“What’s not safe? Me? Jesus, Annie, I’m not going to try anything if that’s what you think. You’re married.”
She scoffs.
Okay, that’s enough to tell me she’s definitely not living in Paradise.
“Look, as much as I’d love to sit on your tailgate with a can of beer, I can’t. Brett . . .”
Ah, it’s all making sense now. The off the beaten path meeting place, the standoffish approach with wandering eyes. I take a few steps away and lean against one of the trees. Annie sighs loudly, clearly frustrated with me.
“What are you doing?” she asks.
“Resting and waiting for you to start talking.”
“I don’t have anything to say, Hawk.”
“I beg to differ.”
“You would.”
I don’t know how long we stand there with me holding the tree up and her hugging herself, but it was long enough for her to sigh multiple times, for me to laugh, and for her to give me death looks.
“You ready to talk yet?” I go to her and pull her into my arms. She doesn’t move her arms but does rest her head on my chest.
“You’re trouble. You always have been.”
I chuckle. “I’m the farthest thing from trouble.”
“I should’ve gone with you, followed you to school.”
I step back and look at her. “And what, not marry the love of your life?”
A single tear falls from her eye.
“Annie, tell me what’s going on.”
She moves away and goes back to hugging herself. “I’m serious when I say you need to leave. Brett . . . he’s not the same as he was in high school. In many ways, he’s worse. And you being here is bringing out a side of him I haven’t seen in ten years. He blames you for a lot.”
“It’s not my fault he punched the wall and busted up his hand.”
“Isn’t it?” she asks. “The things we did?”
“You’d been broken up for months, Annie. You were allowed to move on. Hell, how many times did he cheat on you in high school and you kept going back?”
She shakes her head, either unwilling to answer or she lost count of his many times other girls would come to her and tell her about their night with Brett. He would deny it all, even though everyone knew it was true.
“If you ever cared about me, you’ll leave, Hawk.”
“Is he hurting you because I’m here?”
“Doesn’t matter.” She looks at me, stone faced. “Since you came back, he hasn’t been himself. He is constantly muttering your name, he’s angry and coming home later and later, drunk as a skunk. Matty and I are walking on eggshells and it would just be easier if you left.”
I go to her. “Annie, I do care about you so if he’s hurting you or your daughter, you need to tell me so I can help you.”
“Just leave,” she pleads.
“I can’t. I won’t.” I contemplate telling her that I plan to be in Brett’s face every chance I get, but I don’t. “I’m sorry, Annie.”
I leave her standing there and head toward my truck. As much as I’d love to appease her, I’m not running out of town because her husband is throwing a hissy fit.