What Tears Us Down: A Single Dad Standalone Romance (Arrow Creek Book 3) Read online

  I rid the tension through my exhale. “I know.” My fingers twist tight around the steering wheel as I come across the first town limit sign in what feels like hours.

  Arrow Creek 5mi

  “Look, I’m going to find a place in the next town. I’ll check in regularly, but don’t call. Please. Nothing you can do will make this better.” The plea fissures through my voice.

  The blame lies with me, and I wish he’d stop trying to fix this. He doesn’t know the whole story.

  “As long as you don’t make me worry, I’ll wait to hear from you.”

  “It’ll be okay. I’ll figure this out.” I hope.

  Falling in love with my brother’s best friend, Tate, was dangerous from the onset. I always knew the power tilted to his side. Letting him rip my heart out three years later was more devastating than I ever imagined, though I’ve had some time to recover since then.

  We hang up a moment later, and I take the exit for the next town. The second official stop I’ve made during this getaway. The first was too close to home, and my brother’s big mouth led my ex straight for me. Not that it amounted to anything, but I don’t want to be found. I don’t want to become a charity case. Not when he was abundantly clear that he needs a clean break. I’ve crossed several states and half the continental United States to get far enough away.

  I glance over to Ghost on my passenger seat and give her a gentle nudge to alert her. The white pittie startles and bobs her snout in the air a few times before pushing it into my hand.

  “Bet you’re ready for a break, huh?” Her wet nose nudges me when I stop stroking. She’s not an official therapy dog, but the effect is the same. Petting her short fur brings an instant comfort unlike anything else.

  Across an open field, a wide white sign of a truck stop and convenience store catches my eye. The parking lot has an abundance of light posts. As long as they turn on at night, it’ll be well lit and as safe as anywhere else. With Ghost’s presence and my Bowie knife in my driver’s door compartment, I’m as equipped as I’ll ever be for spending indefinite nights in my car.

  I pull in near the back of the lot a couple of spaces away from another vehicle. There’s nothing creepier than trying to sleep in a car with another next to it. I’ve also learned not to park in the farthest corner. The creeps and weirdos tend to emerge with the shadows.

  “Be right back.” I climb out into the late spring sun and wait for Ghost to lower her head back to the seat. Ignoring the feeling of eyes on my back, I cross the parking lot and enter the convenience store. A few snacks are in order for dinner and fresh water for Ghost. Tomorrow, I’ll start the online search for clients and find a grocery store to stock up my ex’s industrial-strength cooler that stays cold for days at a time. So what if I stole it in my haste to leave? I’m sure he can buy another. Or I’ll tell Eric to buy him one for Christmas since they’ve remained friends.

  Meandering down aisles lit by overhead fluorescent bulbs, I find a few cheap packs of beef jerky. Someone bumps into me from behind, steadying me with a hot palm between my shoulder blades.

  “Sorry, darlin’.”

  I stiffen and slow spin on a heel. The yellowed grin from the man does nothing for the constriction of discomfort tightening around my spine. Eyes overcast by bushy black brows slowly peruse me, and that grin transforms into one of interest.

  “New around here?”

  My throat bobs on a dry swallow. “Passing through,” I lie.

  He takes a step back, nearly putting the entire width of the aisle between us. Both hands rise in surrender. “Relax. I’m Dan. You seem a little lost.”

  I shake the bag of jerky in my hand, unaware of the brand or flavor. “Nope. I have what I need.”

  “If I can point you anywhere around town, give me a holler. I’m pretty familiar.” His hands slide into the pockets of his jeans.

  “Thanks.” I angle my torso back to the snacks in hopes the hint is clear. A few seconds later, the squeak of his shoes on the linoleum tells me he’s walking away. The memory flitters off a moment later. After selecting two sticks of pepper jack cheese and three bottles of water, I find my way back to the front counter to check out.

  The kind and frail cashier sends me a friendly smile that I reciprocate without pause. If I’ve learned anything about people as of late, it’s that I never know what someone may be going through. A simple smile is the least I can do when I don’t have much else to give.

