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He drives back into the small town in the middle of nowhere and pulls into the parking lot of the train car diner where Carter and I had breakfast. “Great choice,” I tell him, grateful for a very public location for our meal. “Carter and I had an amazing meal here; the owner, Stella, was our waitress.”
Apparently, it’s the wrong thing to say because Bryce’s eyes darken, and his mood sours even further. “We’ll walk in there and have a nice meal together, Leanna. It will be just you and me. As far as I’m concerned, Carter doesn’t exist, and I don’t want to hear his name spill from your lips. I may not be pointing my gun at you while we’re inside, but I will have it close by. Don’t do anything stupid to make me use it.”
I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear and try to look contrite. “Okay, Bryce. It’s just you and me tonight.”
He gets out and walks around the back of the truck to my side, where he opens the door for me. He offers his hand, playing the role of a gentleman, which I have no choice but to take. I don’t want to do anything to ignite his wrath, especially now that innocent people will be around.
Thankfully, the place is empty when we walk in, and Stella is the first to see Bryce, his body blocking me from view. “Hi, Bryce! Welcome back. I thought you planned to bring your girlfriend by to meet me tonight! I saved you both some of our famous chocolate cream pie!”
He tugs my hand to pull me forward. “I’m a person of my word. Stella, meet Leanna, the love of my life.” When recognition dawns, her jaw drops, and her eyes widen in surprise. She’s about to ask me a question or say something that might upset Bryce, but I give her the subtlest shake of my head to stop her, hoping she will play along. Her safety depends on it.
Stella recovers quickly. “It’s a pleasure to see you again, Leanna, and with such a handsome man! Don’t you two look picture-perfect!” She grabs two menus and leads us to a booth by the window, giving anyone passing by a great view of us. I smile at her, silently thanking her for the seating arrangement.
“Can I get you started with anything to drink?” she asks, with a nearly undetectable warble to her voice. It would be easy to miss if you weren’t listening for it. “Hot tea for me, please,” I tell her while Bryce orders a hot chocolate. “Coming right up!”
Bryce has placed himself in a position to have a full view of the entrance and see anyone coming from the parking lot. My view is of the kitchen area, where I notice Stella whispering to her husband, Jack. He looks over at me with genuine concern on his face.
“I need to use the restroom and wash up,” I tell him. When I move to get up, he grabs my wrist to stop me.
In a low tone, he warns, “If you aren’t back in three minutes, bad things will start happening.”
“I’ll be back, I promise.” He lets me go, and I scurry to the restroom. I use the time to pull out my phone to text Carter from my secure line, not that it matters. He already knows my circumstances are dire.
The screen comes to life, and I double-check to ensure it’s still on silent mode before opening up my text message thread. Carter has already sent me several messages.
Carter: Tracker has been activated
Carter: Have your location
Carter: Keep him busy
Carter: Will be there ASAP.
Carter: Record the conversation if possible.
I pay attention to the time stamp and notice the last message was sent less than two minutes ago. I almost drop my phone when it vibrates softly in my hands.
Carter: I love you! XX
I do as he asks, starting the voice recording application on my phone before tucking it securely back in its hiding spot. Bryce is staring down at his watch with a pinched look. He looks up when he hears me coming and smiles.
I slide back into the booth with seconds to spare and focus my attention on Bryce, folding my arms to rest them on the table in front of me. He mirrors my pose. “Now that you have me here, what do you want to happen, Bryce?” I take a sip of the hot tea that Stella delivered while I was away.
“I want you to give me an honest chance. That’s it. That’s all I’ve ever wanted,” he tells me sincerely. It’s something I can use to my advantage.
“Okay, Bryce. I’ll give you a chance, but only on one condition. Since trust and communication are important to any relationship, I’ll need you to be honest with me. Otherwise, whatever could be between us is doomed from the start.”
“What is it that you want to know?”
“Are you responsible for my flat tires?” I ask.
He leans back in his seat and folds his arms across his chest, preparing to defend his actions. “I am.”
“What about the dead flowers with the note that read, ‘All good things must come to an end,’ or the paint on my door made to look like blood?”
“Yes. I did that, too.” When he doesn’t elaborate, I ask him why.
“Because for years, I have been asking you out on dates only to be rejected over and over again. At first, I thought it was because of Carter and that you harbored romantic feelings for him, but then you went out with that Joe guy after he made one lousy play for you!
