Page 68 of A Wanderer's Redemption
“Is that all you heard?”
“That was enough.”
“So, you missed the part where he told me that in the course of pretending things turned real for him, and that if I wanted you back as the maid, I was going to have to fight him because he was madly in love with you, and that he was going to marry you as soon as possible. If you need to know how serious he is about you, never in my cousin’s life has he ever said he loved anyone but his parents. No woman has ever had his attention for long.”
The fight seems to leave her, and I see her small shoulders slump.
“He didn’t say that.”
“Are you sure? Because the moment he realized you were missing this morning, he about killed his favorite horse to get to town, only to realize you’d run. He is chasing you as we speak.”
JD’s laughter makes me realize I’ve held him up for far longer than I meant to. “Sorry to hold you up, JD. If she has any bags on top, can you throw them down?”
“The Miss has all her belongings with her, and I will say this is the first time I’ve ever been stopped for love. I think it was worth it. Now, if you’ll gather your things, Miss, I have a schedule to keep.”
A small carpetbag and a blanket are handed out the window to her, and before I can tell her to get out of the way, the stagecoach is once again moving at a fast clip away from us. She stands before me with her head down, which only makes me realize just how small she is and how overwhelming everyone’s emotions are right now. I am just getting ready to dismount when I hear hooves coming fast our way, and I know who it is before he even makes the turn. The moment he sees us, Reggie pulls the horse’s reins back and abruptly jumps off the saddle, grabbing her in his arms. She’s dropped her bag in the process, and the horse from the livery almost runs off until I reach out and catch his reins before he gets too far away. It takes Reggie a minute to notice me.
“How did you beat me here, Grant?”
“Lived here a long time, cousin, and been all over these hills. I arrived in town shortly after you had left. Old man Harvey was waiting on me and told me where you were headed.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re more than welcome. Here, you may want to hold on to him unless you two are planning on walking back. I’ll leave you both to work things out and head back to what I hope is a hearty meal. Will I be seeing you two later?”
“No, we have some things to sort out, and I plan on heading home afterward.”
“I’ll see you in a few days then.”
I leave them standing in the middle of the road, not envying the argument but smiling because I know how much fun making up is. Heading toward my own home and the woman who has completed my life, I nudge Rebel.
“Come on, boy, let’s go home.”
CHAPTER 28
REGGIE
Grant rides off with a knowing smirk on his face, and I take a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves before I say anything I’ll regret.
“God Jess, are you alright? I don’t know whether to kiss you or spank you! you. Why thehelldid you run off like that?”
“You know why I left Reggie!”
“No, I really don’t … enlighten me.”
“I heard you … I heard you tell Mr. Hayes that I was onlya maid, an inconvenience. Then you handed me banknotes in front of everyone like I was some well-paid whore, topping it off with a wink. If that wasn’t bad enough, you ignored me like I was a nobody, not someone you wanted to build your life with.”
“ThehellI did!”
“Reggie, you’re in denial because I can promise you, it happened just that way.”
“Yeah, I don’t deny that I told Grant you were the maid. But I also said you were the only woman I’d ever fallen in love with.Yes, I gave you those banknotes, but not for the reasons you assumed. You needed money of your own, and to be honest, I felt bad that I’d overlooked that when I was putting the others’ wages together. I didn’t ignore you; I simply thought you would like to get to know Lauren better, and I was hoping to get the house sorted so you wouldn’t have to. You signed up for a job, and you’ve worked your ass off these last couple of weeks. I wasn’t giving you the money because you had kept my bed warm at night, I wanted you to have your own spending money. I never dreamed you would use it to run off, or I’d never have given it to you.”
“Oh, you … you …Asshole! Do you not see how degrading comments like that are? You walked away from me when you got to your cousins, treating me like I was an inconvenience, not someone you supposedly cared about. You knew I was nervous about meeting them, and you acted like I was the hired help, not a woman you might love. I opened my heart to you Reggie, and the moment I needed you most, I never felt more alone or humiliated. So, no, that doesn’t show me that you care.”
“Okay,I fucked up! I was so wrapped up in our future that I stuck my foot in my mouth and made mistake after mistake, but you leftME! Without a damn word or even a chance to defend myself.”
Jessica walks away from me, only to turn with her hands on her hips, her eyes flashing as the anger and pain she has been holding back finally explodes.