  “Have a nice day.” I load my arms with the items and push open the door with my back. A warm breeze gusts my long tresses, and a tendril sticks to the corner of my mouth. With a turn of my head, I wipe it against my shoulder and immediately spot Dan leaning against the brick exterior. A gray cloud floats from the cherry-red tip of the cigarette dangling from his dry, cracked lips. The grease-stained navy-blue button-down encasing his torso and paunch relays the image of a mechanic or a trucker. One who enjoys greasy double cheeseburgers and a case of beer, if I had to guess.

  Not that I’m one to judge with my own soft exterior.

  He directs a chin lift in my direction. “You sure you don’t need a friend, darlin’?” The butt of his smoke drops to the concrete, and he twists it beneath the toe of his shoe.

  I straighten and thrust my chin skyward. “I’ve been polite. If I wanted your help, I’d seek it.”

  His gaze rakes grossly down my figure. “I bet you would.” His disdainful mutter tosses out red flags.

  Nothing is more difficult than turning your back on a creep, but it’s my only option to escape. I have the stubbornness to stand in a staring match all day, but I promised Ghost a fresh drink and a bathroom break.

  Wearing my confidence like a shield, I turn on a heel and march back across the parking lot.

  “Fucking bitch,” he mutters behind me, the wind carrying his words farther than he probably intended.

  A sigh of relief breaks free when I’m steps away from my temporary home. I bleep the locks as I approach, eager for the sense of safety to wash over me.

  I dab at the mist of sweat dotting my forehead and yank open my door.

  “Hey.”

  The pleasing drawl and crunch of gravel capture my attention, but I’ve had enough of fending off weirdos for one day. A second one will be tolerated less than the first.

  “What?” The one-eighty spin sends my fiery hair twirling around me.

  Unprovoked by my attitude, the guy holds his hands up and rounds the hood of a black Jeep. With a flick of his eyes, he gestures to Dan. “He giving you trouble?”

  The respectable distance he leaves between us lowers my guard a smidge. “It’s fine.” I turn back to my car, rouse Ghost with a scratch beneath her chin, and grab her popup water dish and special mat.

  “Didn’t look fine. Looked like he was making you uncomfortable.”

  Moving to my left, I place the mat on the ground and fill the dish at my feet. “You mean like you’re doing right now?”

  His automatic step forward puts him within punching distance. “I’m not—”

  Sensing a threat, Ghost releases a low growl from her perch on my driver’s seat.

  “You might want to take a step back.”

  He retreats a hasty step, hands still held in place, and speaks to me without tearing his eyes away from my dog. “Is he under your control?”

  “Do you want to find out?” I fold my arms over my chest and bite my lip to withhold a smirk. Ghost is the biggest baby, but she doesn’t like threatening men in my space.

  He inches back farther. “No, no, I do not.” Catching a rock, he stumbles a step and curses. “Fuck.”

  Ghost’s growls increase.

  “I don’t think she likes your language.”

  “That thing is a she-demon?”

  I lean against the side of my car in enjoyment. “I think now’s a good time to warn you I forgot her leash.”

  His eyes snap to mine. The spark of fear is amusing, but the entire package of rich browns and long lashes hitch
my breath. I decide to play nice.

  Without losing eye contact, I reach into my car and tap her on the nose twice. Ghost hops down onto the special mat and gives an exaggerated stretch. Her tail nubbin wiggles excitedly with her booty, and she trots to her water dish.

  The exaggerated scrape of gravel reveals the man moved back another step, and I chuckle beneath my breath as I prepare her food.

  I drop the second bowl next to the first, attach her lead, and straighten. Dusting my hands on my hips, I find the man leaning against his own vehicle with his attention pinned on my dog.

  “You’re fucking with me.”

  I extend the hand loosely holding her leash. “You want to test that?” A shake of my wrist bounces the rope, and Ghosts turns her nose to me. “Take her for a walk and see for yourself.”

  Our staring match sends a trill of intrigue through me. My tongue touches my suddenly dry lips. His gaze drops to the action for half a second before he seems to come to a decision. An overstressed gait brings him within touching distance, and he extends his arm.

