A harsh knock sounds on the door, and I frown as I stand up.
“I got it,” I call out to Stella as I make my way to the door. I open it wide, scowling at who the hell is about to drop kick the place down, not recognizing the man in front of me.
“Can I help you?” I ask the guy standing there. Just by looking at him, I know in my gut he isn’t from around Moonlit Pines or any of the small towns around us.
“Who are you?” the little pipsqueak asks. I straighten myself to my full height, completely aware of the bad vibes this guy is tossing. By the way he eyes me, I know he didn’t expect me here.
“Excuse me?”
“I, I, I…” he stutters. I hear Stella walking around the house, but I don’t have time to stop her before she reaches me and wraps her arm around me.
I look down as she smiles up at me, the smile on her face still there as she turns to look at who is at the door. I don’t miss the way her soft and easy smile changes as she goes rock solid in my arms.
“Jake.” His name changes the mood completely. I know exactly who this asshole is. I look at him, and I’m not sure if I want to punch his lights out or fucking thank him. Thank him for not seeing the precious gift he had when he had his chance with Stella.
But then I remember how she told me about him. How he didn’t make her feel safe. How he bullied and pressured her. How she basically had to run away from where she lived because of this little prick and the way he just wouldn’t leave her alone. I stand taller, broader, as I step forward and put her behind me.
“You’re Jake?” There is no hiding the anger in my voice, and I can tell he doesn’t miss it either when he puffs up his chest.
“Man, I don’t need any problems?—"
“No. What you do need is to fuck off this mountain and never return, you hear me?”
“Look, Hulk, I don’t know who you are, and I don’t care,” he spouts off bravely. I say bravely because I’m at least six inches taller and have about twenty pounds of muscle on him. “This is between Stella and?—"
“I’m her man. That’s who I am.” I step forward again and push the guy off the stoop. “I’m the man who makes her feel safe.” I keep moving, and this time, he gets the point because he takes a step back and puts his hands up in front of him.
“Okay, fine! I get it. Jesus. Thanks for not calling your watch dog off, Stella,” he spouts off, trying to look around me, but I don’t give him a chance.
“Don’t talk to her,” I clip. “You better get going.” I turn and hear him mumble some bullshit about her not being worth it, and I don’t think.
I just react.
I move toward the guy, lift my fist, ready to hit him, when the sound of a chainsaw roars to life. We both shift our attention across the street to where Reed is, the chainsaw going in his hand. His eyes lock with mine, and I know he’s telling me he’s got my back.
“You see him?” I point to my older brother. “He has skills you don’t even want to know. Shit so bad your pathetic excuse of an imagination couldn’t come close to thinking up. By the time we would be done with you, not even the birds would be able to find the scraps of what would be left of you,” I threaten. I know he’s taking every word seriously. The guy pales and swallows hard. “Tell me you get me,” I whisper lethally, leaning forward, caging him against his car.
“I get it. Fine. I shouldn’t have come!”
“You’re right. You shouldn’t have,” I confirm. My lips hover at the side of his face. “You ever think to raise your hand to a woman, disrespect a woman, try and take something that isn’t wholeheartedly given to you, I’ll know. I’ll know, and me and him and my other two brothers will follow through,” I vow. “And trust me, I’ll find out.”
“Fuck you!” He pushes me away, but I’m quicker and step to the side. He stumbles forward, falling onto his knees on the graveled ground.
“Now, get the fuck out of here,” I demand, not moving from the spot I’m standing until he’s long gone.
I force my hands to unclench from the fists they were in and look across the street. My brother is still there. I nod at him, and he salutes back before he makes his way back toward the workshop he has in the back of his property.
Exhaling slowly, I look at the door and see my girl, my beautiful girl, standing there with an expression I can’t seem to read. Fuck. In my blaze of anger, I didn’t think about herwatching. I reach the stoop and shove my hands into my front pockets, fully prepared for her to tell me to go home.
“I love you,” she blurts out. It takes me a moment for her words to process through my head. She moves to me, wraps her sweet arms around my waist, and shoves her face into my chest. I hold her tightly. “I love you so much, Eli Woodman.” she says against the fabric of my flannel shirt. I pull back to look at her.
Finally.
Fucking finally, I got the words back from her.
I knew she loved me, but I also knew she wasn’t ready to share that with me for whatever reason.
“Thank you for taking care of him,” she says softly as I stroke the back of her head, loving that her hair is down. She looks up at me and smiles a smile I feel deep in my heart.
