Page 149 of Out on a Limb
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
Shawn’s head tipped to one side. “Come on, man. I heard you made Courtney cry.”
“She was being fucking ridiculous.” He wasn’t being paid to go buy a twenty-year-old eyeliner at ten at night. “Someone was trying to kill her and she was treating us like her assistants.”
Shawn let out a long breath. “Listen. I know lately you’ve been feeling a little…”
“Pissy.” Brock finished the sentence before wrapping his arm around Shawn and turning him back toward the house. “He’ll be fine.”
That wasn’t true. Wade hadn’t been fine in almost two years.
Because two years ago he had a taste of all he was missing and it changed everything.
One night and one woman had turned his whole world upside down and then set it on fire, leaving him to live in the burned-out remains of what might have been.
He followed them up the steps and onto the covered porch where Shawn rang the bell before punching in the code to unlock the door. He and Brock walked in first, leaving Wade to close and lock the door behind them.
When Wade turned around the woman occupying cabin number five was standing in the middle of the vaulted great room staring at him, her full lips barely parted, her hazel eyes wide.
She was just as perfect as she was two years ago. Just as beautiful as the night she lit the match that incinerated his life.
Wade took a step, blinking hard, thinking he had to be wrong.
It couldn’t be her. Not here.
But then she said a name. The name only one woman had ever called him. “Whitt?”
It was a fake name. A way to ensure she would never be able to find him if she decided to look. Bringing people into his life wasn’t an option. It was too dangerous.
But here she was. Brought to him by her own demons.
Wade took another step toward her. He barely glanced at Brock and Shawn, shoving one finger toward the door. “Get out.”
Carly—
No.
The woman he knew as Carly softly gasped as one hand went over her mouth. “This can’t be happening.”
Wade knew he wasn’t the only one who used a fake name that night. For two years he wondered what her name really was.
Now he knew. It wasn’t Carly Smith like she claimed. It was Bessie Hines.
It fit her so much better.
Wade dragged his eyes from Bess to glare at the two men still standing beside him. “I said get out. Now.”
“Are you seri—”
“Out.” He didn’t wait for them to stall any longer. Wade grabbed Brock by the shoulder of his coat and pulled him toward the door. “I’ll call you later.”
He shoved the two men out the door and relocked it, taking a breath before turning back to the woman who changed his whole life in one night.
She stood perfectly still, one delicate hand covering her mouth, almost green eyes still wide with shock. She barely shook her head. “What are you doing here?”
Wade started walking toward her. “Your father hired me to protect you.” His steps came faster, eating up the remaining space between them. Even then it felt like it took him forever to get to her.
Because ithadtaken him forever to get to her.
