Page 43 of Slash & Burn

Fat chance figuring that out jackass, I wasn’t even sure anymore.

He shook his head dismissively. “Well, it was good seeing you out and about. Tiny steps.” When he winked at her I’d had enough.

Taking a step closer to him, I dropped my voice and spoke through a gritty smile. “Wink at my girl again, and you’ll be limping out of here. She’s no one to you now, you got me? You never knew her, and you never deserved her. So, go pretend to care about something else, and forget about her. Cause that’s exactly what she’s doing to you.”

I had no right to lay claim to Jill, but face to face with someone who’d had a shot with her once and hurt her, I was determined to never let her feel discarded again.

I wasn’t allowed to have her, but for just this minute, I was going to pretend I was.

Adam froze, smart enough to know better than to try and get around the wall my wide shoulders had put between them. He bit down, his jaw flexing on some unvoiced reply, before he shook his head and walked away.

I wasn’t sure how much of that Jill had heard—or how she’d feel about what I said—so I hesitated before I spun around. But when I did I found her grinning up at me, a little bewildered.

“Limping, huh?”

My held breath rushed out of me. “Atleastlimping,” I said, glad she’d seen through that threat for what it was.

She dropped her head, some of her humor slipping. “You didn’t have to do that.”

I wanted to.

You deserved nothing less.

I meant every word.

“I know,” I said, anxiously licking my lips. “You would have been fine on your own. But I was happy to help.”

Jill’s shoulders bounced on a laugh. “Not sure ‘fine’ is the right word. But thank you.”

I brushed her hair from her shoulder, giving it a quick squeeze. “No thanks needed, Jilly-fish.” I glanced past her at the field. “You want to get out of here?”

She looked over her shoulder and then back at me. Pushing past the last of her anxiety, she replied, “Nah. It’s a good day for a game.”

As Jill headed back to our seats, I followed, feeling a little bewildered myself. She hated sports. But as we got into the game, cheering with the crowd and doing the wave when it came our way, it was easy to forget how unlike her this was.

I started to wonder how much more there was of her I didn’t know or that would surprise me. Because we had more fun at that game than I’d ever had watching the Sea Dogs play and by the time we left I’d completely lost track of the score. I was competitive by nature and always wanted to win. But that afternoon it felt like I already had.

CHAPTER 18

JILL

Idon’t think I’d ever been pulled out of an anxiety spiral so fast. Hearing the threatening timbre of Grady’s voice when he’d told Adam to back off was just . . . he’d never sounded like that before. Ever. And for him to get that upset for me? It had me spinning. But in a totally new way.

Wink at my girl again.

My girl.

Grady had been playing a part, but it didn’t change the way those words—spoken aboutme, byhim—sent a shiver down my arms every time I replayed them in my head.

The high only started to fade as we drove home from the game. The closer we got to Holden Cove the more I wondered how long Adam was in town. What had brought him home. And whether I’d run into him again—without Grady next time.

Memories of our relationship drifted through my head, good ones and bad ones alike. After all the therapy I’d done about it, I could see the parts of what we’d had I genuinely missed. Seeing him again made that longing sting with fresh venom.

When we got back to Grady’s house I headed for my car and he followed, leaning against the side of it.

“Hey,” he said, drawing closer as I reached for the door. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah,” I answered quickly, trying to reassure him after being so quiet on the ride home.

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