hands flat. “I don’t know what you think you know about me and Janae, but suffice it to say it’s none of your business. So, you can tell me where to find Allen Wilson, and I’ll be on my way.”
She chewed her lip, debating to tell him anything. He waited because he wasn’t budging without a good answer. That morning he had gone to Janae’s house when she didn’t answer his call. He had dialed her dad and didn’t get an answer from him either.
Had her dad gone with her? He didn’t think so because the man seemed pretty passionate about his work from their conversation the last time they spoke. Then again, Matt knew he would abandon all if it meant he needed to keep Janae safe. Did her dad believe he needed to keep Janae safe from Matt? He had thought the older man liked him.
“He’s at a work site,” Monique said at last. She tore off a sheet from a small notebook on her desk and scratched down the address. When she handed it to him, she didn’t let go right away. He looked at her. “Don’t go over there starting trouble. They’ve had enough of it, and frankly I don’t want to lose my job because we had to shut down.”
Matt blinked at her. Was that why Janae asked for money? Because the company was in trouble? If so, why didn’t she come to him? He would have written her a check without question. Matt didn’t want to believe Janae was the opportunistic woman he heard on the recording. Every word she spoke ripped him apart and left him raw. He needed an explanation directly from her.
A short while later, Allen Wilson was the first person he spotted when he walked into the school. Matt raised a hand to his mouth as he strode across the dusty hall to the huge opening in the wall opposite the entrance. The overpowering scent of paint and sawdust tickled his nose, and the dust coated his throat with one breath.
“Allen, can I talk to you a minute?” Matt asked.
Janae’s dad turned toward him and frowned. He hesitated, glanced over at another man, and sighed. “George, take care of this, will you? I’m going to need a minute.”
“Sure thing, boss,” the Latino man said.
Allen walked over to Matt and gestured toward the door. “Let’s go outside.”
They didn’t get far beyond the door before Matt faced him. “Where’s Janae.”
“Now hold on, son. Don’t get all worked up.”
Matt’s eyebrows rose. “Don’t get all worked up? You know I was talking to her about marrying me. What am I supposed to feel when I come home and find her gone?”
“She left you a note.”
“A note.” Matt struggled to keep control of his anger. “It explained nothing. She said something like we’re not right for each other, the same old crap people have been telling each other for eons while they rip the other person apart.”
“I’m sorry, Matt.” He did seem truly distressed, but that didn’t calm Matt down.
“Where is she? Just tell me where, and I’ll go get her and bring her home. I assume you miss her, too.”
“Yes, I’m not used to being apart from my little girl, but I want to do what’s right by her.”
“What’s right?” Matt swore and paced. He clenched his hands at his sides. Right now, he wanted to go inside that building and rip out a wall. He wasn’t a violent person. Most of the time he never found a reason to get angry. That just wasn’t his nature. Janae’s leaving hurt so bad he couldn’t think straight.
“I need her,” he choked out, ashamed and pissed at himself.
“You think you do, but you’ll get over her.”
Matt looked at him. “You can’t convince me she doesn’t love me.”
Allen hesitated. “I…” He scratched his head. “I don’t want to hurt you, but it’s best this way. Janae wasn’t serious about you. Because of her mother running out years ago and abandoning her, she’ll never commit to a man. She’ll never get married.”
“I don’t want to hear about her background. I know about it. We shared the past with each other
She chewed her lip, debating to tell him anything. He waited because he wasn’t budging without a good answer. That morning he had gone to Janae’s house when she didn’t answer his call. He had dialed her dad and didn’t get an answer from him either.
Had her dad gone with her? He didn’t think so because the man seemed pretty passionate about his work from their conversation the last time they spoke. Then again, Matt knew he would abandon all if it meant he needed to keep Janae safe. Did her dad believe he needed to keep Janae safe from Matt? He had thought the older man liked him.
“He’s at a work site,” Monique said at last. She tore off a sheet from a small notebook on her desk and scratched down the address. When she handed it to him, she didn’t let go right away. He looked at her. “Don’t go over there starting trouble. They’ve had enough of it, and frankly I don’t want to lose my job because we had to shut down.”
Matt blinked at her. Was that why Janae asked for money? Because the company was in trouble? If so, why didn’t she come to him? He would have written her a check without question. Matt didn’t want to believe Janae was the opportunistic woman he heard on the recording. Every word she spoke ripped him apart and left him raw. He needed an explanation directly from her.
A short while later, Allen Wilson was the first person he spotted when he walked into the school. Matt raised a hand to his mouth as he strode across the dusty hall to the huge opening in the wall opposite the entrance. The overpowering scent of paint and sawdust tickled his nose, and the dust coated his throat with one breath.
“Allen, can I talk to you a minute?” Matt asked.
Janae’s dad turned toward him and frowned. He hesitated, glanced over at another man, and sighed. “George, take care of this, will you? I’m going to need a minute.”
“Sure thing, boss,” the Latino man said.
Allen walked over to Matt and gestured toward the door. “Let’s go outside.”
They didn’t get far beyond the door before Matt faced him. “Where’s Janae.”
“Now hold on, son. Don’t get all worked up.”
Matt’s eyebrows rose. “Don’t get all worked up? You know I was talking to her about marrying me. What am I supposed to feel when I come home and find her gone?”
“She left you a note.”
“A note.” Matt struggled to keep control of his anger. “It explained nothing. She said something like we’re not right for each other, the same old crap people have been telling each other for eons while they rip the other person apart.”
“I’m sorry, Matt.” He did seem truly distressed, but that didn’t calm Matt down.
“Where is she? Just tell me where, and I’ll go get her and bring her home. I assume you miss her, too.”
“Yes, I’m not used to being apart from my little girl, but I want to do what’s right by her.”
“What’s right?” Matt swore and paced. He clenched his hands at his sides. Right now, he wanted to go inside that building and rip out a wall. He wasn’t a violent person. Most of the time he never found a reason to get angry. That just wasn’t his nature. Janae’s leaving hurt so bad he couldn’t think straight.
“I need her,” he choked out, ashamed and pissed at himself.
“You think you do, but you’ll get over her.”
Matt looked at him. “You can’t convince me she doesn’t love me.”
Allen hesitated. “I…” He scratched his head. “I don’t want to hurt you, but it’s best this way. Janae wasn’t serious about you. Because of her mother running out years ago and abandoning her, she’ll never commit to a man. She’ll never get married.”
“I don’t want to hear about her background. I know about it. We shared the past with each other
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