Page 30 of No Going Back
He knew he wasn’t good enough for her. He should count himself lucky to have had as much as she offered. But part of him still wanted to think she felt the same way he did.
That Dianna still secretly wanted more too.
“I wasn’t worried.” Griffin picked up the coffee she made, forcing himself to swallow some of it down in the hope it might alleviate the sting in his gut. “It didn’t seem like you were wanting more when you kicked me out of your kitchen.”
Dianna’s eyes barely widened, which was a great indication he’d already stepped over the invisible line that always stood between him and everyone else. It was one he was great at crossing, and did his very best to stay far away from. It was why he chose to keep his mouth shut whenever possible.
“I should go.” He stood up, knowing that walking away was the best option available now that he’d said too much. “Thanks for the coffee.”
“Uhh.” Dianna scoffed. “We’re not done here.”
There was a sharpness to her tone he hadn’t heard before and it stopped his retreat.
Made him turn.
“What?”
Surely he hadn’t heard her right. Dianna was sweet and soft. Not the kind of woman to make demands. And maybe that was part of what appealed to him. She would never force him to fight like so many other women did. She wouldn’t rage and throw things and make threats.
But maybe what she was doing was worse.
“We’re neighbors, Griffin. We have to figure out a way to exist side by side.” Dianna sat a little taller. “So we’re not done talking yet.”
ELEVEN
DIANNA
GRIFFIN CLEARLY WANTED to escape the conversation, but she couldn’t let that happen.
No matter how difficult it was to speak up, she deserved to feel comfortable in her own house. And right now, she didn’t.
Knowing Griffin was there next-door, doing everything in his power to make sure their paths didn’t cross was driving her crazy. So, as hard as it was to force the discussion, she was going to make sure it happened.
“Sit back down.” She wasn’t trying to be bossy, but this sort of thing didn’t come naturally. She’d always been the kind of woman who accepted only what was offered to her and nothing more. And she always did it without making a fuss.
But that was what landed her in an abusive marriage that nearly broke her, so clearly something needed to change.
Griffin pressed his lips together, eyes darting between the sofa and the door. For a second she thought he might run, but eventually he sighed and came back to the couch, dropping to the cushions before leaning forward to catch his head in his hands. He dug his fingers through his damp hair, digging them into his scalp like she was putting him through actual physical pain.
Maybe she wasn’t the only one who wasn’t great at things like this. Somehow that possibility made it a little easier. She wouldn’t be the only one flailing into uncharted territory.
“Before I came to Moss Creek, I was married.” It was the easiest place to start. Not necessarily the beginning, but the beginning of the end. “I had a little bakery on the outskirts of LA and it wasn’t doing well, so I decided to bring someone else in who had more experience running a business.” It turned out to be the worst mistake she could have made—professionally and personally. Before she knew it, the man who was supposed to help her was running not just her business, but her whole life. Martin controlled everything, from their finances to their schedule. He always made it seem like he was doing her a favor. Like he did it all so she didn’t have to.
But that’s not what it was about. It was one of many layers of abuse and served as the foundation he could build the rest on.
“I ended up marrying him, but he wasn’t great to me and wasn’t great for the business. I left LA divorced and bankrupt.” It was a difficult admission to make, especially to someone like Griffin. He’d been so successful in his own career, and she didn’t want him to see her as a failure.
She didn’t want to be a failure.
“That explains why you’re so hesitant to hire someone else to help you.” Griffin’s tone was gentle and filled with understanding, soothing a few of the sharp edges surrounding her past.
Dianna nodded. “It feels like the lesser of two evils. Yes, I’m working like crazy, but at least I’m not risking the well-being of my business.” The Baking Rack’s success had helped her in so many ways—financially and emotionally—if it failed now the loss would be devastating.
“But you know hiring someone else isn’t an all or nothing deal, right?” Griffin seemed to relax a little as their conversation moved away from their relationship and toward business dealings. “An hourly employee is only there to work. They don’t have any control over all the things that make your business what it is.” He lifted one hand, holding it out to the side, palm up. “Hell, they don’t even have to be there when the business is open. You could just hire someone to help you with all the prep work behind the scenes.”
It was an interesting possibility, but not one that needed to be hashed out right now. “I appreciate the suggestion, but we’re not here to talk about my business.” She took a steadying breath before redirecting the conversation. “We’re here to figure out how we can be neighbors.”
Griffin stiffened up again almost immediately, confirming her suspicions that he struggled in situations like this just as much as she did. “We’re already neighbors.”
