I step back inside and he follows me inside the door, closing it gently behind himself.
What the hell am I doing?
“I’m not sure why you think I’m worth it. Worth anything from you.”
“That tells me that I’m right. Anybody worth their salt doesn’t realize how much they’re worth. How much they help the people around them.” He nods at the room that’s still set up behind me. “I know some of the people that have been in your group. You’ve helped them deal with a lot.”
He pauses and there’s a shimmer of doubt in his dark gaze. “Something tells me that you could use a little help yourself, though.”
I huff, my voice rough. “I definitely needed it tonight. Thank you for showing up when you did.” My eyes narrow. “Even though I’m not sure why you showed up out of the blue like that.”
He turns back to the door and eyes it angrily. “You need to call the Sheriff and report that son of a bitch before he hurts you.”
“He was just upset. He said his wife had been here and then she left him. I can understand that anger and helplessness. He was just acting out a little. I bet he regrets it now.”
He stalks towards me, shaking his dark head. “You don’t understand men as well as you think you do, Red. That guy seriously wants to hurt you and if you don’t make sure that the Sheriff knows, he might get his wish. I can’t be strolling by every night just to save you.”
I stiffen. “Didn’t ask you to, Jaxon. I appreciate the help but I think I understand that guy’s pain more than you do. I’ve seen a lot of men that act out and then regret it.”
He nods his head, sucking his tongue between his teeth. “You’re fooling yourself. But I suppose there are some murderers that regret killing someone. After they get caught. Not before.”
I nod at his hand where his knuckles are cracked. “Let me take care of that hand.”
He snorts. “I’ve had way worse, Red. I’ll be fine. Lock this door behind me and don’t go outside anymore without someone with you and preferably pepper spray too.”
He nods his head and his eyes meet mine right before he steps out the door. “Watch yourself, Red. I’ll be around and I swear I won’t let anything happen to you. Not if I can help it.”
Then he opens the door and steps outside. “Lock up. Sleep tight, Red.”
And then he’s gone and the door closes and my heart skips as I run to the window to watch him walk away. My hand rests on my chest and my heart feels like it’s going to explode out of my chest.
It hurts to watch him walk away. I…I don’t know why. But this feels bad.
It feels…like it’s meant to be. Like he’s…mine.
And I sure as hell don’t need that. I had a mine and he died. I’m never going there again.
With a gulp and a shudder, I drop the curtains and spin away from the window, closing my eyes.
He’s just a guy. He’s not my guy. I don’t have a man. And I never fucking will again.
Not if I can help it. I refuse to feel the way I did when my husband died.
I am never going to feel that pain again.
No. Just no.
But my heart hammers under my hand and it feels like forever until I can walk away from that door.
CHAPTER 5
Jaxon
“Can you help me, Sheriff? I have to work and I can’t watch her every second of the day but she needs someone to keep an eye on things.”
Colton Hayes eyes me warily. “You don’t even know that something’s gonna happen. She’s a counselor. She probably has a pretty good idea what’s going on with this guy.”
“She doesn’t understand men.” I shake my head. “I heard some of what that guy was saying and he’s pissed. He’s lost his wife and from the sounds of it that’s a good thing. He sounds like a controlling son of a bitch. You know the kind.”
