Page 7 of Jolene's Justice

ARE YOU PROUD OF YOURSELF? EVERYTHING YOU’VE BUILT CAN BE DESTROYED IN AN INSTANT.

She shivered. She hated the texts and tried to block them, figuring they were a wrong number, but they kept coming. Someone was unwavering in their goal of making another’s life miserable. She wondered who the sender really meant to send the messages to and what that person had done to piss them off so badly.

She was so lost in her thoughts she almost didn’t notice when Finch pulled into the parking lot of the hospital. As he made to get out of the SUV, she knew she had to try one more time to reason with him.

She lightly touched his arm to stop him. Their eyes connected as the last light of day shone in his hazel irises. “Go home, Finch. I’ll be okay by myself.” The words she spoke had a sharp edge, but they were necessary.

He gently laid his hand on top of hers. “Not going to happen. Aside from the fact that my helo needs repairs and I’m currently grounded, I wouldn’t be a very good friend if I left you alone.”

“Is that what we are? Friends?” She despised the way her voice sounded fragile and hesitant.

His expression softened as the orange light of the setting sun filled the sky. “I hope I can still count you as one of my friends.”

She shifted her gaze away, not knowing how to respond. Her conflicted heart was torn in two. She wanted his friendship, and she didn’t. She’d once wished for a lot more, yet she now held herself back from wanting anything.

He uttered, “I know I hurt you,” with sorrow in his voice. “I wish you’d let me explain, but I understand your need for distance. Just know that I’ll always be here for you in whatever role you need. At this moment, I’m here to be a supportive friend, so let’s go find out how your dad is doing.”

He was out of the car and hurrying to her side before she could respond. She still wanted to push him away, but the fear and worry overwhelmed her when he assisted her out of the car and she saw the hospital. He may have a point. She may need a friend to get through what lay ahead.

Chapter 5

FinchtrailedbehindJoleneas she entered the hospital, noticing the rigidness of her shoulders. He was aware that the tension was due to him, and he longed for things to be different. He hated that he’d hurt her. He’d wanted to take something for himself for once and hadn’t thought about the ramifications of his actions.

Maybe he was as stupid as Angelica always said he was. Her voice screamed at him in his head, and he’d do anything to get her out of there. All the times she screeched at him. He was worthless. Useless. Immature. She’d call him pathetic, then proceed to list all the reasons she thought he was a poor excuse for a man.

She was appalled by his clothing and complained that she could never be seen in public with someone who dressed so terribly. His hair was too brassy and messy. She’d prefer a man who was more clean-cut with a “normal” hair color, not his garish copper curls. His job was shit, and it was clear to her he didn’t care about her at all since he always left her to go fly his “little toys” in someone else’s war. He’d earned his bachelor’s degree, but that wasn’t good enough. She berated him time and time again, questioning why he couldn’t have become a doctor like so and so’s husband. He was a well-respected man, while Angelica’s husband was nothing. A loser.

At the beginning, when she’d exploded on him with harsh words, she’d apologize and plead for his forgiveness. She’d insist she’d only said those things because she loved him so much and she was just trying to help him and their relationship. As the years went on, the apologies became few and far between.

The times when he called her out on her actions, she’d accuse him of being too sensitive. Or she’d state that he’d never been in a real relationship before and didn’t know what it was like. He was always left feeling off-center and questioning his own instincts.

Meeting Jolene had been like a breath of fresh air. She’d muzzled the overly critical voice in his head. He could breathe in her presence and not worry that she’d tell him he was doing it wrong. He had a burning desire to erase his past and focus on a brighter future, one that included Jolene at its core.

But then that past came roaring back into his life, ruining everything he’d been building. His stomach churned with regret, knowing that his dishonesty had been partly to blame for the fallout. But he’d honestly never thought it would be a problem. Jolene had stalked off, not wanting to hear a single word of explanation. He had looked for chances over the last year to be alone with her, but no matter what he did, something always got in the way. If he had been any other man, the weight of her rejection may have been too much for him to bear, and he would have given up on being forgiven. But he couldn’t do it.

Maybe this situation was fate’s way of stepping in, giving him the chance to be alone with her. The time wasn’t right, of course. Her dad’s health took precedence. But maybe once he was on the road to recovery, he’d get his moment.

His heart pounded with the hope he’d sequestered for over a year.Please, God, let her open her heart enough to listen.

As he followed Jolene through the hospital, he took a deep breath, pushing aside his optimistic thoughts in order to concentrate on her and her father’s needs.

It struck him that she’d known exactly where she was going as she headed straight for the elevators. “Should we ask for directions to your dad’s room?” he asked.

“No need,” she replied, hitting the button for level five upon entering the elevator.

They didn’t speak as the elevator rose. Finch took the time to study Jolene from head to toe. She stood with her shoulders against the back wall, the heels of her hands pressed into the railing on either side of her. Her chin was down, and she stared at the floor tiles. She was a walking example of how stress could manifest itself in a person’s appearance. Her face was drawn and her brow furrowed as she struggled with whatever was going through her head. Her pale skin made her freckles stand out in stark contrast, and her eyes were ringed with shadows.

Looking back, he could recall the signs of stress and anxiety that had been etched in her features for weeks now. She was worried about her father. That was a given. But was there something else? He could imagine owning a restaurant was stressful, but she’d never seemed to struggle with it in the past. Something was weighing heavily on her.

Despite the lines of tension his fingers itched to smooth out, she was still stunning. With her jeans clinging to her curves and her lightweight plum-colored sweater, she had a relaxed yet sophisticated look. He found her brown leather boots, which covered the lower portion of her legs, extremely seductive.

The glimmer of her red hair was the eye-catching accent to her already remarkable beauty. As usual, she’d gathered the long wavy strands into a ponytail. Every time he saw her, he longed to loosen her hair tie and feel the silkiness of her hair as it cascaded around her shoulders. He hadn’t gotten the opportunity to delve his fingers into those luscious locks before . . .

He knew it was unlikely he’d ever get to do what he desired, but he couldn’t keep his fingers from twitching with anticipation.

The ding of the elevator brought him out of his musings before the doors slid open to an empty floor. Jolene’s heels clicked against the floor as she strode toward the nurses’ station. He thought she would stop at the desk, but instead, she kept walking, her footsteps echoing in the quiet hall until she reached room 514.

As they approached, he could hear voices from inside the room. “Please, Mr. Pritchett,” an exasperated voice pleaded. “You need to follow doctor’s orders and stay in bed.”

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