  I drop the lead attached to my dog into his palm with a flourish.

  He seems frozen. “You’re trusting a stranger with your dog?”

  “You mean I’m trusting my dog with a stranger.” I prop my foot on the open door and rock my hips. “You’re assuming you’ll get very far if you try anything.”

  His face appears to lose a shade. Pursing his lips, he makes a whistling noise. “Come on, pup. Let’s go for a walk.”

  Ghost obliviously keeps her face buried in her food. His ineffective tug has her raising her snout for a hefty sniff, only to return back to her bowl.

  “She’s stubborn.”

  I shrug. “She’s also deaf.”

  He creases his brows as if she’s a puzzle to figure out. It appears my challenge to walk her has buried deep, and he’s not about to throw in the towel.

  With cautious steps, he circles to the front of Ghost and drops to a crouch. Keeping a respectable distance, he waves his hand near her face. I have to give the guy points for not pissing himself and running, considering she already growled at him.

  I mean, I trust my dog, but he has no reason to. I can’t decide if he’s inherently stupid or unquestionably brave.

  Using my thumb, I scratch the side of my freckled nose. “She’s also blind.”

  He groans and scrubs a hand over his face. “This is fun for you, isn’t it? I bet she’s not even the teensiest bit dangerous.”

  I push away from my car. “Yeah, I’m going to have to stop you from trying that theory out yourself. I don’t need my dog taken away because you decided to test her limits.”

  “Wait.” He holds up a large palm to stop me. I comply because I have nothing better to do, and this has been the highlight of my week. The slight tremble of his fingers isn’t hard to miss as he extends his hand toward my baby. He clenches it in a single tight fist before finally placing an open palm on her head. The relief in his exhale is audible.

  “Please don’t tell me you’re afraid of dogs,” I tease.

  He pets her more confidently. “Dogs? Never. I love the creatures. She-demons are a whole other breed.” She pushes her snout into his palm. He gives her another quick rub before rising. Ghost ignores his sharp tug and plops into a sit.

  “Tap twice between her shoulder blades if you’re trying to take her for a walk.”

  His skeptical glance has me biting back another grin. When she responds to his touch in the proper place, the awe on his face sends a proud mother thrill through me.

  “If you think she’s a she-demon, you should meet her mother.” I circle back to his earlier comment as they trot between our vehicles.

  He looks up with a broad smile and shields his eyes with a hand. “Oh, yeah?”

  “Yeah.” I step forward and shove my fingers into the front pocket of his jeans, absorbing the way his eyes widen in surprise. My voice drops into a husky whisper. “You do know what they say about redheads.”

  I spin away and lean down into my car to hide another grin.

  “Hey, what’s this?”

  I tear off a huge bite of my cheese stick and face him with a mouth full. “Sorry to burst your ego, but it’s a poopy bag, not a ginormous condom.”

  He barks out a choking laugh.

  “Ye who walks the dog cleans up the log.”

  “She-demons. The both of you.” With a shake of his head, he and Ghost meander to a brown grassy patch, the sound of his rich laughter floating on the wind.

  I don’t completely take my eye off the two of them as I clean the food bowl and return it to my car. Her water stays for a bit longer in case she’s thirsty again.

  Only minutes pass before they return. Ghost prances happily, and the guy holds the crap bag with a strange comfort at his side. He exchanges the leash with me and holds the bag up between us. “I’ll dispose of this.”

  “Not sure what else you’d do with it, but the environment thanks you,” I mutter with a grimace. Now would be a perfect time to escape, but my dog takes her time greedily drinking up. “I feel you, girl. He’s made me thirsty too.”

  Gravel crunching reverts my attention from my dog, and I look up as he returns with his hands tucked in his pockets.

  “Does taking care of your dog earn me a name?”

  “Sure. What should I call you?”

  His chin drops to his chest.

  “Fine. Her name’s Ghost,” I reply cheekily, sending his gaze skyward.

