Page 2 of Jolene's Justice

Her acceptance of his offer to fly her home came at a moment of weakness. Not being able to find a flight until the next day only made things worse. She needed to get to her father as quickly as possible. But why did it have to behim?

He’d been a perfect gentleman since he’d picked her up, just like always. He’d lugged her suitcase for her. He’d opened the door for her and had lent her a hand as she climbed in and out of his truck. All the tasks were carried out with a wide smile on his face. Finch was polite and well-mannered in every aspect of his life, except when it came to being honest about his own backstory.

But Jolene could see a hint of trepidation in his eyes as he helped her climb into the helicopter. An uncomfortable wariness had become a common theme in their relationship since she’d discovered the truth. Every day since that terrible night, their relationship had been filled with awkward silences and a lingering bitterness, mostly from her. When they were in the same room, the space was always filled with an uneasy silence, occasionally broken by stilted conversation. Not the easy rapport they had once shared.

She put on a facade of civility when their friends were around, despite the caustic animosity she felt that lay beneath. She kept her distance from him, managing to keep her resentment under control for the sake of their friends.

It was a different matter when they were alone, which she tried to avoid at all costs. She wasn’t about to give him the opportunity to spew lies. Been there. Done that. Lost everything as a result.

The memory of the despair she felt when she’d discovered the extent of Harrison’s lies and had lost everything as a result still haunted her. She wasn’t about to put herself through that again. It was better . . . safer . . . to avoid.

Keeping her distance from Finch had been an act of self-preservation. She didn’t trust easily, especially after Harrison. She had grown skeptical, and she guarded her heart closely. Finch had broken through her barriers with his charm and wit. She had been so close to being completely consumed by him until she’d learned the truth. With the harsh reality uncovered, she’d locked herself down tight and vowed she would never let another man in again.

She had to find a way to make the most of the difficult circumstance she was currently in. She needed Finch. He was her only hope to get to her father quickly. The call she’d received only a few hours ago had sent her into a whirlwind of emotions. Her father was in serious condition in the hospital after suffering a heart attack.

Since her mother had died eight years ago, her father lived alone. If it hadn’t been for the neighbor . . . Jolene couldn’t bear to imagine the awful scenarios that could have taken place.

The stubborn old goat refused to give up his house, which was in serious need of repairs and far too big for one person. The pub was another issue. He should have either sold it or found someone else to manage it when her mother died. But he argued that he could never watch strangers run the pub he’d put his blood, sweat, and Scottish stoicism into.

Gorden was a force to be reckoned with. He had a strength and determination that was undeniable. But he wasn’t getting any younger, and he sucked at the day-to-day stuff that came with owning a house. He had been poking around the weathered boards on his porch—handyman work was not his forte—when the heart attack occurred. The woman who lived next door had spotted him and called 911.

Jolene had no idea how serious his condition was, which was why she’d reluctantly agreed to allow Finch to fly her down to Georgia. It was the fastest way, and she wanted to be with her father just in case the worst happened.

Being confined inside a cockpit with the man who made her blood boil was not ideal. Yet she was grateful for the offer. His kindness was incongruous with what she knew about him. She couldn’t reconcile the lies she’d uncovered with the incessant thoughtfulness he showed. The confusion made her uneasy, and she felt it was best to keep her distance.

She watched from her seat inside the helicopter as Finch carried out his preflight checks. His dedication was apparent as he conducted his last inspection of the aircraft, and Jolene couldn’t help but admire his attention to detail. It was reassuring to know that he was taking their safety seriously.

A strong gust of wind blew through, tousling his hair. His short red curls were usually unkempt, a feature she had once found endearing. She was partial to a redheaded man. Finch’s hair had a burnished copper hue that gleamed in the sun. Her own hair was more of a vivacious red, with subtle hints of gold. She and Finch together would have made beautiful redheaded babies.

Shit. Where had that thought come from?She needed to lock that way of thinking down quick. No matter how much she wanted to push his tousled curls off his forehead, she had to remember he wasn’t the man she thought he was.

Still, she couldn’t keep her eyes off him. When he made it to her side of the aircraft, he glanced up and caught her watching him. His hazel eyes that had once shone so brightly had lost some of their luster since she’d learned the truth. As did his smile. She felt a twinge of guilt, but then reminded herself that it was he who had been dishonest. Not her. The reminder caused her to blink and turn away from his gaze.

A chime on her phone drew her attention. She peered at the display, trying to make sense of the strange text message she had just received. She couldn’t believe how many strange texts she was receiving from this wrong number.

THINK YOU’VE WON? THINK AGAIN.

The texts seemed a little strange, and she couldn’t quite put her finger on why. There was a strange undercurrent to the texts that gave her pause. She shook her head, trying to clear her mind of the latest unusual message, and focused on her mental to-do list. Even though she had many concerns threatening to swamp her, she tried to push them aside and concentrate on the immediate problem. There were questions she had for her father’s doctors. His condition was the top priority, and she couldn’t help but worry about it.

A few minutes later, Finch climbed into his seat beside her. “Ready to go?” he asked. She nodded, unable to find her voice. Her usual banter had been replaced by awkward silences when she was around him. She was afraid of the venomous words that would spew out if she were to lose control. So she often said nothing at all, until her silence became a heavy presence in the room. Or, in this case, the cockpit.

Finch’s hands moved swiftly as he flipped switches that created a symphony of clicks and hums without her knowing what they did. “Let’s get this bird in the air,” he said as the beast rumbled to life and the rotors overhead began to spin, the vibration shaking the seat beneath her.

He grabbed a headset that hung over his shoulder and put it on while pointing to the one on her side. She adjusted the thing over her head, and his voice came through like a subtle seduction caressing her ear. She loathed the way it still caused her skin to tingle with anticipation. “Can you hear me?”

“Yes,” she answered, a slight tremor in her voice. She didn’t mind flying. Usually, she was indifferent to it. But this was different. There wasn’t much between her and the ground, which was steadily growing farther away as they rose into the air. In an airplane, she could ignore the fact that she was thousands of feet above ground. Especially since she couldn’t see it from her preferred aisle seat.

“This isn’t the Nighthawk’s helicopter,” she remarked, having expected to take the search and rescue group’s helicopter, which was about twice the size of this one.

“No, it’s not.”

“Whose is it?”

“Mine.”

His answer caught her off guard, and she snapped her head to look at him. It shocked her to discover he’d finally bought his own. He’d talked about it all the time. He’d been searching for a helicopter he could bring back to life and make his own. Jolene remembered the way his voice had risen with enthusiasm as he discussed his plans. It had been a dream of his for years.

Jolene felt a twinge of regret that she’d missed out on seeing that dream come to fruition.

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