Page 53 of Coff

My hand goes to my cheek. “No, when I asked, he smacked me.”

Duke winces. “Fuck, Delaney. I’ll make him pay for all of this; I swear.”

I nod. “Trust me, I understand. I want him out of our lives, but I can’t think of a way.”

Duke steps closer. “Listen to me. Don’t do anything. I know you want him gone, but it isn’t that easy. Even if something happened to him, his brother or his uncle would step in, and you might not believe this, but they’re worse. Leave it to me, all right?”

I nod to appease my brother. I know despite all the shit that has been put on him, he really does look out for me. Right now, the last thing he needs to worry about is his sister. If I do come up with anything, I’ll leave him in the dark. For his sake.

“If anyone calls, take a message, would you?” Duke asks as he walks backward toward his office.

Once my dad passed away, Duke took over the main office and, with it, all the business dealings. Despite working the front desk and the finances, I still don’t know everything my dad was involved in. Based on how smooth everything seems to appear to be running, I’m guessing Duke did.

I sit up front until the end of the day, but my mind is on anything but work. No, I need to know if Logan is back in town. He seems to be where I am, so perhaps he’s watching me. If that’s true, then it might not be so hard to meet up with him.

When I leave the office, I bypass my car and instead walk toward the pier. It’s not too far, and once I’m there, I stare out at the ocean.

The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. He’s near; I can feel him. I turn around and take in everyone I can see. Of course, he’d keep himself out of sight.

“I know you’re here!” I shout. “Show yourself.”

One couple furrows their brows as they walk by. Another man picks up his pace. But Logan doesn’t emerge from the shadows.

“Logan!” I shout in case he has any doubt I’m referring to him.

But he doesn’t appear from thin air. I turn back to the ocean, wondering if I’m losing my mind. Hell, maybe Nelson has someone following me. If that’s true and I said another man’s name, tonight might be hell.

“Don’t turn or acknowledge me. Keep your eyes on the ocean,” a deep voice says near me. A voice I’ll always recognize.

“Logan,” I say quietly. My heart is pounding, and I want to turn and not only look at him but touch him to make sure he’s real.

“Yes,” he confirmed.

My eyes well with tears at being this close to him once again. So many emotions I never dealt with because soon after he left, I was forced to marry Nelson.

“Why are you here?” I ask.

“I’m visiting my brother, and I couldn’t stop myself from tracking you down.”

I let the tears fall down my cheeks as his words sink in. He couldn’t stop himself. All these years and he still feels the pull I feel. Maybe there is hope for us.

“Why can’t I acknowledge you?”

“You’re married,” he says, his tone harsh.

“Not by choice,” I say.

“What the hell does that mean?” he asks.

I take a deep breath and decide to give him the short version. “Nelson’s family was going to kill my brother. My dad somehow worked out a deal where if I married Nelson, it would solve whatever the issue was, and we would be one big happy family.”

He’s silent for a moment, and I dare a quick glance. He’s wearing a hoodie and is turned away from me so I can’t see his face.

“You’re father forced you to marry?”

“Yes.” My voice quivers, and I swallow back the sobs that want to follow. Everything about that day is something I’ve tried to forget. The only reason I didn’t fight it harder was that I’d given up on love. Logan’s leaving hurt me deeply. I should be angry with him, but after all these years of missing him, I can’t be.

“Your dad is gone. Divorce him now.”

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