  “I meant you.” His husky mutter filters through my insides before coming to rest somewhere deep.

  “I’m Evie Harris.” I give it up with startling ease.

  “Nice to meet you, Evie. I’m Rhett Senova.”

  Rhett. The name flits into an empty space in my brain for safekeeping. Ghost steals my attention when she walks to the end of her mat and leaps into my open door.

  “Nice meeting you too.” I clean up the remainder of my dog's possessions and toss them in the car.

  “Are you staying long? Maybe we can grab a bite to eat.”

  “I’m all set,” I answer quickly. The hot sun rays disguise the flush of my skin. “This is just a temporary stop, so it’s better we leave things like this.”

  A chin lift. “Right.”

  “Thanks for walking my dog.”

  Another chin lift. I don’t know him enough to read it as disappointment. Maybe he’s out of things to say.

  It’s not until I climb into my car that I remember this is where I meant to crash for the night. I’ll look utterly ridiculous if I stay here after telling him I needed to be on my way. I crank the engine, and the full blast whirr of a/c sends my hair flying. A messy bun plopped on my head keeps it out of the way.

  The rumble of an engine pulls my attention from my rearview just in time to see Rhett pull from his spot and drive away.

  Well, that’s one issue diverted. I guess I’m free to stay now that I shooed him away. His departure leaves me time to create a list for the store and set off on my new endeavor in the morning. I just hope I can find some clients to take me on so I can stay.

  For some reason, I’ve already taken a liking to this town.

  3

  Rhett

  Not wanting to make her uncomfortable by sitting in my parked Jeep until she leaves, I speed away. Calypso’s wasn’t a certain point on my agenda, but I guess that’s changed. I curse myself for not exploiting the opportunity to test out my moves. Those proposals are meant for the cloak of intoxication. Blaming hasty decisions on jumping into bed after one too many drinks makes it easier to look at ourselves in the mirror the next day.

  But thinking of her curves has wishes of propositions weaving a seductive tale. I should have introduced her to my back seat.

  The short drive to the bar eliminates space to think, and I’m parked before the images of her dissipate. No matter. A drink or two will clear the space between my ears and replace them with another beauty.

  The evening air breeze has
me thankful for my hoodie and rushing inside. The familiar atmosphere provides a soothing shot to my system after the day I’ve had. Dealing with Nora is never easy. At least it hasn’t been since I found out she was screwing her boss. Without even the barest of apology, she went from crushing my soul to dying without grace on her deceitful, adulterous hill. The few times I’ve managed to bring up the topic, she shut me down by clinging to her hateful actions like a lifeline. Remorse wasn’t in her vocabulary.

  Evie was a bright spot in my day as fleeting as a hurtling asteroid streaking across the night sky.

  A few seductive glances cast my direction relay my options. I don’t have any rules for who I take to bed, and there’s been a woman or two who’s played host for multiple nights in a row. Unlike most men, this isn’t a game to collect notches.

  A teensy vein of revenge to ease the ache from the woman who cast me aside propels me. But the women who take me in now are treated with respect. I don’t sleep with someone just to get my rocks off. There’s no sick joy in kicking someone out the next morning or making them feel like a worthless fuck. Fifteen years of being with the same woman left me wanting to experiment.

  And the desire to wash away the taste of someone who discarded me like her foul trash.

  Enough memories. They piss me off, and I’ve had enough of that for one day. I flag down the bartender, who happens to be another friend, and Dane delivers my usual whiskey neat. With a chin lift in thanks, I settle in on the stool for a night of drinks until I’m ready to drive back to my temporary place to sleep.

  Elbows resting on the bar, I twirl my cell between my hands. The damn thing lights up. I rush to flip it over, always waiting on the anxious precipice for Nora to call about our son.

  Nathan flashes across the screen and transforms the anxiety into something less sinister.

  “Yo,” I answer and rub a fist over my chest.

  “Judging by the background noise, you’re out again. Mind if I join you?”

  My chin lowers to my chest. “Be my guest. I just got here.”

  “Good. I’m walking up to the door now.” With that, he clicks off.