Page 21 of Jewel in the Rough

Benny bit his lip as he watched Teagan pull his phone from his pocket and fumble with it. He glanced at the stove clock, which remarkably still worked, to see it was just after five, but Ciara would be awake. Probably at work already—where early bird customers would be thrilled to be the first to pass along news of the shooting.

Ciara was not going to be happy, and that thought unnerved Benny. Ciara was going to be mad at him for not telling her exactly why he needed a place. And as far as Benny knew, they still hadn’t caught Talache. There was only one solution. It wasn’t the one Benny wanted, but he needed to leave Jewel Dairy and Piedras Island. If he weren’t here, Talache would have no reason to return and do more damage, maybe even kill people Benny cared for. His heart ached and he had to take a deep breath.

Ciara answered Teagan’s call immediately, and Benny heard her high-pitched questions from where he stood by the doorway.

“Ciara, calm down.” Because that was something people loved to hear. “Everything is fine. I promise.”

But Teagancouldn’tpromise everything was fine or safe, could he? Teagan could no more promise everything would be fine than make the earth change its axis. It was not safe for Teagan, for Ciara, for the Indignant Gurls. This fucker Talache wasn’t going to quit. He’d proven that much by coming after Benny in the farthest place he’d found to run to.

Benny couldn’t stay at Jewel Dairy, and he should never have come Piedras Island.

People were in danger and could diebecause of him.

He’d never be able to forgive himself if Teagan, Ciara, or anyone—hell, even the two old coots he’d seen in Chester’s grocery store that first day and the woman one of them had bought ice cream for—was killed or even injured because he stayed when he should have left.

It was obvious what action he had to take. What he was going to force himself to do. Time spun out ahead of him, empty and meaningless, as he stood there, frozen in place much like he had been last night, the five-minute dream he’d had of staying on the farm forever ripped away. No cows, no goats, no ice cream tourism. No earning Teagan’s heart, becoming his partner in everything.

Get a grip, Benny. Pull yourself together or you’ll never be able to pull this off.

Luckily, Teagan was distracted with Ciara, sharing all the details he could about the incident. Benny climbed the stairs to the Pink Room, not even once looking into the room he’d shared with Teagan last night. As quickly as he could with his hand wrapped up, Benny grabbed his duffle bag and shoved random belongings into it, ignoring his aching palm and heart.

It wasn’t fair, but things had never been fair in Benny’s life.

Teagan was still on the phone when Benny passed by the kitchen again and… stopped. The front door was barricaded. Fuck. He stared at the boarded-up door for a minute, but there was no way he could get out that way without making noise.

Carefully he turned back around, his duffle bag gripped in his good hand, only to meet a wall of a different sort. A wall of muscle, of sinew, bone, and stubborn determination.

“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?” Teagan growled.

Benny backed up. “Um, away. Keeping you safe. You know as well as I do that I’m bringing trouble right to your door. If I go, Talache won’t come here.”

“Drop the bag.”

“What?” Benny squeaked.

“Drop the fucking bag.”

He dropped it and stood waiting for Teagan’s next order, which he figured wasn’t going to be long in coming.

Teagan tapped on his own chest. “Get back over here.”

He wanted to throw himself in Teagan’s arms, but he also needed to get the hell away from the island. He was conflicted that way. It was either leave the whole farm, the whole island, or throw himself on Teagan’s arms and never leave.

“I’m not a kid, you know.” Benny shuffled a half inch closer to Teagan.

“I am fully aware you’re not a kid—” Teagan’s voice cracked “—so please, get the fuck over here.”

“Oh, well, when you put it that way.”

Benny closed the difference between them, staring up into Teagan’s blue eyes.

“What am I going to do with you?”

“Anything you want?”

“Still gonna have to wait.” Teagan’s strong arms wrapped around him, trapping Benny against his chest. “Ciara’s on her way over.”

“She never did have good timing. Did she tell you about the time in college when—”

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