Burke stepped forward. “Let me come.”
But Duke reached out a hand and stayed him. “It’s better if you give her some space.”
Zander nodded. “Trust us. We’ve been there.”
But Burke wasn’t so sure that they had. Because there they stood, the women they loved by their side, their future together wide and bright. He didn’t stand a chance in all of Hades to get Justine back no matter what he did with the property. The thought caused a new and scorching ache to tear through him, hotter than Hades itself.
“Come on,” James said with a nod. “Let’s go back to the cabin and talk this out.”
“Yes,” Claudia chimed, stepping into the cluster as well. “You’ve got some explaining to do.”
Chapter 25
“Justine!”
The sound of her name caused Justine to shift from a jog to a sprint. She steadied her crown with one hand as she ran, wishing she could somehow outrun the hurt. The humiliation. The betrayal.
“Justine,” came the voice again. A large truck pulled up alongside her, a sight that helped her put a name to that voice. Frank’s tow truck came to a stop just a few feet ahead.
“Get in. I’ll take you wherever you want to go.”
Justine looked over her shoulder, considering the offer, as another car came to a slow behind Frank. A very expensive looking car, by the look of the sleek grill and glossy white paint. The headlights wouldn’t allow her to see inside, but she could only guess it was one of the Bentons.
Quickly then, she darted to the side of Frank’s truck, yanked back the door and climbed inside with a grunt. “Thanks,” she said. “Drive anywhere that’s not here, please,” she breathed.
Her chest ached with tightness as she pulled the seatbelt over her lap. She leaned to catch sight of the car behind them through the large side-view mirror, and sighed as it flipped around and headed back toward the city square.
“Good,” she whispered.
“What was that?” Frank asked. He gripped the wheel as he stared into the night, glancing at her briefly before fixing his gaze on the road once more.
“Nothing,” she said.
“You can talk about it if you’d like,” he offered. “Or you can just be still and I can put on some tunes.”
“Music would be nice, thanks.”
He reached over and flicked on the stereo, immediately cranking the knob to turn the volume down. A soft country song drifted over the cab. Frank rolled his shoulders back and sank into his seat, leaving Justine with her thoughts.
What had just happened back there?
She shook her head, turning to face the window as tears threatened to spill. Forget the tears—she’d have to stifle outright sobs if she let herself take in the magnitude of what had just happened.
He better not try to text me.But then she remembered that Burke was holding her phone in his pocket.
On came the replay. The horrific recollection of tonight’s events. Justine had told herself she was being paranoid when she’d spotted Brittany and her crew huddled by the tree. Even if Beckyhadtold her it was all a sham, Brittany—with all her callous cruelty—wouldn’t stoop so low as to publicly out her.
She’d been wrong. But it was so much worse than a mere engagement ruse, because Burke…
The pain sank deep enough to make her retch—to bawl or vomit, she wasn’t sure which. Either felt possible in that moment.
The country song played a bit louder now, and Justine inwardly thanked Frank for his kindness. Why couldn’t she have just liked him? He was decent and good. A hard worker and a loyal friend.Hewould never skip town over boredom and take off to the city. And Frank would never dream of doing something as hideous as buying and selling the town’s very own falls and replacing it with some air-polluting, view-robbing factory that would make Piney Falls feel like a dump.
On one condition,she’d told him.Just one.That he hadn’t had anything to do with the buy or sale of that land.
He flips properties for a living.Had she forgotten that? Justine couldn’t say she had, it was just that…he’d never told her he planned to do that very thing right in her hometown. A place she loved and cherished and—even in her job for the town—worked to preserve.
She thought back on the way Foster had questioned her at the city building today. He’d accused her of being in on it. Did that mean she’d missed a chance to alert the city? Had a notice come in while she was away at the Benton’s cabin?
