“Yes, I do. I also want a husband who adores me.”
“And a house with a big yard?” I fill in.
“Yep. I want it all.”
I take a breath. “I haven’t had many partners,” I tell Wren, shocking myself. I’m not normally this open.
“You’re referring to sexual partners or relationships?” she asks.
“Both. I’ve never been in a real relationship.”
“That’s sad.”
“I’ve dated a few times over the years, but nothing serious. Jordyn wasn’t serious either.”
I can tell from the way she’s looking at me that she doesn’t buy it.
“Why were you so broken after Jordyn?” she finally asks.
“She severed her bond with my beast when she left and betrayed us. If my dragon hurts, then so do I. I trusted her. I will struggle to ever trust someone like that again.”
“If anyone can understand trust issues, I’m them,” Wren says. “At the same time, I’m sad for you. I think you could have a lot to offer someone… The right person, that is. Just because one person hurt you, doesn’t mean that the next one will too… I mean, when they come along. You need to be open to it, Grim. Otherwise, you could end up being alone for the rest of your life.”
“First, I have to clear my name and avenge Sally,” I tell her. “Then I need to sort myself out and figure out what my future is going to be. I’m a long way off from being ready to be with anyone.”
“Me too,” she agrees.
“Why is that?” I’m not sure why I asked. I shouldn’t. But I find that I really want to know.
“I have some goals to achieve first.”
“Your own house with a yard for the boys, and a nursing home complete with a small farmyard on the side.”
She smiles. “Just the house with a yard in my name, at this stage. The nursing home is just a pipe dream.”
“No, it isn’t. I think it’s great, and I think you should go for it once we clear this whole thing up.”
There’s a fork in the road up ahead. I hesitate, taking my foot off the gas. Then I take the right fork.
“We’re nearly there,” I tell Wren. “I recognize that cluster of rocks and that dead tree.”
I make a few more turns, following the route from memory. The jungle is thick here, the trees pressing in on both sides of the narrow dirt road.
We make a hard turn, and Drake’s truck is right up ahead, parked in a small clearing.
I pull up, parking next to it.
Drake is behind the wheel, his expression serious as he watches us approach.
“This is it,” I tell Wren, who suddenly looks nervous. “Time to find out what’s going on.”
29
Wren
We pull up next to Drake’s truck. My stomach is doing flips as I climb out of the vehicle.
I take a breath and look at the man standing beside the black truck.
