Page 24 of Wed By the Lumberjack

“Dixie! Dixie, wait!”

I swipe furiously at my cheeks but keep jogging forward despite my protesting knee.

How the hell could he do this to me? Trick me like this?

He’s supposed to be the one anchor I have. The one person I was so positive I could trust since my past was shut off...

And it was all a lie, and for what? To trick his ailing uncle for some land? The very land I’m on right now? Suddenly I don’t just want to get away from Heath. I want to get away from the property altogether.

Ignoring my injury, I break into a full-on run, but Heath captures my arm in no time and spins me around. In the distance, I spot the still smoking grill. The lids are down, so there must be more meat inside.

“Dixie, wait. Please. I’m so sorry but I can explain.”

“How you lied to me?” I shove at his chest to get him off of me. He doesn’t budge, but he drops his hands. “For days?”

“I know it was fucked up but I swear I didn’t do it maliciously. I wanted to be there for you.”

“Why?”

“Because we’re old friends.”

“Who haven’t seen each other in thirteen years! I haven’t seen you since I left Moonshine Creek, have I? That’s why I can’t remember Kai, Cole, or Ash as adults. Because I‘ve never seen them as adults.”

“Dixie–”

“Answer the question!” I snap.

He shakes his head slowly. “No. When you crashed into my truck at Jaxon’s property, that was the first time we’d seen you in over fifteen years. I had no idea where you were going, or who you were running from, and neither did you. I couldn’t just leave you at the hospital alone when you were so vulnerable.”

“At least I would’ve been with professionals and not a liar.”

Heath nods as if he knows he deserves it and I try to keep my resolve firm despite something trying to knock it down.

I had crashed into Heath’s truck. I knew that, but until now I hadn’t thought of the consequences of it. I was too worried about my memories and not the fact that I destroyed someone else’s property, fake husband or not.

He deserved an apology, and I’d have to pay for all the repairs, but damn it, now wasn’t the time for me to apologize to him.

“I thought I was doing the right thing at the time. After you left Moonshine Creek I was devastated. We all were Dixie. No one knew what happened to you. I can’t even vocalize the immense guilt I felt for not helping you. By letting Douglas get away with murder.”

Douglas.

A dark figure that’s either Kai or Ash, given the size, opens the grill and despite the distance, a cloud of smoke engulfs Heath and I.

I cough...

And cough...

And then suddenly, I’m somewhere else entirely.

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