Page 65 of Driven to Love

Amber’s chest deflated. She looked over her shoulder at Nash and then back at Addison. Addison could see her thoughts running across her face. Yeah. Nash was a looker. Why would Addison want Mark?

Just then, the police car pulled up. Officer Hansen stepped out.

“Do we have a problem here? I got a call from the neighbor.” He walked up. Nash leaned back, letting Amber up slightly.

“Yeah, this woman was beating on the door with a bat. She was threatening Addison. Wouldn’t surprise me if she’s the one who threw a rock through her window a couple of weeks ago.”

Amber slumped.

Addison saw defeat in the woman’s face with the realization that her husband had moved on to another woman and she had put all her energy into tracking him here… and failed to find him.

“Amber, I never wanted to hurt you or take Mark from you. I only thought—I thought—” What did she think? Did she truly think he was separated? Did she believe it was over between them? At the time she did, but looking back, she could see the fault in her logic. She should’ve known better. Addison’s gaze flicked from Amber to Nash. There was a sadness in his eyes, too, as he watched her.

A heaviness fell on Addison’s heart as Officer Hansen put cuffs on Amber and escorted her to the car. Nash stood by her side as she made her statement to the officer, but he hadn’t touched her. His hand hung at his side, a foot between them. To Addison, that foot of air felt like the Grand Canyon.

Addison turned to Nash as he watched Officer Hansen drive away with Amber. “Nash—”

“Don’t.” He finally turned to her as the car turned the corner and disappeared out of sight.

“Let me explain.”

“No need. I should probably go. Do you want me to call Laney or Marti? Do you need someone here?”

I need you. The words stuck in her throat. She shook her head. “Can we talk?”

He stepped back. “We will. I just need some time to process, to think.”

She nodded, blinking away tears. She would not cry. At least not in front of him.

Nash ran a hand down her arm. She could see the debate running through him. Should he kiss her or not?

Kiss me!

He squeezed her hand, then released it. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

Nash retreated… one step, then another. No kiss.

She never would have expected Nash to pull back in the face of adversity. But as she watched his truck drive away, she couldn’t blame him. This was her past, her doing. Sure, Amber was to blame, but so was Addison, and that fact gnawed at her.

She went into the house and closed the door. Lu wove between her legs. As the first tear fell, she picked up her phone and tapped the button.

“Mom.”

Chapter 19

Nash sat across from Davey at his parents’ table. The steak melted in his mouth. The potatoes’ flavor burst. But while this was one of the best meals his mom had ever made, it sat like a rock in his stomach. The scene yesterday rolled over in his mind. Questions he hadn’t asked before circled. How well did he know Addison? Was there more from her past that would come back to haunt her? To haunt them?

He looked at his son. What would he have done if Davey had been there when the woman showed up?

He stared at his empty plate. If anyone had asked him a week ago if Addison was the one, he’d have given a resounding yes. But now? He had doubts.

His mom cleared her throat, and he glanced up. Crap. The conversation had stopped. He’d been in his own head and missed what Davey had said. “Sorry, buddy. You were saying something about your friend?”

“I like Josh, but I don’t love hanging out at his mom’s house.”

Nash gave his son a questioning look. Oh, he understood. Jillian wasn’t one of his favorite people. Not that he’d say that to his son.

Davey shrugged as he pushed a carrot around his plate. “She always asks about you.”