that’s how it looked.”
Star felt a prickly steel rod lodge itself in her gut. Control over his woman?
“I think maybe we need to have a little talk about what flirting looks like, Star. Seems you and me don’t necessarily agree.”
Star’s stomach clenched at the words
little talk
. And now sheknew why he’d parked so far away from the door. Tonight he needed a punching bag, and he’d manufactured himself a reason to make her it. She had about thirty seconds left before they reached his car—thirty seconds to plead her case and try to calm him down.
She hated the person she was about to become, hated the pleading noises that were about to come out of her mouth, but his hand was huge,iron-like around her wrist. No way was he going to let her go. He knew she’d run.
“I’m sorry, Billy. I didn’t mean to make you mad. Come on. Let’s go back in.”
“No.”
“Ow!” Star felt tears prick as he squeezed her hand harder. “You’re hurting me.” She hated how her voice sounded, hated the begging.
She should have known not to stop and talk to Garrett tonight. Should have known Billy was watching,even though she’d thought he was all the way across the mall with his buddies.
Should have known she’d pay.
He opened the passenger door in an oddly gentleman-like fashion, handing her in almost gently. He closed the door quietly, and for a moment, she had hope. Maybe it wasn’t so bad. Maybe he wasn’t as mad as he looked. Maybe it would be all right.
The next morning, she woke up on the backsteps of her mother’s trailer, head pounding, hair a tangled mess. Wincing as she straightened up, she felt her ribs, counting.
Later that evening he’d shown up at the door, a bouquet of wildflowers in his hand, tears in his eyes. The apologies flowed. The promises leaked out in a hoarse, hurt voice.
And when he’d put out his arms—when he’d gathered her to his chest, petting her hair like shewas a fragile kitten—she’d forgiven him.
And she’d apologized.
She’d
apologized.
—
“You okay?” Cole looked down at her, his eyebrows drawing together.
Jess swallowed, nodded, trying to knock the memories away and focus on Cole. “I’m okay.”
Good God, was she going completely nuts? She’d locked away all of these memories for so many years that she’d thought maybe they’d left her for good.But now? Ever since the phone call, they just kept creeping in. For so many years, she’d lived as Jess Alcott, radiating peace and calm. But apparently she’d been faking all of it, even when she’d believed she wasn’t. Even as she taught others how to breathe through their tension, how to focus inward and heal themselves, her own demons were brewing just under the surface, threatening to boil over.
She shook her head, trying to tamp down the flashback and concentrate on Cole. He was looking at her with his forehead furrowed, like he didn’t believe her
I’m okay
any more than she did.
“Jess? Looked like you saw a ghost. You sure you’re okay?”
Jess rolled her shoulders, trying to shake off the shivers that wanted to envelop her entire body. “Yes. I’m good. Tired, I think.”
His eyes wereintense as he watched her face, and she expected her fight-or-flight reflex to take over, as it usually did when someone got too close. Instead, though, her feet stayed firmly planted, and even more miraculously, so did her hand, still gloved in his.
“Want to walk over to the waterfall?” His voice was soft, gentle.
She nodded. “I’d love to.”
They strolled, hand in hand, and the rushing of thewater got louder as they got closer to where it flew over the cliff toward them, and into the huge pool at the bottom. At the edge of the pool, Cole let go of her hand and bent down.
“Come over here. You have to feel the water.”
Jess stepped toward him, crouching to run her fingers over the surface of the water. She expected it to be cool, clear, refreshing, but she looked up in surprise
Star felt a prickly steel rod lodge itself in her gut. Control over his woman?
“I think maybe we need to have a little talk about what flirting looks like, Star. Seems you and me don’t necessarily agree.”
Star’s stomach clenched at the words
little talk
. And now sheknew why he’d parked so far away from the door. Tonight he needed a punching bag, and he’d manufactured himself a reason to make her it. She had about thirty seconds left before they reached his car—thirty seconds to plead her case and try to calm him down.
She hated the person she was about to become, hated the pleading noises that were about to come out of her mouth, but his hand was huge,iron-like around her wrist. No way was he going to let her go. He knew she’d run.
“I’m sorry, Billy. I didn’t mean to make you mad. Come on. Let’s go back in.”
“No.”
“Ow!” Star felt tears prick as he squeezed her hand harder. “You’re hurting me.” She hated how her voice sounded, hated the begging.
She should have known not to stop and talk to Garrett tonight. Should have known Billy was watching,even though she’d thought he was all the way across the mall with his buddies.
Should have known she’d pay.
He opened the passenger door in an oddly gentleman-like fashion, handing her in almost gently. He closed the door quietly, and for a moment, she had hope. Maybe it wasn’t so bad. Maybe he wasn’t as mad as he looked. Maybe it would be all right.
The next morning, she woke up on the backsteps of her mother’s trailer, head pounding, hair a tangled mess. Wincing as she straightened up, she felt her ribs, counting.
Later that evening he’d shown up at the door, a bouquet of wildflowers in his hand, tears in his eyes. The apologies flowed. The promises leaked out in a hoarse, hurt voice.
And when he’d put out his arms—when he’d gathered her to his chest, petting her hair like shewas a fragile kitten—she’d forgiven him.
And she’d apologized.
She’d
apologized.
—
“You okay?” Cole looked down at her, his eyebrows drawing together.
Jess swallowed, nodded, trying to knock the memories away and focus on Cole. “I’m okay.”
Good God, was she going completely nuts? She’d locked away all of these memories for so many years that she’d thought maybe they’d left her for good.But now? Ever since the phone call, they just kept creeping in. For so many years, she’d lived as Jess Alcott, radiating peace and calm. But apparently she’d been faking all of it, even when she’d believed she wasn’t. Even as she taught others how to breathe through their tension, how to focus inward and heal themselves, her own demons were brewing just under the surface, threatening to boil over.
She shook her head, trying to tamp down the flashback and concentrate on Cole. He was looking at her with his forehead furrowed, like he didn’t believe her
I’m okay
any more than she did.
“Jess? Looked like you saw a ghost. You sure you’re okay?”
Jess rolled her shoulders, trying to shake off the shivers that wanted to envelop her entire body. “Yes. I’m good. Tired, I think.”
His eyes wereintense as he watched her face, and she expected her fight-or-flight reflex to take over, as it usually did when someone got too close. Instead, though, her feet stayed firmly planted, and even more miraculously, so did her hand, still gloved in his.
“Want to walk over to the waterfall?” His voice was soft, gentle.
She nodded. “I’d love to.”
They strolled, hand in hand, and the rushing of thewater got louder as they got closer to where it flew over the cliff toward them, and into the huge pool at the bottom. At the edge of the pool, Cole let go of her hand and bent down.
“Come over here. You have to feel the water.”
Jess stepped toward him, crouching to run her fingers over the surface of the water. She expected it to be cool, clear, refreshing, but she looked up in surprise
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