Page 12 of Peach

“Will do.” Peach had no intention of calling this man ever, but he waved like he wasn’t onto the guy and went back to mowing. He hoped Haisley didn’t mind staying inside until he could get the place cleaned out.

There were things his parents cared about, but theymeant little to nothing to him. The only thing he really even thought about keeping were the dishes his grandmother had passed down to his mother. For some reason, he thought they'd been passed down from her mother, too. So they were older, something that had been in the family for decades. They weren't really that important, at least not as important as Haisley.

After he finished with the mower, he cleaned it off and stored it, thinking that it would never get used again, at least not by him. He emptied the rest of the gas from the can into the rental car and headed inside. Haisley glanced up, fear evident in her eyes as he came in.

He moved to grab a glass for water when he noticed she had a duffel bag at her feet. She didn’t notice him pausing at the sight of the packed bag. At least he didn't think she had.

“What did that asshole want?”

Haisley’s words were tinged with acid and spat out so harshly he nearly flinched. For a moment, he thought of playing it cool, but there was nothing chill about Haisley. Maybe with a threat hanging over her head, she would answer him truthfully.

He turned to face her and met her gaze, holding it to make sure she knew he wanted answers. Interrogations were part of being a SEAL. This wasn’t one where he could use intimidation. Haisley would respond better to offers of help and not threats of punishment.

“I don’t know what happened, but I don’t trust that man. I can’t get you the help you need if you aren’t honest with me. Based on what has happened so far today, I’m seeing a picture that isn’t pretty.”

Haisley’s lips thinned. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“I’m sure you do. I’m not that guy, and I’m not anyone else you know around here. I left because there were thingsabout this area I didn’t like. You don’t know me, but in my job, I rescue people from bad situations.” He left out the part that he also ended people who did wrong. She didn’t need to know about that part.

Her eyelids narrowed just a little, and she sat forward about an inch. "What do you mean?"

“Do you know what I do for a job?”

She shook her head. “Ellen said she couldn’t tell me.”

“I’m a Navy SEAL.”

Haisley sucked in a quick breath. “Don’t you all kill people?”

“Only the worst of the worst.”

“That man, the sheriff, thinks I’m one of the worst.”

“Why?”

She closed her eyes, and he saw a tear leak down her cheek. He moved to her and sat, pulling her down to the chair next to him. Then he turned both of their chairs so they were facing each other. He needed to connect with her, and he'd found that getting close helped.

"Listen," Peach said, making sure his voice was low and soft. "I'm here to help. My mom saw something in you that she wanted to help. She left her church that she'd been going to for decades for you. There's something that happened, and I think it involves you being pregnant. That makes me think that those men did something terrible and don't want to take responsibility for their actions."

Haisley burst into tears. It wasn’t a delicate, pretty cry that could have been faked. This was messy, and he reached over, grabbing the towel off the counter so she could blow her nose and wipe her face.

“It’s a towel,” she choked out.

“We can wash it.”

Haisley wiped her tears and then blew her nose. She was still crying, but it wasn't the body-racking sobs. Herbreath still hitched, and the pained expression on her face told him part of the story. He just needed her to fill in the details.

“Trust me. Tell me what happened with those men.”

Haisley shook her head and hiccuped in a sob. “I’m so embarrassed.”

“Don’t be.”

After another jagged breath, Haisley closed her eyes. He didn’t think she was going to talk, but after blowing out a breath, she started speaking. “I never should have trusted him.”

Peach didn’t ask who, though he really wanted to know. Haisley needed time to talk, to spill her secrets and let him in on what was so bad.

They sat there for a long moment, him pushing away the desire to get the information from her fast. His shower could wait, and so could food. Right now, his sole focus was on Haisley.