Page 88 of Ashes of the Past
“What?” Brynn gasps. “You’re kidding.”
I move quickly to Brynn’s side, my hand on the small of her back before I gesture for her to move closer to the truck with me. I need as much distance between Brynn and Savannah as possible.
“I caught my husband cheating on me, and when I confronted them, he—”
I tune her out. I’ve heard enough of her nonsense to last me a lifetime. Instead, my focus shifts to Brynn, who’s standing in front of me, arms crossed over her chest, watching the whole thing unfold with an unreadable expression. She hasn’t said a word since Savannah started her meltdown, but I can see the wheels turning in her head.
Damn it. She’s never going to want to go on another date with me again.
Another deputy approaches, this one older, someone I do recognize—Deputy Reynolds. He tips his hat at Brynn and me before getting right to the point. “Mind telling me what happened here?”
I exhale sharply and nod. “We were leaving the restaurant when Savannah, myex-wife,started shouting.”
“How long have you been divorced?”
“A little over a year. Separated longer. She lives in Texas. I recently moved back here for a job. She showed up out at Castings Ranch last night asking for a second chance, and I told her to leave then.”
“You’ve been divorced for a year, and she wants a second chance.”
“Yes, sir,” I say with an exasperated shake of my head. “I’m as confused by it as anyone. She got the house, a car, half my retirement, and a nice chunk of alimony because I didn’t want to fight her on anything after she cheated on me.”
Okay, maybe that was too much to say, but I need him to know that I’m not to blame here.
“You’re too kind, Jack,” he chuckles drily. “Seems she didn’t like you being out with another woman.”
“I tried to ignore her, we tried. I helped Brynn into the truck, and Savannah started throwing stuff at me. Then she attacked me. She tried to attack Brynn.”
Deputy Reynolds frowns, glancing toward Savannah, who’s still busy spinning her tale to the younger deputy. “You want to press charges?”
I don’t even hesitate. “No, but I want her to leave me alone. I’m done with this.”
Reynolds nods, scribbling something in his notepad. “Understood. Let’s just hope she gets the message.”
A few onlookers step forward, eager to put in their two cents. “She started it,” an older woman says, arms folded. “That girl didn’t do anything to her. Just started hollering and making a scene.”
“Yeah,” another man chimes in. “She was throwing stuff at him! That’s assault.”
The deputy nods, clearly gathering enough statements to shut Savannah down. Good. The sooner this is over, the better.
A few more minutes pass, and after some words with the deputies, they let Brynn and me go. I waste no time guiding her toward my truck, my patience long gone. The cab is silent as I pull onto the main road, my grip on the wheel tight.
I don’t know if I’m more upset at Savannah for her behavior and making a scene in front of half the town and Brynn or for the fact that she cheated on me and had the audacity to accuse me of doing it.
How do you cheat on someone, and a year after a bitter divorce in court, you expect them to take you back?
Who is that audacious and entitled to believe that would actually happen?
For a few minutes, there’s nothing but the sound of the tires on the pavement. All the irritation and anger is bubbling up and showing in how my jaw is clenched and my body is rigid. Then, out of nowhere, Brynn giggles.
I glance at her, my brows furrowing. “You okay?”
She presses a hand over her mouth, trying—and failing—to suppress her laughter. “Did that really just happen?”
I huff out a tired chuckle. “Unfortunately, yeah.”
She shakes her head, still grinning. “I mean, I’ve seen some crazy exes before, but that? That was next-level.”
I groan. “You don’t have to tell me.”
