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Staring straight ahead, Ridge whispered, “It’s my job to protect her.”
“And mine,” Blake said, leaving no room for debate. Ridge had things twisted if he thought Blake wouldn’t be there for Everly too.
Ridge took his eyes off the road long enough to give Blake a once-over. “I won’t turn down a hand.”
The elephant in the car was silent but definitely present. Ridge hadn’t left the NFL because he was tired of making millions of dollars a year. The whole world knew Ridge Cooper had served a jail sentence for aggravated assault. Only the two of them knew the whole truth of what happened, and Blake would never tell a soul.
“I always have your back.” Blake had stood by his friend then, and he would in the future. If he’d been in Ridge’s shoes, he’d have done the same thing.
“I hope it never comes to that again,” Ridge said.
“Me too. But you know I’d do anything for her.”
“I don’t think we have to worry about David. He’s stupid but not stupid enough to get on our bad side.”
Blake appreciated the inclusion in that statement. “It’d be the last thing he ever did.” He sipped his coffee and sent Everly a text letting her know he and Ridge were ready to come help her pack tonight.
It was only seconds before her reply showed up.
Everly: Thanks. I’ll let you know when I get home. See you then.
Blake slipped the phone into his shirt pocket. Now he just had to work hard enough for the next six hours to keep his thoughts from wandering to Everly.
CHAPTER TEN
Everly
Everly adjusted the boxes in her arms so she could grab the doorknob. She hadn't had any luck finding a place, but stopping to ask around in Sticky Sweets Bakery hadn't been a complete waste of time. Tracy promised to keep all of the bakery boxes for Everly to use for packing.
Everly leaned the broken-down boxes against the wall in the foyer and tossed her purse on the counter. The kitchen was bright and welcoming, just like she'd envisioned. Little touches of lavender and greenery gave the room color, and the bay window in the breakfast nook filled the space with natural light every afternoon.
What a waste. Well, for her it was a waste. Someone else would love this house and make it a home. She hoped the buyers had kids and a big family. Surely, David wouldn’t keep it. He hadn’t been thrilled when she’d wanted a house in Blackwater, but the little town had become her home.
They’d made so many decisions together with the intention of spending the rest of their lives with each other. How could David have cheated on her? One time or many, it still broke her heart that he’d touched another woman, talked to her, and shared intimate moments that Everly thought were reserved for her and David.
The phone in her jacket pocket rang again, and she growled. She'd never made the primal sound of frustration before, but David's repetitive calls were about to drive her batty.
It was him. Again. She would have liked to shut the phone off, but there had been a few places she'd left messages and hoped to hear back from today.
Maybe she was being childish. Adults were supposed to talk things out. Except the thought of talking to David right now made her want to vomit.
She silenced the call and hung up her jacket. Time to get to work. By the time she had her sleeves pushed up and her hair pulled up in a ponytail, the phone was going off again.
It was Megan, not David, and Everly relaxed before reading the message.
Megan: You okay?
She responded with a quick "yes" before pulling the new roll of packing tape out of her purse. Kneeling on the hard tile floor, she started opening up the box to tape the bottom. She'd just pulled the tape over the line where the two flaps of the bottom met when she heard a noise.
Everly froze, waiting to hear the sound again. A second later, the unmistakable sound of a door closing had her scrambling to her feet. She ducked around the corner, hidden from the hallway that led to the garage.
"Everly!"
"David?" she spat, stepping out into the kitchen. Her heart rate kept up its speed. If she didn’t want to talk to him, facing him sounded a thousand times worse.
David's stride was long and determined as he tromped toward her. His brows were drawn together, and his hands were balled into fists.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
