Page 13 of No Going Back

His hand reached out and squeezed hers. “Never. Not only do we have each other, but we’ve got all of them with us. They’ll always be there.”

She felt bereft when he took his hand back and put it on the wheel. “Thank you. I wasn’t thinking clearly when I texted you. I was about to call you to tell you about dad, when everything happened. I shouldn’t have asked you to put your life on hold to come to my rescue.”

His laugh sounded harsh. “My life’s been on hold since I left the Army.”

“Do you regret it?” He was quiet for a bit while he weaved through traffic to keep her safe. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer that. Actually, you don’t have to do any of this. I’ll always be grateful to you for coming, but this isn’t your problem. None of this is your problem. I shouldn’t have texted. I’ll let you get back to your own life once we stop.”

Tears backed up in her throat, and she had to swallow to keep them in. Jabba’s head lifted again, and he swiped his tongue over her face. She buried her face in his fur and took deep breaths. Why hadn’t she thought any of this through? She was a disaster and had pulled Sean right into the middle of the mess with her.

He didn’t respond with anything but a soft growl, and she kept her face buried in Jabba. His speed had slowed, and he was turning more frequently. They must be near their destination.

Near to the time when she should head out on her own. The weight dragged her down. She wanted to slide to the floor and hide. Instead, she took a last deep breath and sat up. She could at least try to salvage a little dignity before she left.

Sean pulled into the driveway of a bungalow surrounded by gorgeous gardens. “Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”

He grabbed his phone, moved to the garage door, and typed in a code that opened the door. He hopped back in and parked inside. Then he closed the door behind him.

Branna felt some of the tension ease from her shoulders. Even if Hawley had followed them to Orlando, he wouldn’t be able to see the truck from the street. For a while, she was safe.

The door on her side of the truck opened, but before terror could overtake her mind, Sean’s large and comforting frame filled the space. She wanted to burrow in.

Then she looked up to see his frown. Sean reached in to unlock her seatbelt. He gently swiveled her so she was sitting sideways in the truck and facing him. Then he placed one hand on either side of her on the seat and caged her in.

When he spoke, his voice was rough. “Let’s set a few things straight. First, I know you’re exhausted and hungry and scared. Second, I know that you’re grieving for your dad, and you think you’re alone.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. “Third, I’m also overstretched and grieving.”

She reached up to pat his chest.

“I don’t have any regrets about leaving the Army. It was time. I have regrets about losing Charlie. I have more regrets about not keeping in better touch with you and your dad. It was too hard going back to face the memories of my parents and Charlie. I wish I’d done it, anyway.”

Branna wanted to hug him, but he wasn’t finished, so she patted his chest again.

“Next. I have no regrets about you calling me. I’d be devastated and angry if you hadn’t. You did the right thing, and I’m incredibly grateful you trusted me enough to text me.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but he kept going.

“This is my problem now, too. It’s not yours alone because you’re not alone. We’re going to figure this out together. If you’re worried about me leaving a job or whatever behind, don’t be. I’d already finished my contract and was driving through Oklahoma trying to figure out what to do next. I was considering heading to Vermont to see my buddy Troy or down to Florida to see you and Seamus.”

Her eyebrows shot up at that.

“I’m serious. I was thinking about you not long before I got that text.” He swallowed hard, and she watched his Adam’s apple bob. “I’ve missed you, Branna. I’m not leaving you to deal with this shit on your own. If you try to sneak away when I crash, I’m going to be pissed. And I’m going to waste time following you. You’re stuck with me, Branna, because I choose to be with you.”

A thrill shot through her. She knew he was talking about keeping her safe, but what would it be like if he meant that in a whole different way?

“Got it?”

She could only stare at him for a long moment. Everything about his body language and everything she saw in his eyes convinced her he was telling the truth.

“Got it. Thank you.” And then she wrapped her arms around him and held on for all she was worth.

CHAPTER 5

Backup Plan

Sean wrapped his arms around Branna and sighed in relief. She wasn’t going to run, wasn’t going to try to handle this on her own.

He kissed her hair and squeezed her. “How about we go inside and rustle up something to eat?”