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“Don’t you ever fucking speak to her like that,” he snarls and Ray steps back as Conor advances on him. I run up the stairs and put my hand on Conor’s shoulder. “Please, don’t,” I whisper against his ear.
“You’re not getting paid for the time you’ve spent down there,” Ray snaps.
I push past Conor and square up to my boss myself. “I have put up with you being cheap and crass and condescending for the past six weeks, because I liked this town and this job. But we were just trapped down there for over an hour because of your cheap ass ways, and I will not have you putting your shit on me, Ray. You can take your job and shove it up your fat ass.”
Conor chuckles behind me, but Ray stands there staring at me, his mouth opening and closing like a goldfish. “Okay,” he holds up his hands. “I won’t take it out of your pay.”
“Too late,” I snap as I start to make my way toward the door.
“But, Ryan. Who’ll cover the lunch shift?” he wails, but I am already halfway out the door and Conor is on my heels.
I walk out into the parking lot and blink in the glare of the midday sun. I glance over at my old green Mustang with its windows that will only roll part way down, and then at Conor’s shiny SUV, with working air conditioning and luxury leather seats.
He holds out his hand. “Come home, Angel? Everybody wants you back. They sent me to get you because we couldn’t all take two months off work to find you.”
I look at his outstretched hand.
“Please?” he says.
As I think about the stuff in my apartment, I realize there is nothing there that I need. My cell isn’t even a smartphone. I always travel light — a few clothes and toiletries. Turning away from Conor, I walk over to my Mustang and pop the trunk.
“Jessie,” Conor shouts after me, his dark brown eyes imploring me.
I take the backpack from inside. I’m always ready to move on at a moment’s notice and this bag contains everything I need for a two and a half thousand mile road trip. Hoisting it over my shoulder, I close the trunk.
Conor narrows his eyes as I walk back toward him, as if he’s not quite sure whether I’m about to run. “Come on then, big guy,” I say, nodding toward his car, and his handsome face breaks into a huge grin. He steps closer to me, picks me up in his arms and spins me around, making me giggle. “I love you, Jessie Ryan,” he says before he seals my mouth with a kiss.
Chapter
Twenty-Two
CONOR
Ilook across at her as she fastens her seatbelt and smile. Leaving this dust bowl without her was never an option, but I can’t describe the sheer relief I feel at having her sitting here in my car after agreeing to come back to New York.
“Shall we hit the road?” she says as she kicks off her sandals and puts her feet up on the dash, ensuring I get an incredible view of her tanned legs in her denim mini.
“Do you need to go to your place on the way?”
“No,” she shakes her head. “There’s nothing there I need.”
“Good,” I breathe a sigh of relief. Stopping by her place could have been an opportunity for her to run. “But before we set off, I need to do something.” Taking my cell out of my pocket, I dial Liam’s number. A few seconds later, his face fills the screen.
“You got some good news, bro?” he says when he answers.
“I sure do.” I grin at him as I turn the phone so he can see my passenger.
“Jessie,” he shouts. “Please tell me you’re coming home?”
I watch the blush creep across her cheeks as she smiles. “Yeah,” she says with a shrug. “If you’re all okay with that?”
“Okay with it? Fuck, baby, we miss you like crazy,” he chuckles. I shift over in my seat so both Jessie and I can see the screen. “Mikey,” Liam shouts and a few seconds later my other younger brother’s face appears on the screen too.
“Red!” His grin lights up his face. “What the fuck have you done to your hair?”
“It will grow out,” she says with a roll of her eyes.
“It better. So, you coming home?”
