Page 24 of Second Chance for the Grump

I grew cold and my systems jumped into military mode. We were on a mission now.

He was tall, thin, and wide-eyed, as if he was on something. He looked worse than any of Maisey’s photos of him, like he hadn’t slept in a week.

“Well,” he said with a smile, his voice echoing through the barn. “Took you long enough to find me.”

“Let him go, Jonathan!” Maisey yelled. Her voice cracked in despair as Charlie lunged for her again. The rope still stopped him from getting to her.

Jonathan laughed. It sounded like a maniac who wanted the lead role in a horror movie. “I knew you’d get here, eventually. Everything always took you a little longer than normal, Maisey.”

That was enough of that. I stepped in front of her. This didn’t involve her anymore. This was between us now.

His gaze shifted to me, and his eyes narrowed in anger. “You don’t belong here.”

“I belong everywhere she is.”

His smile vanished. “I should have known she’d have some big lug willing to do her dirty work.”

I didn’t answer. There wasn’t much to say. It was true, but that wouldn’t stop me from getting Charlie back for Maisey. Jonathan wasn’t worth debating, anyway. He stole a dog, terrorized a woman, and had a problem with me just because I was standing beside the woman he thought belonged to him.

Charlie barked again as he pulled against the rope, trying his best to move the beam and get free. Jonathan’s eyes flickered toward him and then back to us.

“You know,” he said, “she loves that dog more than she’ll ever love a man.”

Maisey visibly recoiled. The sight made something dangerous stir in my chest.

“Jonathan,” I said with a warning in my voice. He could say anything he wanted about me, but he needed to leave Maisey out of it. “You’re done.”

He laughed again. “You think so?”

My gaze swept over the building. Something was wrong besides the obvious. More was going on here. I just couldn’t figure out what, and I didn’t like not knowing the entire situation. This was too easy.

We’d found him and Charlie. We had our confrontation, but the next part wasn’t coming.

There was always a next.

“Maisey.” Jonathan’s voice softened, becoming almost a plea. “You were supposed to choose me.”

She scoffed, and her voice came hard as she answered. “No.”

His expression darkened instantly. “No?”

“You stole my dog, Jonathan. You threatened me!”

“Because you weren’t listening! You never fucking listened to me.” His shouts echoed through the barn.

The unease set Charlie on another series of barks.

Jonathan pointed at me. “This is all his fault.”

“Yes, blame me.” I wanted his attention on me.

“No,” Maisey said, “this is your fault.”

Her words seemed to hit him in the gut.

No one spoke, but Jonathan’s eyes glared in our direction. The air changed, and my insides rose to new heights of concern as Jonathan reached into his jacket.

What would he pull out?