Page 20 of Can't Get Over You
But he didn’t have time for that. He had to get to the club. Had to see about Marco’s son.
When he reached a safe distance from the church, he pulled onto the shoulder of the road.
“Oh, okay,” she said. “Sure. I’ll just…um…” She released her hold on him. “Can I borrow your phone? I have to…” She glanced from the bison preserve to the motel and gas station across the street. “Call…someone. A cab.” She set one pink satin heel on the asphalt and clutched his shirt as she tried to slide off the back of his bike.
She was a mess, and he didn’t like seeing her so rattled. It stirred something in him. Something that made his hands clench into fists. Because she wouldn’t be running if the groom hadn’t done something.
It’s none of my business.
When she pulled off his jacket and handed it to him, he shook his head. “Put it on and get back on the bike. I’m not abandoning you on the side of the road.”
“Are you sure?” When she saw his stern expression, she scrambled to slide her arms into the sleeves. She was shaking, and he didn’t know if her ghostly pallor was because of the temperature or shock. “Thanks.”
“I only stopped to find out where I’m dropping you.”
“Oh.” She looked overwhelmed and overwrought. “I don’t know.”
That fancy makeup, the shiny wedding hair, the expensive gown…none of it fit with the anxiety pinching her features. “I can’t go home. We live there together. And I don’t want to hear his excuses. I need…I need tothink.”
“What about Willa?”
“I mean, she’s at the church. She was my maid of honor.” Tears glistened, and her voice was thick. “But she has to go backto the city in the morning. She’s working on a case. I can’t mess it up for her.”
No one on this earth tugged at his heart the way this woman did. But as much as he wanted to help her, he had a kid who might try to walk fifteen miles along a highway to get to school. “Look, I have to get to the club. I can drop you at a hotel?—”
“I don’t have a wallet.” She looked down at her ruined dress. “I don’t have clothes.”
“Then I’ll take you to your mom or dad’s.”
“No.” She had a frantic look in her eyes. “I can’t. They’re going to want to talk about it, dissect it. Analyze every single detail. They’re going to try to fix it.”
“But it can’t be fixed?”
“No. It’s over.”
“Then you’ll have to come to the club with me.” It might not be the ideal place, but they’d take care of her. “They’ll get you some clothes, and I can give you cash. You can figure it out from there, yeah?”
“Yes.” She nodded, clearly still in shock. “Thank you. I won’t get in your way.”
That was it. He’d reached his limit. Gripping both forearms, he jerked her to him. “You arenotin my way.”
She didn’t believe it. He could tell from the way she wouldn’t look him in the eyes.
She’d spent a lot of time alone as a kid, which made her self-reliant and independent. It also made her feel like she couldn’t impose on anyone. Like she was a burden.
No, she’d never told him shit like that. But he’d paid attention. He knew.
Well, he’d make it clear. “If I could help you right now, I would. But I’m in town to handle some business, and I have to get going.” He let her go. “Now, get on.” He knew he said it too gruffly by the way she flinched, but at least she did as he asked.
Whatever shit her groom had dished out, Finlay didn’t deserve it. She was sunshine and kindness and everything good in the world.
As she got settled on the back of his bike, he glanced at the gas station, half-afraid old man Keller would stalk out with a baseball bat and tell him to get the hell off his property or to empty his pockets so he could see how much candy he’d stolen.
It was only when his dad sat him down and explained the repercussions of stealing—not just for Jude but for store owners—that he’d begun to separate from his friends and make better choices.
Jude remembered so clearly being seventeen and idling in this very spot, waiting for his friends to come running out with their arms loaded with chips and beers, wondering what life would be like somewhere else.
Well, now he knew.
