Page 26 of The Last One You Loved
At least I wasn’t the only one feeling the draw, the pull of everything we’d once been trying to raise its head and scream at us. Then, I reminded myself that, somewhere out there, he likely had a partner who wouldn’t appreciate any of the feelings wafting between us.
“You can just drop the key in the box by the back steps. It’s where the guests leave theirs when they’re checking out,” he said.
Another stab ripped into my bleeding heart. He wanted me to scuttle away without seeing anyone. He wanted me gone as quickly as I’d come, but the gentlemanly, Southern protector in him hadn’t allowed him to wash his hands of me completely when I’d accidentally slipped that I had no place to go.
He headed for the door, and Mila skipped behind him.
He turned back, as if unsure what to say, so I spoke first. “Thank you, Maddox, for letting me stay. I’ll be out of your hair as soon as I can.”
He stared for a moment, gave a curt nod, and then left without even saying goodnight. It tore at me, the laughter of a moment ago disappearing until there was only bitter disappointment left.
I wasn’t sure what I’d expected to find coming back to Willow Creek. Ridiculous wishes that had never been true. Ridiculous thoughts of reconciliations, of washing away the painful memories of this town by making new ones, maybe? A place to lay my head down and forget the investigation, the threats, and the debt I’d have nothing to show for if Dr. Gregory got his way.
I was exhausted. I wanted to scrub away the tears, the travel, and the guilt and just lie down and sleep for a week. So, I picked up my bag and headed for the small bathroom, promising myself I’d figure everything out in the morning.
CHAPTERTEN
MADDOX
I STILL MISS YOU
“I never knew til you were gone,
How many pages you were on.
It never ends I keep turning,
And line after line and you are there again.”
Performed by Keith Anderson
Written by Sellers / Anderson / Nichols
I couldn’t getout of the apartment fast enough. The memories of McKenna and me there were too strong—us tangled together on the couch, the bed, the kitchen counter. Ryder’s apartment had been one of our safe spots, hidden away from Mama. We hadn’t dared sleep together in Ryder’s old bedroom in the main house where McKenna had stayed our senior year.
My family had taken her in even when they could hardly afford another mouth to feed amid the ranch’s decline. They’d taken her in like they’d been wanting to do for years but had no legal means of doing so. None of the CPS investigations had ever resulted in proof of Sybil’s abuse because Sybil was a good actress, and McKenna was good at keeping their secrets. At least, she had been until the day she’d had her chin split open and undeniable finger-sized bruises along her neck and arms. Wounds that were the third in a month.
I’d kissed her that day, changing everything between us and refusing to take her back to Sybil. When I’d brought McK home, Mama had tried to make everything better. She’d taken her shopping, bought her new clothes and school supplies, and made her feel like she belonged, while Dad hadn’t even blinked an eye at the cost. What both my parents had done was threaten me with a bed in a horse stall if I even thought of sneaking into McK’s room at night.
“Daddy, McKenna still looks so sad. What do you think we should do to make her happy?” Mila asked as we made our way back to the Bronco.
It made the acid in my stomach churn some more. Once upon a time, that was all I’d wanted to do?bring a smile to McKenna’s face, lighten her day, even if it was just a little bit.
“It isn’t our job to make her happy, Bug-a-Boo. She’ll be gone in the morning. Just passing through,” I said.
Mila was shaking her head. “I don’t think so.” Her brows drew together. “I think she’ll be here a while.”
My heart jerked for a different reason as my feet came to a halt, and my breath left my body. I looked down into her sweet face and asked, “What makes you say that?”
Mila’s eyes were wide, and she was staring out at the dark expanse of fields and pastures beyond the barn. When she came back to me, her smile returned. “Don’t know. Can we please, please, please, go say hi to Nana and Papa?”
I needed to get her home and into bed. Even if it was Friday, if she was up too late, she’d be cranky all the next day, but there was no way I could leave McKenna Lloyd in the unit above the barn and not warn them. Plus, I had to tell Mama she might want to have a look at what Sadie had moved in there before any of our guests discovered it.
“Let’s go,” I said.
“Yes!” she cried and took off at a dead run past the restaurant that had been added to the house seven years ago.
She’d already burst through the back door by the time I caught up. The kitchen was lit up with Gemma at the family’s private dining room table in front of her laptop and Mama at one of the large counters in the renovated kitchen. In our busy season, the place was packed with staff and activity, but now it seemed to echo its emptiness. Mama pulled a lid off a blender full of what looked to be margaritas, and there was loud country music coming from the living room. It all meant Dad wasn’t there.
