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Mitch’s fingers dig painfully into my shoulder, causing me to wince and dodge him. West doesn’t miss the movement and his eyes narrow as he takes in the scene before him.
“Keep your hands off Violet.” His voice is low and deadly.
“She’s fine.” Mitch steps forward as West stands.
“It’s fine, Mitch. Why don’t you go? I need to catch up with West.”
“Are you sure?” he asks, keeping his eyes on West.
“She is. We need to talk about upgrading the internet out here. I can’t live like this.”
Mitch looks at me questioningly, but I herd him toward the door. “Thanks for stopping by with dinner. It was so kind of you to check on me.”
I follow him out onto my porch, closing the door behind me.
“Are you okay? Want me to run him off?” Mitch asks.
“No, it’s fine. He’s harmless.” Mostly.
“What did he mean that he can’t live like this?”
“I’ll tell you later. Swing by the bakery in a couple days.”
He looks at me before moving closer, his arms outstretched to embrace me. I dodge him once again, pretending not to know what he’s going in for and giving him an awkward wave instead. “Have a good night.”
I dart back into my cabin before he can say or do anything, running directly into West’s broad chest as I do. He steadies me, his hands cupping my shoulders gently. A gasp escapes my lips when he pulls my flannel down on the right side to examine my skin.
A displeased rumble vibrates from his chest as his finger traces the red marks Mitch’s fingers have left on my pale skin. “I should have punched him.”
“Don’t be stupid. He didn’t realize what he did and you were antagonizing him. You’re just as much at fault.”
“For someone who acts like he knows you, he sure as fuck doesn’t realize how delicate your skin is.” His finger runs along my collarbone, up my neck, and back down again. His eyes stay focused on my shoulder as if he’s trying to erase the marks through sheer will. “You’ve been crying again. I can see it pooled behind your eyes.”
For the briefest moment I let myself soak up the comfort of his touch, his physical proximity to me. Maybe, on another timeline, he and I made different choices and could actually be together. But we didn’t, so I step away from the warmth and familiarity of his body.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I add a scoff that sounds weak even to my own ears. “No tears here.”
“Always lying to me.” He tsks as he sits back down. He taps away on his laptop for a couple minutes. “Jesus, your wifi isn’t much better. Painfully slow.”
“I guess you must have missed the hour-long drive from the small town into the heavily forested mountains. Not great service of any kind here.”
He kicks his shoes off and stretches out on the sofa as he pulls out a pair of glasses. It should not be as attractive as it is. I can admit he’s aged well, they all have. Any traces of the teenage baby face are gone, replaced by a sharp jawline dusted with sexy stubble. His dark brown hair is a little longer on top than the sides, a piece falling across his forehead as he focuses on the screen.
“You look good, too.” His voice is quietly reluctant.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You didn’t have to. Everything you think still shows on your face.”
I roll my eyes, equally annoyed at his arrogance and the way his words make my stomach flip. “What are you doing?”
“Working.”
“I can see that. I meant what do you do?”
“I’m a private tech consultant. Maybe if you hadn’t disappeared in the middle of the night, you’d know more.”
I ignore the bite in his voice. “Are you the one who tracked me down?”
