Page 105 of The Locksmith's Promise

Maggie turned around, the tension racketing off her body causing the hairs on my arms to rise.

That violent urge to escape flared in my chest as I followed Maggie’s line of sight to find Jenny seated at a table in the back.

A large man sat across from her, half-shielding her from our view.

Jenny’s wide, blue eyes flitted over our group, her palm rising as she offered a shaky smile and waved Eric off.

The man seated in front of her turned to face us, scowling and half rising from his seat when he met my eyes.

I winced, and my stomach plummeted.

He probably felt for me what Maggie felt for Jenny.

I couldn’t believe I would cheat on Maggie, I couldn’t have. That was the part I’d never been able to reconcile.

Did Maggie notice Deacon’s reaction?

It wasn’t fair of me to keep the truth from Maggie, to tether her to me with the hope of what might not have happened between me and Jenny that night.

I hazarded a glance at her face.

And something inside me shattered.

25

Never

Maggie

My jaw dropped at the raw fury blistering the man’s face. Scrunching my eyebrows together, I strained to make out his features.

Shock ricocheted through my system.

“Is that Deacon?”

Deacon, the man Jenny had been seeing off and on the entire time Baxter and I were together.

Though we’d hung out with them a few times, he didn’t live in Moose Lake and was a bit of a lone wolf.

Right now, he was furious.

And all that fury was directed at Baxter.

Oh, God. He was me. Jenny was his Baxter. Ten years ago,he was me.

The music, the laughter, and the wood floors of the bar receded leaving a solitary vignette holding me captive.

Jenny clamped her hand down over his forearm, leaning forward and speaking intently until he sat back down and turned away from us.

I stared at Deacon’s back, my blood rushing in my ears as the past reared up and played out once more, filling every corner of my mind.

Dark hair spread across his pillow.

Hand splayed over Baxter’s naked chest.

One long, shapely leg tangled up with his, the sheet barely covering him.

I shuddered.

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