Page 25 of Chasing Forever
Everyone at the Donut Hut is right about Brooks—he’s a great guy. But that’s what scares me the most. Because I know firsthand that the Watson family can hide monsters behind their perfect smiles.
I will never forgive them for how they treated me after Holden.
And if Brooks refuses to sign that annulment… if this thing gets dragged out publicly… Mr. and Mrs. Watson will step in. They’ll control the narrative, even if it means tearing Brooks down to protect themselves. They’ll tear me down too—and this time, I might not survive their wrath.
Which is exactly why this marriage has to end today.
I don’t care what I have to do to make him see it. I’m doing it for him as much as me, even if he never really understands why.
Brooks deserves the future he wants. One I can never give him.
So I park in his gravel driveway and climb out with the box of doughnuts and my heart hammering against my ribs. As I approach the house, a whistle catches my attention. I glance to the right and spot Brooks in the barn.
“Mack!” he hollers, but the golden retriever beelines for me, ignoring Brooks completely.
“Hey, buddy.” I crouch, setting the doughnut box on the gravel, and nuzzle my head against Mack’s soft beige fur.
I’m so busy with Mack that I don’t notice the shadow fall over us until it blocks the sun.
“Happy to see your new mommy?”
I squint up at him. “Cute.”
“I thought so.” He bends and scratches Mack behind the ears. “Go on now. Let her be.” He throws a tennis ball, and Mack races after it without a glance back.
“I’m here. Let’s talk.”
He shakes his head. “Come to the barn. I need to figure this truck out while we talk.”
I pick up the box of doughnuts and shove it into his gut. “Here’s your bribe.”
He lifts the lid of the box with one brow raised. “Is this to make up for our lack of a wedding cake?”
“The Brindles did it. Apparently, everyone thinks this marriage is legit.” I roll my eyes.
“It is legit. I saved the paperwork if you want to read it again.” He keeps walking toward the barn, leaving me no choice but to follow him.
I try like hell not to notice the way his ass perfectly fills out his jeans, but it’s nearly impossible.
Once I catch up to Brooks, Mack wedges himself between us, as if he can’t bear to not be right by both of us.
“I don’t need to read it again. I would, however, love to read the annulment papers so I can sign them.”
He pushes his hand through his hair, then puts his ball cap back on his head except now it’s backward. God, that looks good on him. “You’re not going to calm down so we can talk this out, huh?”
I swallow my reaction to how he looks. “Nope.”
“Then I have a proposition for you.” He turns to me, the sun haloing him like some untouchable entity.
It’s cruel how beautiful he looks. How easy it would be to believe in things I know aren’t true.
I have no idea what Brooks could possibly say to make me stay married to him, but I’m out of options. I’m going to have to hear him out before I ever get him to agree to an annulment.
So I walk into the barn, grab a bear claw from the box, and take a big, defiant bite. “Let’s hear it, Sheriff.”
Chapter Twelve
Brooks
