Page 50 of Their Reluctant Catch

The thought of her leaves a bitter taste in my mouth and makes my stomach twist.

But Savannah isn’t Annalise.

Savannah fits with us. She fits in our bed, in our home, in the quiet rhythm of our mornings, in the way she steals our hoodies and fixes shit we didn’t even realize needed fixing. She fits so well it scares me.

Because I’ve been here before.

Notherein Bangor, exactly, but standing on the edge of something. And I’ve watched a woman I love drift away like she was never mine to begin with.

I lived here once!

When I married Annalise, I packed up everything, left Northwick Cove, and moved to this city because she wanted more. Better. Bigger.

Northwick Cove wasn’t good enough.

TheSea Spiritwasn’t good enough.

So, after we married, we moved to Bangor, I took on two jobs to pay rent for a house we couldn’t afford.

Iwasn’t enough.

She found someone with more money, more connections, moreeverything, and left me without looking back.

And now, here I am again, standing on another city sidewalk, wondering if history is about to repeat itself.

I clench my jaw and push off the truck, forcing my hands into my pockets. I hate the way my mind circles back to her. To the mistakes I made. To the way I let love turn me into a goddamn fool.

Savannah turns toward me, her cheeks pink from the cold, her eyes bright with something I can’t quite name. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” I must clear my throat and repeat, “Yeah,” and the lie sits heavy in my stomach and adds to my nausea.

Todd strolls up, slaps a hand on my shoulder. “We’re done here. You ready?”

I nod.

Savannah slides into the van, and I follow her.

As soon as our bodies touch, the tension that’s been coiling in my gut starts to ease somewhat.

Todd pulls out onto the street, navigating through the mess of cars and pedestrians.

I try to relax, but my mind is still stuck in the past. I’m afraid that maybe I’ll never be enough to make someone stay.

But then Savannah leans against my side, stealing some of my warmth, her fingers resting on my knee as she takes in the passing buildings.

And for the first time since we got here, I wonder if she’s looking at them not with longing, but relief.

“Do you like Bangor?” My voice still doesn’t sound like my own.

“Nah. Not really.” She drops her head on my shoulder and squeezes the flesh above my knee. “It’s like a preteen, too small to be a real city and too big to be a village. I found I prefer small-town living.”

My next inhalation comes easier, and I don’t grumble when Todd switches on the radio like I normally do. I’m simply content sitting with the two people I love and knowing we’re going home.

Chapter20

Savannah

Almost two weeks have passed since our trip to Bangor, and something inside me has settled.

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