her but can’t bother reaching out to me. Is the woman trying to drive me out of my mind? Because she is, and she’s ripping my heart out in the process.
“Would it be okay if I spend some time with her tomorrow?”
“For what?”
Is it pathetic that I’m jealous of my own daughter?
I shouldn’t be that way. I should be happy that Chloe has a woman in her life that she can trust and enjoys spending time with.
“Just to hang out. I miss her.”
Me, too! “I guess. Is she going to pick you up?”
“Yep. Thanks, Dad.” She types out another text, presumably to Scarlett, and then turns up the radio.
On our way through town, I see Dawson Peterson’s truck pulling into a parking space outside of his office building. I whip my car to the left, take the spot beside him, and open the door.
“Stay here, Chloe, I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going?”
“Just need to talk to someone real quick.”
She shrugs, and I shut the car door. When I walk through the front door of Dawson’s building, a bell chimes, signaling my entry. A second later, he walks out of his office and smiles at me.
“Hey, Tucker. Long time no see.”
He holds out his hand for me to shake, and when I take it, I pull him close with enough force for him to realize that I’m not here for a friendly visit. I have to be careful about how aggressive I get because I’m a town cop, but I can still let the guy know I mean business.
“W-what are you doing?” he stutters.
“If you hurt her, I will break every bone in your body.”
His eyes grow big. “Hurt who?”
“Scarlett. She’s special, and she deserves someone who is going to treat her like gold, and that someone isn’t you, it’s me. She can’t see that right now because she has her head stuck so far up her ass, but that woman is mine.”
Dawson is shaking his head furiously and trying to back away, but I won’t let him. “I’m not with Scarlett.”
“You had lunch with her today.”
“It was strictly business, I swear.”
I loosen my grip but don’t let him go. “What business could you possibly have with her?”
“She hired me to build her house.”
“She…what?” I release my hold, and Dawson takes two giant steps back, his hands in the air.
“I’m going to build her and Rick’s houses.”
“She’s building a house,” I say, to no one in particular.
“And Rick’s. Maybe even Lexi’s, but I haven’t been contracted for that one yet. Our lunch today was to go over the contract.”
So, it’s true. She’s moving back. The love of my life wouldn’t move back here for me, but she’s willing to do it now that we’re no longer together. A sharp pain rips through my chest. I reach up to rub the offending ache and walk toward the door.
