Page 12 of Love Takes Home

I smile because it would have been a weak denial at best. “Well, she had an epic panic attack when we got here, but she’s safe and sleeping right now.”

“Take care of her. You know Daniel will shit if something happens to Davis’s sister.”

“Nothing is going to happen to her. I won’t let it.”

“I know you won’t. Take care, and I’ll let you know when I have some news.”

I plate up the cooling pizza and make Ginny an ice water. She needs to rehydrate and get something on her stomach so she isn’t sick later. I carry everything into the living area and set it on the end table next to the couch. Kneeling in front of her, I brush a lock of hair off her face, but don’t allow myself more than that touch.

“Ginny,” I gently say her name, not wanting to scare her. “Beautiful, there’s pizza.”

“Not beautiful,” she mumbles in her mostly asleep state.

“You are. I’ll get you to believe it one day. But you need to wake up and eat something, okay? Then you can go to bed if you want.”

“Hmm, okay.” She nods her head, her eyes never opening.

I can’t resist and reach out to cup her cheek, her skin soft under my palm. Her eyes fly open and wildly look around the room.

“Hey, just me,” I assure her. “You’re safe.”

“Safe,” she whispers, closing her eyes. “Will I ever really be safe again?”

“You’ll always be safe with me, Beautiful.”

She opens her eyes again and I can see the non-belief there. Why does this woman not understand how drawn to her people are? Not just other men who swarm around her, but are afraid toapproach her. Afraid because the sting of rejection is a real hit to the old pride, not because they don’t want her. Women, kids, old people at the home she visits to play music at sometimes. They all love her.

I guess that’s my new goal in life. To make sure she knows every day how wonderful she is. How big her heart is and how desirable every other part of her is. It might be a tough job, but if there’s anyone who is up to the challenge, it’s me.

Chapter 5

Ginny

We’ve been here forfour days now. I’ve talked to my mom, dad, Davis, Trish, and Lottie. Oh, and then Davis and my dad again. And then Davis would call yet again. I think he might be starting to freak out about the baby. The one who should be here any day now. No one has said a word about me walking away from my wedding or what the town is saying. I think that’s on purpose.

Joker has been a perfect gentleman, leaving me to do my own thing while he does whatever he does on his laptop. I’ve spent every morning out on the deck with my coffee, watching the world come alive, wondering if I really have to go back. I’m allowing the time to live with and in my feelings. It’s something I learned to do after my attack. The thing is, I know with every fiber of my being that something is going to happen when I go back, but not what or when.

Joker filled me in on everything that first night, including his thoughts that Keith might have been leaving town instead of racing to the church. He also told me about what Davis said and Keith preying on the sympathies of the female nurses in the hospital. He’s been asking the other guys he works with for info on Keith, but he won’t tell me anything more without solid proof, which he doesn’t have.

My entertainment has been watching Joker come up with creative cursing at the table in the kitchen area when he doesn’t get the information he wants while I read a book on my phone. I’ve found a sub-genre on runaway brides and have been enjoying the hell out of some of those romance books.

I know I’ve been awkward around Joker, but I don’t know what to say to him. ‘Thank you for taking care of me when I was having my episode’doesn’t seem adequate or appropriate when I’m not sure I want to thank him. I’m still mortified that he cut off my fucking clothes and saw me in that state of undress.

I didn’t use to be like this. I haven’t always been so insecure. Hell, I used to be proud of my curves. I embraced my fat as a part of me and thought I was good. Somewhere along the way, I let others convince me that I’m not worth looking at with the lights on. Not worth sleeping with when the lights are on. And that I’m not worth spending time with when the lights are on. But the further I am from Keith, the more I see how the last two years have been nothing but manipulation and gaslighting. Emotionally abusive before it became physical.

How did I get to this place? What am I going to do now? If it all goes bad, do I have what it takes to leave town? Find a new job? I don’t think I’m strong enough to do that.

“You sure are thinking awfully hard this early in the morning,” Joker says, coming up beside me and flopping down in the chair next to mine on the deck.

“Just wondering what happens now,” I tell him, turning my head in his direction.

“Tell me.”

“Just worried about moving back in with the parents. And what happens at work when I have to see Keith?”

“Well, the move is short term until you can find somewhere better, and you punch his fucking face in.”

I giggle at the thought. “Yeah, okay.”

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