Page 75 of Welcome Home, Cowboy
“Don’t call me ma’am. Makes me feel old,” she said, rising from her chair and walking around the desk.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said again, winking at her.
“I like him to call me sir, and we’re the same age,” Griffin piped in, soliciting another scowl from Lawson.
“Why did I ask you to come along today?” Lawson asked.
Allison laughed as she watched. Then she motioned for them to follow her outside. “There are tools and lumber, anything you need in the storage building over there.” She pointed at a metal building and handed Lawson a key. “Thank you so much for this. You and Julie are really investing a lot in this place lately.”
“It’s not a problem,” he said.
She started to walk away, then turned. “I was going to call you this week, but since you’re here, I need to check a reference with you.”
Lawson shoved his hands in his pockets. “A job reference? For Julie?”
“Well, you are technically her employer. Beth said you’re the one signing Julie’s checks.”
Lawson nodded. “That’s true. Beth has her hands full right now.”
Allison held out her hands. “It’s standard procedure.”
“Here’s my reference: making her an employee here is the best thing this place has ever done.”
“Aside from hiring me, you mean?” she teased.
Lawson took an elbow in the ribs from Griffin. “You’re losing your touch, man.”
“Sorry. I’m biased these days,” Lawson admitted. “But Julie is good.” In every sense of the word.
Allison nodded. Then her cellphone rang in her pocket. Glancing at the caller ID, she sighed. “I have to take this. Sorry, guys. I’ll catch up with you in a bit.”
“Sure.” Turning, he jingled the keys to the storage building at Griffin and hooked his head. “Let’s get to work.” Work would distract him from worrying about Julie. She was tough and could take care of herself. She didn’t need his rescue, and he admired that about her. He just hoped her ex played nice because whether she needed him to or not, Lawson would take care of any man who tried to hurt her again.
—
The closer Julie got to Charlotte, the more her stomach tied itself into tiny knots—the kind that needed the end of a fork to untie. She pulled into a gas station to fill up and picked up her phone to see what she’d missed during her two-plus hour drive so far. There were two texts from Lawson. She smiled as she read them. He really did protect the ones he cared about. She liked being part of that group.
She also had a text from Kat, along with a missed call. She’d call her sister back tomorrow. She didn’t want to explain why she was going to see Daren in person right now. Kat was protective, too. She’d have all kinds of objections, which would be convincing and which might make Julie reconsider.
No turning back now.
After filling up her tank, she pulled back onto the interstate and drove the last forty miles to Charlotte, pulling into Daren’s driveway at nineA.M. A man of relentless routine, he’d be awake and having breakfast right now—two boiled eggs and grapefruit with coffee, black. He’d scoffed at her prior breakfast of choice: maple syrup oatmeal. And eventually he’d ruled that she should trade it for something with less carbs, less sugar. Like what he ate.
Why did I let him control me that way? Never again.
Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to open her car door and get out. Her legs felt wobbly; she forced them to lock, took another deep breath, and reminded herself that she was strong. She was a Chandler, after all. Raised by a military father and moved from one town to another in her childhood. Being the new kid in school had demanded she be resilient, and she was.
She walked to the front door and rang the bell, even though Daren’s key was still in her purse. He’d probably be angry with her for leaving the way she had. And when he got angry, he tended to get in her face. He’d never shied away from shoving her to the wall, yelling at her, or calling her names. And then there’d been the one night he’d hit her. The night she’d decided to skip town like a coward. Her birthday.
She wasn’t a coward anymore.
The door opened and she stood face-to-face with her past.
Daren stared at her for a long moment, with an unreadable expression, one that could light to fiery anger in a heartbeat. His jet black hair was still wet from his morning shower, combed neatly and secured with gel. “What are you doing here?” he asked, his voice chilled with hatred. “I thought I was rid of you for good.”
She swallowed. Took a breath.You can do this. You’re stronger now.“Hi, Daren. Can I come in?”
He thought for a second, and then opened the door wider. “Don’t even think about trying to come crawling back.”
