Naomi glanced at Millie and then Caleb before she took a step back. “I’ll let you eat a moment. I need to check on some things in the office, but I’ll be back in a few.”
She disappeared down the hallway, leaving the kitchen quieter than before.
Millie’s pulse quickened.
It wasn’t from fear. Caleb didn’t scare her. He never had.
Yet her mind betrayed her anyway as an image flickered into her thoughts uninvited.
Her ex-husband’s jaw tightening. His brow furrowing. The way his voice changed when he was angry. How small her kitchen had felt when he’d stood too close, blocking the doorway without touching her at all.
She pushed the memories away and focused on controlling her breathing.
How had she ever found herself in that situation? She’d always considered herself strong and adventurous. She’d had an established career and could support herself. She hadn’t even been looking for a relationship.
Then while nursing a broken heart she’d met Garrick.
He’d been charming. Handsome.
He’d made her feel special and unique. She’d fallen hard for him.
Hints of his true nature had been subtle at first.
The small, innocuous comments. The criticism.
But as time went on he’d broken her down. He’d convinced her to quit her job, insisted that he could support her. She’d no longer had her own money or a life outside her house.
She’d found herself feeling smaller. Weaker. Less confident. More reliant on him.
Her thoughts snapped back to the present as Caleb leaned forward, arms resting on the table. He felt so familiar yet soforeign also. He was a part of her life she was never supposed to revisit.
His gaze stayed on her face. “Look, I know me being here and the history between us is awkward. And if you want to, we can talk about that sometime. If you don’t, then we won’t. That ball is in your court. But first, we need to get to the basics. We need to understand what you’re dealing with so we can make sure we’re aware and equipped to do everything in our power to help you.”
“That makes sense.” Millie nodded, but the knot in her stomach tightened.
There were things she hadn’t said out loud yet. Things she’d only told Biscuit. Things that still felt unreal even though she’d lived through them.
When her friends had asked about her split with Garrick, she’d mumbled excuses. She’d told them she and Garrick had grown apart. Since Garrick had slowly isolated her from any truly close relationships, no one had questioned her excuses. No one had really known her—known how adamantly she’d never wanted to get divorced—well enough to question her.
Her own parents had divorced—it had been nasty—and she’d always vowed to do better than that. It was part of the reason she’d stayed with Garrick as long as she did. She wanted to stand by her principles and honor the commitment she’d made before God.
Then she’d realized that no man who truly loved her would hurt her the way Garrick did—and she knew God wouldn’t want her in a marriage like that either. When she’d found out that he’d cheated on her, that had sealed the deal.
Her divorce had been finalized for six months now.
She’d lived through six months of wondering why Garrick had let her go so easily.
Then she’d gotten suspicious about some items being moved in her apartment—small things, barely noticeable. Except it had made her feel on edge.
So she’d set up a hidden camera.
When she checked the footage, her blood ran cold.
Garrick had been letting himself inside her apartment and walking through her space like he owned it.
He was planning something—she felt certain of it. Her initial suspicions were correct: There was no way he was letting her walk away so easily.
That night, she’d found the information she needed about Refuge Cove. The next morning—which was this morning—she’d left.
