Page 43 of Against The Tide

Mom always used to say that it’s not how people treat you, but by how they treat what’s yours that you see your true worth to them, and Rhett dotes on Iris like my father doted on me. As though he loves her with every cell of his being, and if he can love her, then maybe…

Stop it—it’s too soon to be thinking about another man, my head nags even as my heart melts at the sight of him picking her up when she trips over herself.

Sitting her on one of the large rain-harvesting barrels, he checks her knees, and I don’t know what he tells her, but she laughs so hard that he starts laughing, and I can’t help but smile at it all. A pinch of happiness flutters in my belly and tugs at my chest.

“Isn’t that a sight to fall for?” Jo nudges me gently as she drops another handful of apples into the basket, and we start for the house. “In case you’re still tripping over everything in your head, you should know that second chances come around when we’re the least ready. Believe me, I wasn’t ready for the day Duke found me. Good men, they tend to sneak up on you.”

“God, you are pushier than Callie ever said you were.”

“It’s a gift,” she snickers, pausing to sniff the air as we reach the back of the house. The upturn of her mouth falls, and my heart instantly begins to race at the look on her face.

“What’s wrong? Jo, you okay?” I drop the basket and grasp her arms, making certain that she’s all right while Wave comes bounding down from the end of the orchard with Breeze and Ship on her tail.

“Can you smell that?”

“What?”

“Something’s burning.” She pushes me to the side and almost falls over when she can’t keep up with her own pace, and without another thought, I catch her just as Rhett looks our way, Iris at his side.

The three dogs run circles around us before heading toward the front yard. I only catch the scent when the breeze picks up, but Rhett’s already running toward it as he points Iris back to me and Jo.

“Mommy!” She runs straight into me, hugging me tight.

“Here, let’s get you both inside, and I can go help Doc figure out what’s going on.”

There’s a horrible feeling churning inside me that’s making me think something is severely wrong. And the fact that Rhett’s on his own is filling me with a dread I haven’t felt since the night Carl beat the crap out of me.

“Don’t be stupid—none of this is worth either of you getting hurt,” Jo tells me when I’ve sat her with Iris on the couch by the back door.

I’m opening the front door and telling them, “I’ll be right back,” when I catch sight of the Ferrari parked on the drive.

I knew he was going to strike at some point. I wasn’t expecting it to be today. Just as I’m getting my head together over everything with Rhett.

The minute I’m at the bottom of the porch steps, Carl gets out of the car and leans on its side like this is his land and he has every right to be here. Then I see the papers on the floor, half-burnt to cinders that flutter away in the bluster. The court insignia on one of the less charred parts makes me take a step back.

I could run inside and lock myself and Iris away, but that would just make him think that he’s won whatever game he’s playing by being here. I’m not going to let that happen, not today.

Barely halfway to where he’s standing, Rhett pulls me back.

“Get back in the house,” he grits out at me, fury deepening his voice as Wave circles around us. I remember what Callie told me the first time I met them. They’re good judges of character, and apparently, like Rhett, she thinks I’m in danger.

“I got this,” he tells me a little softer, his hand squeezing my arm like he wants to haul me to him.

“No, Doc.” It’s all I can say as I pull away from him and carry on.

My heart is pounding, and there are so many voices in my head that I can’t make heads or tails of what I’m actually doing when I stop a few feet away from the man I ran from over a month ago. Wave stands in front of me, Breeze and Ship pacing to the side.

“You need to leave.”

A dark laugh rumbles from him, and all the storm that’s been silently brewing inside me roars so loud that the voices in my head silence for the first time since I found out my father was gone. For a second I feel lost and deserted in limbo, until Wave nudges me with her snout, pulling back as though she’s warning me to retreat.

“I’m not leaving until you and Iris get in the car.” As always, I’d forgotten how tall he is. I don’t know why, but in my head he’s never this tall or broad. “Get in the car and I’ll pretend this never happened.” Carl gestures around us with disgust pinching his face, until his eyes flicker over my shoulder.

Although I can’t see Rhett, I know he’s there. I can feel his closeness, and maybe I’m imagining it or it’s plain wishful thinking, but I swear I feel his anger radiate to me.

“I got a call from a friend today, telling me that you were filing for divorce and sole custody.”

“If you want to talk about it, your lawyer can reach out to mine.”