The knot in her throat tightened, and she licked her lips, searching for something to say.
“Kept tabs on it over the years. It changed hands twice. First owners did a lot of upgrades. The second did a lot of damage. They let it go. It’s hard to watch something that meant so much to you fall apart before your eyes.” His gaze softened. “Or lose it.”
Her chest tightened, and her blood raced through her veins. It was as if he were talking about the house and something else.Us?
Jonah cleared his throat and sighed. “When it came up for sale, I sat the boys down and we made the decision to buy it. Cord was on the verge of academic probation in his first year of college, so he was more than happy to transfer and get a fresh start.”
Jonah’s lips twitched, and he shrugged, which in turn made her smile.I can see that.
“Holden had just finished his sophomore year. Thought for sure, he’d be harder to convince, but he was happy with the move if it meant he got to gohome.”
Home. The one they’d had with their whole family. That hit her hard, and her eyes welled. It was sweet and sad rolled up in one. A reunion of sorts, with a few people missing.
“The bedroom in the corner, across from mine? I told you it was storage. It was Sawyer’s.” Jonah’s jaw squared. “The room down the hall from the den was my parents'. Keep telling myself, I’m saving them for last with renovations.” He paused. “Truth is, I don’t know if I’ll ever have it in me.”
This was a different side of Jonah, open and vulnerable. Exactly what she’d wanted from him. Roxanne moved, closing the distance between them. She reached out, but before she could take his hand, he clasped hers, tugging her closer.
He skimmed the back of his hand over her cheek. “All or nothing, right?”
She slowly nodded.
“Take a ride with me?” Jonah asked.
“Okay,” she whispered.
It didn’t matter where they were going, how long it would take to get there or when they’d be back.
I’ll go anywhere with you.
****
They’d been in his truck for over an hour, and neither of them said a word. Jonah expected to field questions, with the most obvious being, where were they going? Roxanne never asked, though. She sat next to him, holding his hand resting on his thigh. Blind trust and loyalty.
He pulled down the dirt road and drove another four miles. It wasn’t familiar. He’d only been there once. And yet, he remembered every single detail of the road. And the house. Twelve years later, nothing had changed.
He turned off the engine and looked at her. Roxanne untangled her hand from Jonah’s. She opened the door and got out, walking closer to the house. Jonah followed behind, leaving a fair space between them. Nothing about this place felt warm or welcoming. The vibe was eerie in the desolate area.
She stopped a few feet from the weathered porch and he stepped beside her. It was dark with only the moonlight illuminating her profile.
Her eyes welled, tears threatening to stream down her face. Instinctively, he stepped away from her and laced his hands behind his back. It should’ve occurred to him that in this setting, her mind might go to a dangerous scenario.
“I’m not gonna hurt you. I would never do that.”
“I know.” She tilted her head, staring back at him.
“You look scared of me.”
She slowly shook her head. “No, not scared. Sad.For you.” She stepped closer. “I know where we are.”
Jonah had been told she’d been a part of the Garrisons’ business in the past. They’d made it clear that whatever she’d done didn’t include this end.
He gestured to the house. “You’ve been here?”
She slowly reached out, weaving her arms around his waist to his back. She grasped his wrists, forcing his hands apart. When he dropped his arms to his side, she clasped his hand.
“Not here. But I know where I am and why.”
She knows.
