AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The problem was, he still missed Lucy. So much. He often caught Tatum talking with her on FaceTime or texting her. He’d never discouraged it before, and he didn’t want to discourage it now. But he didn’t want to tick Charlene off.
Matt had longed for family for so long. He’d longed for that family dynamic to be repaired for so long that it all felt like a dream. There was this niggling fear inside of him, though, that whatever switch had ignited this change in Charlene could also switch off.
He hated that.
Chapter 24
Standing on the edge of the construction site, Matt could guess the identity of the man walking toward him. He stared at the approaching man, and something passed between them. Something that was territorial, a matter of family. The man called Raine. The one who’d been kissing Lucy and the one he’d heard had gotten baptized yesterday.
How had Raine found him? It had to be Pastor Henry or Tim.
Raine put his hand out. “When I woke up this morning, I just had this feeling I should come. The pastor always tells me I should follow those feelings.”
For a second, Matt was confused. Then he shook Raine’s hand. “I guess the baptism went well.”
Raine nodded. “It did.”
Matt pulled back and crossed his arms. What could this possibly be about?
Raine let out a long breath. “Listen, you’re breaking her heart.”
Matt hadn’t seen that coming. He took a step back, hardly in the mood for a lecture. The Stone men had given him enough of those lately. “What’s your business here?”
“I’d love to tell you that Lucy is falling for me. I’d love to tell you that all my plans for starting a new life and making a family are coming together because this smoking hot woman is really into me.”
Matt didn’t like where this was going at all. “What do you want to say?”
For a few seconds, Raine only crossed his arms, and then he shook his head. “Look, I don’t know everything about you. I don’t know why you’re part of the complicated thing you have going with Charlene. Heck, I don’t even know her, but I know Lucy.”
Matt glared at him. “I know you do.”
Raine laughed. “Listen, dude, I came here today to tell you that Lucy is worth fighting for. I want to say that you have to fight for her. For a woman like that, you should be willing to put your heart on the line and forsake all others.”
The condescension was irritatingly close to the way Pastor Henry might talk to him. “This isn’t your business. You don’t know how far back I go with Lucy. You don’t know about my life. About Charlene. About Tatum.” Just talking to this man was making Matt’s temper flare up. “How dare you show up when I don’t even know you and tell me what I need to do? I hear you have your own past. You have your own demons. Sure, maybe you’re the new boy in South Port, and maybe you have everyone fooled into thinking that you’re changing your life, but I’ve known guys like you.” He snorted. “My ex has dated a million guys like you. And you know what she always comes back with? Heartbreak. So if I’m looking at you, I’m thinking you’re going to break Lucy’s heart, too.”
Raine was silent for a minute. Then he just shook his head and tsked his tongue.
Matt wanted to clock the guy. He looked so smug, like he knew everything.
Raine raised his hands in surrender. “I don’t have to break her heart. You’ve already got that job done.” He turned and walked off, then jerked back around. “I came because I care about Lucy, and I don’t want to steal her. I wanted to tell you that second chances are hard to come by, but you can still have one with her if you take it. You’re gonna blow it if you don’t act.”
So many feelings bubbled inside Matt. He threw up his hand and followed this idiot. “Didn’t you hear her? She is done with me.”
Raine turned and walked backward so he could face Matt. “I can sense when someone controls another. Charlene controls you. And I can see on your face that you want to do the right thing. You have a war going on inside. Believe me, I’m familiar with that. But I’ll tell you this: just like everyone else in this world, at some point you’ll have to decide whether you’re going to follow the arm of the flesh or ask God the right thing to do.” He pointed upward. “I think you know the right thing to do, but you have to ask God for the strength to do it. That’s all. I’ll let you go, Matt. Good luck.” He paused. “But I will tell you this is the better part of me. This part of me is listening to God and giving up one of the greatest women I’ve ever met. But if you don’t take her—if you don’t fight for her—I will have her.”
“Is that a threat?” Matt asked.
“That’s just the truth.”
Chapter 25
Lucy stared out of her boutique at the dark sky and the threatening waves. She couldn’t believe another hurricane was hitting South Port. The last time they’d had a hurricane, there’d been a lot to clean up. Matt and Tatum had still been here. It was when Tim had come and gotten them and taken everyone to the inn.
Her phone buzzed, and she looked down to see Raine’s phone number. “Hello.”
“Are you on your way?”
“No.” She tried to focus on getting her shop ready.
