Women were usually easy to read, but he’d never bothered to get to know his mother-in-law, so he couldn’t tell if she was softening or not.
She squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. “The only way to make this right with Jessie is to stay far away from her.” She waved her hand at the sheriff. “As you can see, I won’t hesitate to call the police. You’re not welcome in my house.”
“And I won’t hesitate to come.” The words came from behind him.
Patrick turned to find the sheriff only a foot away.
The tall man took off his sunglasses, and Patrick bit back a growl as recognition dawned on him. He’d seen those brown eyes framed with dark lashes in the photos he’d caught Jessica staring at. The photos he’d burned in a jealous rage.
Watching the smiling face of the brown-eyed Casanova curl up and turn black—while Jessica pretended her heart wasn’t breaking—had given him great satisfaction.
She’d not only run home to Mommy, she’d run back to the arms of her high school sweetheart.
If Patrick wasn’t so furious, he would have laughed. A roaring filled his ears, accompanied by a surge of adrenaline that shot straight into his fists. It took every ounce of his willpower to keep from lashing out at the cocky sheriff who had kept him from winning Jessica’s heart.
The man in front of him was the reason she’d left, and Patrick had been arrested.
“Let me remind you, Mr. Pendleton, Jessie has a restraining order against you. The simple fact I’m not slapping handcuffs on you right now should tell you Jessie isn’t here.”
She must be here. Jessica doesn’t have anywhere else to go.He’d made sure of that. She had no friends or coworkers to turn to.
“You’re lying,” Patrick spat out. He rocked forward on his toes and looked over Sylvia’s shoulder. “Jessica! Come out please, honey! I just want to talk to you!”
A firm hand clamped down on his shoulder, forcing him back onto his heels. “It’s time for you to leave. Jessie’s not here, so you can stop harassing Sylvia. In fact, consider this your one and only warning to leave Sylvia—and Jessie—alone.” A hard edge filled the sheriff’s voice.
But Patrick couldn’t back down after finally coming face-to-face with the man his wife had never stopped loving. She may as well have been cheating on Patrick for the past four years, because there was a part of herself she’d never given to him.
He stepped closer to the sheriff, getting in his face. “Or what?”
The sheriff’s jaw clenched as his eyes narrowed. “I’ll throw you in jail.”
Perspiration pricked Patrick’s brow. “Touch me without cause, and my lawyer will have you wrapped up in a lawsuit so fast your head will spin.”
“Your lawyer?” The sheriff laughed, showing off perfect white teeth. “Guess what, I have one of those, too, and an uncle who is the justice of the peace here in Adams County. Oh, and another uncle who’s a Supreme Court Judge. How about you? Do you have those kinds of connections?”
Patrick’s pulse skyrocketed, and the edges of his vision clouded as he stared at his nemesis. He was at a loss for words. Never had he felt so livid.
“Sylvia has made it clear you’re not welcome here. That means you’re trespassing.” The sheriff smiled again. “Tell me, does your lawyer enjoy dealing with trespassing charges?”
Patrick glared at him, his entire body trembling with the desire to wipe the smile off the other man’s face. Engaging in a physical altercation would not end well.
He turned back to Sylvia and spoke through clenched teeth. “Tell Jessica I am truly sorry, and I hope we can work things out.”
Sylvia crossed her arms over her chest. “Don’t hold your breath.”
He gave the sheriff another glance—still fighting the urge to punch him—before stepping off the porch. Climbing into his car, he slammed the door. He drove out of the subdivision, intending to stop somewhere, away from the prying eyes of the sheriff, and regroup.
Patrick had just hit main street when he spotted the sheriff’s Tahoe tailing him. He smacked his palm against the steering wheel. He hadn’t planned to leave this hick town without Jessica, but the sheriff didn’t give him much choice.
He’d just have to come back when Sylvia and the sheriff weren’t expecting him.
Chapter 9
Robert grabbed the bag Sylvia sent with him for Jessie, took a deep breath, and climbed from his Tahoe.
This was the first time he checked on Jessie, and he wished Sylvia had accompanied him. He could use a buffer.
He repeated Emily’s counsel in his head as he knocked on the cabin door.I’m smart and intelligent. Confident and capable. I control—
