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“Yeah, I know she is. She handled her injury without pain meds on the flight home.”
Homerang in my ears. Burntwood was Shelby’s home. If she hadn’t left all those years ago, none of this would’ve happened. We’d be married and probably had a couple of kids.
“Maybe that’s why she passed out.” I shook the thoughts of “what if” away before I drove myself mad.
“Could be.” Diesel tilted his face toward the darkening blue sky. “But still. She’s lucky she didn’t cut the radial artery. Without immediate treatment, she wouldn’t be here right now.”
An icy chill speared down my back. “Seriously?”
“Yeah, she’s really lucky.”
I furrowed my brow and turned toward the door when I heard the girls come out of the house. Diesel and I had been hanging out by my truck. If I’d gone inside with them, I might not have let Shelby leave.
Immediately, I noticed Shelby’s coloring had improved. “You look better, Honeybee.”
“Thanks.” She smiled weakly, wrapping her arms around her middle. She was gorgeous as ever in her old jeans and one of my flannel shirts, tied in the front because it was too long. She’d pulled her hair into a messy bun.
“I hope you don’t mind me rummaging through your fridge and cabinets,” Martina said. “I made her drink some orange juice and eat a peanut butter sandwich. She’s hardly eaten in days.”
Goddammit, I wanted to know what she’d been through. But I forced myself to back off and be patient.
“How are you doing, Shelby?” Mack asked from behind me.
“Better. Thank you for everything.” She looked at Storm, then at me. “Jake gloated about creating chaos in town.”
“He was behind the fires and my damaged fencing?” I lifted her chin with my finger and studied her face. She must’ve washed off her makeup because the bruise was more noticeable. I gently brushed my thumb across it.
“Mhm. I’m so sorry.” She teared up. “I’m so sorry I brought that man home. I have so many regrets.”
“Me too.” I hooked my arm around her waist and reeled her in against my chest.
“Well, now that we know who’s behind this madness, we’ll go after him.” Storm crossed his arms over his chest. “Mack, we got a lot to figure out, then we’ll call church.”
“Church?” Shelby asked. “I don’t understand.”
“He just means a meeting. Come on.” I led her toward my truck.
“I’ve got a private banquet room at the bar,” Diesel told them. “You can hold your meeting there. Food and booze are on the house.”
“Appreciate it,” Storm replied.
“Can we stop by the drugstore?” she asked me.
“What do you need? I probably have it in my medicine cabinet.” I helped her into the front seat.
“I want to get some concealer to hide this.” She touched the bruise on her cheek. “And I don’t have my purse, so could you lend me money?”
I cradled her face in my hands and pressed a soft kiss on her forehead. “Anything you need, I’ll provide, Honeybee. Nothing’s changed.”
“So much has changed, Cade. It’s been over a decade. I hurt you.” A tear skittered down her cheek.
“Doesn’t matter.” I secured the seatbelt and swiped the droplet away with my thumb. “I never stopped loving you.” Before she could reply, I closed the door and went around to the driver’s seat.
If I hadn’t loved her with every cell in my body. If she hadn’t possessed my soul. So many ifs, but the fact remained, I loved her. I never stopped pining and fantasizing about her being mine again.
Going forward, I would never let Shelby go again. We’d known since we were kids we had an unbreakable connection, and then it turned into love. Nothing had changed and I would do anything and everything to prove we belonged together.
Shelby was my endgame.
