Page 38 of Behind the Cascades
"Fuck, Sunshine! Are you okay?" I try to stand up, but the table between us prevents me from doing much. My arm automatically stretches out, but I don't touch her. My hand dangles right next to her bicep, ready to haul her over the table if she needs the Heimlich.
I’m so focused on making sure she can breathe that I don’t notice the person now standing by our table. Within a second, my outstretched arm is being nearly ripped out of its socket as I'm hauled out of the booth and thrown on the ground.
My cheek hits the cool, dirty tile as my arm is pinned behind my back. Cold metal snaps around my wrist, and in an instant I make the decision to lay still. I'm in a restaurant full of civilians, and startled gasps are starting to ricochet around the room. I know that I could easily get out of this lackluster hold, but resisting whatever this is will only cause more chaos.
Charlie starts coughing again and yelling, "Dan! No!"
"You know this guy?" I look over my shoulder to see the man talking. Lieutenant Turner, Cascadia Sheriff Department. From my research, he's the one married to her, now confirmed, boss.
A small smile tugs at my lips as I lay on the floor. I should be pissed as hell at this guy, but instead, I'm only happy that she has people looking out for her. I'd only been in that booth for ten seconds before he had me on the ground.
"It's Hayes! That's Hayes!" I turn my head again so I can see Charlie. Her face is bright red, her knees are on the booth, and she looks like she’s frantically trying to get control of the situation.
Dan lets out a light chuckle and then helps me up. He removes the cuff and pats me on the shoulder. "Sorry 'bout that.I was driving by when I saw you watching from outside. Thought you might be the villain in her story."
Oh, buddy, if you only knew.I might not be the villain who put her in this situation, but that doesn't make me the hero either.
Turning to face him, I give him a quick once-over. I don't know if I was distracted by finally getting to Charlie or if the adrenaline hit him hard, but I'm surprised that he was able to take me down so easily. He's a little shorter than me, and I've got at least fifty pounds of muscle on him.
I grin and extend my hand for him to shake. "Just glad someone's looking out for her."
He shakes my hand but then looks at Charlie. "You okay? Want me to stay close?"
She shakes her head, and tears fill her eyes. "No, I'm safe with Hayes."
Pride fills my chest as I hear her words. It's a relief to know that she still trusts me to keep her safe, despite all the mistakes I made. I was expecting her to be angry, yell, and storm out of here. Not to look at me the same way she did before all this happened.
I gesture with my head back toward the table, and we sit. I stay quiet, trying to ignore the million questions I have running through my mind. I’m sure she has just as many, and I want to give her the opportunity to ask them first.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Charlie
"What are you doing here?!”
I stare at the man I love with my entire heart and soul. Hayes not only appeared out of thin air, but he marched in and sat down at my booth without any hesitation.
As if he hadn't been out of my life for almost two years.
As if he hadn't left me scared and broken, standing on the sidewalk, begging for him to believe me.
As if he hadn't gone into some war-torn country, and I wasn't here wondering every single day if he was dead or alive—if he still hated me.
His eyes bore into mine with a mix of intensity and vulnerability, causing my heart to race and my breath to catch in my throat.
I hate how different he looks—drained and sad. I hate that I don't know if something happened on his deployment or if it was me leaving. Either way, he looks like a shell of himself. He's leaned out, and the dark shadows under his eyes look haunted. New creases line his eyes, and his smile doesn't lift as high as it once did. He looks like he's aged ten years in less than two.
I want to pull him into my arms and reassure him that everything is going to be okay, but I stop myself. There’s a reason we haven’t talked in nearly two years, and that’s because Hayes walked out.
Sandra, my favorite server, stops by the table before he can answer. She looks like she's worked here for fifty years, and probably has. Her gray hair is always pulled into a bun, and her glasses ride low on the bridge of her nose.
"All good here?" She raises her silver eyebrow at me, and I almost laugh.This town has my back through and through.
I nod and give her a warm smile. "This is Hayes." I contemplate adding more, but saying he's my ex-boyfriend might kill me.
Looking back at Hayes, he hasn't taken his eyes off me. "He'll have the same thing as me. No tomatoes, please." He needs the calories, whether he's hungry or not. I haven't seen him this defined in years. He looks like he doesn't have an ounce of fat on him—all muscle and sharp angles.
A corner of his lip lifts in a half-smile as he nods in agreement. Sandra jots down his order and heads back to the kitchen, leaving Hayes and me alone at the table.
